Dota 2 Oracle Guide

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Dota 2 Oracle Guide

Learn how to play with Oracle, one of the best support heroes in Dota 2 


Oracle is a ranged intelligence Hero known for his unique and powerful abilities that allows him to change the tide of battle in his favor. This Hero is mostly played in the hard support (position 5) role but can also be effective as soft support (position 4). In the 7.33c patch, Oracle was nerfed a little bit but still, it is a very strong support Hero.

Oracle starts off with 560 HP and 387 mana. He has a base damage of 57-61, making him capable of harassment in the lane. His starting movement speed is 295, which is on the slower side. Now, let's dive into the abilities that make Oracle an excellent choice for those who prefer to play as a support Hero in Dota 2.

Abilities: 

Abilities: 

Oracle has four core abilities, each providing unique benefits in-game.

  • Fortune's End:  Oracle channels power into a bolt of scouring energy for up to 2.5 seconds. The purging projectile deals damage, stops movement, and purges most buffs and debuffs based on how long it was charged. The ability has a radius of 350 and deals 100 damage at level 1, which increases to 280 at max level.

  • Fate's Edict: This ability is a targeted disarm that also grants the target 100% magic damage resistance if it's an ally. The target cannot attack. This ability is great for protecting allies from magic-based nukes or disarming enemy physical attackers.

  • Purifying Flames: Oracle releases a purifying flame onto the target, dealing heavy damage but then healing the target over time for up to 45 HP per second. This ability can be lethal when used with Fortune's End, as it purges the healing effect, leaving only the initial damage.

  • False Promise: False Promise is the ultimate ability of Oracle, which renders an ally immune to death while delaying any healing or damage taken until the end of its duration. False Promise last 7 seconds at level 1 and 10 seconds at level 4. It also removes negative status effects and grants invisibility while attacking or casting. This ability can save allies from certain death and allow them to fight with increased effectiveness. This ability can be upgraded by both Aghanim’s Shard and Aghanim’s Scepter.

    • Aghanim's Shard Upgrade: With Aghanim's Shard, Oracle gets a new ability called Rain Of Destiny. When Oracle casts the ability, it brings forth rain to the target area. Enemies standing in the area receive damage and have reduced healing amplification. Allies in the area heal and have increased incoming heal amplification.

    • Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: When Oracle acquires an Aghanim's Scepter, his ultimate is upgraded. False Promise offers the ally 25.0% more Spell Damage and 0.3 less Base Attack Time with a 0.1 second fade time.

Talents: 

As Oracle levels up, he can choose from the following talents:

Level 10 – +10 Armor False Promise or +0.5s Fortune's End Duration

Level 15 – -1s Purifying Flames Cooldown or +80 Fortune's End Damage

Level 20 – +30% Purifying Flames Enemy Damage or -20s False Promise Cooldown

Level 25 – +1.5s False Promise Duration or Instant Fortune's End

Dota 2 Oracle Guide – Tips: 

Oracle's abilities offer a unique blend of healing, protection, and damage. His Fortune's End can be used to hold enemies in place and purge buffs or debuffs, while Fate's Edict is perfect for disarming enemies or protecting allies from magic damage. Purifying Flames can be used as a quick heal or combined with Fortune's End for a potent nuke. His ultimate, False Promise, can be a game-changer when used correctly. Oracle can be the perfect support for many carries. Usually, carries who deal high damage in a short time, like Sven or Troll Warlord, love to have an Oracle in the team.

Some of the items we recommend buying as an Oracle are Arcane Boots, Eul's Scepter, Glimmer Cape, Force Staff, and Aether Lens. If the game goes above 40-50 minutes, consider getting Aghanim's Scepter, Blink Dagger, Lotus Orb, or Scythe Of Vyse.

Pros and Cons: 

Here are some pros and cons of playing Oracle:

Pros: 

  • Versatile abilities that can both harm enemies and aid allies 
  • Can save allies from death with False Promise 
  • Strong lane presence due to ranged attack and good base damage

Cons: 

  • Complex Hero that requires good decision-making and fast reactions 
  • Relatively squishy and can be easily killed if caught out of position 
  • Reliant on having a good understanding of all other heroes' abilities

How to Play Oracle: 

Understanding Oracle is all about mastering the delicate balance between using his abilities to heal allies or harm enemies. Let’s dive into how to play the Hero in every stage of the match.

