Ganking is an important concept in Dota. Gankers are the heroes who roam around to other lanes and help their allies kill the enemy laner. The gankers are usually also referred to as soft supports. These heroes can make or break the early game, hence it is important to pick the right heroes.
To help you find the right heroes for your ganking journeys, we have compiled this list of the best 10 Early Game Gankers who dominate the enemy team.
10. Monkey King
No carry list is ever complete without the King himself. Monkey King is one of the newest additions to the carry pool yet he manages to put up a show with his deadly and mischievous abilities. Monkey King is a flexible hero, can be played in all positions but his optimal performance can be experienced only in the carry role. Melee heroes dread playing against him as he can get the Jingu stacks which provide him with great lifesteal. His mobility is unparalleled.
What makes Monkey King a great ganking hero?
- Wukong’s Command ultimate offers crowd control, which can often isolate enemy players from each other.
- Mischief offers great movement speed if turned into certain units i.e the courier.
Items to buy on Monkey King
- Eye of Skadi
- Satanic
- Black King Bar
- Abyssal Blade
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Nullifier
9. Io
There are various mysterious entities in Dota but Io takes the cake for being the most mysterious. Is it a bulb, or is it a disco ball? We shall never know! All we know is that this ball of energy is powerful enough to turn the game around if he helps his allies on time! A perfect relocation can quickly turn the game around by saving your teammates or even by rating! Io provides decent sustain right from the laning phase!
Why is Io great ganking?
- Can tether allies into the fight
- Immense heal and save potential
Items to buy on Io
- Guardian Greaves
- Glimmer Cape
- Ghost Scepter
- Aeon Disk
- Holy Locket
8. Kunkka
The Admiral almighty himself! Kunkka is a known rapier hero and a great tank due to his strength gain which is naturally high from the early levels. He can effortlessly survive ganks as his high-status resistance and HP pool come to the rescue. His ultimate proves to be of great use as well as it makes sure he and his allies take the least damage in fights, allowing the fight to be in their favor. The tanky nature of Kunkka is only amplified further by high armor and high HP items.
Why is Kunkka good for trolling?
- X-Mark is great for trolling unsuspecting allies and enemies alike!
- Can initiate on enemies with Torrent
- Ultimate that makes him and his allies tanky
Items to buy on Kunnka
- Daedalus
- Assault Cuirass
- Armlet of Mordiggian
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Black King Bar
7. Lion
Considered to be sent from the deepest hells, Lion is considered to be the best disabler hero in the game. Lion is a beginner’s favorite, primarily due to his ease of spells and high burst damage potential. He can often rotate and gank other lanes at early levels. He is known for his chain-disable, which makes him a threat even in the late game. His Hex into Earth Spike is quite the deadly combo that can cause lethal damage with follow-up from his allies!
What makes Lion a great ganker?
- Earth Spike deals AoE damage and stuns multiple enemies
- Hex turns enemies into frogs, making them unable to use items or spells
- Low CD on spells
Items to buy on Lion
- Blink Dagger
- Force Staff
- Ghost Scepter
- Aether Lens
6. Shadow Shaman
Many have come and gone but none can withstand the cursed abilities of this Shaman. Shadow Shaman is a great addition to your team against escape heroes as he offers you insane disable potential allowing your team to follow up with damage and spells. Apart from disabling, he is also known to push out lanes effortlessly and deal damage to buildings with his ultimate! He can also rat well in the late game if he has all the right items!
Why is Shadow Shaman a great ganker?
- Hex greatly reduces the mobility of heroes
- Shackle locks down the enemy, dealing damage over time
- Low CD on spells, especially on his ultimate
Items to Buy on Shadow Shaman
- Aether Lens
- Blink Dagger
- Force Staff
- Glimmer Cape
- Aghanim’s Scepter
5. Earth Spirit
Kaolin, the Earth Spirit is undoubtedly one of the best gankers in the game. His Rolling Boulder ensures that no enemies escape! Along with the stun, he can also silence and slow his enemies and deal them damage over time with his ultimate, Magnetize. Unlike most heroes on this list, Earth Spirit can be played in multiple roles, his flexibility ensures he fits in every other matchup and contributes to teamfights by disabling enemies and dealing some insane damage that can’t be negated easily.
Why is Earth Spirit a great ganking hero?
- Rolling Boulder can be used to initiate or escape in team fights
- Geomagnetic Grip disables enemies
- Immense Damage over Time
- Boulder Smash can be used to save allies or throw enemies into your team
Items to buy on Earth Spirit
- Spirit Vessel
- Force Staff
- Lotus Orb
- Black King Bar
- Glimmer Cape
4. Tiny
This gargantuan elemental entity knows no bounds! Tiny sounds like the least intimidating name for a hero, but as the game progresses, he makes you feel tiny! Not only does Tiny deal heavy damage in the early game, but he can also be a fun-to-play hero since you can toss people! A quickly tossed enemy into allies soon becomes toast! Or the other way around if you want to grief your allies (which we do not recommend!)
Why is Tiny a great ganking hero?
- Toss! This ability may ruin your enemy’s gameplay
- Low CD on spells
- High magical damage right off the bat
Items to buy on Tiny
- Blink Dagger
- Shadow Blade
- Aghanim’s Shard
- Echo Sabre
3. Batrider
Batrider is quite the favorite of most initiators and harass in the current meta, as he is picked to provide great early game domination and control potential. His laning phase is quite impeccable due to the sheer amount of magical damage output that he provides, shoving the enemies out of the lane. If you aren’t careful enough, then you may be susceptible to heavy damage courtesy of the napalm stacks! Along with dominating the laning phase, Batrider is successful in dominating the late game if not contained!
Why is Batrider a great ganking hero?
- Low CD on spells, effectively spamming and slowing his foes.
- Great AoE magical damage that can further be amplified.
- Great flex pick, can initiate well regardless of the role
Items to buy on Batrider
- Blink Dagger
- Black King Bar
- Boots of Travel
- Force Staff
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Refresher’s Orb
2. Clockwerk
Another mechanical genius on our list is the Clockwerk! Often played in the offlane or as roaming support, early rotations can cause great damage to core heroes. After reaching level 6, the Hookshot makes sure the enemies hiding in the distance are caught and punished. All of his skills can help gank enemies due to the scout and lock down their potential of them. Only the players who are brilliant at positioning know how to stay away from this robotic menace!
Why is Clockwork a great ganking hero?
- Clockwerk can easily catch split pushing heroes with his Hookshot and prevent them from escaping with Power Cogs and Battery Assault.
- He can find enemies hiding in trees with his Rocket Flare.
Items to buy on Clockwerk
- Blademail
- Pipe of Insight
- Aghanim’s Shard and Scepter
- Force Staff
1. Nyx Assassin
Hated passionately by his opponents due to his first pick potential. Nyx Assassin is known to be one of the most annoying heroes in the game, regardless of the patch, he is the most relevant support in the game. Especially against high INT and damage heroes, Nyx can do wonders with his powerful toolkit. One Spiked Carapace is enough to lock him down, and the best part is that it does not break invisibility from your ultimate. Heroes with AoE damage consider him to be a nightmare to play against.
Why is Nyx Assassin a great ganker?
- Mana Burn generally deals more damage to intelligence-based heroes
- High movement speed and armor right off the bat
- Spiked Carapace can stun enemies without breaking invisibility
Items to buy as Nyx Assassin
- Blink Dagger
- Force Staff
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Lotus Orb
- Spirit Vessel
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Nyx_Assassin
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