Update 12/29/2020 - Thank you for using my DOTA 2 Tier List. I realize it is long and cumbersome to use in its current state. I am working on updating the look and feel of the Tier Lists to make them easier to navigate and read. Please look for changes in the upcoming week.
Welcome to the DOTA 2 Hero Tier List for December 2020 - 7.28a Gameplay Update.
Here you will find rankings of each hero based on our own play and research into other tier lists across the web. Like all of our tier lists, we update these each month or when there is a content patch applied.
** Tier Lists are never perfect, but we strive for accuracy where possible. If you disagree with our rankings, please leave a comment below so we can discuss it. We want to provide the most accurate help to players possible across all levels of play.
December Update:
Updated for December Outlanders Update. You can find the patch notes HERE
The Outlanders Update brought quite a large number of changes to the game including two new heroes: Snapfire and Void Spirit. It also brought updates to the Courier system, a new neutral building type Outposts, map redesigns, and a host of other changes. You can find the Outlanders page HERE
Moved Abaddon from Tier 3 to Tier 1
Moved Vengeful Spirit from Tier 4 to Tier 2
Moved Underlord from Tier 4 to Tier 2
Moved Zeus from Tier 4 to Tier 2
The DOTA 2 Tier List is divided into four tiers:
Tier 1 - Strong
These heroes represent the current top tier picks in the meta. They sit above the current power state of the meta and should be considered first picks across all levels of play.
Tier 2 - Above Average
These heroes represent the current power state of the meta across most skill levels.
Tier 3 - Average
These heroes sit below the relative average power level of the current meta.
Tier 4 - Weak
These heroes represent the bottom of the current meta. Generally they should be avoided, but they could be chosen by someone who is exceptionally experienced at playing them.
Tier 1
Click an image to scroll to Tier 1 for more info
Tier 2
Click an image to scroll to Tier 2 for more info
Tier 3
Click an image to scroll to Tier 3 for more info
Tier 4
Click an image to scroll to Tier 4 for more info
Tier 1

Abaddon
Melee
Support - Carry - Durable

Alchemist
Melee
Carry - Support - Durable - Disabler - Initiator - Nuker

Centaur Warrunner
Melee
Durable - Initiator - Disabler - Nuker - Escape

Ember Spirit
Melee
Carry - Escape - Nuker - Disabler - Initiator

Faceless Void
Melee
Carry - Initiator - Disabler - Escape - Durable

Gyrocopter
Ranged
Carry - Nuker - Disabler

Kunkka
Melee
Carry - Support - Disabler - Initiator - Durable - Nuker

Leshrac
Ranged
Carry - Support - Nuker - Pusher - Disabler

Lifestealer
Melee
Carry - Durable - Jungler - Escape - Disabler

Mirana
Ranged
Carry - Support - Escape - Nuker - Disabler

Night Stalker
Melee
Carry - Initiator - Durable - Disabler - Nuker

Ogre Magi
Melee
Support - Nuker - Disabler - Durable - Initiator

Outworld Devourer
Ranged
Carry - Nuker - Disabler

Shadow Demon
Ranged
Support - Disabler - Initiator - Nuker

Tiny
Melee
Carry - Nuker - Pusher - Initiator - Durable - Disabler
Tier 2

Ancient Apparition
Ranged
Support - Disabler - Nuker

Axe
Melee
Initiator - Durable - Disabler - Jungler

Earthshaker
Melee
Support - Initiator - Disabler - Nuker

Enchantress
Ranged
Support - Jungler - Pusher - Durable - Disabler

Grimstroke
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Disabler - Escape
Grimstroke is an annoying pick that excels early to the late stages of the game.

Invoker
Ranged
Carry - Nuker - Disabler - Escape - Pusher

Io
Ranged
Support - Escape - Nuker

Juggernaut
Melee
Carry - Pusher - Escape

Keeper of the Light
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Disabler - Jungler

Lina
Ranged
Support - Carry - Nuker - Disabler

Magnus
Melee
Initiator - Disabler - Nuker - Escape

Morphling
Ranged
Carry - Escape - Durable - Nuker - Disabler
Morphling is currently a meta favorite as he is now being picked in public games and the pro scene. Adaptive Strike with Earthshaker is excellent in public games due to the huge stun lock. He got a bit of a nerf in Patch 7.23 where his health is now shared in both forms. He used to be able to escape skirmishes by switching to another form in order to gain health, but now he cannot do that.

