Skulz's Dota Competitive Hero Tier List September 2018
The Dota 2 Competitive Hero Tier List for September 2018 includes data from 7.19b and 7.19c, for a total of 371 games. All heroes are split in five groups.
All heroes are arranged in five tiers based on their draft rate. The tiers are viewed as clusters of data, and each hero is placed in the one they are closer the most.
The requisites for each tier never change. The goal is offering a neutral comparison that shows how the meta evolves over time.
The win rate has no effect on the tiers, but is included for further info. The tiers depend only on drafts, and aren't affected either by the win rate of a hero, or by their performance in pub matches.
The tier list includes all matches from September 1st to 27th morning, so also all the data from the recent DreamLeague Season 10 Qualifiers.
More: All the Dota 2 Tier Lists.
“Every month, I strive to offer new info on the top heroes. Sometimes, it isn’t an easy task because the heroes leading the meta are often the same.
If you are looking for a particular hero, use the search function on the website as I featured several ones in previous articles, guides, and tier lists.”
Tier 1
| Hero | Name | P+B | P+B% | Picks | Picks% | Bans | Bans% | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Tiny | 321 | 86.5% | 134 | 36.1% | 187 | 50.4% | 50.0% |
 |
Io | 309 | 83.3% | 62 | 16.7% | 247 | 66.6% | 61.3% |
 |
Weaver | 307 | 82.8% | 118 | 31.8% | 189 | 50.9% | 54.2% |
 |
Silencer | 305 | 82.2% | 115 | 31.0% | 190 | 51.2% | 53.0% |
 |
Necrophos | 302 | 81.4% | 104 | 28.0% | 198 | 53.4% | 50.0% |
 |
Earthshaker | 280 | 75.5% | 156 | 42.1% | 124 | 33.4% | 55.1% |
 |
Winter Wyvern | 265 | 71.4% | 113 | 30.5% | 152 | 41.0% | 44.3% |
 |
Phantom Lancer | 235 | 63.3% | 79 | 21.3% | 156 | 42.1% | 53.2% |
Tiny
I have talked about several heroes in the past months, but Tiny has always been neglected. Today, I will make a good use of his position in the tiers for a proper explanation.
Strong and versatile laning phase
With 875 HP at level 1 he can withstand a lot of damage. The big health pool works especially well against magic users while physical harasser might have an easier time due to the 0 starting armor.
He possesses a very high 74-80 attack damage with which he can get last hits and denies consistently. Moreover, he can even secure last hits from a distance thanks to Tree Throw.
I saw him played the most in the mid lane, but thanks to the dual lane meta he is a viable hero on literally any position. Being an open pick is crucial in the pro meta, and it is one of the reasons behind his popularity. Usually, pro players select him during the first phase because of his adaptability to any lane; you can pick him and still give almost no info on your game plan to the opponent team.
He also works particularly well versus certain meta heroes, such as Broodmother: she can’t use her spiderlings at all versus Tiny due to his massive AoE damage.
Laning stage nerf in 7.19b
Increased Avalanche cooldown from 20/19/18/17 to 23/21/19/17.
Increased Tree Grab mana cost from 20/30/40/50 to 50 on each level.
Recently, IceFrog tried to reduce Tiny’s effectiveness during the laning stage. Increasing the cooldown of Avalanche isn’t a big deal as this is the first ability you want to max out, but the increased mana cost of Tree Grab can be problematic. Players used to spend only a single point into it and use the skill almost permanently due to the low 20 mana cost.
Tiny has a 279 mana pool at level one, so 50 mana during the laning stage is a huge deal that obstructs the use of his skills. He certainly requires some mana regeneration to sustain his aggressive game play - a few Clarity Potions or Enchanted mangoes are a must in the early and mid game.
One-shot combo and mid game dominance
Tiny can annihilate many popular squishy heroes of the meta (such as Silencer, Drow, and Pugna) with the Avalanche + Toss combo. It is even stronger in a dual lane as you can coordinate with your support for more burst damage.
Since the introduction of the Tree Grab ability, there are extra steps in the combo: a few auto-attacks enhanced by Tree Grab’s damage bonus, and finally Tree Throw once the opponent is outside your attack range.
