Best Heroes

Character variety is one of the most compelling features of a MOBA, but it can also lead to confusion and frustration. With more than a hundred and a half heroes in the game and regular balance updates, it is inevitable that Dota 2’s meta would become difficult to follow for all but the most committed players. Nevertheless, there are some champions who have consistently dominated one or more roles since the beginning of this year, and look poised to keep doing so in the near future. Whether you are a newcomer drawn in by the anime or a returning player who was last around for 2020’s Gauntlet, here are the ones you should watch out for:

Monkey King

The legendary simian monarch has risen high in recent builds, combining the gradual buildup of a classic carry with strong fighting ability from the get-go. Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard upgrades may not look that dramatic, but they make him far more flexible and agile than before. The clone soldiers he spawns are extremely useful for flash-farming, softening up the opposition while letting the Monkey King move to and from the frontline of his lane while risking little damage. His consistently strong performance over the entire match makes him great for climbing out of the Low Priority queues quickly.

Wraith King

Ostarion – celebrated in the latest Battle Pass’s Arcana – is another monarch to benefit from the recent meta. He has long been one of the easiest characters for new players thanks mainly to his sheer versatility, as he can perform effectively in any position without too much-advanced knowledge. His durability lets him fight on the frontlines and survive making mistakes, and even if he dies, he can rise again through Reincarnation. The cooldowns keep ticking down until he revives, letting him make a triumphant return.

Recent changes have streamlined the undead ruler’s build further and reworked two of his abilities. Mortal Strike now inflicts guaranteed critical damage, increasing the Wraith King’s team fight potential further, while Vampiric Spirit lets him raise an army of skeletons that can be of great help when laning or farming.

Storm Spirit

Spirit characters have long dominated the mid-lane and recent updates have made some of them shine even more than usual. While Storm Spirit needs some time to get going, after reaching level 6 he becomes one of the most dangerous foes you can face in a lane. His great advantage is mobility, being able to jump into the fray without warning and then jump back out to evade the strongest attacks. The stormy hero’s wide array of area-of-effect attacks and traps – enhanced further by Aghanim’s items – allows a skilled player to disrupt enemy formations with insulting ease.

Earth Spirit

This spirit is trickier to master than the others, potentially requiring some coaching to truly master the mechanics and the timing of his strongest attacks. Nevertheless, even a newbie can put him to good use as a support, and his early game potential is nothing to sneeze at. Rolling Boulder is one of the best initiating abilities in the game, charging, stunning and damaging enemies all at once. Later on, judicious use of Stone Remnants can turn the tides in a pitched team battle by disrupting foes and boosting friends.

Puck

Despite receiving a few minor recent nerfs, this fey trickster continues to be an infuriating enemy to deal with, due to its disruptive potential and a variety of escape powers. While thriving in the mid lane, it can apply itself just about anywhere, whether by harrying enemies through hit-and-run attacks or diverting attention from its allies. Waning Rift and Dream Coil make the little dragon an excellent crowd controller, while Aghanim’s updates level those abilities up to throw in powerful damage and override magical defenses. No wonder it leads the pack in the pick or bans charts!

Beastmaster

The zoo strategy allows champions to rely on their summons to do much of the fighting for them, distracting enemy attention, inflicting added damage, and letting the actual hero wait for a chance to move in for the kill. Recent buffs to the Necronomicon item, which provides extra summons, have made this approach even more formidable than before. The Beastmaster is the poster boy for the zoo strategy thanks to his strong innate summons and summons buffs. His win rate in March 2021 is without equals. If need be, he can thrive offline with minimal allied support – an important trait to have when working on solo MMR. The Aghanim’s Shard upgrade, which allows him to control the hawk for directed scouting and suicide stun attacks, makes this wild champion even more self-reliant than before.

Tidehunter

If you want to play solo, but don’t wish to rely on a summons, Tidehunter may be more your speed. Then again, he is also a solid pick for anyone hoping to get duo MMR due to a high number of potential synergies. The tank from the deep combines remarkable endurance with a range of multi-target attacks and debuffs. As a result, he can be the absolute master of his chosen lane, denying enemy progress at will. Melee enemies in particular will find it nearly impossible to counter him directly. Later on, he can wipe out entire enemy teams with a little help from one of the other area-of-effect heroes.

Alchemist

Getting extra gold for items or quick revives is a major advantage – one that is not squandered on this tricky Keen. He is designed for quick and efficient farming before entering the final confrontation at full strength. The combination of Chemical Rage and Berserk Potion can turn this glass cannon into a capable frontliner, while his support abilities make him a valued addition to any team. Being easy to learn while requiring a solid understanding of all basic mechanics for mastery also makes this character ideal for training if you feel like you’re underperforming on your calibration matches.

Death Prophet

With the latest major patch, Krobelus has gained the highest base movement speed of any character in the game. Combined with her lethal ranged skills and mighty flying summons, this heightened maneuverability makes her an exceedingly difficult opponent to hold any lane against. Even if she does end up coming into harm’s way, Spirit Siphon allows her to steal enemy health to replenish her own. If handled well, Death Prophet can be a force of nature, picking apart any resistance she encounters, though it wouldn’t hurt to practice her moves in a normal game first.

Enigma

This otherworldly hero is always a popular choice in high-stakes battles – from weekend Battle Cups to larger tournaments. His ultimate ability, Black Hole, is a mass silencer and disabler that is one of the most devastating abilities in the entire MOBA. Enigma’s other abilities are very versatile for the purpose of pushing a lane – stunning and damaging heroes, replacing creeps with copies of himself or inflicting damage in proportion to the target’s health (mangling most tanks). He is also best-suited to wield the Blink Dagger, negating his unimpressive mobility and making it easy for him to position himself for effective Black Hole deployment.

Conclusion​​​​​​​

Despite its daunting complexity, the major advantage of Dota 2’s extensive character roster is that it has something for everyone. The top heroes at any time all play differently from each other, and even if none of those optimal choices satisfy you, most of the other characters are competitive. Finding something that fits your playstyle is usually more important than raw strength. Think of meta character lists like this one as suggestions in case you want to have a relatively easy time, or as warnings about threats you should prioritize during matches.