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As tradition dictates in Dota 2, League of Legends, and practically every other MOBA, supports are there to enable the carries to do their job better.
There are many different ways players can go about fulfilling this role in Dota 2. Some supports are walking disable machines to pin the enemy in place. Some have a host of buffing spells and items to amplify the carry’s damage.
Others can deal the damage themselves. Nuking Supports in Dota 2 are quite strong early on, especially because spell immunity is very uncommon at that stage of the game. In an ordinary game of Dota 2, their job is to dominate the lanes with their repository of nukes and buy more time for their carries to come online.
Why should Witch Doctor, a conventional Dota 2 support, go mid?
With the iconic "Oh, look at it go!" Paralyzing Cask (Q), Zharvakko the Witch Doctor has one of the most annoying stuns in the game when two heroes get caught in it with no other units around. The second spell, Voodoo Restoration (W), is also a stereotypical Dota 2 support spell.
But Witch Doctor also has one of the strongest level 6 power spikes. With some set-ups, there are very few heroes that he cannot kill with Maledict (E) and Death Ward (R). Naturally, a Witch Doctor twice the level of sidelanes showing up with a power rune means an almost confirmed kill on the enemy core.
The rules of Dota 2 are never watertight. Many nuking supports in Dota 2 can own in the mid lane, and Witch Doctor, of course, is one of the best mid-supports in the right hands.
That said, players must acknowledge the obvious drawbacks first.
Witch Doctor does not scale as well as a mid Skywrath Mage or even a mid Dazzle would. He has an extremely strong presence long into the midgame, but most Dota 2 games last way longer than that.
For this reason, Witch Doctor mid is best suited for an aggressive team composition with good push. His side needs to ideally end the game in 35 minutes. By the same logic, he also shines best against greedy lineups where at least two cores take time to come online.
Mid Witch Doctor Playstyle in Dota 2 7.29d
A mid Witch Doctor is similar to a mid Disruptor in its function. They have absurd amounts of burst damage potential very early on. For Disruptor, this comes as Thunder Strike, one of the most persistently damaging spells in Dota 2. For Witch Doctor, the combo is a little more nuanced. It comes as a combination of high-damage right-click harass, Cask (Q), and Maledict (E).
The mid Witch Doctor goes two points in Q and three points in E. When Q and E is up, he can cast Q on the enemy midlaner when they are next to the ranged creep. Generally, midlaners do not have a strong stun, so Cask can throw them off.
The combo is to trade with them until they are at half health, Q when they are in an exploitable position, E immediately, and follow up with a few more right clicks. This is enough to kill off most squishy Dota 2 midlaners like Sniper.
The enemy midlaner will most likely fail to hold its ground against a Witch Doctor. Such an early-game hero cannot be outwon in laning and must be outlasted as the game progresses until the player is stronger.
When Witch Doctor has Death Ward up, he can go gank in the sidelanes. Both Maledict ticks and Death Ward projectiles penetrate spell immunity, so even heroes like Life Stealer or Juggernaut are ripe targets. If the game goes well and Witch Doctor’s side dominates, Maledict will often be enough to tear through targets.
Items
The mid Witch Doctor should start with a combination of regen components for Null Talisman, branches, and a Faerie Fire for clutch victories. The one core item to rush is Spirit Vessel. Witch Doctor can rack up kills early on with some level advantage.
The acquired Spirit Vessel charges are deadly with Maledict ticks on top. Aghanim's Scepter gives Death Ward even more firepower. Boots of choice are Boots of Travel since the whole idea of Witch Doctor mid is predicated on the assumption that he is dominating early to mid game.
Other than this, itemization is flexible. The build depends mostly on what the game needs. Witch Doctor should buy disengage or survival items if necessary, aggressive items if not.
Here are some suggestions:
- Veil of Discord
- Aghanim's Shard
- Rod of Atos / Gelipnir
- Witch Blade
- Shiva’s Guard
- Scythe of Vyse
- Black King Bar
- Shadow Blade
- Sange and Kaya
- Bloodthorn
- Eul’s Scepter / Wind Waker
- Guardian Greaves
