Dota 2 is a complex game where every tiny detail can cost you the match, and picks and their synergy are a huge part of that. With a total of 126 characters in the pool, the game offers a wide range of tactical possibilities. However, some of the heroes are notably harder to play than others, with their kits or their mechanics being hard to master or pull off. But who is the hardest Dota 2 hero, exactly?
Whether you want to make the most out of your favorite character or just want to avoid those advanced picks, you need to know the hardest Dota 2 heroes. In our guide, we provide all the necessary information regarding those characters, helping you take control and excel in every match.
Invoker
Let’s be real: this is who we all think of first when someone starts talking about the hardest heroes in Dota 2. Or, as the character himself puts it, “I am a beacon of knowledge blazing out across a black sea of ignorance”. And yes, you’ll need a lot of that blazing knowledge stuff to get good at playing this guy.
On the bright side, Invoker is a very versatile pick due to the sheer number of abilities available to him. He can be a support, a midlaner, and a carry, and can even switch between these roles mid-game to a certain extent. As Invoker needs a lot of fast experience to truly shine, he is mostly played as a midlaner.
This hero is suitable only for advanced players. Even pros with literal years of experience need to practice Invoker to be decent with the hero. The reason behind that steep learning curve is Invoker’s ability kit. Instead of regular abilities, his active buttons represent his iconic spheres (Quas, Wex, and Exort). Each combination of the three gives the character access to a certain spell, with only 2 available at any given time. So, Invoker players should not only memorize all the possible combinations (a total of 10 spells) but also train their muscle memory to switch the spells quickly during fights. For example, to create a Tornado, you’ll need to use Wex, Wex, and Quas, while the Sunstrike requires you to press Exort three times.
On top of that, the spells have long cooldowns, so just throwing them around is not an option. Invoker spell combos should be carefully calculated and executed.
Several tips for beginner Invokers to get you started:
- Do a lot of research. Invoker’s fame as the game’s hardest pick means there’s a ton of guides on how to play him;
- Focus on exp gain and farm;
- Practice combos in the offline lobby before going to a match;
- Use the hero's versatility. Item and skill builds for Invoker can be easily tailored to specific situations, and you should learn to do so if you want to get the most out of the character.
Rubick
Although he is primarily suitable for the support role, Rubick can also be a very dangerous midlaner in the right hands. It is a rather unique spellcaster who can copy other heroes’ abilities (including ultimates) with his own ult. He also has a stun that can hit several targets at once and a nuke that reduces damage.
Rubick is very fun to play but is relatively squishy and requires above-average game knowledge to use his kit effectively. His low HP and strength mean that without proper positioning you’ll die far too often to make any real impact. Besides, as a Soft or Hard Support (positions 4 or 5) Rubick players should be proficient in pulling, ganking, warding, etc. Moreover, if you don’t have stellar reaction time, you’re likely to get outclassed by less micro-intensive heroes. Rubick is at his best when he can steal that 1 clutch spell like Ravage, Black Hole, or Reverse Polarity and cast it in a teamfight to disable multiple enemies at once.
Several tips for beginner Rubick players:
- Learn how to be a good support (laning, pulling, ganking, warding);
- Focus on your positioning. Try not to be an easy target for the enemy carry;
- Don’t spam your abilities. Wait for the best moment to make your play.
Tinker
Tinker is another strong contender for the title of the hardest Dota 2 hero to play. He’s a classic midlaner who can be an ultimate menace for the opposing team if you do things right, but will die miserably far more often than almost any other hero if you’re not careful.
Tinker isn’t as versatile as some of the other heroes we’re going to discuss today — he is all about raw dominance. However, you need to spend quite a few hours in training before you can start deleting your opponents left and right. Tinker is for advanced players only because you have very little room for mistakes when playing him. Your enemies are likely aware of how deadly the hero can get, so they’ll jump him like no tomorrow if they see an opening. And once your tempo is ruined, it’s very hard to get back on track.
While Tinker’s skill set is focused on fast pushing (2nd spell) and bursting (1st spell), there are defensive skills (Defensive Matrix + shard) that can also be cast on allies. This led some players to experiment with tinker-support drafts, however without decent level and items these ideas are not very likely to work. However, what makes the hero so dangerous is his ultimate, Rearm, which allows him to reset all cooldowns on his abilities.
Focus on the following while playing Tinker:
- Gain as many last hits as possible throughout the game;
- Buy boots of travel and a blink dagger, and look for free kills on the map;
- Stack closest neutral camps while playing mid;
- Make yourself a hard catch, as every death on Tinker can leave you far behind;
- Make sure to have enough mana points by purchasing intelligence-based items.
Meepo
If you ask any high-level player, “Who is the hardest hero to use in Dota 2?” chances are they will go with Meepo as their first guess. This extremely difficult to play but impactful hero is your mid or carry that can win games solo if the player’s micro is good enough.