The combo reaches its maximum efficiency in the mid game as your nukes are maxed out, the enemies still do not have enough health points, and you can often count on the Echo Sabre’s Echo Strike for an extra attack.
For maximum damage, the Daedalus is the best option later on: it is devastating if you can proc two critical hits in a row.
Clash of Heroes loading screen - Valve
Tiny is a high skill cap hero
The results of Tiny in pubs are really poor: considering the last 30 days, he has a win rate around 40% at all ranks, and reaches 46% WR only at the Divine medal.
“Toss is a versatile ability, but a perfect team play is required to maximise its efficiency.”
Tossing enemies
All players - even those at 1k rank - are able to use their AoE spells while the opponents are under the effect of a massive disable like Enigma’s Black Hole. This ultimate has a long duration and a clear visual effect, so you can notice it and have time to react even with zero communication with your team.
Tiny’s Toss can also be used to chain AoE spells as he can launch an enemy on top of another one, but you need a perfect coordination to pull combos due to the limited time frame. The opponent tossed might be caught by surprise, but you have literally 1-2 seconds at your disposal as afterwards he will react, and his teammates may also come to his rescue.
All the players involved in the action must know the plan and how to behave. Tiny needs to communicate when he is going to toss someone and the target, his teammates must follow up with AoE disables and nukes at the right time, and they must have their abilities (and often also the Blink Dagger) off-cooldown.
Honestly, there are so many variables in play that the coordination is practically impossible in pub games. At best, Tiny will just execute his standard Avalanche + Toss combo, and hope that his teammates will join the action.
Toss punishes positioning mistakes. You can also Toss an enemy towards your team, and this ability has a higher value once you buy the Blink Dagger. With Toss, Tiny can reposition an enemy hero at any time, so they must be always vigilant as any mistake in pro games is punished heavily.
Tossing teammates
Toss is also a free Blink Dagger for your teammates. You can launch heroes such as Earth Shaker, Treant Protector, and Magnus to achieve a perfect ultimate in team fight. If they do not have the Blink Dagger yet, unprepared enemies might not expect it at all.
This is extremely useful for position 5 supports as they may not afford the Blink Dagger, while the position 4 can focus on a greedy or utility item first (like the Black King Bar) without sacrificing the engage capabilities of the team.
If Tiny dares to toss a teammate at low ranks, the team could panic
If communication within the team is absent, some players will react slowly cause unprepared to the sudden engage, and some might even be launched while their ultimates are on cooldown.
In the worst situation, some players can even believe Tiny is trying to throw the match. Unfortunately, many Dota players tend to tilt very easily.
Tree Throw has some under-used perks
The attack has True Strike, which is great against Phantom Assassin and generally enemies with evasion.
It procs attack modifiers and on-hit effects on the first target, so you can potentially stun a hero with the Skull Basher from 1600 range (1300 cast range + 300 tree collision radius).
The tree provides 200 radius flying vision around itself while travelling, but this is a feature that works only when targeting the ground.
It can kill couriers. The attack deals splash damage around the targeted area, so you could kill a courier passing by with a well-placed throw.
Tier 2
| Hero | Name | P+B | P+B% | Picks | Picks% | Bans | Bans% | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Broodmother | 209 | 56.3% | 23 | 6.2% | 186 | 50.1% | 56.5% |
 |
Enchantress | 205 | 55.3% | 41 | 11.1% | 164 | 44.2% | 41.5% |
 |
Pugna | 194 | 52.3% | 74 | 20.0% | 120 | 32.4% | 48.7% |
 |
Storm Spirit | 186 | 50.1% | 72 | 19.4% | 114 | 30.7% | 48.6% |
 |
Drow Ranger | 179 | 48.3% | 51 | 13.8% | 128 | 34.5% | 66.7% |
 |
Undying | 170 | 45.8% | 75 | 20.2% | 95 | 25.6% | 54.7% |
 |
Treant Protector | 157 | 42.3% | 66 | 17.8% | 91 | 24.5% | 50.0% |
 |
Spectre | 152 | 41.0% | 69 | 18.6% | 83 | 22.4% | 31.9% |
I have already analyzed almost all the top heroes of the current meta during the past months.
