Analysis of Top Tier Offlaner 7.07

7.07 in Dota 2 was a sizable balance patch that completely changed everything, and as a result the approach and role in the game changed as well. Offlane is now the most changed. It harks back to the old days, the days of the bully offlane – survival rather than breakthrough. Support usually doubles roam more than before, so the offlane will have a better chance to hit 1v1. That’s why the following heroes are so popular: they excel in situations like that and always have the edge.

So, we need to look at the meta and understand the top offlaners in pub and pro player games, analyze where they are effective and why they are picked so much.

Tidehunter has always been the champion to be picked depending on the Dota 2 meta. This hero has good stability, through his ultimate along with the ability to stay in lane and farm well: helping Tidehunter to get many items to support the team. .

As the offlane role has changed over the years, Tidehunter’s effectiveness and popularity have dwindled over time. Teams and players want more active offlanes, heroes that can do a lot of things in the mid-game, heroes that can pose a threat in the game without having to rely on their ultimates too much.

With the meta gradually returning to traditional 5v5, players no longer need to choose an offlane to be able to gank all over the map. Instead, they need to farm to catch up with other core heroes, which Tidehunter is extremely good at. Tidehunter is also hard to bully in lane, and with both supports having to rotate more frequently than before, Tidehunter will be hitting 1v1 more often than before. Therefore, Tidehunter is an option if you want a stable lane, because this hero can both farm and contribute actively to the team in the mid game.

Tidehunter’s new talent (Anchor Smash reduces enemy damage, Kraken Shell block increases and cooldown reduction by 25% or +250 attack) also makes the hero stronger. The match below will be the perfect example to prove Tidehunter’s buffalo if choosing the right talent.

Underlord has been in the game for over a year and this hero is still in the top. Underlord is a haunting horror in pubs. Items like Crimson Guard and hay Pipe of Insight has made this hero extremely beefy. Underlord has the ability to farm extremely fast and is a threat in lane, if the supports don’t have a way to snuff this hero. But with 4 armor at level 1 and at least 700 HP, it’s hard to drive Underlord away, without at least one support to support the lane.

Like Tidehunter, Underlord is perfectly suited for building mods. In addition, this hero helps control teamfight, can push lane quickly and control the map well with his ultimate – allowing Underlord to push well while still appearing everywhere on the map.

Astrophy Aura also allows the hero to move into the late game. Underlord’s talents can turn into an exceptional tanker or at least an annoying hero who is nearly impossible to take down.

7.07 focuses heavily on talents to balance the heroes. Bewmaster is said to receive the most favor with his talent bar, turning into one of the top tiers for pro players to use for a long time, until being nerfed in 7.07c.

The level 25 talent (-65 second Primal Split cooldown), combined with Brewling’s extra health at level 20 make Brewmaster a must-have pick in the current meta. This hero’s biggest weakness is always having to rely on his ultimate – and often has a long cooldown. In addition, Brewmaster is quite weak in the late game, as Brewling will die very easily and his farming ability is completely inferior to other popular champions on this list.

That’s generally unchanged, but teams have found a more appropriate way to play the hero. With Hand of Midas early, Brewmaster can reach level 25 faster, which in turn becomes more dangerous. With Radiance, Brewmaster can farm more stably. Brewmaster at the end of the game is no longer a ‘pony’ for everyone to find and kill, instead, this hero will be a persistent nuisance to the opponent.

Storm Brewling also has the ability to clear illusions (shadows) in addition to dealing damage, making it a great skill against famous carries like Chaos Knight or Phantom Lancer.

Like the other heroes on this list, Brewmaster is very good at 1v1 and has excellent teamfight control. Also, Brewmaster has a good solo ganking ability.

Since the nerf in 7.07c (Earth Brewling suffered 2 armor reduction), Brewmaster is less visible and successful in pubs and pro player matches. In pro player games, Brewmaster isn’t very suitable for the offlane position, as the hero needs to build himself before he can support his teammates.

This is considered to be the best patch for Omniknight currently, having been banned 27 times in DreamLeague, making him the most banned and competitive hero at the Major. This hero has never been as strong in pubs as in pro player matches for various reasons. Over the years, Icefrog has continuously buffed Omniknight, especially Repel. Gone are the days when Repel was purged by the Diffusal Blade and even Guardian Angel can now survive the Diffusal Blade – as this item no longer has the ability to purge.

Beastmaster has always been the top pick in pro player matches, but the hero has never found a place in pubs. This is partly because the hero needs good microphone skills, but Beastmaster also has to rely on good timing and coordination, which is difficult to succeed in pubs.

Like Brewmaster, Beastmaster has started to disappear in pro player matches, but the hero is still a top pick depending on the game. The hero can push the same lane as any of the offlanes on this list, but he’s less likely to build supports like Mekansm or Pipe of Insight. Instead, Beastmaster often has to gather items to push lane.

Source: Dotabuff