Naga Siren
Melee
Carry - Support - Pusher - Disabler - Initiator - Escape

Omniknight
Melee
Support - Durable - Nuker

Rubick
Ranged
Support - Disabler - Nuker

Sand King
Melee
Initiator - Disabler - Support - Nuker - Escape - Jungler

Slark
Melee
Carry - Escape - Disabler - Nuker

Treant Protector
Melee
Support - Initiator - Durable - Disabler - Escape

Underlord
Melee
Support - Nuker - Disabler - Durable - Escape

Undying
Melee
Support - Durable - Disabler - Nuker

Vengeful Spirit
Ranged
Support - Initiator - Disabler - Nuker - Escape

Winter Wyvern
Ranged
Support - Disabler - Nuker

Wraith King
Melee
Carry - Support - Durable - Disabler - Initiator

Zeus
Ranged
Nuker
Tier 3

Anti-Mage
Melee
Carry - Escape - Nuker

Bane
Ranged
Support - Disabler - Nuker - Durable

Batrider
Ranged
Initiator - Jungler - Disabler - Escape

Beastmaster
Melee
Initiator - Disabler - Durable - Nuker

Bloodseeker
Melee
Carry - Disabler - Jungler - Nuker - Initiator

Bristleback
Melee
Carry - Durable - Initiator - Nuker
Great for beginning players due to his tankiness and forgiving playstyle. Use Quill Spray for pushing out lanes and Bristleback if you get in trouble and have to run.

Broodmother
Melee
Carry - Pusher - Escape - Nuker

Chen
Ranged
Support - Jungler - Pusher

Crystal Maiden
Ranged
Support - Disabler - Nuker - Jungler

Dark Willow
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Disabler - Escape
A very annoying support hero, her kit includes lots of high damage abilities and Cursed Crown is an effective stun that can prevent most ganks by opponents.

Dazzle
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Disabler

Death Prophet
Ranged
Carry - Pusher - Nuker - Disabler

Disruptor
Ranged
Support - Disabler - Nuker - Initiator

Dragon Knight
Melee
Carry - Pusher - Durable - Disabler - Initiator - Nuker

Elder Titan
Melee
Initiator - Disabler - Nuker - Durable

Enigma
Ranged
Disabler - Jungler - Initiator - Pusher

Jakiro
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Pusher - Disabler

Legion Commander
Melee
Carry - Disabler - Initiator - Durable - Nuker

Lich
Ranged
Support - Nuker
Hard Support with nice team fight. Frost Shield is great for melee laners. Chain Frost can be incredibly powerful and can turn a game if used properly.

Lycan
Melee
Carry - Pusher - Jungler - Durable - Escape

Meepo
Melee
Carry - Escape - Nuker - Disabler - Initiator - Pusher

Monkey King
Melee
Carry - Escape - Disabler - Initiator

Necrophos
Ranged
Carry - Nuker - Durable - Disabler

Oracle
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Disabler - Escape

Pangolier
Melee
Carry - Nuker - Disabler - Durable - Escape - Initiator

Phantom Lancer
Melee
Carry - Escape - Pusher - Nuker

Phoenix
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Initiator - Escape - Disabler

Puck
Ranged
Initiator - Disabler - Escape - Nuker

Pugna
Ranged
Nuker - Pusher

Queen of Pain
Ranged
Carry - Nuker - Escape

Razor
Ranged
Carry - Durable - Nuker - Pusher

Silencer
Ranged
Carry - Support - Disabler - Initiator - Nuker

Sniper
Ranged
Carry - Nuker

Spectre
Melee
Carry - Durable - Escape

Storm Spirit
Ranged
Carry - Escape - Nuker - Initiator - Disabler

Sven
Melee
Carry - Disabler - Initiator - Durable - Nuker

Templar Assassin
Ranged
Carry - Escape

Tidehunter
Melee >
Initiator - Durable - Disabler - Nuker

Timbersaw
Melee
Nuker - Durable - Escape
Timbersaw is hard to deal with in the starting phase if you fail to counterpick against him. Tanky off lane hero that will hard to deal with for a safe lane hero. With a level advantage, the saw nukes can kill any support hero in a single combo. Patch 7.23 gave him an agility gain increase.

