Top 5 broken support heroes in Dota 2 7.29b

Dota 2 7.29b was released just over a week ago. Since then, players have figured out which heroes are absolutely broken in the current meta.

The pro scene is mostly Beastmaster right now, with a dash of Sand King here and there. The reigns of Puck and Death Prophet have ended. All four of these heroes either were or became mid heroes.

On this list, the focus will be on the support role, which is the most overlooked position in Dota 2. They make subtle plays that go under the radar and are missed by most viewers and players alike.

The right player can make any supporting hero look broken, but in Dota 2 7.29b, some heroes truly are broken.

Disclaimer: This list solely reflects the opinions of the author, and all statistics have been taken from Dotabuff.com

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Five most broken support heroes in Dota 2

Before the actual top five, some honorable mentions must go to Snapfire, Warlock, and Earth Spirit. All three Dota 2 heroes are currently being spammed by pros and pub players alike but aren't quite as broken as the five below.

#1 - IO

IO is still broken, and this hero's fundamental concept is something that cannot be properly balanced. He appears regularly in high-ranking pubs and is a common sight in the SEA DPC league.

He has one of the lowest win rates in the game at the moment, but that is not a proper reflection of this hero's strengths.

How to play IO

Players can start in the lane with regen for the carry and max Tether and Overcharge. They must use Relocate only if the carry is dying or wants to try and get kills on the enemy. After the carry leaves the lane, IO can stack camps and relocate to fights on the map to help out the team and get assist gold.

Players must rush Mekansm, as after completing the item, IO's saving potential is higher than any other hero in Dota 2. Positioning is everything for him. He must stick with the carry and not get picked off first in team fights. Players can upgrade Mekansm to Guardian Greaves, and after that, Solar Crest or Holy Locket are the best options.

If the game goes late and IO reaches level 25, a casual Desolator or Maelstrom will massively increase the team's damage output via the level 25 attacking talent. A Heart of Tarrasque is also insane on IO as it provides unlimited healing.

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#4 - Tusk

Tusk is one of the most picked heroes across most regions in the DPC leagues. He has a low win rate, but it increases massively in higher skill brackets.

Tusk is one of the only heroes in Dota 2 that can save, catch, disable and deal massive damage as support.

How to play Tusk

Tusk is one of the strongest level 1 heroes. Players can skill Tag Team and run at enemies trying to collect bounties to get the first blood. They can take a point off every skill and max Tag Team first.

Tusk players should also run at the enemy's support whenever they are out of position. He is a very strong ganker, so a rotation to mid at the 6-minute mark is suggested.

After making boots, Solar Crest is an excellent item as it increases the damage dealt by both Tag Team and Walrus Punch. Blink Dagger allows Tusk to save his carries from a distance and even enables the hero to initiate fights against enemy heroes.

Aghanim's Scepter is a tremendous late-game item, as its repositioning ability allows Tusk's team to get pick-offs. Snowball allows Tusk not to get caught in bad positions, and this synergy between all his abilities makes Tusk one of the most broken support heroes in Dota 2 7.29b.

#3 - Lion

Lion is the third-most picked hero in Dota 2, second if fans disregard Dawnbreaker. He has a decent win rate and has been regularly picked in all DPC leagues. He got some buffs in Dota 2 7.29, making him insanely good.

How to play Lion

Players must skill Earth Spike to secure a bounty rune. They can take Mana Drain at level 2 and start spamming both skills on enemies. Putting one point in Hex and two each on Earth Spike and Mana Drain helps continuously annoy enemies in the lane by constantly spamming these spells until the player gets his ultimate.

Getting a Blink Dagger helps initiate for the team. Players can use all spells as fast as possible since Lion dies very fast. They must try and get as many stacks of Finger of Death as possible.

They must remember not to rush Aghanim's Scepter. Instead, players can obtain Aghanim's Shard and Aether Lens to help out the team and get defensive items like Ghost Scepter and Glimmer Cape.

If the game goes late, only then should they make Aghanim's Scepter to clear out creep waves and deal massive AOE damage. As long as Lion gets all his spells off in a team fight, he will remain one of the most broken heroes in Dota 2.

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#2 - Ancient Apparition

The reason Ancient Apparition isn't number one on this list is that pro players don't use him that much. AA has the highest win rate in Dota 2 at the moment, and at over 55%, it is one of the highest for a support hero in Dota 2 history.

How to play Ancient Apparition

Players can start the lane with mana regeneration and Chilling Touch. They must spam Chilling Touch as much as possible to force the enemy into using their regeneration. Players can also use a point for every skill and try to hit the Cold Feet stun using both Chilling Touch and Ice Vortex in combination.

After reaching level 6, they have to keep an eye on the map and use their ultimate every time it's available to push out waves or simply harass heroes out of lanes. Mana regeneration items like Eul's Scepter and Aether Lens work best on this hero while saving items like Ghost Scepter and Glimmer Cape might be necessary too.

Late in the game, players can keep using Ice Blast in team fights to secure easy wins. They can get Aghanim's Shard to improve map control and Aghanim's Scepter to deal massive amounts of damage. The ultimate is AA's best ability as it counters several carries in Dota 2 and is what makes this hero broken.

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#1 - Grimstroke

After Grimstroke's Shard was reworked in 7.28, he became one of the strongest supports in Dota 2. He is one of the most contested heroes in the Dota 2 pro scene and has a great win rate in pubs, at over 50%.

How to play Grimstroke

Players must start the lane with Ink Swell and try to kill the enemy support with the carry whenever this ability is up. They must keep one point in Stroke of Fate and max Phantom's Embrace and Ink Swell first. Using all the skills in combination with the carry can secure kills in the lane.

Grimstroke's ultimate, Soul Bind, is one of Dota 2's most unique abilities. Players must use it on a lot to catch heroes and land as many double silences as possible. They must buy a shard as soon as it's available and spam the upgraded Ink Swell on core heroes in team fights. Players can also get an Aether Lens and other situational save items.

Grimstroke doesn't really need items to be useful, but Aghanim's Scepter can be a decent item in the late game. Blink Dagger also helps improve the hero's positioning on the map.

But the fact that the hero is so good even without items is why it is the most broken support in Dota 2.