BSJ discussed the best heroes in Patch 7.41f for each position

In the previous patch, fast-paced heroes capable of picking off isolated targets, such as Slark, weren’t performing well. That’s because ranged heroes were dealing massive amounts of damage. They allowed teams to regroup so quickly that the game ended before you even had a chance to play. Now we’re in a completely different meta, where even on the pro scene, teams are increasingly opting for slower melee heroes who typically build Battle Fury.

The other two heroes are Phantom Lancer and Sven. They fit perfectly into this meta. Slark punishes all melee heroes with Battle Fury because he hunts them down across the map and gets into the game earlier. And Phantom Lancer punishes all carries who want to farm because he outplays them in the late game. The nerfs to Mjollnir, Shiva’s Guard, and Radiance also have an impact, and Battle Fury can’t handle Phantom Lancer’s illusions. He’s a very dangerous guy in the late game.

So, right now, Slark is a fast-paced carry—something like Shadow Fiend in the previous patch—but he plays very differently. And Phantom Lancer is a hero for the deep late game.

Topson started playing him even before patch 7.41f, but now this hero is showing up more and more often in my games and feels very strong—it’s the Outworld Destroyer. He’s one of my least favorite heroes in the game because his Astral Imprisonment and ability to steal mana are among the most annoying mechanics in Dota. There’s also the risk that he’ll kill you in a single hit. The standard build usually includes a Meteor Hammer, mobility items, Aghanim’s Scepter if you’re lacking survivability, or Scythe of Vyse if you need to quickly take down a single hero. But Outworld Destroyer’s main advantage is that he dominates mid lane against melee heroes. Outworld Destroyer is literally strong against any hero in mid lane right now, because all ranged heroes have been nerfed.

I’ve still included Ember Spirit here because, if you want to master the mid lane role, this hero is an excellent choice. However, you need to be very careful with Ember Spirit because there are counters like Slark and Outworld Destroyer, as well as Earthshaker and Monkey King, who can shut you down on the lane. If we’re talking about a hero worth mentioning not so much in the context of learning to play, but because he shows up in every match and it’s very frustrating when you don’t know how to counter him—that hero is Ember Spirit. The key thing to remember is that players using this hero almost always build Spirit Vessel and prioritize Searing Chains; when they do, he’s practically invulnerable to dispels.

Three other notable heroes are Arc Warden, Meepo, and Invoker. Invoker has remained relevant since the previous patch with the same build featuring Meteor Hammer and Boots of Travel. But now I’ve been seeing Arc Warden much more often. The pace of the game has slowed down, which gives this hero the space he needs. Meepo also excels when the game slows down—he fits perfectly into a strategy of farming and hunting opponents at the same time.

I think the undisputed leader on this lane is Enigma—especially as heroes like Rubick become more popular. Enigma’s gameplay seems nearly unbeatable for most carries. Historically, Enigma was an initiator with a Blink Dagger, but over time he’s become a hero who takes down your structures and dominates the map. So now the build has evolved to include a Black King Bar, Scythe of Vyse, Octarine Core, and a late-game Refresher Orb. In the early game, Drum of Endurance and Urn of Shadows are also used.

The next hero is sort of like a Slark for offlaners, in the sense that he’s easy to crush on the lane—that’s Dark Seer. The funny thing about Dark Seer is that he’s been losing a lot in tournaments lately. But if you make even one mistake against Dark Seer, or move slower than him throughout the game, he’ll seize the advantage and take all the creeps. I’ve even seen a late-game Radiance on this hero.

If you need a global hero in the game, right now that’s Dawnbreaker. Underlord was the best in the last patch, but his abilities were nerfed, and now Dawnbreaker outperforms him. With her, we see a more dynamic game and more kill combos. Her global presence on the map is important because you always have the opportunity to protect your team, and you also have the opportunity to support the offense.

Speaking of the fourth position, I wanted to add only Techies here, because the other three heroes serve roughly the same function. Earlier, I mentioned the trend toward targeted kills, spreading out across the map, and slowing down the game—Nyx Assassin, Spirit Breaker, and Bounty Hunter all fulfill these roles.

As for Techies, his abilities are effective against most carries who are about to attack you. He has Tazer, as well as the ability to cast area-of-effect spells, which prevents mobile heroes from jumping all over the place because they don’t feel like they can run around without restrictions.

Speaking of the fifth position, the formula used to be simple—a melee hero plus a ranged hero. You might die to Clockwerk, but that was still okay. But the meta has changed, and now I feel very uncomfortable when I see Spirit Breaker or Nyx Assassin on the other team and I have to pick a ranged hero. So if you’re planning to support your carry right now, you need a hero with fast ability cooldowns who can play in sync with the team. Winter Wyvern is a hero from the previous patch, but she’s still solid because she has a setup for teamfights, helps finish off enemies, and can save teammates.

Also, heroes with short cooldowns that are effective against all those Battle Fury-wielding fighters—Crystal Maiden and Disruptor. They thrive against elusive heroes, pulling them back into team fights. I’m saying this not only based on meta carries, but also because of these heroes’ high win rates in pub games right now.