Tinker
Ranged
Carry - Nuker - Pusher

Troll Warlord
Ranged
Carry - Pusher - Disabler - Durable

Viper
Ranged
Carry - Durable - Initiator - Disabler

Witch Doctor
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Disabler
Tier 4

Arc Warden
Ranged
Carry - Escape - Nuker

Bounty Hunter
Melee
Escape - Nuker

Brewmaster
Melee
Carry - Initiator - Durable - Disabler - Nuker

Chaos Knight
Melee
Carry - Disabler - Durable - Pusher - Initiator
Massive crit damage make Chaos Knight hated by many players. It is avery hard to escape this hero with his Phantasms and massive crit damage. If not stopped early, he can easily kill your supports. Patch 7.23 buffed his Phantasms so they are harder to kill using Magic damage.

Clinkz
Ranged
Carry - Escape - Pusher

Clockwerk
Melee
Initiator - Disabler - Durable - Nuker

Dark Seer
Melee
Initiator - Jungler - Escape - Disabler

Doom
Melee
Carry - Disabler - Initiator - Durable - Nuker

Drow Ranger
Ranged
Carry - Disabler - Pusher

Earth Spirit
Melee
Nuker - Escape - Disabler - Initiator - Durable
One of the support heroes every player should learn and have in his or her kit. Rolling Boulder/Magnetize is a great combo for stunning/damaging enemy players and initiating team fights.

Huskar
Ranged
Carry - Durable - Initiator

Lion
Ranged
Support - Disabler - Nuker - Initiator

Lone Druid
Ranged
Carry - Pusher - Jungler - Durable

Luna
Ranged
Carry - Nuker - Pusher

Mars
Melee
Carry - Initiator - Disabler - Durable

Medusa
Ranged
Carry - Disabler - Durable

Nature's Prophet
Ranged
Carry - Jungler - Pusher - Escape - Nuker

Nyx Assassin
Melee
Disabler - Nuker - Initiator - Escape
Mana Burn is fantastic in certain matchups and can essentially nullify certain heroes. Pick him later in draft to counter heavy mana-based enemy picks.

Phantom Assassin
Melee
Carry - Escape

Pudge
Melee
Disabler - Initiator - Durable - Nuker

Riki
Melee
Carry - Escape - Disabler

Shadow Fiend
Ranged
Carry - Nuker

Shadow Shaman
Ranged
Support - Pusher - Disabler - Nuker - Initiator

Skywrath Mage
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Disabler
For a support, Skywrath Mage can deal a massive amount of spammable magic damage. He is squishy, but he can solo almost any hero with the right positioning and items. Can be used for Off Lane, Mid Lane, or as a Support.

Slardar
Melee
Carry - Durable - Initiator - Disabler - Escape

Spirit Breaker
Melee
Carry - Initiator - Disabler - Durable - Escape
Melee off-lane hero who excels at roaming. Spirit Breaker is all about the stun. Charge of Darkness is a reliable stun while Bulldoze grants immunity during the charge. Nether Strike can finish off opponents low on health.

Techies
Ranged
Nuker - Disabler

Terrorblade
Melee
Carry - Pusher - Nuker

Tusk
Melee
Initiator - Disabler - Nuker

Ursa
Melee
Carry - Jungler - Durable - Disabler

Venomancer
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Initiator - Pusher - Disabler
Venomancer can be used as support or off-lane. Very effective against heroes like Earth Spirit and Tidehunter. Plague Ward is very effective against supports because of its immunity to magic. It can also be used as an Observer ward. Venomancer’s Poison Sting was buffed in Patch 7.23.

Visage
Ranged
Support - Nuker - Durable - Disabler - Pusher

Warlock
Ranged
Support - Initiator - Disabler

Weaver
Ranged
Carry - Escape

Windranger
Ranged
Carry - Support - Disabler - Escape - Nuker
Windranger is an extremely flexible mid lane hero. She is very hard to kill with Windrun and once she gets Aghanim’s Scepter, Monkey King Bar and Maelstrom, she becomes extremely strong and very difficult for opposing players to handle.
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