Starting Items: 

As a support, you should buy items that aid your team. Consider buying a set of Tangoes, some Healing Salves, a few Iron Branches and a mango.

Early Game (Levels 1-6): 

The early game is about securing a safe lane for your carry and setting him for success for the mid and late game. Utilize Fortune's End and Purifying Flames to harass the enemy heroes, ensuring they can't easily farm or pose a threat to your carry. While Purifying Flames can deal a high amount of burst damage, it also heals the target over time. Therefore, clever usage can secure last hits or turn around trades in your favor. Always remember, you can purge off the healing effect with Fortune's End.

Consider purchasing Magic Stick for instant health and mana recovery during aggressive trades and Boots of Speed for mobility.

Mid Game (Levels 7-18): 

As you transition into the mid game, your focus should remain on your team. Oracle's strength shines in his potential to completely turn around engagements. Your ultimate, False Promise, can negate all damage dealt to the target for its duration and double any healing or regeneration they receive, effectively acting as a second life for your cores in big team fights. Always have a Town Portal Scroll ready to join engagements quickly or save threatened teammates on other parts of the map.

Arcane Boots should be your priority to provide the necessary mana sustain. From there, work towards building an Urn of Shadows or a Spirit Vessel. These items, especially the Spirit Vessel, synergize well with your ultimate, providing critical healing that is doubled in effect during the ultimate.

Late Game (Levels 19-30): 

During the late game, positioning becomes key for Oracle. You should always be near enough to use your abilities to save your allies but also far enough to not be caught by enemy initiation. Your primary role is to disrupt the enemy's actions with Fortune's End and Fate's Edict while ensuring your team's survival with False Promise. Always remember to utilize Purifying Flames to its full potential to heal your allies, especially those under False Promise.

Prioritize items like Glimmer Cape for its magic resistance and invisibility active, which can save both yourself and your teammates. Eul's Scepter of Divinity is also great for its added control and survivability. If you're often the focus of enemy ganks, consider purchasing an Aeon Disk for its passive Combo Breaker ability. Finally, if the game goes long enough, investing in a Scythe of Vyse can provide valuable control in team fights, disabling key enemy heroes.

 

 

Oracle Counters: 

Oracle can be a game-changer with his high-impact spells, but he also gets countered by many heroes in the game. Here are the top 5 heroes that can be a nightmare to play against if you are Oracle:

Silencer: Silencer is an excellent counter to Oracle. His Global Silence Ultimate can prevent Oracle from using any of his abilities, negating Oracle's ability to save allies or turn the tide of a battle. Furthermore, Silencer's Arcane Curse can punish Oracle for casting his low-cooldown spells, dealing considerable damage over time.

Drow Ranger: Drow Ranger can be a significant threat to Oracle due to her Gust ability. Gust silences Oracle and pushes him back, preventing him from casting his crucial spells. Additionally, her high physical damage output with Marksmanship can quickly eliminate Oracle, who generally lacks in armor and health.

Lina: Lina's high burst damage potential makes her an effective counter to Oracle. Her Light Strike Array and Dragon Slave can damage Oracle heavily from a safe distance, and her Laguna Blade ultimate can finish him off before he gets a chance to react or heal himself.

Skywrath Mage: Skywrath Mage's ability to deal a significant amount of magic damage in a short amount of time makes him an excellent Oracle counter. Ancient Seal can silence Oracle and amplify the magic damage he takes, while Mystic Flare can potentially kill Oracle in seconds, even before he gets a chance to cast False Promise on himself.

Nyx Assassin: Nyx Assassin can be problematic for Oracle due to his ability to control and burst him down. The Mana Burn ability can severely limit Oracle's ability to cast spells, while the Spiked Carapace can return substantial damage when Oracle casts Purifying Flames. Vendetta allows Nyx to initiate on Oracle, potentially taking him out before a fight begins.

Final thoughts:

Oracle is a fun but challenging Hero that can change the outcome of a battle in Dota 2. Mastering this Hero requires good game knowledge, decision-making skills, and quick reactions. Not many people can play Oracle since it’s a hard Hero to master but once you've mastered him, you'll be a valuable asset to any team!

Dota 2 Oracle Guide
The Old One
When he's not sighing at sub-standard teammates in Dota 2 and CS2, The Old One is writing about those two games (among other things). If you see his name around the site too many times for your liking, well, the guy just never stops writing. Yes, we've tried an intervention.