Dota 2 Witch Doctor Guide – Items, Tips, Counters and More

This Dota 2 Witch Doctor guide will show the reasons why this is among the most popular supports in the game. 

When talking about supports in Dota 2, Which Doctor is definitely one of the names that come to mind. His ranged intelligence hero is among the best in the game, which is why this Witch Doctor Dota 2 guide will share more information about it.

Before diving into the specifics, it is worth knowing that the hero starts with 2.2 armor and 300 movement speed. Moreover, the hero’s attack damage is between 48-58, and he has a 0.6s turn rate. With that said, let’s learn more information about the hero.

Abilities

Before taking a look at the Dota 2 Witch Doctor build, it’s important to share more information about the hero’s abilities.

• Paralyzing Cask – This ability launches a cash that stuns enemies from 0.8s, dealing 50 damage on each bounce. The latter can reach up to 8, and the bonus damage per bounce is 25.
• Voodoo Restoration – This ability allows Witch Doctor to heal himself and his allies for 46hp/sec, but it drains 20 mana per second.
• Maledict – Maledict is an ability that deals 30 damage, but it can deal burst damage of up to 40% of the Hp that the target lost after using it.
• Death Ward – The hero’s ultimate required WD to channel it, and it lasts for 8s. During that time, it deals 210 damage per attack. The Dota 2 Witch Doctor Death Ward Attack Speed is pretty high.

Players who get an Aghanim’s Shard will get n ability called Voodoo Switcheroo, which turns the hero into a Death Ward for 3s, but it has a -40 attack speed reduction. Purchasing an Aghanim’s Scepter allows WD’s ult to have a True Strike, and it bounces between enemies.

Talents

Another important thing in this Dota 2 Witch Doctor guide is the hero’s talents:

• Level 10 – +75 Maledict AoE or -25% Voodoo Restoration Mana Per Second
• Level 15 – +300 Health or +2 Cash Bounces
• Level 20 – +25% Maledict Burst Damage or +75 Death Ward Attack Range
• Level 25 – +45 Death Ward Damage or +1.5% Max Health Voodoo Restoration Heal/Damage

Dota 2 Witch Doctor Guide – Tips

Although there have been some cases where people try to use the hero as a core, a quick look at the Witch Doctor DotaBuff shows that the hero is a support. In fact, he is usually the team’s hard support, so his job is to ensure the carry has a good game.

One of the benefits of playing with Witch Doctor is that the hero is a strong laner. He has a lot of offensive abilities that allow him to bully enemy heroes. Moreover, his Stun and Maledict make WD one of the best heroes to have for early-game kills, especially if the carry is aggressive.

Since Witch Doctor is support, he also needs to keep an eye on the map and try to stack. The hero should try to have a free Teleport Scroll at hand and use it to TP to the lane and help when needed.

After the end of the early game, Witch Doctor Dota 2 should try to minimize the number of times he dies. He’ll be the go-to target for most enemy teams, so your job will be to try and not feed. 

As for his team fight potential, a good Death Ward can decide the course of a team fight. That’s why you can often see WD alongside heroes like Faceless Void, one of the best agility heroes, and even Magnus.

Dota 2 Witch Doctor – Pros and Cons

Aside from the cool Dota 2 Witch Doctor voice lines, the hero has a lot of pros and cons you should know.

Pros:

• Great laner
• He has one of the highest damage outputs out of any support
• The hero can work well in specific combos
• His healing ability allows him to help carries during laning.

Cons:

• Like most supports, Witch Doctor is fragile
• His ultimate can be interrupted 

Starting Items

In terms of the items, this Dota 2 Witch Doctor guide recommends starting with Observer Wards, at least one Healing Salve, Tangoes, and a Clarity.

Early Game

In terms of the early game Witch Doctor items,  you can get a Magic Wand and Boosts of Speed. If you have a really good game, you can also try to go for an urn of Shadows or even Arcane Boosts

Mid Game

Witch Doctor’s Dota 2 items in the mid-game depend on whether his team’s winning. If that’s the case, the hero should have a Glimmer’s Cape, Arcane Boots, and a Spirit Vessel. Alternatively, players can even get a Rod of Atos, Medallion of Courage, and more.

Late Game

Regarding the late game, if you look at the Dota 2 Witch Doctor wiki, you can find some pretty interesting suggestions. However, the reality is that most WD players can get a Black King Bar, and that’s pretty much it. Players who’re doing really well in the game can also get a Scythe of Vyse, Aghanim’s Scepter, or even a Shard.

Dota 2 Witch Doctor counters

Regardless of which Dota 2 Witch Doctor guide you read, you will see that the hero has a lot of counters. However, some of them are way more annoying to deal with than others.

• Kunkka – The hero’s Torrent and X Marks the Spot can be really annoying because they can cancel WD’s ult.
• Morphpling – One of the best hard carries in Dota 2 can one-shot WD, and he can use his Morph to survive the deadly Maledict combo.
• Omniknight – WD’s ultimate deals physical damage, meaning Omni’s ultimate protects his team from taking damage. Furthermore, the latter can heal his allies from Maledict.
• Rubick – This support can steal WD’s abilities and lift him to cancel his ultimate. 

Conclusion

Besides the cool Dota 2 Witch Doctor skins, the hero is definitely more fun to play than many of its alternatives. His ability to make a difference in team fights makes him incredibly dangerous.