Take a look at some of Dota 2 Top Supports in patch 7.31d. So you can have an edge over the rest.
The newest Dota 2 patch became available a couple of days ago, and it introduced several balance changes. Many people were unhappy with the current meta that favored heroes like Storm Spirit. Hence, Valve nerfed the hero, as well as many other small things.
While it is true that the new patch did not change the meta from the ground up, there are some significant changes in the popularity of certain heroes. Although most people are interested in the cores, this article will review some top-tier supports.
Besides using data from DotaBuff, we will also include some of the preferred options from the best players in the world. As you know, Tour 3 of the DPC started the last week, so we already have access to some data.
Warlock
The first option on the list will come as a surprise to many of you. Warlock was a hero that appeared in almost every match a couple of years ago. Due to his healing capabilities and team-fight potential, Wlock became the go-to option.
Sadly, the absence of a STUN (aside from his Ult) slowly pushed the hero out of the meta. Teams started favoring supports that allow them to push faster and secure more kills early on.
Although heroes like Grimstroke continue to be among the preferred options from professional players, the newest patch gave Warlock a couple of special buffs. Starting from his movement speed, the hero now has 300 instead of 290. Furthermore, Upheaval now slows significantly more on level 1/2/3, making him better for early and mid-game skirmishes.
Unfortunately, Warlock’s Chaotic Offering now has a 1000-cast range instead of 1200, which means landing the ults won’t be as easy. Despite this nerf, the hero has more than a 53.68% win rate this week. It is just a matter of time before we see him in competitive play.
Dazzle
This is probably one of the most iconic support heroes in Dota 2. Everyone knows the infamous Huskar and Dazzle combo, but the hero can be used in various situations.
What makes Dazzle a great pick is his offensive capabilities. In fact, some people even go to the mid-lane, which shows that the hero can be extremely dangerous. Nowadays, most players use him in conjunction with a robust carry like Juggernaut or Chaos Knight.
A quick look at the hero’s win rate shows that Dazzle has almost the same percentage as Warlock. However, the hero is twice as famous.
Crystal Maiden
If there is a hero in Dota 2 that is the synonym of support, it has to be Crystal Maiden. Although there have been metas where this hero did not fit in, CM is usually always one of the options on the table. She is slow and easy to kill but offers tons of damage and mana.
Nowadays, most professional players use CM in conjunction with Juggernaut because this allows them to score plenty of kills early on. As for PUB Dota, CM is widely picked in every bracket as a position 5.
Besides being good at all game stages, CM is among the few supports that can farm the jungle. This may not look that important, but it can help a lot in some situations.
Snapfire
We wondered whether to include this hero on the list because some professional teams use Snapfire as an offlaner or even a midder. However, after watching most pro teams in action, it seems like the hero moved to position 4.
Snapfire was a controversial hero when released because people didn’t expect him to be that strong. Although it may not seem that good, the hero provides tons of utility and insane damage, especially for a support. Combined with heroes like Faceless Void and anything with a stun, Snapfire can easily kill at least a few opponents.
Although this hero is a popular pick in almost every DPC region, Snapfire has the lowest win rates. According to the information at DotaBuff, the hero’s win rate for this week is just 46.60%.
Pugna
Another hero that often has the chance to shine in the DPC is Pugna. Once one of the top-tier mid-laners to counter certain heroes, Pugna transitioned to the support role. Despite that, the hero continues to deal a lot of damage and can heal every teammate when needed.
Most teams pick Pugna when they play a “4 protect 1” combo or want to counter a specific spellcaster. For example, Pugna is an excellent choice against Lina, Invoker, Zeus, and all other spellcasters.
Patch 7.31d nerfed Pugna’s Nether ward. Now, the damage per Used Mana is down to 1.5 instead of 1.75 on level 4 and this ability provides a 20% damage reduction instead of 25%.
Although the hero can deal a lot of damage, Pugna is fragile and can die fast. Hence, you need to be careful when you pick it.
Chen
Unlike all other supports mentioned, Chen is a hero who requires a specific playstyle. He is not the most popular hero in pub and pro games because he only works in specific situations. Needless to say, the hero is notorious for his pushing capabilities and the fact that he can gank every lane.
Most professional teams use Chen sometimes, but we think Team Secret stands out. Clement “Puppey” Ivanov often uses the hero, especially when he wants his team to play more aggressively.
Jakiro
Not every support hero in Dota 2 can deal damage and play defensively when needed. Even though Jakiro is better at doing damage than playing defensively, the hero became much more popular among pro and casual players.
Some people put Jakiro in the mid-lane to counter heroes like Templar Assassin. However, we believe it excels in the support role because it can harras the off-laner and push the tower much faster. Speaking of pushing, this is one of the things that makes Jakiro such a popular pick.
Interestingly, this hero works exceptionally well with loads of other popular picks. Similar to Snapfire, the Void-Jakiro combo is very dangerous against all sorts of heroes. Jakiro can also work on drafts that focus on pushing. That’s why you can often find the hero alongside Chen.
