Top Introduction I am Cuttleboss. I have never been that great a player at this game, and only play at the pub level, but I have a good understanding of how heroes and items interact with one another. I also see a distinct lack of a full list of hero counters, especially ones that can easily be read, so here I am, creating a nice comprehensive list, because I wanted to do something that could help a lot more people.

Top Updates March 16, 2016: Updated for 6.86. Minor updates all around.

October 21, 2015: Updated for 6.85. Minor updates all around.

May 11, 2015: Typos Fixed. Added Anchor and Navigation System. Added some heroes to Database counters.

May 9, 2015: Guide Created

Top How to Use this Guide Heroes will fall into a bunch of categories of strategic counters, as well as hero and item counters. Heroes will also have their own specific counters as well. How much each counter works will be tiered and for the most part, Ranked, based on effectiveness.



Basically, this guide uses the next 2 sections as a key, which you will be looking back on for reference and will explain how each counter is done. You can go to chapter 6 in order to navigate which heroes you want to counter.

Top Strategic Counters Divide or be Conquered: Don't stand close together, this hero has abilities that are more powerful if you're closer together.

Rotation Rotation Rotation: This hero will likely create havoc during laning or ganking phase and rotations will be able to punish them. Often good at tower diving.

Eyes in the Jungle: This hero will likely jungle and/or stack during the laning phase, so you can hassle them or block their camps with sentry/observer wards.

We Need Wards: This hero's effectiveness is much greater if the enemies have no wards, so keep wards so you can ambush or maneuver around them. Wards can be in places like ruin spots or in jungle camps.

Diving Penalty: This hero is very good at punishing over diving, and is quite likely going to tp in, so don't do it.

Easy Ganks: These heroes have no escapes or big crowd control and will likely be spending time farming so they can be an easy gank.

Protect your T1 Towers: These heroes will begin to massively roam or push you as soon as your map space shrinks and jungle is no longer safe to farm.

Focus Target: This hero needs to be killed before they wreck havoc in fights just by surviving.

Preventable Calamity: This hero has a key spell or a spell combo that can be easily broken if initiated on.

It Ends in the Lane: A hero must be shut down in laning phase or else they will be dangerous mid-game, and they cannot recover at a decent rate if you shut them down.

Disengage or Die: If this hero busts out a certain spell, run away, leave one or so behind if you must, just don't fight under a certain skill and wait out its duration.

Steal the Stack: This hero will rely on large stacks of creeps usually large creeps or ancient creeps. Go after their stacks with a smoke of deceit.

Time is not on your Side: This hero gets a lot stronger as the game goes later so secure victory before they come online with early aggression. Usually you want to take T1s quickly.

Top Dire Strength Axe

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Rotation Rotation Rotation, Divide or be Conquered, Eyes in the Jungle, Protect your T1 Towers, Steal the Stack

Secondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Preventable Calamity, Easy Ganks

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Anti-Daggers, Physical Protection, Kiters, Silencers, Lane Killers, Lane Harassers

Secondary Counters: Armor Reduction, Pure Damage, Mana Burners, Healers, Breakers

Specific Counters:

Viper

Timbersaw

Lifesteal items: Lets you easily outlast him and his helix if youre a dps hero.



Pudge

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: We Need Wards, It Ends In the Lane, Protect your T1 Towers

Secondary Counters: None

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Anti-Daggers, Armor Reduction, Silencers, Swarmers, Magic Resistance, Lane Killers, Healers

Secondary Counters: Pure Damage, Bashers, Magic Immunity, Kiters

Specific Counters:

Templar Assassin

Lifestealer

Silencer

Keep moving around and stay behind creeps from where hooks are most likely to be. Push during the day where you have more time to see the hook.



Sand King

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Divide or be Conquered, Steal the Stack, Protect your T1 Towers, Eyes in the Jungle, Preventable Calamity

Secondary Counters: It Ends In the Lane, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Diving Penalty

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Magic Resistance, Anti-Daggers, Silencers, AOE Crowd Control, Anti-Invis, Magic Immunity

Secondary Counters: Burst Damage, Lane Harassers

Specific Counters:

Zeus

Pugna

Pipe of Insight

Push when its daytime, so its much easier to see Sand King.



