Most Popular Heroes in Dota 2 Patch 7.36

Patch 7.36 has significantly changed the Dota 2 meta, with some heroes rising to prominence in their respective roles. This article highlights three of the most famous heroes for each role based on statistics from Dotabuff, discussing their recent buffs and most valuable abilities.

Carry Role

1. Juggernaut
   • Statistics: Juggernaut boasts the highest win rate among carries at 58.4%, making him a top pick in the current meta.
   • Recent Changes: Juggernaut received buffs that increased his critical strike chance and overall damage output, making him more effective in fights.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Blade Fury: Provides magic immunity and deals consistent damage, crucial for early game skirmishes and escaping ganks.
     • Healing Ward: Offers significant sustain for the team, especially during sieges and prolonged fights.
     • Omnislash: Juggernaut's ultimate, dealing massive damage to isolated targets, is game-changing in securing kills on key enemy heroes.
2. Lifestealer
   • Statistics: Lifestealer's pick rate is around 12.4%, with a solid % win rate of 52.0%.
   • Recent Changes: His abilities have improved synergy, especially with his innate ability, allowing for better engagements.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Rage: Grants spell immunity and increased attack speed, making him a formidable fight opponent.
     • Feast: Lifestealer heals based on the opponent's max health, allowing him to sustain in battles.
     • Infest: Provides a unique escape mechanism or surprise initiation by hiding inside creeps or allied heroes.
3. Wraith King
   • Statistics: Wraith King holds a win rate of 57.75%, showcasing his reliability as a carry.
   • Recent Changes: His Reincarnation ability cooldown has been reduced, making him more resilient.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Wraithfire Blast: A targeted stun and damage ability crucial for initiating fights.
     • Vampiric Spirit: Provides lifesteal to Wraith King and his allies, enhancing their survivability.
     • Reincarnation: Allows Wraith King to return to life after death, often turning the tide of battles.

Mid Lane

1. Leshrac
   • Statistics: Leshrac has a 53.4% win rate and is becoming increasingly popular in the mid- lane.
   • Recent Changes: Enhancements to his damage-dealing abilities have made him more dominant.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Split Earth: A powerful area stun that can control multiple enemies.
     • Diabolic Edict: Deals substantial damage to structures and heroes, making Leshrac a strong pusher.
     • Pulse Nova: Provides consistent AoE damage, which is crucial in team fights and clearing waves.
2. Shadow Fiend
   • Statistics: Shadow Fiend maintains a high pick rate and a solid win rate of around 52%.
   • Recent Changes: Buffs to his Necromastery stacks allow for quicker damage scaling.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Shadowraze: Deals with heavy damage in an area, which is excellent for farming and harassing.
     • Necromastery: Increases his damage per soul collected, making Shadow Fiend a formidable presence in fights.
     • Requiem of Souls: His ultimate can decimate enemy teams correctly, especially with a blink initiation.
3. Kunkka
   • Statistics: Kunkka is a popular mid-laner with a pick rate of 4.1% and a steady win rate.
   • Recent Changes: Buffs to his Tidebringer and X Marks the Spot abilities have improved his versatility.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Tidebringer: A cleaving attack that significantly damages and allows for efficient farming.
     • X Marks the Spot: Controls enemy positioning, essential for setting up his combo with Torrent and Ghostship.
     • Ghostship: His ultimate provides damage and a rum buff that can significantly turn team fights in his favor.

Off lane

1. Legion Commander
   • Statistics: Legion Commander is a top off-lane pick with a win rate of 52.9% and a high pick rate.
   • Recent Changes: Buffs to her Duel ability duration and her overall tankiness.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Overwhelming Odds: Deals damage based on the number of enemies, great for early skirmishes.
     • Press the Attack: This provides a strong dispel and attack speed bonus, crucial for saving allies and engaging.
     • Duel: Forces an enemy to fight her, with the winner gaining permanent bonus damage, making her a scaling threat.
2. Axe
   • Statistics: Axe has a win rate of 57.4%, making him a strong contender in the off-lane role.
   • Recent Changes: Improved damage and reduced cooldown on his abilities make him more impactful.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Berserker's Call: Taunts enemies to attack Axe, combined with his armor gain, makes him very durable.
     • Counter Helix: Returns damage to attackers, punishing enemies for engaging in melee combat.
     • Culling Blade: Executes low-health enemies, providing allies with a morale boost and movement speed.
3. Night Stalker
   • Statistics: With a win rate of 51.9%, Night Stalker remains a strong off-lane pick.
   • Recent Changes: Buffs to his Night Vision and ultimate, Dark Ascension, makes him a nighttime terror.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Void: Slows and damages a single target, practical for chasing and securing kills.
     • Crippling Fear: Silences enemies in an area, crucial for shutting down spellcasters during fights.
     • Dark Ascension: Grants flying vision and bonus damage at night, allowing Night Stalker to control the map.

