Various aspects make Dota a very strategically challenging game. The main reason behind this is the items that keep the game engaging and intense even if the clock ticks past a long duration. With six slots allotted to every hero for items, there should be a handful of defensive items in their arsenal, making it easy for them to escape any sticky situation before it gets any worse for them. Defensive items play a huge role in your survival in the late game. With so many items in the game, it often gets difficult to pick the right item.
We bring you this list of the 10 best Defensive items that keep you alive, essentially wasting your enemies’ time and allowing your team to follow up to save you. This list ensures you don’t end up feeding kills to the enemies.
10. Eul’s Scepter (2725 Gold)
Eul’s Scepter is one of the most criminally underrated items in the game. This item is quite flexible and can be built by both support and core heroes in the game. Regardless of the matchups, this is a good pickup as you can use it to initiate or dodge spells or even stop your enemies from escaping. You can also further upgrade it to Wind Waker which allows you to essentially Eul’s your allies and move them while they’re under the cyclone effect. Eul’s an exceptional item in the early game as it enables you to act both offensively and defensively, depending on the scenario.
Get Eul’s Scepter if
- Your enemy team has slippery heroes, as this can help you catch them quickly
- Your team lacks any lockdown, or if you have spells that can follow up the Eul’s Scepter
- Your enemies have high-value spells that can be dodged with the help of Eul’s
- You want to purge negative debuffs from any enemy spells, Eul’s can purge off enemy debuffs upon usage
9. Lotus Orb (3850 Gold)
Heroes with lethal single targetted abilities hate this item. Lotus Orb reflects single targetted abilities cast back to the caster, along with the debuffs they also get the damage dealt back to them.
This item is quite underrated and is rarely seen in pub games due to its difficulty, as you have to press it on yourself as the enemy is going to cast a spell on you. But with enough practice and dedication, you can become a pro at dodging spells efficiently.
Get Lotus Orb if
- Your enemies have strong single-targeted spells, which can be reflected in them, making them take damage or disable themselves with their spells
- If you want to purge off any enemy debuffs, Lotus can purge off enemy debuffs upon usage
- You can also save your allies by using Lotus on them, preventing enemies from using any spells on them or purging off any debuffs that they may have
8. Shiva’s Guard (4850 Gold)
Shiva’s Guard is one of the few items on this list that can be used both offensively and defensively. You get 15 added armor along with 30 intelligence which can help you immensely if you’re a squishy spell caster. On activation, Shiva’s Guard emits a freezing wave which deals 200 damage and slows the enemy for 40% of their movement speed. This slow is impressive and lasts for 4 seconds.
Get Shiva’s Guard if
- It provides you with increased armor which reduces armor for enemies in an AoE
- Upon usage, it slows and damages the targeted heroes, making it an excellent item against the swift and agile types of heroes
- Reduces healing and armor of enemies by 25% making it hard for them to sustain in a teamfight and also weakening them
7. Guardian Greaves (4950 Gold)
Most games are a vicious tug of war and bloodshed. All you may need is one single heal to turn the fight around. Guardian Greaves provides you with just that, not only does it heal you and your allies in a certain AoE, but it also purges off any enemy debuffs that you may have on you. The best part about this item is that it doesn’t even cost any mana, you read it right. You may cast it while getting chased down by an AM or even by the Invoker.
Get Guardian Greaves if
- Heals the caster and their allies in an AoE, providing a burst of HP and mana, providing sustain and survivability
- Upon usage, Guardian Greaves purges off any basic debuff that the caster may have
- It can be used to sustain your allies in a fight and swiftly turn the teamfight around
6. Crimson Guard (3600 Gold)
Crimson Guard fills the gap by offering you an insane damage block that protects you from the menacing swords and other weapons wielded by your foes. Along with providing you immense armor, the guard blocks 75 damage from each attack on activation, this safeguards the buildings as well as your allies. You may essentially save the game if you purchase this item against physical damage heroes. If the enemy team consists of heavy physical hitters, then this is the right item.
