The Dota meta changes with the seasons and knowing the best Dota heroes to rank up with is easier said than done. Climbing the MMR ladder in Dota 2 can be a grind, especially when pubs are chaotic and uncoordinated. Though you can’t control how your teammates play, you can select the right hero for maximum impact. In this guide, I’ll break down some of the best heroes to rank up with, focusing on impact, consistency, and low reliance on teamwork.
What Makes the Best Dota Heroes to Rank Up With?
When looking to climb the ranks in Dota 2, remember that pubs offer a completely different environment to professional play. In pro matches, drafts are meticulously planned, and coordination is second nature.
In pubs however, chaos reigns. Communication is inconsistent, roles get blurred, and coordination is more wishful thinking than reality.
So, here are key characteristics that make the best Dota heroes to rank up with:
Strong Laner
Self-sufficiency is vital when playing ranked, and every game starts with the laning stage. Even if you only want to use the best Dota heroes for beginners, I highly recommend playing heroes that are strong laners, as having a bad start is the last thing you’d want in a ranked match.
Wave Clear
In lower brackets, players often aren’t sure what to do during the game. When that happens, it’s best to autopilot by farming creep waves to keep scaling. Heroes with strong wave clear are great pub picks because they let you farm and apply pressure when nothing is happening.
Low Execution Barrier
While high-skill-cap heroes can be game-changing at times, consistency is much more preferred in pubs. Heroes with low to moderate mechanical difficulty are often more reliable, allowing you to focus on the macro game.
Objective-Taking Potential
Kills and gold don’t mean much if they don’t transition into objectives in Dota 2. Pick heroes that can take Roshan or Towers. Trust me on this one; being able to take buildings makes games twice as easy.
Low Reliance on Teamwork
You’re not playing with professional teammates, so it is often best to pick heroes who perform well even without coordinated allies. Heroes that can solo carry or join fights quickly are ideal choices.
Templar Assassin
- Role(s): Safe Lane, Mid Lane
- Difficulty Score: 2/5
Templar Assassin checks most boxes in the characteristics listed above. She is an extremely solid laner and can flash-farm efficiently in the jungle despite losing lanes. She can clear creeps super fast and hit quick timings, and she can take both Roshan and Towers with ease. As long as you position properly, her team fighting is very straightforward, and with the right farming patterns, she can solo carry any game.
Wraith King
- Role(s): Offlane, Safe Lane
- Difficulty Score: 1/5
Wraith King is hands-down one of the easiest heroes to play and one of the best Dota heroes to rank up with. Though he may not be the strongest laner, his Bone Guard facet allows him to jungle and recover at lightning speeds. His item builds are straightforward, and he has the potential to carry games, even from the Off Lane. Minimal micro and strong objective-taking with his skeletons make him ideal for players looking for an easy hero.
Nature’s Prophet
- Role(s): Soft Support, Hard Support
- Difficulty Score: 2/5
Nature’s Prophet was one of the strongest core heroes in the previous patch, but he has now transitioned into a supportive role in patch 7.39. He is an extremely strong laner with his Soothing Saplings facet, but his global presence is what makes him so easy to play. His Teleport allows you to join any fights immediately, making up for a potential lack of coordination. He can also farm, pressure towers, and his ultimate can be used to provide an extra 300-damage burst globally.
Tidehunter
- Role(s): Off Lane
- Difficulty Score: 2/5
Tidehunter is a strong laner, disruptive, and hard to kill, making him perfect for frontline impact. He farms at a decent speed and is difficult to gank, meaning he’s relatively self-sufficient. His Ravage ultimate is also a game-changing spell that can turn a game when used properly, allowing you to have direct impact in games. Tidehunter can also transition into a carry with his Krill Eater facet, so you can build damage items if you feel your team is unreliable.
Pangolier
- Role(s): Mid Lane, Off Lane
- Difficulty Score: 3/5
Pangolier is one of the best heroes to play in pubs. He’s a potent laner, has reliable wave clear, and follows a straightforward item build. His ultimate allows him to have consistent impact in fights, and he naturally scales well into the late game. Overall, Pangolier is a very straightforward hero that doesn’t lose lane and will almost always scale in every game with his Aghanim’s Scepter.
Medusa
- Role(s): Safe Lane
- Difficulty Score: 2/5
In lower brackets, most teams struggle to end the game since breaking into the enemy’s high ground is always a nightmare. Medusa is a late-game monster who can take advantage of prolonged games. She has built-in farming tools, high survivability, and low micro demands. She’s perfect for solo climbing MMR if you know proper farming patterns and when to leave the lane. She also punishes disorganized teams who can’t burst her quickly.
Axe
- Role(s): Off Lane
- Difficulty Score: 3/5
Axe has the potential to dominate weaker lanes and can recover from difficult ones by taking neutral stacks. With Blink and Blade Mail, Axe can snowball hard and solo-kill most cores in the mid-game. Not to mention, he can build up Culling Blade stacks for infinite scaling. Overall, Axe’s spells are low-cooldown, meaning he can keep pushing the tempo. A well-timed Call can also turn fights around and lead to a quick wipe.
Shadow Shaman
- Role(s): Soft Support
- Difficulty Score: 3/5
If you want a support who is easily one of the best Dota heroes to rank up with, Shadow Shaman is your man. Stuns make Dota easier to play, even if you’re competing at the highest level – and that’s what Shadow Shaman offers. Knowing how to play support in Dota isn’t easy but he has hard lockdown with Hex and Shackles, allowing him to catch slippery heroes. However, his value in pubs skyrockets with Mass Serpent Ward, as this spell provides immense pushing power and can also be used for Roshan. His Fowl Play innate ability also gets him out of sticky situations.
Puck
- Role(s): Mid Lane
- Difficulty Score: 4/5
Puck is the slipperiest hero in the game. She takes a lot of skill to master, but is immensely rewarding once you get the hang of her. She is a decent laner and can rotate early with her high mobility and lockdown. After getting a Blink Dagger, clearing waves becomes a breeze, and with Aghanim’s Scepter, Puck can scale into the late game very well. Puck is a very strong solo queue hero, but her complexity could be a problem for most players.
Dawnbreaker
- Role(s): Off Lane
- Difficulty Score: 2/5
Dawnbreaker is a durable laner that has decent farming abilities, allowing her to lane well and scale into the game without issues, making her one of the best Dota heroes to rank up with. However, the best part is her global impact. This means you can AFK and hit creeps while your team is making moves, and then you can immediately join fights with your ultimate. The low reliance on teamwork and execution barrier makes her a great hero for solo queue.