Roaming Support

1. Lion
   • Statistics: Lion has a pick rate of 21.2% and a win rate of 47.9%, making him a popular support choice.
   • Recent Changes: Buffs to his Mana Drain and Finger of Death abilities.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Earth Spike: Stuns and damages enemies in a line, excellent for initiating fights.
     • Hex: Transforms an enemy into a frog, disabling them altogether.
     • Finger of Death: Deals massive single-target damage, ideal for bursting down key heroes.
2. Shadow Shaman
   • Statistics: With a win rate of 56.2%, Shadow Shaman is a top-tier position 4 support.
   • Recent Changes: His Shackles duration and Mass Serpent Ward damage have been increased.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Ether Shock: Damages multiple enemies, useful for harassing and farming.
     • Hex: Disables an enemy hero, crucial for controlling key targets.
     • Mass Serpent Ward: Creates a wall of wards that deal significant damage and is great for pushing and team fights.
3. Nyx Assassin
   • Statistics: Nyx Assassin is picked 7.8% of the time, with a win rate of 48.6%.
   • Recent Changes: Buffs to his Impale and Vendetta abilities.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Impale: Stuns enemies in a line, great for setting up kills.
     • Mana Burn: Drains enemy mana and deals damage based on their intelligence, which is helpful against spellcasters.
     • Vendetta: Turns invisible and gains bonus damage on the next attack, perfect for initiating ganks.

Hard Support

1. Lich
   • Statistics: Lich is a reliable support with a pick rate of 9.8% and a win rate of 53.3%.
   • Recent Changes: His Frost Shield and Chain Frost abilities have been enhanced.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Frost Blast: Slows and damages an enemy, useful for harassing and controlling the lane.
     • Frost Shield: Reduces damage taken by an ally and slows enemies, excellent for team fights.
     • Chain Frost: A bouncing ultimate that deals massive damage and slows, devastating in clustered fights.
2. Warlock
   • Statistics: Warlock maintains a win rate of 56.41%, highlighting his effectiveness in team fights.
   • Recent Changes: Buffs to his Fatal Bonds and Chaotic Offering abilities.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Fatal Bonds: Links enemies together, causing shared damage and amplifying team fight potential.
     • Shadow Word: Heals allies or damages enemies over time, providing great sustain.
     • Chaotic Offering: Summons a Golem that stuns and deals damage, turning the tide of team fights.
3. Phoenix
   • Statistics: Phoenix has a pick rate of 7.1% and a win rate of 52.3%, indicating its effectiveness as a hard support in the current meta​ (Dota Coach)​.
   • Recent Changes: Phoenix received buffs to its Sun Ray and Supernova abilities, enhancing its utility in team fights.
   • Key Abilities:
     • Icarus Dive: Allows Phoenix to swoop through enemies, slowing and damaging them. This ability provides excellent mobility and initiates fights or escapes.
     • Fire Spirits: Releases spirits that deal damage over time and reduce attack speed. They help harass opponents in the lane and during team fights.
     • Sun Ray: Channels a powerful beam that damages enemies and heals allies, making it invaluable during engagements and sustaining the team.
     • Supernova: Phoenix transforms into a burning sun that stuns and damages enemies upon exploding while also respawning Phoenix if the sun isn't destroyed. This ultimate is crucial for turning the tide in team fights, forcing the enemy to focus on either the egg or the fight itself.

The heroes highlighted above have gained popularity in their respective roles, attributed to their high win rates, recent buffs, and the utility of their abilities. With the release of patch 7.36, the meta has been reshaped, placing these heroes as prominent choices for players seeking match domination. Familiarizing yourself with the strengths and strategies of these heroes can grant a significant advantage in both casual and competitive play.