You can find detailed information on The International 8 Tier List, which presents popular picks such as Wraith King, Weaver, Spectre, Phantom Lancer, and more.
After every patch, I have also published articles on the most played safe, mid, and off lane heroes at 5k+ MMR. Each analysis highlights several heroes, and explanations on patch changes. Clinkz, Silencer, Ursa, Vengeful Spirit, Alchemist, Broodmother, and Treant Protector are among the heroes featured in this series.
Tier 3
| Hero | Name | P+B | P+B% | Picks | Picks% | Bans | Bans% | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Terrorblade | 148 | 39.9% | 59 | 15.9% | 89 | 24.0% | 62.7% |
 |
Ursa | 147 | 39.6% | 65 | 17.5% | 82 | 22.1% | 41.5% |
 |
Chen | 145 | 39.1% | 29 | 7.8% | 116 | 31.3% | 51.7% |
 |
Invoker | 142 | 38.3% | 63 | 17.0% | 79 | 21.3% | 55.6% |
 |
Phoenix | 139 | 37.5% | 77 | 20.8% | 62 | 16.7% | 49.4% |
 |
Mirana | 139 | 37.5% | 97 | 26.2% | 42 | 11.3% | 49.5% |
 |
Lina | 136 | 36.7% | 79 | 21.3% | 57 | 15.4% | 54.4% |
 |
Kunkka | 122 | 32.9% | 53 | 14.3% | 69 | 18.6% | 49.1% |
 |
Huskar | 120 | 32.4% | 20 | 5.4% | 100 | 27.0% | 70.0% |
 |
Dark Willow | 115 | 31.0% | 66 | 17.8% | 49 | 13.2% | 39.4% |
 |
Batrider | 108 | 29.1% | 33 | 8.9% | 75 | 20.2% | 57.6% |
 |
Clinkz | 108 | 29.1% | 44 | 11.9% | 64 | 17.3% | 40.9% |
 |
Zeus | 104 | 28.0% | 49 | 13.2% | 55 | 14.8% | 51.0% |
 |
Templar Assassin | 103 | 27.8% | 32 | 8.6% | 71 | 19.1% | 50.0% |
 |
Bloodseeker | 102 | 27.5% | 38 | 10.2% | 64 | 17.3% | 50.0% |
 |
Alchemist | 96 | 25.9% | 34 | 9.2% | 62 | 16.7% | 35.3% |
 |
Bane | 96 | 25.9% | 68 | 18.3% | 28 | 7.6% | 55.9% |
 |
Nature's Prophet | 90 | 24.3% | 50 | 13.5% | 40 | 10.8% | 40.0% |
 |
Enigma | 88 | 23.7% | 32 | 8.6% | 56 | 15.1% | 59.4% |
 |
Ogre Magi | 86 | 23.2% | 70 | 18.9% | 16 | 4.3% | 52.9% |
 |
Vengeful Spirit | 80 | 21.6% | 60 | 16.2% | 20 | 5.4% | 43.3% |
 |
Lich | 79 | 21.3% | 39 | 10.5% | 40 | 10.8% | 38.5% |
 |
Morphling | 78 | 21.0% | 33 | 8.9% | 45 | 12.1% | 57.6% |
 |
Wraith King | 77 | 20.8% | 29 | 7.8% | 48 | 12.9% | 41.4% |
Note: I have split tier 2 and 3 heroes at the standard 40% draft rate as there isn’t a clear statistical difference between low tier 2 heroes and top tier 3 ones.
