Featuring the highest level of competition, Dota 2 Heroes are the difference between winning and losing. As a MOBA game, each player has the chance to pick a unique Hero from a list of Dota 2 The International Heroes for each game. In this featured discussion, we’re taking a look at the Dota 2 The International heroes which are at the top of all of Dota.
Dota 2 Heroes at The International
Apart from playing to your strengths, picking the right heroes at Dota 2 The International 2023 also involves a degree of counterplay and punishing your opponents’ choices.
Each hero serves a different purpose and performs different roles depending on how the game plays out. Many Dota 2 teams, and even the eventual Dota 2 TI winners, will rely heavily on their Heroes.
Knowledge regarding heroes and their pick rates amongst certain teams is certainly a fantastic tool for Dota 2 The International betting.
From magical tacticians to fierce brutes, Dota 2’s hero pool is massive and diverse. There are 124 heroes in Dota 2, the last of which is Primal Beast. In Dota 2, heroes are divided into strengths, agility, and intelligence. There are currently:
- 43 strength heroes
- 38 agility heroes
- 43 intelligence heroes
Previously, many new heroes were released each year. But Valve have been slowing down since 2020. Only one – Hoodwink – was released in 2020 and one – Primal Beast – was released in 2022.
TI12 Picks and Bans
These heroes are further classified into different tiers and roles, something teams will closely watch and pick at Dota 2 The International 2022. In the Dota 2 TI heroes list, tier-one heroes will appear in almost every draft. There can even be Dota 2 TI betting on heroes in some instances influenced by TI12 picks and bans.
In order to preview the Dota 2 Heroes at The International in a constantly changing meta, we’re consulting DotaBuff‘s statistics on Pick and Win Rates from the last month. Specifically, we’re looking at Pick and Win Rates for the highest-ranked players in the game – ranked Divine and Immortal (>5K MMR).
Here’s a Dota 2 TI heroes list of the top 6 most picked heroes right now that are to feature as Dota 2 Heroes at the International by Dota 2 TI teams:
| Hero | Pick Rate | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Invoker | 23.31% | 56.21% |
| Pudge | 23.30% | 48.04% |
| Phantom Assassin | 23.00% | 50.58% |
| Legion Commander | 20.09% | 50.33% |
| Gyrocopter | 20.07% | 52.99% |
| Rubick | 20.06% | 46.33% |
Much of their powers come from the flexibility they allow teams to bring them into lanes as they deem fit, or the might to overpower, something no other hero can counter or replicate.
Notably, these popular heroes are also targets for TI12 picks and bans in the context of the most recent update – Dota Patch 7.34c.
Dota 2 TI Heroes List
Let’s take a look at some of the heroes that have or can potentially help some of the game’s most tactically sound and astute teams in their quest for glory at Dota 2 The International 2023, which will take place in Seattle, USA in October 2023.
Invoker
Invoker‘s unique array of abilities as a Universal Ranged hero contributes to a versatility which professional Dota 2 players can’t seem to get enough of. Sure, his stats aren’t the greatest, with average starting damage, movement speed and armor, his combos and abilities definitely compensate.
Speaking of which, there are a ridiculous number of spells which this magical hero can throw out. Here’s a quick look at his spells. Namely, there are the spells of Quas, Wex, Exort, Invoke, Cold Snap, Ghost Walk, Tornado, EMP, Alacrity, Chaos Meteor, Sun Strike, Forge Spirit, Ice Wall, Deafening Blast – each one either damaging opponents or buffing allies.
In addition, in-game items such as the Agh’s Shard and Aghanim Scepter improve spells and allow new ones to be cast.
It’s his range and armory of spells which make him perfect as a Mid Lane hero for teams trying to become Dota 2 TI winners. It’s also worth noting that he was highly contested in DreamLeague season 21, the last tournament before TI.
Considering his complexity, Invoker is perhaps one of the most exciting Dota 2 Heroes at The International as the possibilities are endless.
Strengths:
- Great Mid-Laner due to range and universal involvement
- Is almost always favoured in a 1v1
- Very powerful in the late-game
- Massive AoE abilities
Weaknesses:
- Average to below-average starting statistics
- Prone to being ganked
- Complicated to master due to the number of builds
- Very weak early on
Dota Patch 7.34c – Invoker received a nerf, reducing his Base Health Regen and nerfing the spells Wex, Tornado and E.M.P.
Pudge
Pudge is Pudge – an iconic hero dating back all the way from Dota 1, making massive plays with his Meat Hook for as long as Dota competitive has been around and earning a spot on our Dota 2 The International heroes list.
This fearsome hero knows many roles, ranging from Roamer/Ganker to Offlane and for the most part, due to his reliance on items, he finds his place in Mid as a Strength hero with plenty of health.
Here, he can land devastating damage with his arsenal of visceral abilities, such as Meat Hook (snatching opponents and dealing damage), Rot, Flesh Heap and Dismember. At the highest level of competition, the simplicity of Pudge allows teams to disrupt the enemy’s plans through well-executed ganks – nothing can escape the Meat Hook, not even spell immunity.
As one of the Dota 2 Heroes at The International, Pudge is a great pick against enemies who don’t make use of spell immunity.
Strengths:
- High-base health and health regeneration
- Strong ganker and roamer in the early game
- Excellent abilities for ganking – Dismember and Meat Hook combo especially
Weaknesses:
- Low armor and very slow movement
- Reliant on his hook to get kills, which is skill shot to say the least
- Low mana pool and regeneration
- Not very useful in full-scale team fights
- Can be countered with magic resistance
Dota Patch 7.34c – no changes were made to Pudge.
