Leshrac, the famed disco pony, was a staple pick during this year’s International. There are various reasons why this devastating hero was often picked in the first phase. The primary reason being he is a solid mid-laner who has various ways to both gank and farm with his enormous magical damage. Leshrac can wreak havoc as soon as he gets his ultimate, allowing him to gank other lanes quite early on, his momentum is quite unstoppable. He snowballs well into the late game as he acquires items that keep him tanky and ensure he survives long enough in teamfights.
Leshrac has been a quintessential pick in the current meta, this has attracted players to both pick him or find ways to play against him. Various heroes can essentially make sure Leshrac suffers right from level 1. We bring you the Best 10 Leshrac counters in the current meta!
Best general items against Leshrac
- Black King Bar - It provides spell immunity from all of Leshrac’s magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight. It is always a top priority item against Lesh as you negate all his damage, making you immune to it.
- Pipe of Insight - Upon usage, it can be used to block incoming magic damage for the caster and nearby allies, making them take less damage from spells. This is essential against Leshrac as he relies on magical damage to have any impact in the game.
- Scythe of Vyse - Can be used to hex Leshrac, making him unable to use spells or items, along with reducing his movement speed for 3.5 seconds. He becomes useless under its duration as he can’t use his spells to have any impact, hence it can be used to disable him from the team fight.
- Orchid of Malevolence - Silences the target for 5 seconds, also dealing them an extra 30% damage at the end of its duration. It can be useful to silence Leshrac and entirely shut him off from the team fight.
- Force Staff - Allows you to force yourself or the targetted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to escape from Leshrac’s Split Earth or to save your allies if they are affected by it.
- Glimmer Cape- Upon cast, it turns the caster or the targetted ally invisible, allowing you to escape from Leshrac. Giving him a taste of his own medicine is always great!
10. Pangolier
Pangolier is one of the most flamboyant heroes in the game, he has spells that make him extremely powerful against squishy heroes like Leshrac. He is also an extremely powerful laner against the Leshrac as he is highly susceptible to physical damage due to his low armor. He also falls off fast in the late game while Pangolier only gets stronger by then, due to his high physical damage and lightning-fast farming speed. There is no way Leshrac can stop Pango’s onslaught once he gets all his core items.
Pangolier’s Rolling Thunder ultimate completely negates all the magical damage being dished out by the Leshrac, essentially reducing his impact and making sure he can escape or initiate on the disco pony without taking any damage. Pangolier is a great hero to play if you want to have a fun time crushing your opponents. Leshrac also is not that mobile enough to catch Pangolier, who has Shield Crash, Swashbuckle, and Rolling Thunder at his disposal to escape.
Why is Pangolier a great counter to Leshrac?
- Swashbuckle is an auto attack and therefore it can obliterate Leshac’s squishy HP.
- Rolling Thunder makes Pangolier immune to magic damage, making him able to roll in and out and not worry about Leshrac.
- Leshrac falls off in the late game as he hits the cap on his magic damage while Pangolier’s physical damage becomes too hard for him to negate, making him get destroyed in fights.
Items to buy on Pangolier
- Eul’s Scepter - It can be used to sweep yourself or Leshrac into the air for 2.5 seconds, making them unable to use spells or move. This can be used to lock him down or temporarily remove Pango from the fight, it dispels most debuffs upon self-cast. Pangolier can use it to escape from his ultimate if he is trying to gank him with it.
- Skull Basher - Provides a chance to Mini Stun on physical attacks. It can further be upgraded into Abyssal Blade later on in the game.
- Glepnir - Can root enemies and deal damage to them over time
- Aghanim’s Shard - Allows Pangolier to stop during his Rolling Thunder ultimate and also change directions, all while being spell immune, it is essential in teamfights so you don’t get stuck awkwardly with the ultimate.
- Monkey King Bar - Increases physical damage, and also provides true strike on physical attacks, making it an ideal item against the squishy Leshrac.
- Diffusal Blade - Slows down Leshrac by 100% upon usage and physical attack. It also burns his mana, making him useless as he cannot cast any spells.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Pangolier
9. Oracle
Oracle is an obvious pick against the Leshrac and is an overall great addition to your team if you are lacking a dominant support hero. Oracle proves to be a great counter to Leshrac as he is extremely great against both magic and physical damage heroes as he provides your allies with both resistance and heals to support them. Oracle is also great in the late game, where the fights are long and dragged out while Leshrac gradually falls off. A few failed ganks can significantly lead to the downfall of Leshrac in the late stages of the game.
