Valve’s Dota 2 has retained its complexity for the better part of a decade. While getting into the game is difficult, it certainly isn’t impossible especially if you pick out the right heroes. With that said though, while some heroes may look simple, they might be layered with certain nuances that’ll have you feeding non-stop till the game ends.
Therefore, we’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of the 10 Best Dota 2 heroes for beginners. The list contains heroes from Intelligence, Strength, and Agility and we’ve accommodated all five generic roles present in the game.
What Makes A Hero Easy In Dota 2?
Generally, for a hero to be considered easy, here are some pre-requisites they must follow:
- Complexity: The hero should be easy to pick up, learn and master. There should be no real complex skillshots or combos involved
- Role Fulfilment: Playing the hero on a certain role should feel effortless. In essence, a Support should have a kit that helps a player perform all the actions the role requires.
- Easy To Grasp: No one wants to spend 50 matches trying to learn the basics of how your supposted to play the hero. Therefore, an easy hero tends to be one who’s simple to get from the start.
- Scalable: While not viable in every match, an easy hero should work in most matches, should be evergreen and therefore won’t be affected by changes in the meta.
Easiest Heroes For Beginners In Dota 2
With all that out of the way, here’s a list of the 10 best Dota 2 heroes for beginners!
Note: If you want to suggest a hero that you find is great for beginners, let us know in the comments down below!
This list is last updated for Dota 2 Patch 7.31e. We’ll constantly be changing the entries depending on whether they go through massive radicals that either increase or decrease their difficulty. Moreover, we’ll also be taking the latest meta into regard too.
Sven
Role: Carry (Position 1) | Attribute: STR | Damage Type: Physical
Feeling powerful in a game like Dota might just not come inquisitively. If you are new, chances are that you either are not able to farm as a carry or just aren’t tanky enough to dish out damage. Sven alleviates both those issues as he has a passive cleave helping you farm faster and is a Strength hero naturally leading to more HP.
Besides that though, Sven shreds through his enemies with his Ultimate, God’s Strength, which grants him bonus damage. Moreover, the fact that he has a stun which can be upgraded to have him go towards the enemy while stunning them turns him into a great initiator if your team lacks one – a common theme in low-ranked games.
With tons of changes coming his way in recent patches, we’re expecting to see more of him in the Pro scene too! In terms of comparison with other carries though, you’ll be able to match up against almost everyone other than ones who have higher mobility (Anti-Mage comes to mind).
Pros
- Extremely easy to farm with due to his Cleave
- Can fight in the Early Game and stays relevant till the Late Game
Cons
- Can get kited in fights when stun is on CD
- Countered by Heaven’s Halberd as he only deals physical damage
- Falls off in the Mid-Game if not ahead
Necrophos
Role: Mid Lane (Position 2) | Attribute: INT | Damage Type: Magical
Necrophos, the Pope of Pestilence, has long been plaguing the Mid Lane with his incredible sustain and equally great Magic damage. While not known for his single target DPS, Necrophos is able to take down tanky enemies with ease by using his Ultimate, Reaper’s Scythe.
Besides that though, even if you aren’t all that great at positioning, Ethereal Shroud can save you when you are in a pinch. Plus, your innate heal that comes from your first spell allows you to survive even the spiciest of situations.
Another advantage of playing Necrophos in the Mid Lane is the versatility you have when it comes to building on the hero. You can either for a traditional Magical Build or opt for a more heal-oriented build that rushes items like Guardian Greaves right from the get-go.
Depending on the tempo of your team, you can easily steamroll the enemy as an item like an early Radiance can absolutely decimate your foes before the game hits 25 minutes! Generally, your time in the Mid Lane should feel quite convenient. However, you won’t be able to gank other lanes as you don’t have a stun to capitalize on.
Pros
- Deals with tanky foes naturally
- Less Gold spent on regen in lane
Cons
- You need to last hit in lane in order to be effective
- Does not deal too well against magical damage
Phantom Assassin
Role: Carry (Position 1) | Attribute: AGI | Damage Type: Physical
Raised by the Sisters of the Veil, Phantom Assassin has one of the highest DPS figures in the entire game. If you ever felt that you weren’t getting enough crits, playing this hero might just lead you to change your mind. Dealing only with Physical Damage, you’ll be able to one-shot most Supports after getting your hands on a Desolator.
After you get your hands on a Black King Bar, you are really hard to kill for all intents and purposes. However, the primary difficulty you might face as a new player when playing PA is her inability to sustain herself in the Early Game alongside her lackluster health in later stages of the game.
While she isn’t countered in low-ranked matches, you won’t be seeing the hero in the Pro scene anytime soon! This is due to her innate reliance on a few items and the fact that she needs to really ace those timings in order to stay relevant in the game.
