Dota 2: The Least Popular Heroes at TI 11

After covering some of the hottest heroes at TI 11, it is time to look at those who didn’t have the chance to shine. According to the stats, we saw a total of 114 heroes throughout the event, which is impressive, to say the least. That said, some of them only appeared in a couple of games, which means they are not as good as the rest.

Before we list some of the heroes that should be on the list, it is essential to remember that Valve will most likely release a big update shortly. The post-TI roster shuffles have begun, so teams are slowly getting ready for the new DPC season. Needless to say, we will also have a fresh patch to play on, so the fact that some heroes are here now doesn’t mean this will be the case in the future.

Necrophos

If the stats are correct, Necrophos is the only hero in Dota 2 that wasn’t picked a single time at The International 11. We didn’t see the hero in the groups or during the Main Event. This is strange, to say the least, considering that Necro has always been one of the go-to options in pubs.

However, it seems like the professional Dota 2 teams that Necro is just not as good as the rest. The hero is versatile and can fit into many roles. That’s probably one of the reasons why Neco received only one ban.

Even though most PUB players take the offlane, Necro can also be a good midder and a pos 1 (in some situations). That said, other heroes are stronger in the current meta, which is why we didn’t have the chance to see him in-game.

Pugna

The second hero on the list that we barely saw during The International 11 is Pugna. Unlike Necrophos, Pugna actually appeared in one match. However, the hero didn’t do much and lost, which was the last nail in the coffin.

What’s interesting about Pugna is that this is a meta hero that comes “on and off”. The mid-laner/support can be hazardous in some metas, but it seems like the current patch is just not that good. This may not be a surprise because there aren’t that many spell casters like Invoker. Some teams used the midder, but he was never a popular pick.

IO

This is probably the most surprising name on the list because IO has always been one of the popular options in professional Dota 2. In fact, teams like OG used this hero a lot when they won their 2 TI victories. We’ve also seen it in many combos with heroes like Tiny, CK, Ursa, etc.

Despite the perks, teams didn’t want to risk and get IO in a meta where he was not as good as before. Therefore, the hero only appeared in 2 games. What’s impressive is that the teams that used him won both matches, which means that he is probably not as bad as they think. 

Anti-Mage

People who follow Topson on Twitch know that one of the best Dota 2 players in the world thinks that Anti-Mage is actually the worst hero in the patch. This may not surprise him because he is one of the carries that needs time until he becomes useful. 

Anti-Mage is unlike other popular meta carries, such as Morph and Naga. Sure, these two also need a lot of farm, but they can actually take team fights and start fighting early on. This does not apply to AM, who is useless until he gets his Battlefury and Manta Style.

The fact that AM is such a slow hero means that teams don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. Hence, we only saw the hero twice; he had one loss and one win.

Grimstroke

Once one of the go-to pos5 heroes in Dota 2, Grimstroke is just a mere shadow of his former glory. The hero has wave clear, a stun, and one of the deadliest ults in the game when used with heroes like Doom. However, since Doom is not that popular in the meta, most teams decided to go for other supports.

Grimstroke appeared in 2 matches and has a 50% win rate. This means he is in the same boat as AM, IO, and several other heroes who only appeared in a couple of matches.

Night Stalker

NS also appeared in only 2 games, but the hero became one of the event's stars because MATU used him for Team Liquid. The Western Europeans had to go up against Team Aster in the LB final. Following the first two games, Liquid decided to use this hero in the third match, allowing them to surprise their enemies.

Night Stalker is a hero that only works in specific drafts and against specific heroes. Usually, he is an offlaner, but we’ve seen that he can be played in other positions. It all depends on the game.

Spectre

Since ana’s team failed to qualify for The Internationa 11, we are not surprised that Spectre was one of the least popular heroes in the event. Even though she is one of the deadliest late-game monsters, Spectre is not that good early on. Consequently, the hero also played in 2 matches and won one.

The main problem for Spectre is her weak laning stage. The hero can be good in the mid-game and excels later on, but her weak early game is a huge flaw, especially in the current meta. Nowadays, some teams use a second carry in the offlane that can easily prevent Spectre from farming and don’t allow her to do anything.