We take a look at how Razor is shaping up since Dota 2’s Patch 7.31d dropped.
Despite the fact that Dota 2’s most recent patch brought a lot of changes to the current meta, a couple of heroes remain as popular as before. Aside from Puck, a hero that became the definitive mid-laner, 7.31d is also an excellent patch for Razor.
This used to be one of the best mid-lane heroes to get when you want to win a lane because Razor is vital in a 1v1 scenario. However, most professional teams started using him in the safe lane. While it is true that Razor is not the faster-farming hero in Dota 2, he has one huge advantage that we will point out in this article.
Nowadays, Razor is one of the most famous heroes in the current DPC. Regardless of which region you check, you will see that almost every team uses the hero all the time. So, let’s look at a few reasons why Razor is as popular as he is.
The hero is highly versatile
Although we are yet to see Razor in position 4 or 5, there is no arguing that this is one of the most versatile cores in Dota 2. Besides being the go-to carry for many teams, Razor also plays a crucial role for some offlaners. Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf is probably the best example here because he regularly gets Razor for the offlane. In fact, this is one of his best heroes and one of the reasons why OG dominates in the DPC.
In addition to being a good offlaner, as mentioned earlier, Razor can also play a crucial role in the mid-lane if needed. He is not as good as Puck, but the hero can counter any melee with little to no effort.
As for the safe lane, most offlaners can’t do much to prevent Razor from farming. The hero is also hard to kill, so ganking him is usually not an option. Therefore, teams that put Razor in the offlane can expect him to farm a lot.
Razor is one of the best core heroes for the mid-game
Aside from his versatility, Razor is very popular in the current meta because of his incredible team-fight capabilities. Despite not being the best carry for a late-game scenario, Razor can do wonders in the mid-game. He is also pretty good early on because he has a nuke and an ability that allows him to gain additional damage.
Razor can be strong in the early-game skirmishes, but he stands out when he gets to level 12. His nuke, damage-stealing ability, and ultimate make him one of the worst heroes to go up against when you don’t have enough items. Even though he does not do that much burst damage, Razor’s consistency and hardiness make him highly effective.
The hero is so strong during that stage of the game that many teams based their tactics around him. This is one of the reasons why you can often see teams use Puck and other mid-game monsters alongside Razor when he is in the safe lane.
The meta does’nt favor most late-game monsters
Although we could’ve added this argument in the paragraph above, we think it is important, so it should receive more attention. The fact that heroes like Razor and Puck are famous in a given meta means that the latter is not that good for most late-game monsters. Teams prefer to end their matches as fast as possible rather than farming for the late game.
Of course, a couple of notable exceptions should be mentioned. The most common one is Medusa, a hero that often appears on the big stage. She is notorious for her late-game power, but some teams get items that allow her to have a solid mid-game presence.
The second famous late-game hero that is often one of the preferred options is Morphling. He is definitely not as common as before, but the hero is often some teams’ last hope.
Last but not least, the current meta favors heroes like Spectre because of her global ultimate. Some of the best teams in the world often combine the hero with Zeus and/or Nature’s Prophet.
Things heroes that every Razor Player should be aware of
Despite being one of the best cores in the current meta, Razor is not invisible. In fact, there are a couple of heroes that he is notoriously bad against. Needless to say, some of the pro teams and high-ranked players always pick some of them versus him when needed.
The first hero that can make Razor’s life difficult is Bloodseeker. Even though Razor can easily rip through him during the laning stage, Rapture is a huge counter. Since Razor won’t be able to move (he can, but the ult will do tons of damage), he can’t use his brute force to win fights.
Aside from Bloodseeker, Phantom Lancer, Naga Siren, and Terrorblade are also among the heroes that can do wonders against Razor. However, these three names are only strong during the late game, so Razor should be able to deal with them early on.
Lastly, we have the explosive mid-laners that are notorious for their mobility. Storm Spirit is the first name that comes to mind because the hero can jump from miles away and kill Razor before he can use his abilities. The good news is that Storm is not a popular pick in this patch, unlike in the previous one when he became the top mid-laner.
To sum up, Razor is an excellent hero in the current meta and one of the big reasons why teams like OG are so successful. Despite not being the most popular pick in PUB games, Razor is vital to many teams’ tactics. He is robust, deals a lot of damage, and can make certain heroes feel useless.
