ESTNN breaks down the meta at the StarLadder ImbaTV Kiev Minor.

The StarLadder ImbaTV Kiev Minor was the last Minor for this amazing DPC season. Ninjas in Pyjamas are the big winners yet again after an amazing Grand Final against the other European team in the tournament - Alliance. If you missed any of the action, make sure to read our daily recaps.

Apart from being the last Minor, this tournament was the first big event to be played on patch 7.22c. Let’s take a look at which heroes were picked the most and why.

Sand King

Sand King has proven himself to be one of the most consistent heroes in the professional meta. Apart from his high damage capabilities, the hero also provides excellent utility. What’s more, Sand King is one of the heroes which does not require many items to be effective. Of course, the more items the better, but even with a simple Blink Dagger, the kill potential is already there.

The pros picked the hero in 74 matches and he has around 20 more picks compared to the second most-picked hero. In addition, SK also has around 53% win rating, which is a very high number, considering the picks. In comparison to ESL One Birmingham, Sand King has more picks and a higher win rating. This means only one thing - 7.22c was definitely a successful patch for Crixalis.

Doom

The second place is occupied by the hero whose ultimate can win games - Doom. He was picked a total of 56 times. Unlike Sand King, however, his win rate is just around 45%.

Doom has also been a stable meta pick for nearly an entire year now. He is usually played as a position three, but there are several teams who put him in very unorthodox positions like support or, like Virtus.Pro, a position one. The hero excels in games where the enemy has a “four protect one” type of a draft. As soon as he lands that big ultimate on that “one”, the teamfight is pretty much over.

We expect Doom to be one of the go-to picks in the EPICENTER Major because it starts in just a few days and we don't see his pickrate changing.

Batrider

Batrider was the third most-picked hero during the StarLadder Minor. He is a hero who has recently proved himself as a top pick yet again. Before that, Batrider was often forgotten in favor of other heroes. One of the main reasons why the pros are picking Batrider is the amazing utility that he provides. This hero is by far one of the best initiators in the game right now. What’s more, since the games have become a little bit longer than before 7.22c, his ultimate is even more potent because it can keep the enemy carry in place long enough so that it can be dealt with.

On top of that, Bat is one of the strongest laners in the game. This means that the enemy team must place more emphasis on his lane. In other words, Batrider makes space for the other lanes to thrive.

Teams picked Batrider a total of 48 times, and he had around 52% win rating. That is a clear sign of his current state in the meta.

Templar Assassin

Templar Assassin has always been one of the most annoying mid laners to deal with. Firstly, the hero is extremely strong during the laning stage. Additionally, if she gets off to a good start, things can get pretty grim for the enemy teams. That’s why people often refer to her as one of the strongest snowball heroes in the game, and for good reason.

Despite that, Templar Assassin has always been somewhat of a situational pick during the pro games. Regardless of that, the hero got picked 47 times at the StarLadder Kiev Minor. That pick rate is a clear sign that she is here to stay. In fact, Templar Assassin has around 12 more picks compared to the second top mid laners right at the event - Leshrac.

Despite all the positives, Templar Assassin also has a lot of flaws. For instance, if she fails to have a good laning stage, she can be pretty useless later on simply because her damage will be just too low. That’s why it’s essential to always have Templar ahead of the other heroes to be effective. Also, this means that the supports have to make sure she has a decent laning stage. This could lead to rotations and/or jungle stacking, which ultimately reflects on the other lanes due to those positions' absence.

Despite that, we can definitely expect more of Templar Assassin at the upcoming EPICENTER Major.

Sven

And last, but definitely not least, on our list is Sven, the Rogue Knight. With 45 picks and around 65% win rating, he is by far the most picked and the most successful carriers in the tournament. Despite that, his win rating is a little bit lower compared to ESL One Birmingham (where it was a staggering 70%) even though he was picked much less often compared to now.

Sven is one of the fastest farming carries in the game right now, bar none. When Sven combines his power with the Hand of Midas, things can get pretty scary for the enemy team in a short period of time. What’s more, let’s not forget about the natural tankiness of the hero. He has the needed armor to lane extremely well against the majority of the offlaners.

All of these pluses all add up to the popularity of this hero in the current meta. There are just not that many carries out there which provide an amazing amount of damage, survivability and a reliable stun in one tanky package.

Conclusion

Back to Back CHAMPIONS ??? ? OGA Dota PIT Minor 2019 ? StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor Season 2#GONINJAS #DOTA2 pic.twitter.com/41bXkITmgy — Ninjas in Pyjamas ?? (@NiPGaming) June 17, 2019

With the end of the last Minor for this DPC season, all eyes are now set on the upcoming Major. The EPICENTER Major will start in just a few days from now in Moscow, Russia. Expect our detailed overview of the tournament soon. In the meantime, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest esports news.

Image VIA: eSportsJunkie