Slardar

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Preventable Calamity, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Diving Penalty, Protect your T1 Towers

Secondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Divide or be Conquered, We Need Wards

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Physical Protection, Anti-Daggers, Dispellers, Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Disarmers, Miss Chance, Kiters

Secondary Counters: Mana Burners, Anti-Running, Burst Damage

Specific Counters:

Bloodseeker

Omniknight

Stun and Nuke him when he uses sprint so hell die much faster.



Tidehunter

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Diving Penalty, Steal the Stack, Divide or be Conquered, We Need Wards

Secondary Counters: We Need Wards, Rotation Rotation Rotation, It Ends in the Lane

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Magic Immunity, Mana Burners, Kiters, Undispelable Skills

Secondary Counters: Armor Reduction, Physical Protection, Breakers

Specific Counters:

Jesus this guy is hard to counter.

Faceless Void Enigma Riki Disruptor

Break + Silence combo is the only other way to prevent Ravage besides mana burning.



Wraith King

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Rotation Rotation Rotation, We Need Wards, Disengage or Die, Easy Ganks , Time is not on your side

Secondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Protect your T1 Towers, Eyes in the Jungle

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Mana Burners, Swarmers, Kiters, Disarmers, Miss Chance, Physical Protection, Bashers

Secondary Counters: Anti-Dagger, Lane Harassers, Lane Killers, Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Armor Reduction, Illusion Creators

Specific Counters:

Phantom Lancer

Broodmother

Gank him when his reincarnation is down. Its cooldown is really long for its first 2 levels. If possible, knock out reincarnation and disengage and fight while its down.



Lifestealer

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Eyes in the Jungle, It Ends in the Lane, Focus Target

Secondary Counters: Protect your T1 Towers, Rotation Rotation Rotation

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Kiters, Swarmers, Bashers, Lane Harassers, Armor Reduction

Secondary Counters: Disarmers, Miss Chance, Physical Protection, Lane Killers, Anti-Running

Specific Counters:

Troll Warlord

Ghost Scepter



Night Stalker

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: We Need Wards, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Protect your T1 Towers

Secondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Diving Penalty

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Anti-Running, Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Healers, Magic Immunity, Dispellers, Kiters

Secondary Counters: Swarmers, Disarmers, Miss Chance, Lane Killers, Silencers, Pure Damage, Armor Reduction, Bashers, Mana Burners

Specific Counters:

Bloodseeker

Razor

Mirana



Doom

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Preventable Calamity, Eyes in the Jungle, Time is not in your Side

Secondary Counters: Easy Ganks, Diving Penalty, It Ends in the Lane, Steal the Stack

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Armor Reduction, Silencers, Mana Burners, Healers, Kiters, Swarmers

Secondary Counters: Anti-Daggers, Anti-Running, Lane Harassers

Specific Counters:

Deny the heroes he dooms.

Linken's Sphere

Meepo

Wraith King



Spirit Breaker

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: We Need Wards, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Protect your T1 Towers

Secondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Diving Penalty

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Disarmers, Miss Chance, Lane Harassers, Physical Protection, Healers, Kiters

Secondary Counters: Silencers, Mana Burners, Armor Reduction, Swarmers, Breakers (ironically)

Specific Counters:

Interrupt his spells.

Clockwerk



Lycan

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Protect your T1 Towers, Eyes in the Jungle, It Ends in the Lane

Secondary Counters: Rotation Rotation Rotation

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Anti-Running, Silencers, Burst Damage, AOE Crowd Control, AOE Damage, Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Bashers, Physical Protection

Secondary Counters: Disarmers, Miss Chance, Mana Burners, Lane Harassers, Lane Killers, Armor Reduction

Specific Counters:

Contest the hell out of Roshan, it gives him many levels once he takes him.

Bloodseeker

Meepo



Chaos Knight

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Time is not on your Side, Disengage or Die, Preventable Calamity

Secondary Counters: Protect your T1 Towers, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Diving Penalty, Easy Ganks

Database Counters:

Top Counters: AOE Crowd Control, AOE Damage, Physical Protection, Illusion Creators

Secondary Counters: Miss Chance, Mana Burners, Lane Harassers, Lane Killers, Magic Immunity, Undispelable Skills

Specific Counters:

Sven Medusa

Pugna

Ember Spirit

Omniknight

Enigma

Night Time. Chaos Knights night ganks are less successful because of the cast time of Rift, and the spell being canceled by going into fog.