Oracle is a strong laner who can both shove and ensure a few kills on Leshrac if he is not too cautious. Oracle can also be a victim of Leshrac’s damage if he is not positioned properly. As it is known, the position is the key when you are playing squishy support heroes against high-damage cores that can brute force through the front lines and aim directly at you. Oracle has various tools to safeguard himself and also save his allies during fights and stop Leshrac right in his tracks within no time.
Why is Oracle a great hero against Leshrac?
- Oracle's Fate's Edict will protect an ally from Leshrac's nuking damage.
- Oracle's False Promise can dispel Leshrac's stun and slow his abilities, allowing an ally to escape.
- Fortune's End can stop Leshrac from chasing opponents or running away.
Items to buy on Oracle
- Glimmer Cape- Upon cast, it turns Oracle or the targetted ally invisible, allowing him to escape from Leshrac or initiate on him.
- Aether Lens - Provides increased cast range on both spells and items, can be used to catch Leshrac off-guard
- Force Staff - Allows Oracle to force himself or the targetted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to escape or initiate on the Leshrac.
- Aeon Disk - Saves him from getting burst quickly from Leshrac’s spell combo and also applies a basic dispel, although it has an extremely hefty cooldown of 180 seconds.
- Eul’s Scepter - It can be used to sweep Oracle or Leshrac into the air for 2.5 seconds, making them unable to use spells or move. This can be used to lock him down or temporarily remove Oracle from the fight, it dispels most debuffs upon self-cast. Leshrac can use it to escape from his ultimate if he is trying to gank him with it.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Oracle
8. Lion
Lion, the ferocious beast is back to hell-erhm, I meant he is back in the meta! Leshrac fares well against most support heroes, but Lion is a noble exception. Lion can disable Leshrac with his lethal toolkit. He also has decent nuke damage with his ultimate, which can further be amplified with the number of kills you get with it, allowing a possibility of one-shotting the bone fletcher in the late game. He can also drain the latter’s mana, making him unable to go invisible and escape from his onslaught.
Though Lion is seen as a squishy hero, he can purchase various items to stand his ground against the respectable physical damage being dished out by the Leshrac. The latter is privy to magical damage, courtesy of his low magic resistance, which can be abused in the early game with constant ganks. Leshrac is effectively a ranged creep against Lion if he does not have a good start in the game.
What makes Lion a great counter to Leshrac?
- Hex and Earth Spike can hold Leshrac down, giving him no chance to use Black King Bar or Bloodstone.
- Finger of Death quickly kills Leshrac due to his low health pool.
- Mana Drain makes sure Leshrac can’t use his spells, effectively turning him into a ranged creep.
Items to buy on Lion
- Aether Lens - Provides increased cast range on both spells and items, can be used to catch Leshrac off-guard
- Blink Dagger - On cast, Blink transports Lion 1200 units in the distance he is facing, can’t be used for 3 seconds if he takes any form of damage. Blink is used to close the gap and get on top of Leshrac to further disable him with Hex or Stun.
- Glimmer Cape- Upon cast, it turns Lion or the targetted ally invisible, allowing you to escape from Leshrac. Giving him a taste of his own medicine is always great!
- Aghanim’s Scepter - AoE damage from Finger, also reduces the cooldown
- Aeon Disk - Saves him from getting burst quickly from Leshrac's physical damage and also applies a basic dispel
https://liquipedia.net/dota2/Lion
7. Silencer
Leshrac does not enjoy laning against Silencer as Arcane Curse will pretty much ruin his early game with the DPS if he keeps on spamming his spells. Leshrac also hates heroes which deal high physical damage, Silencer not only does that, but he also steals Leshrac’ Intelligence which essentially reduces his mana pool for a brief duration making him unable to cast enough spells. Silencer is overall a solid counter to Leshrac, but it is advised to play him in the support role as he also falls off terribly in the late game.
Silence is one lethal mechanic that counters all spell-casting heroes in the game! And well, Silencer… you know it’s kind of self-explanatory. Having spells that silence or prevent Leshrac from using any items makes him very powerful against him. The best part is that laning is not fun for Zeu against a Silencer, frequent right-click damage, and low CD spells shove him out of the lane. Global Silence disables all the power he has, rendering him useless in most teamfights.
