Dota 2 – The five best heroes to raise your MMR as an offlaner

In our quest to help you raise that important MMR statistic, today we will be highlighting the five best offlane heroes to raise your MMR.

The offlane meta

Before we highlight specific heroes however, we need to do a little explanation of what a hero truly needs to be good for raising MMR on the offlane. The offlane has seen many changes over the years as in the kind of heroes people play there, and on how that is done. In the current meta the offlane role often offers frontline, control, lane presence and a way to control the tempo in the midgame, be that through pushing, ganking, or another method.

However, with the uncoordinated nature of pub games, we need to look at something else as well. Being how well the hero scales into the late game. As many ranked games go on for way longer than they are supposed to, since uncoordinated teams have way more difficulty ending games. Therefore a good offlane hero needs to be able to scale into those later stages of the game as well. Taking all this in account we will be rating our offlane heroes with three simple metrics.

• Laning stage to determine how effective this hero can dominate the lane and give you an early advantage going further.
• Mid game to illustrate how effective this hero is in setting the tempo and leading your team to a win condition.
• Scalability will tell us the ability for this hero to actually seize that win condition and therefore the game in the later portions of it.

#5 – Axe

Laning stage: A
Mid game: A
Scalability: D

The axe wielding oglodi has always been one of dota 2’s most iconic heroes. A hero that due to his Counter Helix ability is the bane to most melee heroes. If you get a good matchup this hero allows you to completely take over the laning stage. Get a vanguard and for the first twenty minutes you are almost impossible to kill. Get a blink and you can gank non-stop setting great tempo. Just be careful in the late game, as a blink call might suddenly end in your death, as you are no longer tanky enough to take the punishment from those farmed agility carries.

#4 – Magnus

Laning stage: C
Mid game: A
Scalability: A

While your laning can be a bit awkward, our magnetic rhinoceros friend is a great pick for the offlane. Just play safe and use skewers to escape during the laning stage. Afterwards you will be able to get that blink and give your other cores the best game they ever had. Use empower to buff your carry to crazy power levels, find pick offs with blink skewers and totally dominate any teamfight with some good ultimates. For at any point of the game you can land that godly Reverse Polarity, winning you the game

#3 – Centaur Warrunner

Laning stage: A
Mid game: A
Scalability: B

Similar to Axe, but generally more reliable, the centaur warrunner is simple and effective. You are literally the tankiest hero in the game from lvl one, allowing you to bully any lane opponent early on. You are a great frontline hero in the midgame who can pack a good punch with some blink, stomp and double edge combos. All while simultaneously offering your team the amazing mobility of a stampede that is effective and reliable at any stage of the game.

#2 – Dark Seer

Laning stage: B
Mid game: S
Scalability: S

He looks silly, but can be incredibly effective. Dark Seer has seen some big nerfs to his laning stage with reduced damage on his Ion Shell. However, if you survive this part it’s one the most effective heroes in the game. Push out lanes using Ion Shells and direct your team across the map to pressure towers at the same time. Force your opponents to split up, while having to teamfight up against a collection of heroes that get extra hp, deal aoe damage around them and move at max movement speed. Not to forget about the grave danger a Vacuum Wall combo represents. Dark Seer is the king of teamfights

#1 – Broodmother

Laning stage: S
Mid game: S
Scalability: A

You might not be scared of spiders as a whole, but Broodmother could possibly make you think otherwise. A difficult hero to master due to the micro involved in controlling the spiderlings, you will be rewarded in the form of many victories for doing so. Ridiculous mobility, regeneration and ability to trade hits during the laning stage.

Overwhelming farming ability, damage output and constant pressure during the mid game. Scaling into a full damage dealing core in the late game. This spider can do anything and does it great. From team fighting with greaves and a pipe, to solo killing with an orchid, whatever is necessary to secure your MMR points.

Everything can work

While these five heroes are great for climbing MMR with, in reality any hero can be great to climb MMR with. Everybody has a different playstyle and preferences. So if you have found another set of heroes that work for you, just stick to it. For in the game of Dota 2 “Everything can work”.

Also read:

• Dota 101: Setting up and securing Roshan
• Why Dota 2 is better than LoL

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Image Credit: Valve