Fight him when Phantasm is down if you dont have a specific counter to it. It has a very long cooldown.



Undying

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Diving Penalty, It Ends in the Lane, Preventable Calamity, Disengage or Die

Secondary Counters: Focus Target, Divide or be Conquered, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Protect your T1 Towers

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Silencers, Anti-Running, Burst Damage, Mana Burners, Magic Immunity, Armor Reduction

Secondary Counters: Healers, Physical Protection, Kiters

Specific Counters:

Kill the Tombstone. Seriously. Dont half *** this. Either kill it or disengage. Invisibility will lose all zombie aggro.

Crimson Guard

Centaur Warrunner

Ember Spirit Gyrocopter



Magnus

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Divide or be Conquered, It Ends in the Lane, Time is not on your side, Preventable Calamity

Secondary Counters: We Need Wards, Diving Penalty, Steal the Stack

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Silencers, Anti-Dagger, Burst Damage, Lane Harassers

Secondary Counters: Healers, Magic Resistance, Kiters, Lane Killers, Magic Immunity Piercing Spells

Specific Counters:

Riki

Abaddon



Abaddon

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Rotation Rotation Rotation, It Ends in the Lane, Diving Penalty

Secondary Counters: Time is not on your Side, Disengage or Die, Divide or be Conquered

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Silencers, Undispelable Skills, Lane Killers, Swarmers, Mana Burners, Armor Reduction, AOE Crowd Control

Secondary Counters: Kiters, Disarmers, Breakers, Bashers

Specific Counters:

