The Overlooked Ones

(art by raph04art.deviantart.com)

People in this game tend to be a bit uncreative. This is mostly due to the “meta” perspective; in each patch, a few professional teams figure a very, or the most, effective approach to win and the rest of the world just copies that and just that.

I’m not suggesting they shouldn’t, however that does always leave quite a bit of unused potential in a few Heroes. Consider how many times a Hero becomes overpowered with a just a few buffs, simply because they were already good, but nobody paid attention to them.

Here’s a few I think deserve a little more recognition. I’m not pointing out undiscovered broken ones, at least not necessarily, just a few that could still work pretty well.

: Brewmaster. Haven’t seen this one in a while. His solo lane capabilities are still up to par, and his early-mid game team fight power, well, can’t be ignored. Remember the times when this guy used ult and 5 people starting running to their fountain?

Perhaps due to the rise of mobility/sustainability items, everyone considers his brewlings can be kited easily, or perhaps they feel he’s too reliant on his ult. While these may be true, he can still be a big threat, and his Drunken Haze can really screw certain Heroes over.

: Treant Protector. He used to be played as a support with quite a bit of success for a few patches. Being a melee support however, he lacked a bit of ganking potential. Personally, I’d prefer him as an offlaner. He’s quite tanky, has an invisibility skill and actually works better with a bit of farm. Also, he could be one of the most useful offlaners early on with his global Living Armor.

: Omniknight. Typical case of a very powerful Hero with the flaw that he can’t really force the issue. A team that will kite his team around won’t have too much trouble. However, people make a very common mistake: everyone thinks he should be paired with a good late game right-clicker to be effective.

By the time said right-clicker comes online, the enemy will have Diffusals and the such. Omniknight is a great Hero for pushing strategies also though. A Leshrac, for instance, buffed up with Repel for the first half of the game is something that can’t be easily ignored; kiting him is one thing, but towers can’t dodge. He could even work with a Drow Ranger-centered tactic.

: Tidehunter. A typical case of trend victim. Good players and pro teams feel he’s too dependent on his ult to be relied on, and count on other offlaners more, but this Hero is extremely good in pubs. One of the best and easiest offlanes in the game, he can farm ancients, hard to kill, can get off his ult even when chain-stunned, and Ravage can win team fights. Definitely deserves more play and I wouldn’t like to see a buff on him because of that.

: Terrorblade. This one maybe has been changed so many times that everyone doesn’t even know what he does anymore. After trying him a few times, I’d say he’s pretty good right now. He can be a good carry, he can take towers fast and early, plus his Reflection illusions can now deal full damage, which can be pretty neat. I’d pair him with a Dazzle for maximum potential.

: Troll Warlord. Another one of those. Yes, he was completely broken a year ago, and yes, he did receive quite a bit of nerf. But, he still is a great carry that can manfight most other carries, he can come online relatively quickly and he’s a great pusher. His lane control is also pretty good for a carry.

: Venomancer. Alright, this one perhaps takes the cake. I think he’s very underestimated because everyone views him as a support, or a core Plague Ward spammer at best. If this guy gets whatever items can boost his ulti (Aghanim’s, Veil and such, plus a Blink Dagger) he can destroy the opponent. It doesn’t matter if he dies in the process, the amount of damage he can pull off is enormous.