We take a closer look at the top supports in the current Dota 2 meta.
Support heroes might not be that popular in lower-level PUBs, but there is no arguing that those heroes play a very important role in Dota 2. Every team needs a support because this hero helps others during the laning stage. Support heroes purchase things, such as wards, smokes, and loads of other utility items. They stack camps for their carry/mid laner, gank the lanes when needed, and often initiate a fight. Sadly, due to the fact that they don’t have as many items as the other heroes from their team, they are often the first ones to die in a team fight.
Even though most pub games only have one support, usually, there are two heroes that take this role. The first one is called Hard Support (or position 5), and this is the hero whose job is to make sure the carry has a good laning stage. The other support hero is the so-called Soft Support or position 4. This one can farm when possible and he helps other lanes by ganking.
Even though most big updates in Dota 2 have a drastic impact on the meta, this rarely affects the top support heroes. We are yet to see whether 7.31 will bring any changes to the support meta because the update is only a couple of weeks old. Let’s check some of the top support heroes you can pick right now.
Omniknight
The first hero that has an impressive 56% win rating (according to DotaBuff) is Omniknight. Experienced Dota 2 players won’t be surprised that he is on the list because Omni is one of the most robust supports in every meta, especially when paired with some carries. The hero can do a lot of damage and he is also capable of saving his teammates from danger. Needless to say, he is among the few heroes in Dota 2 whose ultimate can drastically change the course of a team fight.
Omni is usually paired with heroes that do a lot of physical damage. However, there was a meta a couple of years ago where he worked really well alongside OD. Those days are long gone, which is nowadays, Omni plays alongside heroes like Wraith King, Huskar, and Luna.
Abaddon
The second hero on the list is Abaddon, a hero that can be played as an offlaner or even a carry. Even though he is versatile, Abaddon shines in the support role because he can remove all sorts of debuffs from his allies. Furthermore, he is one of the few supports in Dota 2 that doesn’t die in a matter of seconds, thanks to his ultimate. This makes him ideal in a meta where heroes like Templar Assassin and Storm Spirit are picked on a regular basis.
Abaddon can work in various situations, but he is good when there is a powerful right-clicking carry that needs someone to remove stuns and other things. In other words, the hero works well alongside Huskar, Phantom Assassin, Anti-Mage, and more.
Oracle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY2fmscI9z4
Ever since this hero was released in Dota 2, he quickly became one of the go-to options for support players worldwide. Oracle is a hero that is notorious for his healing and the fact that he can keep his allies alive for an extra couple of seconds, thanks to his ultimate.
Besides the infamous Oracle and Huskar combo, this hero can work well alongside every carry in the game. He has an ability that can disable a given target and the ability to do a lot of burst damage. As a result, Oracle can score multiple kills in the laning stage.
Crystal Maiden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIvvZVRPFMU
CM is among the heroes that are always a popular pick, regardless of the meta. Her passive aura that gives her allies mana regen makes her one of the best position five heroes. Unfortunately, CM remains one of the most fragile heroes in the game, which is why players who decide to pick her have to be careful.
Interestingly, Crystal Maiden can work with almost any hero in a lane. The fact that she has an ability that can disable a given target allows her to be unpredictable. As a result, she is often picked with names like Juggernaut.
What’s really impressive about Crystal Maiden is the fact that this hero does tons of damage. Her ultimate is one of the best AoE abilities in the game, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many CM players get an Aghs and BKB to utilize it to its full potential.
Vengeful Spirit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFQUIXqocGo
Venge is one of the few support heroes that can also be played as a carry. Even though there were attempts to utilize the hero in the carry position, she is not as strong as traditional carries. Consequently, most people pick Vengeful Spirit as support and pair her with heroes like Drow Ranger and Templar Assassin.
Besides the fact that Vengeful Spirit has one of the best ultimates for the late game, the hero has a stun. It also offers an ability that reduces armor, and even an aura that provides additional damage. Consequently, you can often see the hero in lineups that focus on pushing.
Dazzle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LRlhFKmAyA
The final hero that has to be on this list is Dazzle, Huskar’s best friend. Like CM, this is a hero that is popular in every meta because he deals a lot of damage. What’s more, it reduces his opponent’s armor, and he is also capable of saving a dying ally.
Dazzle and Huskar is one of the classic combos in Dota 2, but this doesn’t mean the hero can’t work in other scenarios. He is often used with heroes who reduce opponents’ armor, such as Slardar, Templar Assassin, Vengeful Spirit, and more.
Dazzle has a little over 52% win rating, which is good when compared to some of the other top heroes in the meta. We are yet to see whether he will establish himself as the go-to option in every game.