Top five unusual carry heroes

Mirana

Recently, Mirana has predominantly been played as a support, with rare exceptions such as Tobi's off-lane and bzm's mid-roles. However, the upcoming The International might see a resurgence of Mirana as a carry. The new Solar Flare aspect, which now offers damage and attack speed bonuses instead of invisibility, has become more effective following buffs in updates. As a result, carry Mirana is now a strong laner with significant late-game damage. While Mirana may struggle in the mid-game due to low survivability, if she reaches level 20 and gets her items without falling too far behind, she can deal substantial damage in teamfights. She is already being picked up by various professional teams and is popular among carry players in matchmaking, indicating she will likely be featured prominently at the tournament in Denmark.

Players practising Mirana from TI teams:

- Ilya "Raddan" Mulyarchuk

- Yuma "Yuma" Langhle

- Alimzhan "Watson" Islambekov

- Ivan "Pure~" Moskalenko

- Oliver "Skiter" Lepko

- Du "Monet" Pan

Lina

Lina is currently one of the most popular carries in matchmaking among professional players. While Lina as a carry isn't new, having been used regularly last season, it had waned in popularity this season. Recently, Lina has made a comeback as a carry, just in time for TI. Most first-position players at the tournament have used her recently, with many actively practising her. The current build for carry Lina focuses on the Thermal Runaway aspect. Lina remains effective in lane, accelerates farm quickly, and deals substantial damage in the late game.

Players practising Lina from TI teams:

- Ilya "Raddan" Mulyarchuk

- Yegor "Saika" Grigorenko

- Ivan "Pure~" Moskalenko

- Alimzhan "Watson" Islambekov

- Nengnara "Kingslayer" Tiramanon

- Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov

- Mike "miCKe" Vu

Bristleback

Bristleback, once a dominant force at The International, had faded from the meta but is making a return. Unlike Mirana and Lina, Bristleback's resurgence isn't due to a specific aspect but rather a shift in build preferences. Professional players use two builds: Snot Rocket and Seeing Red. Key items remain Aghanim's Scepter, Bloodstone, and BKB. Bristleback focuses on early stack farming and strong mid-game pressure, often proving nearly unkillable for opponents.

Players practising Bristleback from TI teams:

- Nengnara "Kingslayer" Tiramanon

- Ivan "Pure~" Moskalenko

- Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov

Nature's Prophet

Nature's Prophet was once exclusively used with the Soothing Saplings aspect, which provided healing from Sprout, making him a support. However, recent buffs to the Ironwood Treant aspect have shifted his role to a core. This aspect summons a single powerful treant instead of multiple weaker ones, making him effective in lane and for split-pushing. Nature's Prophet's gameplay remains the same, focusing on early teamfight participation, ganks, and high damage output. Despite not being present at TI, the character has gained traction again.

Players practising Nature's Prophet from TI teams:

- Jeremy "payk" Arroyo

- Nikita "Munkushi~" Chepurnykh

- Alimzhan "Watson" Islambekov

- Yegor "Saika" Grigorenko

Void Spirit

Void Spirit has appeared as an unusual carry in recent tournaments like FISSURE Universe: Episode 3 and BetBoom Streamers Battle 7. At TI, only one player, 23savage (now Kingslayer), is practising Void Spirit. The hero excels in the mid-game with an early Battle Fury build, allowing rapid farming and early fight participation. By the 30-minute mark, Void Spirit is at peak strength and can be very effective in battles. However, his effectiveness decreases in the late game due to survivability issues, similar to Puck. While not expected to be a common pick, we might see a few, especially from Aurora.

Player practising Void Spirit from TI teams:

- Nengnara "Kingslayer" Tiramanon