Best Neutral Items in Dota

The addition of neutral items adds yet another layer of depth to the already complex game that is Dota 2. Though these items are “free,” they can still be game-changing, offering powerful advantages that can shift the outcome of skirmishes, team fights, or even entire matches.

Best neutral items in Dota – Tier 1 Items

Sister’s Shroud

What it does:

• Passive: Veiled – When falling below 50% HP, gain 200% evasion for 8 seconds. While active, dodging an attack decreases the evasion bonus by 75% of its current value.

Why it’s good:

This is the most broken Tier 1 item in Dota. With lots of minor skirmishes happening in the post-laning stage, Sister’s Shroud’s passive essentially allows you to dodge three attacks when dropping below 50% HP. With the lack of chase, lockdown, and Blink Daggers before the 20-minute mark, dodging these attacks is extremely valuable.  

Best heroes to get it on:

• Any ranged support hero in Dota.
• Some ranged mid-laners (Necrophos, Invoker, Sniper, Zeus)

Chipped Vest

What it does:

• Passive: Chipper – Every time you’re attacked, you return 30 damage to heroes and 20 damage to creeps.

Why it’s good:

It serves as a miniature Blade Mail. It’s excellent on your typical strength melee core in early fights, but it’s most valuable when farming in the jungle. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Any melee strength core
• Clockwerk, Spectre, Ogre Magi

Dormant Curio

What it does:

• Passive: Hidden Potential – Neutral Artifacts you craft while holding a Dormant Curio have their potency increased by 30%.

Why it’s good:

This is best on support heroes who didn’t pull a Sister’s Shroud in their choices. It amplifies the stat of the next artifact, which is ideal if you can roll the Greedy enchantment.  

Best heroes to get it on:

• Any ranged support hero
• Some ranged mid-laners (Necrophos, Invoker, Sniper, Zeus)

Tier 2 Items

Searing Signet

What it does:

• Passive: Burn Through – Instances of magic damage from spells over 55 ignites enemies, causing them to take 72 magic damage over 6 seconds.

Why it’s good:

This is hands-down the strongest Tier 2 item on heroes that have any form of nuking abilities. In the mid-game, when Tier 2 items drop, most of the best Dota heroes with wave clearing abilities lack just a little bit of damage to one-shot creep waves – Searing Signet solves this issue for many heroes. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Support heroes with nukes (Lion, Witch Doctor, Rubick, Shadow Shaman)
• Core heroes with wave-clearing nukes (Queen of Pain, Zeus, Necrophos, Shadow Fiend)

Mana Draught

What it does:

• Active: Bottoms Up – Restores 60 + 4% of the caster’s maximum mana over 6 seconds. If the hero is attacked by an enemy hero or Roshan, the effect is lost.

Why it’s good:

Mana Draught solves mana issues on many Intelligence heroes and can come in very handy for core heroes that rely on mana to farm. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Mana-hungry support heroes (Shadow Shaman, Witch Doctor, Rubick, Techies)
• Core heroes that use mana to farm (Shadow Fiend, Queen of Pain, Drow Ranger)

Tumbler’s Toy

What it does:

• Active: Vault – Propels your hero forward 300 units. Tumbler’s Toy gets disabled for 3 seconds if its owner receives damage from a player source.

Why it’s good:

Tumbler’s Toy works as a mini Blink Dagger and is the best neutral item in Dota for heroes who can initiate but lack cast range or mobility in the early game. It’s best on support heroes that want to position on the outskirts but also seek the option to go in for a stun.

Best heroes to get it on:

• Support heroes that will buy Blink Dagger later (Lion, Shadow Shaman, Rubick)
• Core heroes that can initiate (Magnus, Earthshaker, Axe)

Tier 3 Items

Serrated Shiv

What it does:

• Passive: Gut ‘Em – Attacks have a 20% chance to have True Strike and deal 8% of the target’s current health as bonus physical damage. Deals a flat bonus of 200 against Roshan.

Why it’s good:

Serrated Shiv is just a great item for any core hero who depends on right-clicks to deal damage. A 20% chance to deal additional damage to targets means heroes with high attack speed benefit the most. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Any right-clicking agility core (Juggernaut, Sniper, Drow Ranger, Slark)
• Some melee strength cores (Sven, Lifestealer, Wraith King)

Gale Guard

What it does:

• Active: Cyclonic Shield – Envelops the caster in an all damage barrier that absorbs 75% of incoming damage up to a max of 250. Lasts for up to 10 seconds and while the barrier is active you have 50% Slow Resistance.