Phantom Assassin
As one of the most prominent carries in Dota 2, Phantom Assassin will almost definitely show up as one of the Dota 2 Heroes at The International. This is especially following her dominant performance at DreamLeague.
Using stealth to her advantage, this low-health, high-damage hero uses a number of abilities to deal damage and traverse the Aegis super quickly. Combining her Stifling Dagger with her Phantom Strike (blink to a friendly or enemy hero) she is an absolute nuisance to deal with.
In addition, her Blur ability offers her additional evasion while her ultimate Coup de Grave simply makes all of her abilities more deadly. This is worth a shout on our Dota 2 TI heroes list as long as you don’t have a natural MKB carrier on the enemy team.
Overall, Phantom Assassin offers a lot of firepower with high risk. In the hands of the best Dota 2 players in the world, she can easily take over a game if she’s allowed to harass the opponents. On the other hand, her low health means that any poor fights could neutralize her quickly. Definitely, a hero highlighted by Dota 2 TI betting sites.
Strengths:
- Massive damage output
- Can be very sneaky thanks to Blur
- Very difficult to kill
- Perfect for isolating fights on weaker opponents
Weaknesses:
- Very weak base stats – needs to farm
- Can be countered by strength heroes – almost killed in one hit
- Needs to be supported by teammates
Dota Patch 7.34c – no changes were made to Phantom Assassin.
Legion Commander
With the potential to play offlane or position 1, Legion Commander is a hero with an exceptional focus on team fights and improving her team’s chances of winning at every step of the way.
Moreover, her abilities include dealing damage, removing disables/debuffs, and improving movement speeds and health regeneration speeds for her teammates. Namely, these include Overwhelming Odds, Press the Attack and Moment of Courage. In addition, her ultimate ‘Duel’ isolates fights with enemies, dealing permanent damage.
Naturally, one aspect of Dota 2 Heroes at The International is that of teamwork – Legion Commander is definitely one of the best heroes to prioritize teamwork. However, her Duel ultimate can be hit or miss depending on the situation.
Strengths:
- Her abilities allow her to stand alone and defy the odds – solo Offlaner
- High potency to snowball with Duel victories
- Great vision and passive abilities mean she can farm fast
- Great against frail heroes
Weaknesses:
- Her ultimate is strongly countered by certain heroes and their abilities
- Dependent on winning Duels – losing them buffs the enemy
- Abilities cost quite a bit of mana
Dota Patch 7.34c – slight nerf to her Talents at Level 15 and Level 20.
Gyrocopter
Soaring onto our Dota 2 The International heroes list is Gyrocopter. Sitting at a distance which a Ranged Carry typically sports, this hero specializes in dishing out a tonne of physical and magical damage.
Thanks to his Rocket Barrage, Flak Cannon and Call Down, Gyrocopter can lay down fire on any lane which his team needs. In addition, his high movement speed and quick farming ability make him that much more deadly in the early game.
While he may need items to compensate for a reduced health pool compared to other carries, Gyrocopter is all about timing his firepower to win out both individual and teamfights as one of the Dota 2 Heroes at The International. All it takes is one well-timed Flak Cannon to shift the TI12 odds.
Strengths:
- Applies wide AoE damage
- Very early damage compared to other carries
- Quick farmer
Weaknesses:
- Very small health pool
- Short-ranged attacks compared to other ranged heroes
- Reliant on buying items to strengthen his arsenal
- Slow movement speed
Dota Patch 7.34c – nerf to agility gain, Homing Missile and Flak Cannon together with nerf to Talents.
Rubick – Dota 2 Heroes at The International
At the highest level of competition, Support players have a unique influence on the outcome of teamfights and the overall outcome of any match.
As a complicated yet flexible spellcaster, Rubick is a copycat. Specifically, his iconic move of copying the enemy’s spells has endless implications for how every game unfolds. Moreover, his role as a counter in big teamfights is essential, nullifying the most powerful abilities in the game with the right timing. He is consistently one of the most popular support heroes in top tier tournaments.
Using Telekineses (stun disable), Fade Bolt (nuke) and Arcane Supremacy (buff), everything revolves around his Spell Steal.
Considering how difficult Spell Steal is to use, and notoriously so, Rubick’s place at the highest level of competition is one which many professionals dare to try and use. As we’ll reiterate, one good use of Spell Steal can turn a game upside down – making him a common target for TI12 picks and bans.
Strengths:
- Aether Lens as an item allows for an incredible range of attack
- Spell Steal is arguably one of the most powerful spell in the game
- Can counter many heroes in the late-game
Weaknesses:
- Squishy hero – low health makes him an easy pick on his own
- Lack of pure damage
- Strengths and weaknesses rely on the picks of the enemy team
- Difficult to master, can be circumstantial
Dota Patch 7.34c – Fade Bolt damage reduced.
Dota 2 The International Heroes – Surprise Factor
In conclusion, those are six heroes that top our Dota 2 The International heroes list. It seems they’ll almost definitely see some playtime at The International. We’d be remiss not to mention that TI is the time for Earthshaker to come out of hibernation though. He received a small buff in 7.34c and made his presence known in DreamLeague season 21.
However, we’ll remind our readers that Dota 2 is played with TI12 Picks and Bans. Remember that certain heroes counter other heroes. In a pool of 124 heroes, the possibilities are endless and winning sometimes comes down to surprising the enemy with your Dota 2 The International Heroes picks.
If you’re interested in Dota 2 betting, you’ll need to get to grips with the heroes for special bets.
Image Credits: Valve