Pros
- Deals a high amount of Physical Damage
- Can close in gaps due to her second spell (Blink).
Cons
- Requires a few items before she can be played effectively
- Relies on random chance to dish out damage. Therefore, you might not always be that lucky.
Underlord
Role: Offlane (Position 3) | Attribute: STR | Damage Type: Physical
Underlord might just be the most boring hero mentioned on this list. However, he’s also one of the most impactful. If played right, an Underlord can secure the entire Offlane himself. You won’t have to face much harass in the lane as your first spell will allow you to flash-farm waves while keeping you out of trouble.
Underlord is inherently tanky and can survive tougher matchups. However, your biggest coup de grace is your versatility. The fact that an Underlord can build like a Tank, or play more of a semi-Support sustain role or even deal DPS if needed allows you to build according to what you feel is the best for the situation at hand.
Since you are able to farm without needing to be adept at last hits, you also don’t need to worry about staying behind the enemy offlaner in terms of net worth or impact as in most cases, just shoving out the wave should create enough pressure.
In the Late Game though, your impact will primarily rely on your Ultimate, Fiend’s Gate. It’ll let you transport yourself alongside your allies to any friendly structure on the map allowing you to make decisive Late Game rotations.
When playing Underlord, make sure that you play the Dead Lane as much as possible. What that means is you should try to farm the lane that no one else in your team can farm. This helps increase the entire team’s overall net worth and provides ample space for your carry to farm. Do not make the mistake of flash farming the jungle or the Safe Lane when your carry’s in the area.
Pros:
- Can play against virtually any matchup
- Extremely tanky, can build multiple items depending on the situation
Cons
- Playstyle feels quite limited if you don’t have your team backing you up
- Won’t feel extremely useful in the Late Game except in terms of utility
Viper
Role: Midlane (Position 2) | Attribute: AGI | Damage Type: Magical / Physical
Including Viper in a list of easy heroes might feel counter-productive at first. To play the hero efficiently, you need to meticulously balance your Mana in the lane. However, the fact that you dish out massive amounts of damage and you negate passives with your second spell, Nethertoxin, turns you into an absolute menace.
While managing Mana may seem difficult at first, purchasing a few Clarities and Enchanted Mangoes will help you sustain yourself in the lane. With that said though, you’ll be able to drive the enemy Midlaner out of lane (especially if they’re Melee). Moreover, you’ll be able to take out annoying heroes like Bristleback and Phantom Assassin due to you disabling their passive.
While your item choices as a Viper generally aren’t that versatile, you can either opt for a Magical build with an Octarine Core and a Radiance or opt for a more traditional Silver Edge, Hurricane Pike, and Daedalus.
If you feel like you are falling off in the Late Game, you should try and prioritize towards a more heal-oriented build. A Viper is a great natural Guardian Greaves carrier. However, if you are snowballing the game, transitioning towards greedier items like a Midas or a Mjolnir to farm quicker aren’t bad ideas as well.
Pros:
- Can harass most Mid Laners out of the lane itself
- Extremely easy to play mechanically
Cons:
- Requires you to keep tabs on your Mana (especially in the Early Game).
- Scales off in the Late Game
Axe
Role: Offlane (Position 3) | Attribute: STR | Damage Type: Physical / Pure
The might of Axe is not to take lightly! With the rage of a thousand suns, he storms into battle, ready to take the grunt of the enemy team’s beating only to deal all that damage back and then some! The hero is extremely easy to play, only requires a Blink Dagger and a Blademail to be effective.
However, his main caveat is his weak landing stage. While using Counter Helix might feel great against certain opponents, you won’t be doing too well against a Ranged support on the enemy’s end. While getting bullied out of lane can be annoying, you can still farm your items from Jungle creeps and maintain your presence in the game.
While you won’t be able to fare well against Ranged carries either, the fact that you can double as a Tank and a worthy Initiator more than makes up for it. Playing Axe can feel repetitive and counter-intuitive at points since you’ll practically be forced to stick to a particular build.
The biggest problem you’ll face with Axe as a beginner is over-estimating your tankiness. Remember that the innate armor you gain from Berserker’s Call only protects you from Physical damage and not Magical damage. Therefore, building a BKB might just end up turning into a priority if you are up against a lineup which primarily deals magic damage.
Pros:
- Great against glass cannon carries
- Can recover lost farm in the Jungle, if needed
Cons:
- Cannot function without a Blink Dagger and Blademail
- Requires you to land your initiations and hit your timings
Jakiro
Role: Support (Position 5) | Attribute: INT | Damage Type: Magical
The Twin-Headed Dragon, Jakiro, possesses one of the best lane control skillsets in the game. With a great amount of damage dealt right from the get-go alongside a slow and an AoE stun, what more could you ask from a Support?