Get Crimson Guard if
- Provides damage block to both the caster and his teammates, while also affecting buildings in an AoE
- If you are a squishy offlane hero, then this is the right item for you, as it blocks decent physical damage and makes it easy for you to survive teamfights
- Requires no mana to activate, making it easy to activate amid a teamfight without worrying about mana cost
5. Linken’s Sphere (4600 Gold)
With the plethora of single targetted skills, we may think that it’s wise to just get a BKB, but not in all situations will you be able to react to press BKB after getting stunned or disabled. That’s when Linken’s Sphere comes into the picture, it protects you from single-targetted spells by essentially acting as a barrier, popping once the spell is used. This gives you enough time to react or retreat.
Get Linken’s Sphere if
- Can save you or your allies from life-threatening single targetted spells as it blocks them
- Has a remarkably low cooldown, making it easy for your team to siege towers without worrying about any initiation
- Also works as a warning sign, indicating you to head back or escape in case the sphere pops
4. Aeon Disk (3000 Gold)
Ever since the addition of this item to the game, the support players have gained more confidence as Aeon Disk provides them with a safety net that causes them to stop taking damage after a certain % of the HP and it purges off any enemy spells. Smart players disassemble the items of the Disk and quickly assemble them if they think there is a threat to their life. Aeon Disk has been a lifesaver for both support and core players.
Get Aeon Disk if
- Blocks damage dealt to you for a few seconds after it reaches the 35% threshold
- Allows you to disengage or escape the teamfight alive due to the pop which makes you take no damage for a few seconds
- You can also keep it disassembled once, using it for the first time only when necessary, meaning it can even pop at 1% HP if you disassemble it at that instance
3. Black King Bar (4050 Gold)
Black King Bar saves lives, this item is severely underrated and underpriced if you’re below the Divine bracket. It is by far one of the best defensive items in the game. You may be on a roll, killing enemies and gaining net worth left and right, but in the case of a 5 man gank, you can lose control and die pretty quickly.
A Black King Bar can prevent that and make you last longer or scare your enemies away. We can never stress the importance of this item much, no matter your MMR bracket or matchup, this item will always be a crucial component of the game. If not for its recently added mana cost, the Black King Bar would be number one on this list.
Get Black King Bar if
- Your enemies have high-value magic damage-dealing spells or items that can disable your impact, BKB prevents them from bursting you down
- If you have low magic resistance, Black King Bar can make you immune for a few seconds, allowing you to get your spells off in a teamfight without worrying about getting burst down
- You want to initiate in teamfights without getting locked down or targetted as BKB provides you with spell immunity which protects you from getting disabled or stunned under its duration
2. Glimmer Cape (1950 Gold)
Glimmer Cape is the go-to item for support heroes. Regardless of the hero, it’s always nice to keep this item handy, you never know when your foes may strike. It not only does protect you and your allies by turning them invis but it also provides you additional magical resistance which is quite a big deal for a support hero. You may also use this item to initiate team fights or save your low HP carry from getting chased down.
Get Glimmer Cape if
- You want to escape enemy onslaught with the help of invisibility
- You can also help your allies escape by turning them invisible for the similar duration
- Glimmer Cape also provides decent magic resistance, which can help you exit fights without taking much damage
1. Wind Waker (6825 Gold)
When we talk about the ultra-late stages of the game (60+ mins), we are often left with fewer choices to itemize. Wind Waker is an item that is always seen picked up by at least one player on each team. The saving and escape potential on this item is quite a deal. It sets up your ally or yourself in a cyclone, making your or your ally invulnerable and moving along in a direction that you can control. Wind Waker may be an expensive item, but it's worth the value it provides, an exceptional defensive item in the later stages of the game.
Get Wind Waker if
- You want to disrupt enemy spells or channeling. Wind Waker is essentially Eul’s Scepter on steroids, it can disrupt enemies by setting them up in the air
- You can also save yourself or your allies by using Wind Waker, setting them up in the air and controlling their direction
- Wind Waker also provides immense stats such as increased movement speed, intelligence, and mana regen
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