Dota 2 Best Offlane Heroes
The offlane in Dota is the most variable position in the game. Unlike other positions, the role of the offlaner is expected to change between games. Sometimes the offlaner must be tanky, sometimes the offlaner must be the initiator. Sometimes the offlaner is sacrificed (yes, feeding is not always bad), sometimes the offlaner will have the most farm. But because the offlane is so unpredictable, more heroes than you’d expect are viable in the third core role. In no particular order, our top ten offlaners in the current meta:
1. Doom
“Face me and face the furnace!” Lucifer, the Doom has returned this meta fiercer than ever. One of the tankiest heroes you’ll see on this list, Doom is a true menace in the offlane. Scorched earth gives him insane hp regen and just enough speed to outrun most heroes. Devour provides him with the ability to scale late and if you’ve ever been doomed before, you know that this ultimate makes one enemy hero completely useless every time it’s off cool down.
2. Leshrac
"Imbalance demands it.” We used to see Leshrac mid — back when he was the disco pony. Optic has recently introduced Lesh to the offlane and we are all for it. His stun might be hard to land for lower mmr players, but his other three spells are hugely powerful and very easy to use. Lightning storm is one of the best spells for early-game harass right now. Low cooldown, low mana. Diabolic edict is quite possibly the best spell for pushing in the game, dealing an unbelievable 504 damage to buildings. And his ultimate nukes everything around him with magnificent-looking pulses.
3. Beastmaster
"I run with the rabbit and hunt with the hounds.” Beastmaster is a top pick among the winning professional offlaners right now. This hero has a storied history in the Dota professional scene, being responsible for some of the fastest push strategies ever seen. With a passive that increases the attack speed of all allied units and the ability to summon powerful beasts, Beastmaster is a solid addition to any team that needs to take objectives quickly. His ultimate is a powerful single-target stun.
4. Sandking
"I will show you fear in a handful of sand…” said Crixalis, the Sandking. One of the most intimidating roamers in the game, Sandking is often picked for the offlane. His spellset truly has it all. Caustic Finale helps him dominate the lane without needing to spend much time in vision. Sandstorm requires the enemy to carry true sight (and if they don’t, it is a very frustrating escape). Burrowstrike is a solid stun — if you play the hero enough you might even learn how to dodge projectiles with it (like 33 and Zai). And his ultimate dishes out a ridiculous amount of AOE damage.
5. Pangolier
“The honorable Donté Panlin, at your service.” One of the two most recent heroes added to the game, Pangolier has been mastered by only one pro: Iceiceice. But he’s made the hero look so strong, we’re confident Pangolier will have a place in offlane lists for many months to come. All of his spells aid in escaping the enemy, making Pango a difficult hero to gank. Add a couple javelins to him and this hero dishes out a lethal amount of damage. The way icex3 builds him is with auras to help his team, since the hero will likely survive the duration of most team fights.
6. Nightstalker
Another hero that you’d more often see in the roamer position, Balanar, the Nighstalker, feeds on the darkness and uses it against his enemies. While all of his spells are weakened during the daytime, Nightstalker becomes a beast to be reckoned with during the night. Equipped with a devastating silence and slow, Nightstalker ruins the day of enemy core players. The ability to turn the map dark at any time also counters enemy vision very easily, making all the hard work your position 5 player is doing null and void.
7. Axe
Until the most recent major, Axe seemed to be out of the meta. But now the big red man with the big red axe is back and we remember why he used to be one of the most feared offlaners in Dota. His q makes him incredibly tanky. Counter helix means that melee cores will never have an easy time taking him down. And with the ability to initiate, Axe has a toolkit that is more flexible than it looks. Battle hunger and culling blade also provide the damage needed to make him viable in the competitive scene. “Axe calls!” Universe is one of the most versatile offlane players in Dota.
8. Dark Seer
While Dark Seer might not be the most exciting hero on this list, he is a consistent threat in the offlane. And incredibly wise: ”If your enemy is equal, prepare for him. If greater, elude him. If weaker, crush him.” He might not be the most versatile after the draft, but Dark Seer is a solid pick if the offlane will be dangerous and you need some auras when fights start to happen. His ion shell is his biggest strength, giving him the ability to get many last hits without having to be in lane. And a good vacuum/wall combo decimates even the strongest foes. Iceiceice impresses again.
9. Omniknight
"I have gazed into the Omniscience, and it has gazed into me.” Omniknight is another hero that can feel a little underwhelming to play. But the results are clear. (Come on, even Slacks was able to get 5k abusing this hero.) His q deals damage, while healing. His w is a low cool down free BKB. His e slows enemy heroes down when he wants to chase and when they want to gank. And his ultimate is the best spell for saving a team in the middle of a nasty teamfight. If you want to make flashy plays, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you want to win games and make the enemy miserable, Omniknight is the hero for you.
10. Tusk
“The snowball from Cobalt,” Tusk is one of the most broken heroes in Dota. Take it from someone who spams the hero. Even with the recent nerf, Ice Shards is still the best terrain-blocking spell in the game — possibly only behind Fissure. Sigil is one of the best slows in the game with an AOE attack and movement speed slow. And walrus punch makes heroes with BKB sad. Throw in possibly the most OP spell in the game, Snowball, and this hero can really do anything you demand. And yes, even though you don’t see it much on the professional level, we believe that includes playing the offlane.
11. Underlord
And we've got one more to add to the end of our list: the Uberlord himself -- Vrogos, the Underlord. Although he isn't played too often in competitive matchups, Underlord is a great pick for the average pubgame. His passive is one of the strongest in the games, providing less right click kill threat then maybe only Elder Titan. Every creep to die near you gives you extra damage. If a hero dies near you, you get very buff very fast. His root and his firestorm are also very powerful spells allowing you to do aoe crowdcontrol and aoe damage to the enemy safelane on a relatively low cooldown. But everyone knows this hero's top quality is his ultimate. Dark Rift allows you to teleport everyone out of a sticky situation or straight to your next objective. He's Io on steroids.
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