Tier 4
| Hero | Name | P+B | P+B% | Picks | Picks% | Bans | Bans% | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Nyx Assassin | 75 | 20.2% | 41 | 11.1% | 34 | 9.2% | 48.8% |
 |
Ember Spirit | 73 | 19.7% | 37 | 10.0% | 36 | 9.7% | 37.8% |
 |
Brewmaster | 72 | 19.4% | 42 | 11.3% | 30 | 8.1% | 52.4% |
 |
Monkey King | 70 | 18.9% | 43 | 11.6% | 27 | 7.3% | 44.2% |
 |
Centaur Warrunner | 64 | 17.3% | 43 | 11.6% | 21 | 5.7% | 44.2% |
 |
Dragon Knight | 63 | 17.0% | 43 | 11.6% | 20 | 5.4% | 55.8% |
 |
Gyrocopter | 62 | 16.7% | 55 | 14.8% | 7 | 1.9% | 54.6% |
 |
Tinker | 61 | 16.4% | 19 | 5.1% | 42 | 11.3% | 52.6% |
 |
Axe | 61 | 16.4% | 38 | 10.2% | 23 | 6.2% | 68.4% |
 |
Earth Spirit | 56 | 15.1% | 40 | 10.8% | 16 | 4.3% | 40.0% |
 |
Lycan | 55 | 14.8% | 25 | 6.7% | 30 | 8.1% | 64.0% |
 |
Rubick | 54 | 14.6% | 46 | 12.4% | 8 | 2.2% | 52.2% |
 |
Crystal Maiden | 54 | 14.6% | 47 | 12.7% | 7 | 1.9% | 48.9% |
 |
Faceless Void | 51 | 13.8% | 27 | 7.3% | 24 | 6.5% | 63.0% |
 |
Clockwerk | 39 | 10.5% | 22 | 5.9% | 17 | 4.6% | 40.9% |
 |
Venomancer | 36 | 9.7% | 23 | 6.2% | 13 | 3.5% | 39.1% |
 |
Leshrac | 35 | 9.4% | 22 | 5.9% | 13 | 3.5% | 54.6% |
 |
Windranger | 35 | 9.4% | 34 | 9.2% | 1 | 0.3% | 61.8% |
 |
Tusk | 34 | 9.2% | 27 | 7.3% | 7 | 1.9% | 37.0% |
 |
Visage | 34 | 9.2% | 13 | 3.5% | 21 | 5.7% | 53.9% |
 |
Troll Warlord | 33 | 8.9% | 23 | 6.2% | 10 | 2.7% | 34.8% |
 |
Arc Warden | 32 | 8.6% | 17 | 4.6% | 15 | 4.0% | 47.1% |
 |
Meepo | 27 | 7.3% | 6 | 1.6% | 21 | 5.7% | 50.0% |
 |
Keeper of the Light | 25 | 6.7% | 18 | 4.9% | 7 | 1.9% | 55.6% |
 |
Elder Titan | 24 | 6.5% | 18 | 4.9% | 6 | 1.6% | 27.8% |
 |
Magnus | 23 | 6.2% | 18 | 4.9% | 5 | 1.4% | 38.9% |
 |
Luna | 22 | 5.9% | 17 | 4.6% | 5 | 1.4% | 52.9% |
 |
Jakiro | 20 | 5.4% | 20 | 5.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 50.0% |
In tier 4 and 5 we find all the situational heroes. They are strong when paired with others, or against specific lineups. These heroes aren't bad, they just don't work in every game, so the pick and ban rates aren't outstanding.
