The EPICENTER Major is the last major in this DPC season. For some Dota 2 teams, this is also the last opportunity to get their hand on a direct invitation to The International 2019 - the biggest annual event for Dota 2 community.
Moscow, Russia is the location for EPICENTER. It's time to review some significant heroes that have the highest chance to appear on the top picking/banning list in this appealing tournament.
Keep it in mind that professional Dota 2 teams are playing on the current gameplay patch, which was also used at the recent minor.
NYX ASSASSIN
Almost everyone who's into Dota 2 agrees that Nyx is an annoying hero. His skill set has everything a support ever wanted, including stun, mana burning, damage reflection, and physical damage.
In fact, along with the Spiked Carapace that makes him hard to be killed, Mana Burn could turn this hero into a nightmare for intelligence heroes. Some of the top core heroes at the moment could become useless when facing Nyx Assassin.
According to Dotabuff, the most banned hero at the StarLadder ImbaTV Kiev Minor also was Nyx Assassin. In the past, Nyx players could use this hero as a position 3. But in the current meta, Dota 2 teams found out that he's most effective as a position 4. Despite all that, it seems that all top teams over the world don't want to play against Nyx Assassin at the moment.
DARK SEER
This one always has a great impact on a Dota 2 match. His abilities play an important role in the victory of his team, and although gameplay evolves and heroes receive nerfs and buffs over time, Dark Seer could maintain his position regardless of the meta changes. The reason behind this is definitely his amazing set of skills.
However, it requires a powerful meta carry hero to get the most out of Dark Seer's combo. In the current patch, that one should be Sven, a melee hero who has a passive ability to cleave all nearby enemy units with his attack.
The ideal combination is that Dark Seer places Wall of Replica on Vacuum-ed enemies, and Sven shows up destroying all of them with his God's Strength. These two heroes teaming up is something that no one wants to fight against.
BATRIDER
Batrider is one of the heroes that have the highest win rate at the Starladder Kiev Major. He will undoubtedly be in the top picking/banning list in the EPICENTER Major.
His incredible skill set turns him into a fearsome opponent who can own the lane effortlessly and start a team-fight effectively. In the right hands, Batrider is a nightmare of almost every enemy hero. Just one good Flaming Lasso and his enemy don't stand a chance of being alive.
EMBER SPIRIT
Despite not being in the top picks at StarLadder, Ember Spirit is still a powerful meta-hero at the moment. In fact, he can carry the game on his own.
Ember received many big changes in recent patches. In the past, players used to heavily rely on his Sleight of Fist crits to one-shot enemies. But in the current meta, Dota 2 teams no longer use him that way. They've found out that Ember shines the most with the tempo-control/fighting type items which make him unstoppable, particularly in the mid-game.
Ember is even more powerful due to the addition of his Scepter in the newest gameplay patch. If Ember players could afford this item early, the mid-game would be a piece of cake. The damage output is crazy, and it's even harder to hunt down an Ember who has incredible survivability.
NAGA SIREN
This hero faced the same situation as Ember. Players now use her in a different way due to the massive changes in recent patches.
Naga used to be a situational last pick but now is a very popular choice among professional teams. With her passive ability Rip Tide, she's become a somewhat annoying hero who can deal a significant amount of damage. That makes her more fighting-capable than ever.
The current meta also affects her core items. In the past, everyone bought Radiance on Naga. But at the moment, no one wants to spend a fortune on that "divine weapon". With the same amount of gold, they would rather buy some fighting items like Manta Style, Diffusal Blade, etc.
We've only seen Naga sixteen times at StarLadder. But with her 57+% win rate, we all know how it will happen in the EPICENTER Major.
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