ESTNN's Veselin Ignatov walks us through the most dangerous heroes for teams to pick at the EPICENTER Major.

Most Dangerous Picks

The Epicenter Major is going to be the last Major for this DPC season. This means that it is also the last chance for some teams to hold on to that direct invite for the biggest tournament of the year - The International 2019.

Taking place in the capital city of Russia, EPICENTER will definitely be one of the most exciting events yet. Let’s take a look at some of the heroes which are most likely going to be the top picks and bans. It’s important to note that the EPICENTER Major is going to be played on the same patch as the recent Minor.

Nyx Assassin

Nyx has always been one of the biggest pains for players to deal with in Dota. He is by far one of the most annoying heroes to play against. Not only is he very tricky to kill due to his third skill, but he can also do a significant amount of damage. What’s more, his sheer presence in the game makes some of the top core heroes right now nearly unplayable.

Additionally, Nyx was also the most banned hero during the StarLadder ImbaTV Kiev Minor, according to Dotabuff. This is a clear sign that all top teams in the world right now are definitely trying to avoid him.

The hero used to be a very good position three back in the days. Now, however, he shines the most as a position 4 support.

Dark Seer

Dark Seer is one of those heroes that can either single-handedly or indirectly carry his team. His danger comes from his incredible utility, which has always been praised by professional teams. In fact, Dark Seer has always been somewhat of a meta-hero, regardless of the changes throughout the years. However, the hero definitely shines the most whenever he is paired with a gruesome meta carry hero.

In this patch, the first hero that comes in mind is Sven. The already powerful carry can do wonders when he is paired with Dark Seer. Together, they're a force to be reckoned with.

Batrider

Batrider was among the most successful heroes of the Starladder Kiev Major. Naturally, he will continue to be the main focus for most of the teams during EPICENTER. The hero is a well-known lane stomper who has a perfect team-fight initiation. Given a good start, he can make the life of nearly every important enemy hero a living hell.

Ember Spirit

Even though Ember was nowhere near the top in picks at StarLadder, he is still a very strong meta-hero who is more than capable of carrying games on his own.

Xin went through a massive gameplay change a few patches ago. He used to be a one-shot/glass cannon type of a hero who relied heavily on getting those SoF crits in order to be effective. Nowadays, the situation is totally different. Nearly all of the top players build a tempo-control/fighting type items which allow Ember to stomp, especially in the mid game.

The latest Dota 2 patch further increased his mid-game power by adding a Scepter. If the Ember manages to buy it soon enough, the damage output is just insane. What’s more, the sheer survivability of the hero is amplified as well.

Naga Siren

Similar to Ember, Naga is a hero whos playstyle has change drastically in the last couple of patches. Once a situational 10th pick, Naga siren has become a very popular hero among the pro players. The first big change that affected the hero is related to her third skill. This made the hero somewhat more fighting-capable because the overall damage output is just more compared to before.

What’s more, some of her core items have also changed. For example, Radiance was the most important item to get as a Naga player back in the day. Today, however, no one even bothers to spend 5,000-plus gold on that item. Instead, people opt to buy fighting items such as a Diffusal Blade, Manta Style, etc.

Pro players only picked Naga sixteen times during StarLadder, but her 57+% win rating is a clear sign of her current state.

The EPICENTER Major starts tomorrow, so make sure to watch it. It will definitely be worthwhile. In the meantime, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest esports news around.

Image VIA: EPICENTER