Couple that with the fact that he remains reliably tanky throughout the game and that he’s able to cast his spells from afar without the fear of getting tramped on by the enemy carry makes him a viable pick in every situation. Moreover, one of the biggest advantages of playing Jakiro is his relevance throughout the landing phase which carries over to the Late Game too.
Unlike most supports, which tend to fall off after 20-30 minute mark, Jakiro still deals a decent sum of damage with the help of his Ultimate, Macropyre. Besides just raw damage through, the Ultimate helps you clear waves and defend towers when your team hasn’t respawned yet.
Pros:
- Great wave clear that maintains its relevance throughout all phases of the game
- Easy to cast spells with
- Has an AoE stun and slow
Cons:
- Not great at ganking other lanes
- Always needs a +1 to finish off a kill
Undying
Role: Support (Position 4 / 5) | Attribute: STR | Damage Type: Magical
Undying is one of those support heroes that are just plain fun to play. With the ability to steal your enemy’s strength for your own, you are temporarily met with an increase in HP to play around with. Besides that though, the hero is one of the best lane dominators in the entire game and has amazing team fight potential.
Besides that though, Undying doesn’t have much to offer. It is quite hard to get a gank off with the hero since he has no stuns or disables. So, he’s almost exclusively played as a position 5 where babysitting the carry is of utmost priority.
In terms of scaling, you’ll have a great time munching down on the enemy’s offlane as you sap away their strength in critical moments. Tombstone remains as deadly as ever especially because of the mayhem it causes within a teamfight.
Getting the gist of landing two-man strength steals should be more than enough to help you win the lane. Beware of pesky ranged supports like a Dazzle though, they’ll be able to plow through your HP in no time!
For newer players, your greatest issue will be having your Tombstone taken down too early. There are two distinct ways you can prevent that from happening. Firstly, use your second spell, Soul Rip, on the Tombstone as soon as it starts losing health. Secondly, to try and place it uphill or on places where the enemy does not have immediate vision.
Pros:
- Great presence in teamfights due to Tombstone
- Dominates most lane due to his first ability
Cons:
- Has absolutely no wave clear / can’t sustain lane pressure
- No stuns and disables makes it hard to gank with an Undying
Spirit Breaker
Role: Support (Position 5) | Attribute: STR | Damage Type: Physical
Spirit Breaker, also referred to as Baratheon / Bara is one of the most fun heroes to play on this list. While you won’t be doing much in lane due to your innate lack of stun, disable, or even harass for that matter; you can more than make up for it by ganking around the map and applying constant pressure.
The fact that you can rush an Urn early and actually gain charges due to your global presence allows you to steamroll of a midlaner or a carry exceptionally well. Besides that though, having the ability to maintain pressure on all fronts works great in low-ranked games.
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One particular issue with Spirit Breaker though is his lack of role fulfillment in team fights as a support. While that problem carries over throughout every stage of the game, you won’t be able to do much when competing with other supports like a Jakiro or Ogre Magi in terms of their overall contribution.
However, if you have an extremely passive Position 5 – like an Oracle, picking Spirit Breaker might just be your saving grace as you’ll make up for the impact of both roles if you play the hero well. Besides that though, we’d never recommend picking him up when you are in a weaker lane as you’ll be met with nothing but flame for the rest of the game.
Pros
- Global presence; gain the ability to gank anyone at anytime
- Extremely tanky in the Early / Mid Game.
Cons
- Can’t help his offlane in the laning phase
- Posesses no real teamfight capabilities
Ogre Magi
Role: Support (Position 5) | Attribute: INT | Damage Type: Physical
You’ve come to the end of the list to find the best hero for a beginner in Dota 2. Well, couldn’t you have guessed it all along? Ogre Magi is the easiest hero to play in the game – and for good reason.
His entire kit is easy to explain, the first spell slows, the second stuns and the third buffs your allies and towers. Your Ultimate allows you to Multi-Cast spells allowing your abilities to have a pseudo-random chance to deal bursts of damage that not even most carries can rival.
When you are new to Dota 2, the biggest problem you’ll face is the inability to position yourself accordingly. In most cases, this will have you feed a tremendous amount to the enemy team straining your own. This isn’t the case with Ogre Magi though. Even though he’s an Intelligence hero, he has a tremendous amount of health that allows you to tank through your mistakes.
Besides that though, he’s invaluable Late Game due to his ability to buff carries and defend structures by buffing nearby towers. His tankiness carries well over to the Late Game which has most carries think twice before they jump on you.
Pros
- Great harass in the lane, good burst in the Late Game
- Extremely tanky for a Position 5
Cons
- Relies on random chance to dish out damage
- Cannot clear out waves
That concludes our list for the top 10 best heroes in Dota 2 for Beginners. Do you agree with this list? Did we miss a hero out? Let us know in the comments section down below!