Meepo’s main selling point is his ability to multiply and farm the entire map at once. Besides, the hero can quickly “get together” and overwhelm opponents with numbers. Yet, all of this requires ungodly levels of micro to pull off, and newer players will most likely just ruin the game for their team by playing 1 Meepo at a time. On top of that, the hero's clones are not like typical illusions you can get with some heroes and items. They have full hero stats, meaning extreme damage potential, but if just one gets killed, the rest will immediately die as well.
Meepo has a skillset that perfectly fits the idea of farming at several locations at once and then quickly coming to one place for a fight. His 1st ability is a non-targeted disable with a root mechanic, the 2nd one is a nuke that also allows Meepoes to teleport to each other, the 3rd is a passive lifesteal, while the ultimate passively adds additional clones.
Things to keep in mind when playing this arguably hardest hero in Dota 2:
- In the early game, focus solely on farming;
- Buy stat items first. Remember, if 1 Meepo dies, the rest are dead as well;
- Learn about the hero's power spikes to get a clear understanding of when you’re strong enough to fight;
- Try playing illusion heroes like Naga or Phantom Lancer first. This way, you can get used to microing several units at once;
IO
IO is the ultimate support and, according to literally every review we were able to find, one of the top 5 hardest Dota 2 heroes. The hero's skill set can make teamfights and ganking seem like child’s play. In a good game, IO can make his carry literally unkillable. His first spell links IO to an allied unit, enabling his 3rd spell (increased health regeneration + buff) and ultimate (teleport anywhere on the map with the target). IO’s 2nd spell, Spirits, summons 5 circling spirits that explode when hitting enemies. You can control their range manually.
However, you should keep in mind that this hero is not for every game. Your entire pick should be based on the IO + carry combination. Logically, you’ll need a team of at least two players to consider picking him. Second, it is very hard to stay in the middle of the fight alongside your carry without getting killed. Finally, IO players should possess excellent map awareness and always seek opportunities either to gank or save allies and escape with the ultimate. All this makes the hero rather challenging, especially for newer players.
Some tips for playing IO:
- Try to secure a good start for your carry by keeping the creep waves close to your tower;
- Buy aura and healing items;
- Keep your health regeneration as high as possible;
- Try to keep tabs on both macro and micro to secure kills and saves.
Chen
Dota 2 heroes for advanced players should have lots of buttons, lots of tasks on the map, or lots of units to control. Well, Chen has all three. One of the hardest supports in the game, this hero uses creeps to help his team win. Chen has a targeted slow that also makes allies hit the affected unit faster, a skill that allows him to take control over an enemy or neutral creep, a passive that provides increased HP regeneration, a skill to summon a unit (depending on the chosen Facet), and a global ult that heals all allies.
Chen is one of the heroes who can set the pace of a game. However, only experienced players can understand all the tasks they should do with the hero in the early-/mid-game, let alone execute them properly. Playing Chen is all about snowballing your team as early as possible, as if that fails, the hero’s bad scaling will make him progressively weaker as the game continues.
Several tips for playing Chen:
- Don’t take random creeps, try to find abilities that suit your game plan the most;
- Buy aura and support items (Greaves, Meka, etc.)
- Try to make the most impact during the laning phase (harass, gank, block camps, etc.)
- Be vocal. Inform the team about every move you’re about to make.
Beastmaster
The best offlaner in the current meta and one of the hardest Dota 2 characters, Beastmaster holds the dubious honor of being the most banned hero at all the recent tournaments. He is strong at any point of the game, has a BKB piercing stun, and is notoriously hard to kill.
Beastmaster has a nuke that can hit in close, mid, and long range and a passive that buffs him and his controlled units while also adding a debuff effect to the nuke. The hero also boasts 2 spells that summon units, a boar with a ranged attack that slows the target and a hawk that can dive-bomb enemies across the map. Bestmaster’s ultimate is a long-range stun that pierces spell immunity.
Playing this character requires a comprehensive, multilayered knowledge of the game. First off, you need to last-hit creeps, just as any other carry. While doing so, you also need to harass the enemy carry with your summon and abilities. Also, you have to spend time in the hard lane playing solo to get as much experience as possible.
Some tips for the hero:
- In the opening stage of the game, focus on a farming aspect while also interfering with your enemies’ farm;
- Communicate with your support player to get kills when possible;
- While staying solo, prioritize experience gain over gold;
- Don’t be scared to pressure enemy lanes alone mid-game. Beastmaster is hard to kill, so the enemies going to have to bring in multiple heroes to get rid of you;
- Save your ultimate for top-priority targets in a teamfight, but don't hesitate to use it to secure a kill on a solo support if the situation allows for it.
That’s it for today! Who’s the hardest Dota 2 hero, in your opinion? Leave comments below.
