Dota 2 Lina Guide – Positions, Tips and More
| Tags: Dota 2
| Author Zlosterr
Keep reading this Dota 2 Lina guide to see why this is one of the top-tier heroes in the game.
Lina is one of those heroes you can use in almost every position except the offlane. Even though this was the go-to support/midder for years, there was a Dota 2 patch that proved the hero could also be a carry. Needless to say, Lina is an essential hero for PUB and pro players alike, so it’s no surprise she’s often a popular pick.
Before this Lina Dota 2 guide reveals more information about the hero, you need to know that she’s a ranged INT character with 51-59 damage, 3.8 armor, and 290 MS. As mentioned, she can fit into many roles, but most people know her for being a support/midder.
Contents
Abilities
Choosing your preferred Lina Dota 2 build will have a big impact on the abilities you go for, so here’s what to expect.
- Dragon Slave – This nuke deals 300 damage to all enemies it hits in its path. It also burns enemies for 40 damage per second for 3s.
- Light Strike Array – 0.5s after casting it, the ability will stun all targets in a small AoE for 2.2 seconds and deal 260 damage.
- Fiery Soul – This passive ability grants like up to 7 stacks for 18s. Each stack grants 32 bonus attack speed and 2.5% bonus MS.
- Laguna Blade – This supercharges Lina and grants her 10 stacks of Feiry Soul for 5s.
If players get a Shard, Fiery Soul will allow Lina to deal 20 extra damage with all of her abilities per stack. Aghanim’s Scepter will give the hero an ability called Flame Cloack. It will increase her spell damage and magic resistance by 35%, and she will get unobstructed movement. Furthermore, it will grant the hero maximum Fiery Soul stacks when activating it.
Talents
The next important thing when playing Dota 2 Lina Inverse is talent.
- Level 10 – Dragon Slave gets -3.5s cooldown or the hero gets +25 damage
- Level 15 – Light Strike Array gets +150 damage or the hero gets +325 HP
- Level 20 – Fiery Soul gets +10 AS and +1 MS per stack or Lina Gets +11% Spell Amp
- Level 25 – Laguna Blade gets -25s Cooldown or Laguna Blade deals Pure Damage
Dota 2 Lina Guide – Tips
We can talk a lot here because Lina is one of the most diverse heroes and her playstyle changes depending on the Dota 2 Lina build you go for. Supports can use their Dragon Slave to stack camps and harass the enemy offlaner, and they have to try to secure as many kills as possible once they get to level 6.
Those who use Lina as a midder have to remember that she’s among the best laners. Her offensive abilities allow her to harass everyone and push/clear waves with little to no effort. Of course, the hero has some bad matchups, such as the one against Templar Assassin, where the latter can kill he really fast.
Since Lina deals a lot of magical damage early on, the mid-lane will allow her to level faster. She needs to use this to her advantage and gank the lanes as much as possible. Needless to say, she can kill pretty much any hero in seconds.
People who use Lina as a carry need to focus on farming. As mentioned, her abilities allow her to clear stacks and farm much faster than usual. Of course, players should always keep an eye on the TP scroll and use it when there is a fight because this is a hero that can make a difference even early on.
Overall, Lina is a pretty easy hero to play with, and she does not have that many counters. However, you must stay ahead of the rest or at least on par with the enemy’s cores to be effective. A lot of people underestimate the Physical Damage build, so you can use this to your advantage to punish them.
Lina Dota 2 Guide – Tips and Tricks
Before choosing your preferred Lina Dota 2 item build, here are a few pros and cons to keep in mind.
Pros:
- Tons of magical damage
- She can deal insane physical damage
- Great for bursting heroes
- Farms really fast
- Excellent laner
Cons:
- Very squishy
- Lina is not one of the heroes that works well if she’s not ahead of the rest
Dota 2 Lina Guide – Items
Before getting the Dota 2 Lina Arcana, here are a couple of things to keep in mind about the items.
Starting items
Support Lina players need to get Observer wards and HP/Mana regen, but the rest should also get branches and a Circlet.
Early game
Supports needs Boots of Speed and a Wand. Midders should try to get a Bottle, a Null Talisman, and a Wand, whereas carries can go for a Wand and Boots.
Mid game
The possibilities here are endless. Some players will choose the magical damage build and get things like Eul’s, Kaya and Yasha, Aether Lens, and more. Others will want the Physical Damage option and go for a Shadow Blade, Black King Bar, and more.
Late game
Magical damage build players get Aghanim’s Scepter, Octarine Core, Scythe of Vyse, Shiva’s Guard, Refresher Orb, and more. Those who want to do physical damage will got for Monkey King Bad, Assault Cuirass, Desolator, Daedalus, Manta Style, and so on.
Dota 2 Lina Counter
Aside from checking the Lina Dota 2 wiki, here are some of the counters you need to be aware of when playing with this hero.
- Templar Assassin – TA’s insane physical damage makes her a solid pick against Lina.
- Anti-Mage – AM counters all spell casters, regardless of their role, and this one is not an exception. Every Lina Dota 2 guide will pay special attention to him.
- Lifestealer – Naix’s ability to be immune to spell damage makes him a great option to kill Lina.
- Nyx Assassin – The latter is extremely annoying to play against and can be very dangerous if Lina is using the magical damage build.
Final Thoughts
Aside from the many top-tier Dota 2 Lina skins, the hero is also an excellent option to have in a lot of situations. Sure, there are a few counters you need to be aware of, but overall, the hero is great.