Most players idolize carry heroes, as they do all the heavy lifting in the game, but the real backbone of the team is always the Hard Support! These players have their hearts on their sleeves, constantly stacking, pulling, sacrificing their lives and gold for their core players! This mature role requires some much-needed appreciation.
To do just that, we bring you the best 10 Hard Support Heroes that are amazing in the current meta! These heroes have been considered to be OP, as they have spells that can enhance their team’s performance and lead them to victory!
10. Silencer
Silence is one aspect that counters most spell-casting heroes in the game! And well, Silencer… you know it’s kind of self-explanatory. Having spells that silence or prevent from using any items makes him very powerful against his enemies. The best part is that laning is not fun for opponents against a Silencer, frequent right-click damage, low CD spells shove them out of the lane! Global Silence disables all the power they have and renders them useless even with BKB!
Why is Silencer a great Hard Support?
- Most heroes rely heavily on their spells to be effective, Last Word and Global Silence will render them largely useless.
- Arcane Curse effectively prevents opponents from casting spells during its duration, as they will otherwise suffer heavy damage.
- Glaives of Wisdom deal pure damage, which makes quick work of fragile and low HP heroes.
Items to buy as Silencer
- Glimmer Cape
- Rod of Atos
- Ghost Scepter
- Aeon Disk
- Force Staff
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
9. Io
There are various mysterious entities in Dota but Io takes the cake for being the most mysterious. Is it a bulb, 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 ratting! Io provides decent sustain right from the laning phase!
Why is Io a great Hard Support?
- Can sustain allies with tether and heal
- Can also save allies in the heat of the moment with Relocate
- Immense heal and low CD on abilities
Items to buy on Io
- Guardian Greaves
- Glimmer Cape
- Ghost Scepter
- Aeon Disk
- Holy Locket
8. 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 Support Hero?
- 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
7. Bane
Bane is the culprit of endless nightmares in the shadow realm, He remains a solid counter to various heroes in the game, especially escape heroes. He can quickly disable them by applying debuffs, and locking them down for a good duration! The late stages of the game bear witness to utter control by Bane if he manages to use Fiend’s Grip on his foes without getting caught! A skilled Bane will also save his allies from potentially lethal damage by using Nightmare on them at the right time.
Why is Bane a great Hard Support?
- Fiend's Grip pierces spell immunity.
- Nightmare sets Bane's team up for chain disables on foes
- Enfeeble lowers the enemy’s status resistance and magic resistance, making them more vulnerable to disables and magic damage.
Items to Buy as Bane
- Aether Lens
- Aeon Disk
- Ghost Scepter
- Force Staff
- Glimmer Cape
- Aghanim’s Shard
6. 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 Hard Support?
- 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
- Mana Drain sucks the enemy’s mana and transfers it to Lion
Items to buy on Lion
- Blink Dagger
- Force Staff
- Ghost Scepter
- Aether Lens
5. Skywrath Mage
This intelligent mage possesses the knowledge of the world. His arcane prowess enables him to obliterate his rivals and ensures his victory on the battlefield. Skywrath Mage is a flexible hero, but he is primarily played in the roaming support position. He is known to be annoying in the lane, his low cooldown spells allow him to spam his enemies with immense damage. He is known to disable enemies right from the early game with his Arcane Curse!
Why is Skywrath Mage a great Hard Support?
- Low CD spamming abilities and a silence that can last for eternity with Aghanim’s Scepter.
- High Magical damage can be further amplified with items
- Great talent tree that scales well with levels
Items to buy on Skywrath Mage
- Rod of Atos
- Glimmer Cape
- Ghost Scepter
- Force Staff
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
4. Vengeful Spirit
You may think you have closed the chapter by killing her, only to see she has come back stronger to strike you down! Vengeful Spirit is notorious for being a great gap closer, and the best part is that she is level reliant as opposed to farm! Tinker is often scouted out by Wave of Terror and if he is in range, he may be swapped out into his death! Not all heroes, especially in the support roles are seen to have such great initiating powers!
Why Vengeful Spirit is a great Hard Support?
- Wave of Terror can give vision and reveal enemies hiding in the trees
- Nether Swap and Magic Missile will both serve to interrupt/lock enemies down, which is an integral spell set in the late stage of the game.
Items to buy on Vengeful Spirit
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
- Force Staff
- Glimmer Cape
- Aeon Disk
- Ghost Scepter
See Vengeful Spirit in action!
3. Disruptor
Prepare yourself for troubled weather as Disruptor barrages into the battlefield to change the trajectory of the battle! DIsruptor is one of the most picked support heroes in the current meta, as he provides insane disable in the form of Static Storm which further is amplified by Aghanim’s Scepter that mutes his enemy's items. Most enemies can easily be caught off guard by Disruptor if they wander in without suspecting anything, the aftermath can be in the favor of the Disruptor!
Why is Disruptor a great Support Hero?
- Glimpse brings enemies back if they try to escape
- Static Storm stops enemies from using their spells or escaping
- Low CD on spells, allows him to spam and shove enemies off the lane
Items to Buy on Disruptor
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Ghost Scepter
- Glimmer Cape
- Aeon Disk
- Force Staff
2. Ogre Magi
Looks are surely deceiving! You may be puzzled by these rather dimwit ogres being so high up on our list, there is a reason for it! They’re just so good in this current patch! They’re all you need in a support hero, they have high hp and armor, they deal immense damage from the early game, and most importantly they have a stun! When Ogre reaches level 6, his ultimate enhances his ability to fight by providing him a chance to multiply the effect of his spells!
Why is Ogre Magi a great Hard Support?
- Very annoying with his abilities right off the bat
- High magical damage output is further amplified by items
- Tanky, can shove enemies off the lane.
Items to buy on Ogre Magi
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
- Sange and Kaya
- Scythe of Vyse
- Dagon
- Ethereal Blade
- Octraine Core
1. Crystal Maiden
This frost queen has captured lots of hearts in the game, she is known to be ruthless towards her enemies. Crystal Maiden is one of the least complex support heroes in the game, which explains her high pick rate. She can ward off enemies from the lane with her high DPS skills or farm the jungle if needed with her Frostbite. She is known to lockdown and deals heavy magical damage with her spells, making her brilliant right from the early game.
Why is Crystal Maiden a great Hard Support?
- High magical output
- Can result in a rampage if used ultimate wisely
- Global mana supply
- High AoE spells that help her farm and clear waves fast
Items to buy on Crystal Maiden
- Force Staff
- Glimmer Cape
- Ghost Scepter
- Black King Bar
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Aeon Disk
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