Tier 5
| Hero | Name | P+B | P+B% | Picks | Picks% | Bans | Bans% | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Spirit Breaker | 19 | 5.1% | 12 | 3.2% | 7 | 1.9% | 58.3% |
 |
Underlord | 18 | 4.9% | 14 | 3.8% | 4 | 1.1% | 64.3% |
 |
Phantom Assassin | 17 | 4.6% | 16 | 4.3% | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
 |
Queen of Pain | 17 | 4.6% | 14 | 3.8% | 3 | 0.8% | 64.3% |
 |
Juggernaut | 17 | 4.6% | 16 | 4.3% | 1 | 0.3% | 43.8% |
 |
Anti-Mage | 17 | 4.6% | 10 | 2.7% | 7 | 1.9% | 70.0% |
 |
Shadow Demon | 15 | 4.0% | 12 | 3.2% | 3 | 0.8% | 33.3% |
 |
Pudge | 15 | 4.0% | 8 | 2.2% | 7 | 1.9% | 25.0% |
 |
Legion Commander | 14 | 3.8% | 10 | 2.7% | 4 | 1.1% | 50.0% |
 |
Lifestealer | 14 | 3.8% | 7 | 1.9% | 7 | 1.9% | 57.1% |
 |
Doom | 13 | 3.5% | 10 | 2.7% | 3 | 0.8% | 50.0% |
 |
Shadow Fiend | 13 | 3.5% | 9 | 2.4% | 4 | 1.1% | 44.4% |
 |
Timbersaw | 12 | 3.2% | 7 | 1.9% | 5 | 1.4% | 42.9% |
 |
Lone Druid | 12 | 3.2% | 2 | 0.5% | 10 | 2.7% | 50.0% |
 |
Shadow Shaman | 12 | 3.2% | 11 | 3.0% | 1 | 0.3% | 54.6% |
 |
Lion | 12 | 3.2% | 8 | 2.2% | 4 | 1.1% | 62.5% |
 |
Sand King | 12 | 3.2% | 11 | 3.0% | 1 | 0.3% | 54.6% |
 |
Ancient Apparition | 11 | 3.0% | 10 | 2.7% | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
 |
Tidehunter | 11 | 3.0% | 6 | 1.6% | 5 | 1.4% | 66.7% |
 |
Techies | 10 | 2.7% | 7 | 1.9% | 3 | 0.8% | 85.7% |
 |
Abaddon | 10 | 2.7% | 4 | 1.1% | 6 | 1.6% | 75.0% |
 |
Bounty Hunter | 10 | 2.7% | 6 | 1.6% | 4 | 1.1% | 66.7% |
 |
Viper | 10 | 2.7% | 5 | 1.4% | 5 | 1.4% | 40.0% |
 |
Puck | 10 | 2.7% | 7 | 1.9% | 3 | 0.8% | 0.0% |
 |
Pangolier | 8 | 2.2% | 5 | 1.4% | 3 | 0.8% | 40.0% |
 |
Oracle | 8 | 2.2% | 7 | 1.9% | 1 | 0.3% | 28.6% |
 |
Bristleback | 8 | 2.2% | 5 | 1.4% | 3 | 0.8% | 20.0% |
 |
Beastmaster | 8 | 2.2% | 7 | 1.9% | 1 | 0.3% | 71.4% |
 |
Riki | 8 | 2.2% | 7 | 1.9% | 1 | 0.3% | 28.6% |
 |
Medusa | 7 | 1.9% | 6 | 1.6% | 1 | 0.3% | 33.3% |
 |
Naga Siren | 7 | 1.9% | 4 | 1.1% | 3 | 0.8% | 25.0% |
 |
Chaos Knight | 7 | 1.9% | 5 | 1.4% | 2 | 0.5% | 80.0% |
 |
Omniknight | 7 | 1.9% | 5 | 1.4% | 2 | 0.5% | 60.0% |
 |
Dark Seer | 6 | 1.6% | 4 | 1.1% | 2 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
 |
Dazzle | 6 | 1.6% | 6 | 1.6% | 0 | 0.0% | 66.7% |
 |
Witch Doctor | 5 | 1.4% | 4 | 1.1% | 1 | 0.3% | 25.0% |
 |
Slark | 4 | 1.1% | 4 | 1.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 25.0% |
 |
Death Prophet | 4 | 1.1% | 4 | 1.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 75.0% |
 |
Disruptor | 3 | 0.8% | 3 | 0.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 33.3% |
 |
Night Stalker | 3 | 0.8% | 3 | 0.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 |
Warlock | 3 | 0.8% | 3 | 0.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 |
Skywrath Mage | 2 | 0.5% | 2 | 0.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
 |
Outworld Devourer | 2 | 0.5% | 2 | 0.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 |
Sniper | 2 | 0.5% | 2 | 0.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 |
Slardar | 2 | 0.5% | 2 | 0.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 |
Sven | 2 | 0.5% | 2 | 0.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 |
Razor | 1 | 0.3% | 1 | 0.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
All the heroes have been picked!
Next Tier List: October 2018
Header image (Mid Lane loading screen) and hero icons: Valve - Statistics: DatDota.
