We take a look at the top picks and bans from the recent Stockholm Major.
ESL One Stockholm 2022 ended after ten days of epic action. The best teams from all regions (except China) had the chance to prove themselves in Stockholm, Sweden. As expected, we had tons of epic matches, remarkable comebacks and loads of action.
In the end, OG’s young and talented team managed to overcome their opponents. Despite fighting for their survival in the Lower Bracket, Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf and the rest won many vital clashes. In the end, they had to face the NA powerhouse TSM in the Grand Finals. Even though OG was crushed in the first game, the team bounced back and won the series after securing three consecutive victories.
Now that the dust has settled, it is time to look at the tournament’s top heroes. The small update prior to this event tried to balance some of the more popular heroes. Although it had an effect on some, others continued to dominate. So, let’s learn more about them.
Mars
Starting with the most popular offlaner in Dota 2, the first hero that deserves to be on this list is Mars. Although some teams didn’t use him as often as others, Mars is one of the best heroes in the current meta. Therefore, he got the chance to shine in 58 matches, which is substantially more than any other hero in the game.
While it is true that Mars only has a 43% win rating, the teams that used him regularly know how to make the most of him. For example, ATF from OG had the chance to play with Mars multiple times. Needless to say, he was really successful in most of them.
Mars is one of the offlaners that can deal severe damage when he has the chance. He is tough to kill at any stage of the game, and his ultimate is usually powerful enough to kill an important hero.
Chaos Knight
Many Dota 2 players think that the current patch favors some of the top STR heroes, and they are right. Aside from Mars, another hero made it to the list, and its name is Chaos Knight. Unlike the hero mentioned above, who is always an offlaner, CK is usually placed in the safe lane. However, we’ve seen at least a couple of teams use him in the offlane, so he is versatile.
CK appeared in 48 games and has a 56% win rating, making him one of the most successful heroes on this list. This probably doesn’t come as a surprise to people who play regularly because CK is powerful in the current meta. All you need is to get a few items, and you become almost impossible to kill.
Despite the fact that CK is not the faster farmer in the game, the hero can deal insane amounts of damage. What’s more, he works really well with some of the other top picks in the current patch, such as IO.
Grimstroke
There are a couple of popular supports in the current meta, and one of them is Grimstoke. Even though this hero was not the go-to option for most teams during the DPC Tour 2, it rose to popularity at ESL One Stockholm 2022.
The main reason why Grimstroke is so good in the meta is because of his offensive capabilities. Most pro teams often pair him with names like Doom because this allows them to cast two Dooms with just one usage of the ultimate. Of course, Grim is also notorious for the fact that he can stun and even wave clear. This makes him one of the best supports in the current meta.
Now that the Major is over, we can see that Grimstroke appeared in 45 matches. Sadly, the hero only has a 40% win rating.
Pugna
While we are talking about support, Pugna is the second one on the list. It may come as a surprise Despite the fact that this used to be one of the mid laners that people picked when they wanted to counter someone, the hero slowly shifted towards the support role.
Pugna is one of the squishiest heroes in the game, but it can do wonders thanks to its extraordinary abilities. The ultimate is one of the best when it comes down to keeping an ally alive. What’s more, Pugna can use it offensively and deal tons of damage to a target that can’t move.
Pugna is a hero that can work in multiple setups and scenarios. With that being said, the hero is usually good against spellcasters because the ward can deal absurd amounts of damage. This explains why Pugna has more than 58% win rating out of 43 games.
Storm Spirit
Since we wanted to talk about the best heroes in the current meta, we have to address the elephant in the room. Even though some people might be fed up with Storm Spirit, this continues to be the most dominant mid laner in the current patch. Despite the small nerfs, the hero continues to deal insane amounts of damage and snowballs out of control with little to no effort.
Almost any team used SS during the event, including the Champions. OG’s mid laner used Storm two times during the finals and a couple of after that. Unsurprisingly, SS became one of the most banned heroes in the game.
Despite the multiple bans, Storm Spirit appeared in 35 games and has almost a 55% win rating. Everyone thinks the hero will receive even more nerfs in the future because he is just too strong. Unlike many years ago when people used to for a Bloodstone and other expensive items, nowadays, players spam Null Talismans.
Storm just needs a few minutes and a couple of kills to start snowballing. Once that happens, the hero becomes a nightmare to deal with, especially if you are a support.
Tiny
The last hero on our list is none other than Tiny, the go-to option in almost every region. Despite the hero’s huge popularity during Tour 2, the small patch released after that nerfed some of Tiny’s abilities. This definitely had an effect on his pick rating because he only showed up in 33 games.
Tiny is one of the most versatile heroes because people can use him in different positions. Some teams, such as beastcoast, love to put him in the mid lane where he can get fast levels and a Blink Dagger. Others put him in the safelane or even as an offlaner.
It seems like the nerfs had a negative effect on Tiny because the hero only has a 39% win rating out of 33 games. We are yet to see whether he will continue to be among the preferred options once Tour 3 of the 2021-2022 DPC starts.