Why is Silencer a great counter to Leshrac?
- Last Word and Global Silence will render Leshrac largely useless.
- Arcane Curse effectively prevents opponents from casting spells during its duration, as they will otherwise suffer heavy damage.
Items to buy against Leshrac
- Glimmer Cape - Provides invisibility, and can also be used on allies to escape or to initiate Leshrac
- Rod of Atos - Locks Leshrac down, making him unable to move or use any spells.
- Scythe of Vyse - Disables Leshrac by hexing him, which makes him unable to cast spells or use items while lowering his movement speed. This removes him from the fight, rendering him useless.
- Aeon Disk - Saves him from getting burst quickly from Leshrac’s spell combo and also applies a basic dispel, although it has an extremely hefty cooldown of 180 seconds.
- Force Staff - Allows you to force yourself or the targetted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to escape or initiate on the Leshrac.
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Global Silence pierces spell immunity, making it impossible for Leshrac to escape alive from teamfights no matter how tanky he is.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Silencer
6. Clockwerk
Clockwerk, the mechanical genius is quite a rare sight in the current meta, but he is often seen picked against Leshrac as he can easily disrupt Leshrac’s onslaught. He is played in the offlane or as roaming support against Leshrac, as early rotations can cause great damage to him. With his ultimate, Hookshot, Clock can easily stun him and trap him even if the former has Black King Bar, he is a thorn in the backside of Leshrac with the Hookshot into Cogs combo.
The scout potential with Rocket Flare can help track Leshrac’s location and potentially remove him from teamfights. Leshrac can lane well and deny farm to Clockwerk in the laning phase but Clock as we know relies more on levels as opposed to a farm to have an impact in the game. Items just amplify his impact in the late game.
Why is Clockwerk a great counter to Leshrac?
- Clockwerk naturally builds Blade Mail, reflecting Leshrac's high magic damage output at him.
- Power Cogs will prevent Leshrac from reaching Clockwerk's team and dealing large AOE damage to them.
- Power Cogs will also keep Leshrac close, wasting his Diabolic Edict on just Clockwerk.
- Battery Assault interrupts Leshrac's long cast times of Split Earth and Lightning Storm.
Items to buy on Clockwerk
- Blademail - Reflects Leshrac’s damage to him upon activation. This is highly useful in teamfights to make Leshrac stop hitting you as he relies heavily on physical damage.
- Crimson Guard - Upon usage it provides immense physical damage block to Clockwerk, his allies, and even buildings in an AoE.
- Aghanim’s Shard - Provides Jetpack ability which provides flying movement, flying vision, and bonus movement speed. It is helpful to escape from Leshrac as he does not have unobstructed pathing.
- Black King Bar - It provides Clockwerk with spell immunity from all of Leshrac’s Split Earth and other spells.
- Force Staff - Allows Clock to force himself or the targetted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing. It is quite essential in catching or escaping from Leshrac’s onslaught.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Clockwerk
5. Nyx Assassin
The annoying and pesky Nyx Assassin is a troubling hero to play against, especially as a squishy Leshrac as he can counter her with his stuns and disables, paralyzing her and hence removing her from the team fights completely. Leshrac can fare well in the laning phase against Nyx but his early and middle game is ruined when Nyx can get his ultimate. Nyx Assassin can freely scout Leshrac with his ultimate Vendetta, which allows him to go invisible, striking at Leshrac whenever the moment is right followed by insane damage dished out by his teammates.
Nyx is often picked instantly against Leshrac, regardless of the patch as his abilities are just too good to be ignored. He can use Impale to deal AoE damage to both Leshrac and her allies, as well as disable her with the help of his mana burn to ensure he does not get her spells off in teamfights. A well-timed Mana Burn can catch Leshrac off guard and turn the trajectory of the game in Nyx’s favor.
Why is Nyx Assassin a great counter to Leshrac?
- Mana Burn is capable of removing most of Leshrac's large mana pool, along with dealing heavy damage and quickly depleting his chances of escaping a gank or fight.
- Spiked Carapace can stun enemies without breaking invisibility
Items to buy against Leshrac
- Blink Dagger - Blink transports Nyx 1200 units in the distance he is facing, it can’t be used for 3 seconds if he takes any form of damage. Blink is used to closing the gap and getting on top of Leshrac and following it up with Impale.
