Talking about the best heroes in Dota 2 is a little bit like talking about the prettiest leaves on a tree in the fall. They change at uneven rates, so just a single day can pass and suddenly a drab leaf can become vibrant and a vibrant leaf can fall off the tree. All heroes are subject to patches and rebalancing that can see them skyrocket up the charts or fall out of the metagame entirely.

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Yet there are a few heroes that have been around for a while that, while they might not be immune to nerfs, are certainly more resistant to them than others. Experts that have mastered these heroes don't sweat it when an upcoming patch looks to put a stop to their reign of dominance because they can prioritize other skills and items to keep them strong and scary. These are the most notable heroes that players should either learn to master or learn to ban.

Updated on June 6th, 2021 by Hodey Johns: It's hardly a surprise that this list needs an update. Each patch brings something new, each new hero throws off the balance, and each in-game price adjustment alters the metagame. The latest patch has substantially shaken up the list and so, after gathering the latest win percentage statistics at the highest levels of play, these are now the best heroes in the game as it stands.

14 Clinkz

No hero makes players want to pull the plug like an enemy Clinkz. This guy has been devastating heroes since back in the original Dota and nothing has changed. The upcoming documentary on Netflix might very well feature Clinkz as the story of the game really can't be told without him.

Everybody already fears the Skeleton Walk, Searing Arrows, and Strafe combo. After farming an Orchid Malevolence, all any normal heroes can do is die. Other carries might be able to handle a one-on-one better, but Clinkz wipes out the rest of the team.

13 Broodmother

There is a good reason that players are getting banned for smurfing in matchmaking. Broodmother in the hands of a pro player is monstrous at lower tiers. Yet it's still a top-three carry option even at the top these days.

On top of being one of the hardest carries in the game that requires spending tons of money on wards and gems, she's also an incredible pusher that can knock a lane down in only a minute with Spawn Spiderlings if she goes unopposed.

12 Omniknight

While there are many support heroes in the game, there are very few true healers. Preventing damage or adding life affects the battle at its very core; the hero with life remaining at the end of the fight wins.

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Omniknight heals, grants immunity to spells, physical attacks, slows down opponents, and his heal also doubles as a powerful nuke. Best of all, he's a strength hero, so aiming the "squishy" support isn't an option for the enemy.

11 Riki

Riki's permanent invisibility has been a problem for Dota 2 fans since the game first debuted. Amateur players might suggest that buying wards or carrying gems solves the problem, but it really and truly doesn't.

Buy wards and it's a money drain that favors the other team. Carry gems and everyone has to group up and hurt their own experience. If everybody carries a gem, it's an item slot that could have been used for something else. Plus, he can always farm until gems are dropped and wards wear off.

10 Tinker

Tinker's ability in the middle lane is downright unfair. He's got easy harassment that doesn't require him to be anywhere near the enemy hero. He's primarily a nuker, but pros see past this early game advantage.

The Rearm skill refreshes the cooldown on both his skills and his items. So every time a powerful item is added to the game, Tinker will be able to abuse it. Unless players help gank him early, a flexible player will buy the perfect items to counter the enemy team and win by mid or late game.

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7 Visage

It's a support hero that requires next to no farm in order to deliver devastating nukes. it's everything players could want and undoubtedly makes him one of the best intelligence heroes in the game.

There is a lot of micromanagement involved with the ultimate familiars, but after mastering that, Visage is a solidified staple in the top tiers. Because Visage can self-defend and self-heal, every team that doesn't know how to play with Visage will likely ban the hero to maintain any hope for winning.

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5 Enigma

Passing up on the jungle is wasting experience and gold. Thankfully, nobody combines jungling and ganking quite like Enigma. He can be tough to play and master, but those who have completed the new and expensive tutorial just might have him figured out.

The entire goal of the game for opposing teams is to stop this hero from getting a Blink Dagger. If they can't, then it's only a matter of time before a Black Hole hits the entire team. Those smart enough to stay apart become easy fodder for Enigma's friendly carries.

4 Dark Seer

The more heroes that can solo, the better the experience to go around for the entire time. The mid lane is almost always solo and sometimes players manage to solo in the short lane. But Dark Seer offers a unique opportunity with his unparalleled ability to solo in the long lane.

This makes for a three-person lane in the short lane (two if there is a jungler). No enemy hero can survive such a disadvantage early (except for Dark Seer himself). Factor in an ultimate ability that makes enemy heroes fight their own clones and he's become a favorite to have on the team at all levels of play.

3 Nyx Assassin

At one point, this spot would have been occupied by Anti-Mage, but there is a new mana-burner in town with more utility and greater burst damage that still carries games. Nyx Assassin has essentially filled the Anti-Mage role and added onto it.

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Impale is an area of effect stun for 2.6 seconds, which is more than enough time to unleash Mana Burn and Vendetta. If this hasn't already disposed of the target, don't forget that the Dagon is core to this build and will deliver an additional devastating nuke.

2 Meepo

When he was first introduced to the game, many gamers believed Meepo might be a poorly timed April Fool' Day joke. A relatively weak hero that dies if even one of his clones dies didn't seem feasible.

As the best hero in the game currently, nobody is laughing anymore. He can farm with each clone and gain an experience advantage that no other hero in the game can contest. When all of his clones are together, he has an eight-second disable and a 480 damage nuke.

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