Banishes (Euls, Outworld Devourer Shadow Demon

Ancient Apparition

Slark Razor Undying

Naga Siren Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Rotation Rotation Rotation, Divide or be Conquered, Eyes in the Jungle, Protect your T1 Towers, Steal the StackSecondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Preventable Calamity, Easy GanksDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Anti-Daggers, Physical Protection, Kiters, Silencers, Lane Killers, Lane HarassersSecondary Counters: Armor Reduction, Pure Damage, Mana Burners, Healers, BreakersSpecific Counters:: Kites him to hell, and Battle Hunger will just lead to being unable to use dagger at all.: Call's bonus armor does nothing for Axe against Pure damage, and he's a strength hero.Lifesteal items: Lets you easily outlast him and his helix if youre a dps hero.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: We Need Wards, It Ends In the Lane, Protect your T1 TowersSecondary Counters: NoneDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Anti-Daggers, Armor Reduction, Silencers, Swarmers, Magic Resistance, Lane Killers, HealersSecondary Counters: Pure Damage, Bashers, Magic Immunity, KitersSpecific Counters:: Completely destroys Pudge in lane and later too, due to being able to block hook and cut armor.: Pudge has low armor, high hp, and no right clicking, making him an excellent LS meal.: Early deaths against Silencer will prevent Pudge from doing his combo at all mid game.Keep moving around and stay behind creeps from where hooks are most likely to be. Push during the day where you have more time to see the hook.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Divide or be Conquered, Steal the Stack, Protect your T1 Towers, Eyes in the Jungle, Preventable CalamitySecondary Counters: It Ends In the Lane, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Diving PenaltyDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Magic Resistance, Anti-Daggers, Silencers, AOE Crowd Control, Anti-Invis, Magic ImmunitySecondary Counters: Burst Damage, Lane HarassersSpecific Counters:: Can get true sight with lightning bolt and skills prevent epicenter blink combo.: Nether Ward also breaks Epicenter Blink combo.: Do not skip out on this, it destroys Sand King.Push when its daytime, so its much easier to see Sand King.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Preventable Calamity, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Diving Penalty, Protect your T1 TowersSecondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Divide or be Conquered, We Need WardsDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Physical Protection, Anti-Daggers, Dispellers, Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Disarmers, Miss Chance, KitersSecondary Counters: Mana Burners, Anti-Running, Burst DamageSpecific Counters:: Slardar is a chaser initiator type hero. Rupture removes what he does best.: Immunity from all physical damage, as you cannot amplify zero damage.Stun and Nuke him when he uses sprint so hell die much faster.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Diving Penalty, Steal the Stack, Divide or be Conquered, We Need WardsSecondary Counters: We Need Wards, Rotation Rotation Rotation, It Ends in the LaneDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Magic Immunity, Mana Burners, Kiters, Undispelable SkillsSecondary Counters: Armor Reduction, Physical Protection, BreakersSpecific Counters:Jesus this guy is hard to counter.: The only AOE disables/silences not removed by Krakens Shell besides Doom.Break + Silence combo is the only other way to prevent Ravage besides mana burning.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Rotation Rotation Rotation, We Need Wards, Disengage or Die, Easy Ganks , Time is not on your sideSecondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Protect your T1 Towers, Eyes in the JungleDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Mana Burners, Swarmers, Kiters, Disarmers, Miss Chance, Physical Protection, BashersSecondary Counters: Anti-Dagger, Lane Harassers, Lane Killers, Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Armor Reduction, Illusion CreatorsSpecific Counters:: Wraith King does not do much AOE damage, and the mana burn will prevent reincarnations.: Wraith King cannot deal with Brood at all, since he cannot AOE until he buys Maelstrom or Battle Fury.Gank him when his reincarnation is down. Its cooldown is really long for its first 2 levels. If possible, knock out reincarnation and disengage and fight while its down.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Eyes in the Jungle, It Ends in the Lane, Focus TargetSecondary Counters: Protect your T1 Towers, Rotation Rotation RotationDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Kiters, Swarmers, Bashers, Lane Harassers, Armor ReductionSecondary Counters: Disarmers, Miss Chance, Physical Protection, Lane Killers, Anti-RunningSpecific Counters:: Miss Chance, bash, high armor, low hp, very fit to fight Lifestealer.: Allows for easy escapes from Lifestealers claws.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: We Need Wards, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Protect your T1 TowersSecondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Diving PenaltyDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Anti-Running, Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Healers, Magic Immunity, Dispellers, KitersSecondary Counters: Swarmers, Disarmers, Miss Chance, Lane Killers, Silencers, Pure Damage, Armor Reduction, Bashers, Mana BurnersSpecific Counters:: Rupture nullifies Night Stalkers ability to run really fast, which slices him impact to pieces.: He is fast, and no spells can be cast on him, since NS is all about single target skills, and NS will lose all his damage if he stays near him.: The only way to sneak past unobstructed NS vision once he has Aghanims.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Preventable Calamity, Eyes in the Jungle, Time is not in your SideSecondary Counters: Easy Ganks, Diving Penalty, It Ends in the Lane, Steal the StackDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Armor Reduction, Silencers, Mana Burners, Healers, Kiters, SwarmersSecondary Counters: Anti-Daggers, Anti-Running, Lane HarassersSpecific Counters:Deny the heroes he dooms.: He can break this with level death, but it will ruin his initiation if he does.: Only 1 Meepo can be Doomed, the others will still do their job.: The only hero that is completely unworthy of Doom, since it doesnt disable Reincarnation. So, with good initation, Wraith King can jump on Doom solo and force him to Doom the King and waste it or not cast Doom at all before he gets cut to pieces.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: We Need Wards, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Protect your T1 TowersSecondary Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Diving PenaltyDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Disarmers, Miss Chance, Lane Harassers, Physical Protection, Healers, KitersSecondary Counters: Silencers, Mana Burners, Armor Reduction, Swarmers, Breakers (ironically)Specific Counters:Interrupt his spells.: Getting trapped in the cogs leaves Breaker with no options to cast spells, so all he can do is right click.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Protect your T1 Towers, Eyes in the Jungle, It Ends in the LaneSecondary Counters: Rotation Rotation RotationDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Anti-Running, Silencers, Burst Damage, AOE Crowd Control, AOE Damage, Magic Immunity Piercing Spells, Bashers, Physical ProtectionSecondary Counters: Disarmers, Miss Chance, Mana Burners, Lane Harassers, Lane Killers, Armor ReductionSpecific Counters:Contest the hell out of Roshan, it gives him many levels once he takes him.: Rupture makes his ultimate useless, and BS is the only hero who can move faster than him.: Can prevent running, and can contest every single time he tries to splitpush and easily farm his minions.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: It Ends in the Lane, Time is not on your Side, Disengage or Die, Preventable CalamitySecondary Counters: Protect your T1 Towers, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Diving Penalty, Easy GanksDatabase Counters:Top Counters: AOE Crowd Control, AOE Damage, Physical Protection, Illusion CreatorsSecondary Counters: Miss Chance, Mana Burners, Lane Harassers, Lane Killers, Magic Immunity, Undispelable SkillsSpecific Counters:: Both tailor made to deal with Chaos Knight. Svens cleave and warcry takes care of them, and Dusas Gaze will kill the illusions in time.: Can waste all of the phantasms with Aghanims Life Drain if hes not targeted, and can protect himself from CKs damage with Ethereal.: Can deal with the Phantasms late game, as theyre often together, as long as hes not targeted.: Can protect allies from getting rifted, and from all his damage.: Pulse rips the illusions to shreds no matter how tanky they are, and the Black Hole will stop them all.Night Time. Chaos Knights night ganks are less successful because of the cast time of Rift, and the spell being canceled by going into fog.Fight him when Phantasm is down if you dont have a specific counter to it. It has a very long cooldown.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Diving Penalty, It Ends in the Lane, Preventable Calamity, Disengage or DieSecondary Counters: Focus Target, Divide or be Conquered, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Protect your T1 TowersDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Silencers, Anti-Running, Burst Damage, Mana Burners, Magic Immunity, Armor ReductionSecondary Counters: Healers, Physical Protection, KitersSpecific Counters:Kill the Tombstone. Seriously. Dont half *** this. Either kill it or disengage. Invisibility will lose all zombie aggro.: Nullifies zombie damage for 10 seconds.: Can easily jump on and kill Undying before he becomes an issue in a fight, or can have his ult to be able to immediately disengage after tombstone is out.: Their AOE spells still kill zombies en masse. Makes him a much smaller threat in teamfights.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Divide or be Conquered, It Ends in the Lane, Time is not on your side, Preventable CalamitySecondary Counters: We Need Wards, Diving Penalty, Steal the StackDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Silencers, Anti-Dagger, Burst Damage, Lane HarassersSecondary Counters: Healers, Magic Resistance, Kiters, Lane Killers, Magic Immunity Piercing SpellsSpecific Counters:: Can sneak up on Magnus and silence him, as well as massively slow his turn rate, which is not good for him given how the heros combos work.: Can manually activate his ultimate after RP, and then shield his most important team member, so a 4 man stun can turn into a 2 man stun.Strategic Counters:Top Counters: Rotation Rotation Rotation, It Ends in the Lane, Diving PenaltySecondary Counters: Time is not on your Side, Disengage or Die, Divide or be ConqueredDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Silencers, Undispelable Skills, Lane Killers, Swarmers, Mana Burners, Armor Reduction, AOE Crowd ControlSecondary Counters: Kiters, Disarmers, Breakers, BashersSpecific Counters:Banishes (Euls,): Wastes the duration of Borrowed Time and no one can accidently hit him.: Prevent healing during ultimate and prevents healing though Mist Coil too.: Will continue to steal stats from Aba, even if his ultimate is active.: Sirens song cancels out Borrowed Time, whether to prevent Abaddons escape or to waste it so it doesnt have an effect if its Aghs upgraded.