- Force Staff - Allows Nyx to force himself or the targetted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to catch or escape from Leshrac.
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Allows Nyx to burrow beneath the ground, increasing his cast range and making him invulnerable in case Leshrac jumps on him.
- Aether Lens - Increased cast range along with providing decent stats and mana.
- Lotus Orb - Upon usage, it reflects targetted spells to the caster. Along with that, it can be used to dispel enemy debuffs.
- Spirit Vessel - Immense DPS and heal reduction to the Leshrac when used.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Nyx_Assassin
4. Juggernaut
It is impossible to contain Juggernaut if he unleashes his true potential against the squishy and feeble Leshrac. Juggernaut fares exceptionally well against squishy heroes, and Leshrac is undoubtedly squishy even in the late game. One single Omnislash is all it takes for Juggernaut to demolish Leshrac. On top of that, he also fares well against the mighty disco pony in the laning stage, as he can essentially dodge the magic damage by just using Blade Fury which makes him immune to magic damage.
Juggernaut can also control the tempo with his ultimate. He can also farm quickly and be more dominant in the mid and late games, whereas Leshrac falls off after the mid-game. He is also known as one of the most flexible heroes in the game in terms of item and skill builds, allowing him to alter his builds accordingly. Leshrac can’t go head-to-head in the late game against Juggernaut, as this matchup is seldom in his favor.
Why is Juggernaut a great counter to Leshrac?
- Blade Fury protects Juggernaut from all of Leshrac’s magic burst damage.
- Blade Fury and Omnislash allow Juggernaut to avoid Leshrc’s AoE spell entirely.
Items to buy on Juggernaut
- Diffusal Blade - Slows down Leshrac by 100% upon casting and physical attack. It also burns his mana, making him useless as he cannot cast any spells.
- Sange and Yasha - Provide decent stats, agility, strength, and physical damage. SnY also provides status resistance and increased movement speed, making Juggernaut swift and stronger against Leshrac.
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Grants Swiftslash ability, which is essentially a mini Omnislash, dealing the same amount of damage as the ultimate.
- Aghanim’s Shard - Allows Juggernaut to perform instant physical attacks under the Bladefury duration, along with increasing his movement speed.
- Butterfly - Provides Juggernaut with increased evasion, agility, and movement speed. Butterfly essentially makes him untouchable in the late game due to the high miss chance and physical damage.
- Eye of Skadi - Reduces regen and healing upon physical attacks. It helps reduce Leshrac’s regen if he opts for Bloodstone. Eye of Skadi also provides increased stats and HP to Juggernaut.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Juggernaut
3. Pugna
Pugna is great at dealing immense damage right from the laning stage. A pure lane matchup can favor Pugna against Leshrac as he has more INT and mana pool than the latter, along with that the disco pony faces constant harassment and gets shoved out of the lane due to the bonkers damage Pugna deals which he can’t negate so easily in the early game. Pugna loves dishing out magic damage, while not allowing others to do so with Nether Ward. Leshrac is rather easy to counter with Life Drain due to his low magic resistance.
Pugna can also save your low HP allies with Life Drain and Decrepify if they’re being targeted by Leshrac. Pugna is known to farm effortlessly due to his AoE spell and hit his item timings relatively early. Pugna is an extremely flexible pick and can be played in pretty much all five roles depending on the matchup. This allows him to be a staple pick against the mighty Leshrac. When you thin about it, it feels like Pugna was designed to ruin Leshrac’s games right from the get-go!
Why is Pugna a great counter to Leshrac?
- Nether Ward punishes Leshrac's constant mana usage from spamming spells.
- Leshrac needs to be in the thick of the fight to deal damage, and so cannot escape from Nether Blast nor Life Drain easily.
- Pugna has effective ways to counter-push and defends against the onslaught of Leshrac.
Items to Buy as Pugna
- Aether Lens - Increased cast range along with providing decent stats and mana. It can further be upgraded into Octraine Core which reduces spell and item cooldowns by 25%.
- Aeon Disk - Saves him from getting burst quickly from Leshrac’s spell combo and also applies a basic dispel, although it has an extremely high cooldown of 180 seconds.
- Scythe of Vyse - Disables Leshrac and removes him from the fight, as he can’t use his spells or items. Scythe also slows his movement speed.