Why it’s good:

If Serrated Shiv is an easy choice for any right-clicking core, Gale Guard becomes a top-tier pick for any tanky strength hero and some supports looking for extra survivability. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Tanky core heroes (Pudge, Axe, Bristleback)
• Squishy supports (Witch Doctor, Shadow Shaman, Rubick)

Gunpowder Gauntlet

What it does:

• Passive: Beat the Crowd – Your next attack deals an additional 120 magic damage and splashes to units within 250 units for 50% of the original attack’s damage plus the additional magic damage.

Why it’s good:

Gunpowder Gauntlet is pretty much what you’d pick up as a right-clicking core if you didn’t roll Serrated Shiv. It’s the next best neutral item for heroes who deal damage with their attacks. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Any right-clicking agility core (Juggernaut, Sniper, Drow Ranger, Slark)
• Some melee strength cores (Sven, Lifestealer, Wraith King)

Tier 4 Items

Giant’s Maul

What it does:

• Passive: Crushing Blow – Empowers the next attack to be a critical hit. Hitting an enemy with an empowered attack temporarily decreases their movement speed, attack speed, and cast speed.

Why it’s good:

Giant’s Maul is the best neutral item in Dota for any carry at this point in the game. It’s a guaranteed crit that slows enemies down – a very straightforward and effective item.

Best heroes to get it on:

• Any right-clicking agility core (Juggernaut, Sniper, Drow Ranger, Slark)
• Some melee strength cores (Sven, Lifestealer, Wraith King)

Magnifying Monocle

What it does:

• Passive: Keen Eye – Increases cast range by 125 and attack range by 100 (Melee & Ranged). Taking over 25 damage from a player controlled source or Roshan disables this effect for 3 seconds.

Why it’s good:

The Magnifying Monocle is the golden item for support heroes with its added cast range. However, it’s even better for ranged carry heroes like Drow Ranger or Lina for their added attack range, especially if they roll the +100 attack range enchantment. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Any support hero that casts spells 
• Ranged carry heroes that need additional attack range (Drow Ranger, Sniper, Lina)

Dezun Bloodrite

What it does:

• Passive: Blood Invocation – Spells have a 15% larger Area of Effect, but now additionally cost health equal to 35% of their mana cost.

Why it’s good:

The Dezun Bloodrite increases spell AoE, so heroes that depend on heavy crowd control greatly benefit from its passive ability. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Mid-lane heroes with AoE nukes (Invoker, Queen of Pain, Necrophos)
• Team fighting heroes that have crowd control spells (Earthshaker, Axe, Magnus)

Tier 5 Items

Helm of the Undying

What it does:

• Passive: Death Delay – Survive for an extra 5 seconds after receiving a killing blow. If any enemy heroes dies within 1200 units, the death delay effect is extended by 5 seconds.

Why it’s good:

Tier 5 items are obviously the best neutral items in Dota. Helm of the Undying is pretty much Wraith King’s Aghanim’s Scepter. It is hands-down the best Tier 5 item available (unless you need the other two mentioned on this list). 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Generally any hero 

Divine Regalia

What it does:

• Passive: Exalted – Increases outgoing damage by 20%. Dying permanently disables this Neutral Item and the current Enchantment is lost.

Why it’s good:

Divine Regalia is a great item for heroes that deal lots of damage. However, similar to Divine Rapier, it’s a pretty all-in neutral item that is best grabbed either when significantly ahead or when very desperate while behind. Even though dying permanently disables the item, you can always reroll after 10 minutes of play. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Heroes that can deal damage from afar (Zeus, Sniper, Drow Ranger)
• Hard carries (Medusa, Anti-Mage, Juggernaut)

Book of the Dead

What it does:

• Active: Greater Demonic Summoning – Summon 2 demonic warriors and 2 demonic archers that last 65 seconds. The Warrior burns mana every hit, reveals invisible units, and deals magical damage to whoever kills it. The Archer has a basic dispel ability with a slow and a passive movement speed aura.

Why it’s good:

Book of the Dead doesn’t feel like the best Tier 5 neutral item for an individual hero, but it’s one of the best neutral items in Dota so at least one member of the team must have it. If the game has exceeded 60 minutes, there’s a high chance that wave management is crucial, as some Barracks and Towers would have already gone down. If an enemy team has a Book of the Dead and your team doesn’t – things will look ugly. 

Best heroes to get it on:

• Any hero that rolls bad items (Book of the Dead is a vital team-oriented item)
• Generally support heroes should be the ones to grab it