Top Unreleased Heroes Abyssal Underlord / Pit Lord

Strategic Counters:

Top Counters: Protect your T1 Towers, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Diving Penalty

Secondary Counters: Divide or be Conquered, We Need Wards, Focus Target, It Ends in the Lane

Database Counters:

Top Counters: Silencers, Mana Burners, Disarmers, Miss Chance, AOE Crowd Control, Lane Harassers, Magic Immunity

Secondary Counters: Magic Resistance, Bashers , Armor Reduction, Breakers, Kiters, Illusion Creators

Specific Counters:

Zeus Spectre Keeper of the Light Nature's Prophet Meepo

Banishes (Euls, Outworld Devourer Shadow Demon Abyssal Underlord / Pit LordStrategic Counters:Top Counters: Protect your T1 Towers, Rotation Rotation Rotation, Diving PenaltySecondary Counters: Divide or be Conquered, We Need Wards, Focus Target, It Ends in the LaneDatabase Counters:Top Counters: Silencers, Mana Burners, Disarmers, Miss Chance, AOE Crowd Control, Lane Harassers, Magic ImmunitySecondary Counters: Magic Resistance, Bashers , Armor Reduction, Breakers, Kiters, Illusion CreatorsSpecific Counters:: The strategic advantage of global team mobility can be lost if the enemies can do their own global influences.Banishes (Euls,): If trying to save an ally using Dark Rift, this will prevent them from being saved.