Some picks are better than others in the draft, here’s 5 Dota 2 heroes you definitely shouldn’t pick if you’re trying to gain MMR.
Even though some Dota 2 players do not admit it, they often have problems gaining MMR. There are many reasons why this is the case, and it is usually a combination of everything. Some players are too toxic, whereas others tilt too quickly and can’t make a comeback.
That said, there are players who don’t fall into either of these categories and still have problems gaining MMR. One of the reasons for their lack of success is related to the heroes they get. Some of them know what they’re doing, but others pick heroes who are not good in pubs.
Even though every single hero in Dota 2 can work while playing pubs, some of them are not worth it when it comes down to MMR. So, let’s learn more about them.
IO
The first and definitely one of the worst heroes you can use to gain MMR with is IO. Everyone who followed different Dota 2 stats over the years knows that this is one of the game’s heroes with the lowest win rate. Of course, this does not apply to professional games because every pro team has at least one good IO player.
The reason why IO is not a good option to get MMR is because of the hero’s abilities. IO is a very different support that needs to play with someone in order to be effective. In other words, choosing this hero means that you rely entirely on your core to win the match.
You could pick IO in pubs if you’re playing with a friend, but there are better options that are much easier to play.
Chen
Speaking of Dota 2 heroes that are not good in pubs but can be excellent in professional games, Chen deserves to be on the list. Albeit not in the same league as IO, this is a hero that is not that good in pubs because it is difficult to master. Furthermore, Chen is also easy to counter, meaning that the enemy team can make you feel useless.
Although Chen is not that good in pubs, the hero has a special role when it comes down to professional players. People like Puppey have been using him forever, and he always has a role in pro games. Even if he is not the best meta-hero, Chen is an option that people have to consider.
A quick look at some of the stats reveals that Chen has a 48.23% win rate and is one of the least popular heroes in the game. We don’t expect to see any changes, even if Chen receives loads of buffs. The hero will have to go through a complete rework to become a top-tier pub hero.
Pugna
Before we share more information about this hero, we have to point out that Pugna is probably the best option so far when it comes down to pubs. The hero’s ward counters every single spell caster in the game, including the likes of Leshrac. The latter is very popular in the current meta, so you can often see Pugna in the game just because the hero counters the deadly spell caster.
Even though Pugna can be a mighty hero who can win games, it is not the best option for pubs. Sure, the hero is a strong midder, but Pugna is incredibly fragile and can easily die when from most ganks. You have to be a really good mid-laner and have a lot of experience with the hero to know how to survive. Needless to say, not everyone can do that.
Warlock
There are a couple of lane supports that work well in most Dota 2 metas, and Warlock is among them. Albeit not the most interesting support to play, Warlock is great against aggressive lineups because he has enough tools to heal and do damage. Sadly, this is not enough to make him a top-tier hero for Dota 2 pub games.
Warlock’s main weakness is that the hero relies a lot on his ultimate. The Golem is pretty strong, but unless Wlock’s team backs him up, he won’t do much. This is where the hero has problems because you can’t rely on your allies when playing pubs.
Aside from being popular lane support, Warlock can also do pretty well in the mid-lane. In fact, he can survive even against some of the strongest lakers. The only problem with picking Wlock as a mid-laner is that the hero does not scale as well as others.
Keeper of the Light
Kotl is a similar hero to Warlock when it comes down to his laning capabilities. Even though the hero was only played as a support, some of the best Dota 2 players in the world have proven that he can be an excellent midder.
Keeper of the Light’s ability to clear waves and the fact that he is very fast means that he is hard to kill. However, securing kills is not that easy either because the hero requires the help of others. Needless to say, this is where KOTL is not that good in pubs because you depend on other heroes to win.
Aside from the above arguments, Keeper of the Light can be a solid pick when your team needs someone to clear waves and prevent pushes.
As mentioned earlier, all of these heroes can work while playing pubs, as long as you are in the right setup. However, they are just not as good as others, which is why it is usually not worth going for them. Sure, you can win some games, but what’s the point of taking risks when you can get other heroes that are much easier to play and more effective?
The key thing to remember is that this article aims to help those who want to get MMR at all costs. Playing the same heroes over and over again might not seem fun, but if they are stored, and you know how to use them, you will eventually reach your desired MMR.
