We take a quick look at the top mid laners of the current patch, and tell you how to make the most out of them.
Now that The International 10 is over, the new DPC is on the way. This means that we have tons of exciting roster changes and in-game updates. One of the more interesting ones was the addition of Marci, a new hero that we will probably see a lot more often in the future.
Instead of covering Marci, this article will focus on one of the most exciting lanes in the game — mid.
Everyone has heard the “mid or feed” meme by now, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that plenty of players choose this lane. If you’re running mid in your pubs, here’s some of the most interesting and enjoyable heroes you can to put to the test.
Outworld Destroyer
Outworld Destroyer is a pretty interesting hero that was changed drastically over the years. Some of you probably remember the days where OD and Omniknight were the deadliest combos in the game. Even though Outworld Destroyed was mainly played as a carry back then, we also got the chance to see him in the mid-lane from time to time.
Nowadays, OD is one of the most successful heroes in the mid-lane, at least in PUBs. He has the potential of eradicating his enemies, especially if he gets the right items. Due to his insane magical damage, most heroes that go up against him often purchase a Black King Bar as soon as possible.
If you want to dominate your Dota 2 games with OD, you need to have a good laning stage. This is one of the heroes in the game that needs to be ahead of the rest to be successful.
Zeus
Zeus is one of the popular mid heroes in pub games. And he’s one of the best ways to gain MMR as fast as possible. Thanks to his incredible skill set, which allows him to be the highest damage dealer in Dota 2, he can cause havoc. What’s makes him even more popular is that Zeus is fairly easy to play compared to other mid laners. Even though he doesn’t have any good escape mechanism (that’s why people purchase Eul’s Scepter of Divinity), his high damage often allows him to bounce back, even if he was killed during the laning stage.
The thing that you should keep in mind about Zeus is that he is not that strong during the late game. Even though his passive skill allows him to be effective, he does tons of more damage during the mid-game. That’s one of the reasons why most teams that pick Zeus try to end the game before it reaches the late stages.
Necrophos
This is probably the most controversial pick on this list because many people don’t consider Necrophos to be a proper mid laner. While it’s true that this hero can be played on other lanes, he has proven pretty strong in mid. Sure, he may not have the firepower of Zeus, but he’s way harder to kill. Furthermore, the hero has a healing spell that can also deal damage, making him ideal vs. melees.
Another thing that makes Necro a popular mid pick is that he can easily gain the needed level 6 and kill any hero on the map. Another thing that should be noted is that Necro can become really tanky and do a lot of damage even later on. This makes him a “safer” pick than many other mid laners, including Zeus.
Skywrath Mage
The second interesting hero on this list can be played as a support and a mid laner. Even though he makes a pretty good support, Skywrath is usually picked to counter another enemy mid-laner, such as Storm Spirit.
While it is true that some refer to Sky as a “glass cannon”, he is one of the best options for pubs; because he’s known for dealing thousands of damage in a matter of seconds. The fact that he can kill almost any hero early on in the game makes him an incredibly strong pick. A good Skywrath Mage will gank the entire enemy team and snowball out of control, allowing his team to win the game.
Unfortunately, Skywrath Mage is one of the squishiest heroes in Dota 2, which means he can easily die if ganked. As a result, you should get some kind of a defective item, such as a Force Staff.
Sniper
Sniper is one of the few mid laners in Dota 2 with more than a 51% win rating in the current patch. This might seem strange, because this patch we’ve seen a lot of picks centred around burst damage. Although Sniper can definitely bring the burst damage, he’s also extremely fragile at all stages of the game. This makes him a risky pick, especially against heroes that can easily gank him.
One reason why Sniper is so popular is the hero’s right-click damage. If he manages to get the right items, he can become a late-game monster capable of ripping through the enemy like a knife through butter. Despite not being the strongest laner, Sniper can do well against most heroes, thanks to his Sharpnel. Another thing to keep in mind is his ultimate, which allows him to secure plenty of kills early on.
Arc Warden
The last hero that we want to point out is Arc Warden; a hero that we often forget about until it’s too late. Even though he is probably the hero who requires the most skill out of this list, your MMR will skyrocket once you learn how to utilize his potential. Unlike other mid heroes, Arc Warden can transition into a deadly carry in the late game. Plus, the fact that he can clone himself allows him to do tons of physical damage.
Another thing that makes the hero so special is the fact he’s one of the best picks in a 1v1 scenario. There are only a few other mid lanes that can keep up with the mighty Warden.
Besides the heroes mentioned above, one of the strongest mid laners right now is Tinker. This is a hero that is known for doing insane amounts of magical damage, but he doesn’t always work in every patch. Fortunately, this one is an exception.
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