- Dagon - Huge single targetted burst damage, Dagon can be upgraded, increasing the cast range and damage it deals on the highest level (level 5). This combined with Decrepify can quickly eliminate Leshrac from the team fight.
- Blink Dagger - Great for gap closing or initiating, allows him to both escapes or get on top of Leshrac
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from all of Leshrac’s magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Pugna
2. Lifestealer
If there is one carry hero who can counter Leshrac right from the laning phase, then it has to be Lifestealer. As you may know, Lifestealer is a carry hero, and he is quite good at carrying the team on his back, especially if he is playing against squishy heroes like the disco pony. It is highly unlikely that Lifestealer goes head to head against Leshrac in the laning phase, meaning he can secure farm for himself and fare well in the early game courtesy of the lifesteal and magic immunity from Rage.
He can completely negate Leshrac’s magic damage with his Rage, making him invulnerable against the disco pony in teamfights. Lifestealer mainly relies on kills to get gold, making him a fight-oriented hero, as with the right items he can obliterate the enemy team and turn Leshrac’s ashes into dust.
Why is Lifestealer a great counter to Leshrac?
- Leshrac's high magic damage is ignored by Rage.
- Lifestealer can get in Leshrac's face with Rage and mitigate any other damage taken by Leshrac with Open Wounds.
Items to Buy on Lifestealer
- Armlet of Mordiggian - Provides increased HP and damage, and is toggleable. Lifestealer benefits highly from this toggleable HP mechanic against Leshrac.
- Desolator - Provides increased damage along with armor corruption on physical attacks. It can also gain stacks and increased the mentioned perks with the increase in stacks. Desolator is ideal to mow down the squishy Leshrac.
- Skull Basher - Provides a chance to Bash (Mini Stun) on physical attacks. It can further be upgraded into Abyssal Blade later on in the game.
- Sange and Yasha - Provide decent stats, agility, strength, and physical damage. SnY also provides status resistance and increased movement speed, making Lifestealer fast and stronger against Leshrac.
- Assault Cuirass - Increases armor and attack speed while reducing the same for enemies in an AoE.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Lifestealer
1. Anti-Mage
Leshrac despises playing against the likes of Anti-Mage, the charismatic warrior. The Magina has a fairly easy game against the likes of Leshrac. This is because the disco pony is highly squishy and does not fare well in the late stages of the game if his early game is run massively by the Anti-Mage. An early-game AM can effortlessly decimate Leshrac’s mana and make him buy mangoes or go back to base to regen up to compensate. This will slow down his farm while AM is known to farm at a faster pace, allowing him to get ahead in the net worth charts.
It is uncommon to see a Leshrac face off against AM in the laning phase, but it's soothing to see the former being obliterated effortlessly with just a few items. Leshrac does farm well, but he tends to lose his tempo in the late game when AM acquires his Battlefury and Black King Bar. Leshrac stands no chance when a six-slotted AM pounces on him thanks to Blink and decimates him in no time as he can’t use any spells due to the incredible spell immunity of the Anti-Mage.
Why is Anti-Mage great against Leshrac?
- Counterspell severely reduces Leshrac's magical damage.
- Leshrac already burns through his mana with Pulse Nova, Mana Break will burn through even more.
- Leshrac's high mana pool will increase the amount of damage Mana Void does to him when his mana is low.
Items to Buy against Leshrac
- Battlefury - Provides cleave on physical attacks which can be essential to split push and farm quickly, allowing AM to keep up with the early-game dominance of Leshrac.
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from all of Lesh’s magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight. It is always a top priority, as most seasoned players prefer to purchase the BKB right after the Battlefury.
- Mana Style - Creates two illusions of AM on usage, also allowing him to dispel certain spells or dodge if he times it right. It can also be used to split push lanes and farm efficiently.
- Abyssal Blade - Upon cast, it stuns the targetted hero for 2 seconds. Can be used to quickly lock down Leshrac after blinking on top of him, allowing you to beat him down with the physical damage
- Eye of Skadi - Reduces regen and healing upon physical attacks. It helps reduce Leshac’s regen. Eye of Skadi also provides increased stats and HP to Anti-Mage.
- Butterfly - Increases evasion, agility, and movement speed. Butterfly essentially makes AM untouchable in the late game due to the high miss chance and physical damage.
https://www.dota2.com/hero/anti-mage
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