In Dota, nukers are the heroes who essentially deal a great deal of magic damage preferably in a short duration. These heroes are quite feared in the early game since you do not usually have enough resources to counter them early on. These heroes make the most out of the laning phase with kills and items.
With a plethora of nukers in the game, it may be difficult to pick the best ones relevant to the meta, that’s why we bring you the best 10 Nukers that wreck hard and make their enemy’s life living hell!
10. Jakiro
The twin-headed dragon has ravaged wars with the balance of his cold-blooded vengeance and scorching wrath. Mostly played in the safe lane or in the off-lane, there is not much interaction with enemies in the early game, but the mid and late game can be easily controlled by Jakiro as he deals immense magic damage with decent lockdowns. Most enemies are squishy which means all you need as a Jakiro is a Veil of Discord and Rod of Atos to get the job done.
Why is Jakiro a great nuker?
- Jakiro has 3 damage over time spells, Dual Breath and Liquid Fire) and 1 affecting an entire area ( Macropyre), making it easy for him to disable enemies to deal immense damage.
- Ice Path is also strong against his enemies, catching them off-guard.
Items to Buy on Jakiro
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Veil of Discord
- Rod of Atos
- Force Staff
9. Timbersaw
Timbersaw hits like a truck and there's nothing you can do about it. He also loves hating on melee strength heroes, something that he is himself! Apart from this, he is quite a dominating force against melee heroes, his immense damage can not be negated very early into the game. Timber can triumph undoubtedly if he is put in a 1v1 matchup against most strength and melee heroes, the strength disparity damage is just intense and the nuke damage is why he is considered to be one of the best in the business.
Why is Timbersaw a great nuker?
- High pure damage that pierces boat buff and messes up with enemies’ strength
- Absurdly high armor that can negate heaps of physical damage
- Good at chasing and slowing enemies, helpfully specifically against escape heroes
Items to Buy on Timbersaw
- Eul’s Scepter
- Pipe of Insight
- Crimson Guard
- Blade Mail
- Lotus Orb
8. Puck
Looks can be deceiving! This faery dragon is often considered as one of the most adorable heroes in the game, but at the same time Puck is a menace and not all like playing against it. Puck is often known as the most elusive hero in the game, providing an immense amount of magical damage and crowd control. It is also a great disabler and does well in the early stages of the game. Puck relies more on items than levels but can easily knock down enemy support heroes at level 6.
What makes Puck a great nuker?
- Immensely mobile and slippery hero.
- Can dominate the early game after reaching level 6.
- Can dodge spells and projectiles with the Phase Shift ability.
- Lots of wave push and farming potential.
Items to buy on Puck
- Blink Dagger
- Dagon
- Ethereal Blade
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Eul’s Scepter
7. Pugna
The skeletal figure comes alive after he drains their life and turns them into bones and dust. Pugna is infamous for sucking the soul out of you. A pure lane matchup can favor Pugna as he has more INT and mana pool compared to most heroes along with that you face constant harassment and get shoved out of the lane due to the bonkers damage he deals. He is known to farm effortlessly due to his AoE spell and hit his item timings relatively early. You can also save your low HP allies with Life Drain!
Why is Pugna a great nuker?
- Nether Ward can punish spell casting heroes with low CD
- Life Drain essentially swaps HP, useful for healing low HP allies in team fights
- All of Pugna's Spells are magical, hence the damage can be devastating to most heroes, especially when combined with Decrepify
Items to Buy as Pugna
- Aether Lens
- Aeon Disk
- Scythe of Vyse
- Dagon
- Blink Dagger
It’s quite advantageous to pick a ranged hero if you’re facing melee heroes. Leshrac solves all your problems against them due to his high magical damage, AoE, and lockdown potential. The best part is that Leshrac is often picked as a flex hero, meaning he can be played in quite any lane! Apart from countering heroes with illusions, Lesh can also mow down buildings with Edict and farm faster than quite literally any hero in the game! A successful early game translates to domination in the late game!
Why is Leshrac a great nuker?
- Immense farming and wave clear potential
- High AoE magical damage output
- Diabolic Edict and Pulse Nova require no targeting, thus hitting heroes whenever they’re nearby.
- Low CD on spells
Items to Buy Leshrac
- Aghanim’s Shard
- Bloodstone
- Eul’s Scepter
- Kaya and Sange
- Black King Bar
5. Queen of Pain
Queen of Pain is a very annoying hero for the enemy mid laner. It is irritating to lane against constant spam and harassment, if overlooked then it can result in your death! She has the perfect skillset to both harass and kill the enemy hero, her mobility makes her even harder to catch. QoP is active as soon as she gets her level 6, allowing her to gank other lanes. You’re at the wrong end of the leash if you face off against her!
Why is QoP a great nuker?
- Good at wave clear and farming.
- Active hero and a decent early game ganker.
- Items supplement her ability to kill.
Items to buy on QoP
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
- Scythe of Vyse
- Refresher’s Orb
- Bloodthorn
- Black King Bar
- Eul’s Scepter
4. 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 nuker?
- 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
- Ethereal Blade
- Veil of Discord
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
3. Invoker
Not all are capable of mastering this arcane magician. His skillset, often confusing and complicated is intimidating for new players. A good Invoker induces fear in the enemy, and a great Invoker makes them rage quit! Invoker may be seen as this squishy mid hero but is very powerful even when he is low on levels. He is a great nuisance with Cold Snap and Forge Spirit combo. Various combinations can be used to secure kills or ward off enemies in a gank, such as the Tornado into Meteor and Deafening Blast combo or the Tornado into EMP combo.
Why is Invoker a great nuker?
- Has a total of 10 spells that can be used both offensively and defensively.
- Multiple spell combinations and builds.
- Decent sustain with the Quas Wex build.
- Snowballs quickly if not contained in the early game.
Items to buy on Invoker
- Scythe of Vyse
- Black King Bar
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Blink Dagger
- Refresher’s Orb
2. Tinker
This crazy genius requires quick reflexes and strong muscle memory! Tinker is often ranked one of the most complex Mid heroes, guaranteed to make your hands ache after one long and intense game! Tinker is a very annoying hero from the enemy mid laner’s perspective. He won’t let you do physical damage, nor will he let you farm thanks to his Heat-Seeking Missiles! Due to his mobile nature, you never know where he will be on the map!
Why is Tinker a great nuker?
- Defense Matrix blocks a significant amount of damage and provides status resistance.
- Immense magic damage output.
- Can defend high-ground effortlessly.
- Can chain disable enemies with items thanks to the Rearm ultimate
Items to buy on Tinker
- Aether Lens
- Blink Dagger
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Scythe of Vyse
- Bloodstone
1. Zeus
Zeus proves to be one of the best mid laners regardless of your status as a new or experienced player, this is highly attributed to his extreme DPS spells and wave clearance abilities. He is a must-play hero as he is very annoying against his enemies right from the laning phase. He can dish out some serious damage with spells and constantly harass his opponents. He is also infamous for having the potential to solo kill enemies from miles away on the map with the right items and levels!
Why is Zeus a great nuker?
- High magical damage and low cooldown on spells!
- High kill potential right off the bat
- Great talent tree that scales well with levels and items
Items to buy on Zeus
- Octraine Core
- Refresher’s Orb
- Arcane Blink
- Bloodstone
- Aghanim’s Scepter
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