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The offlaner role is very rewarding for Dota 2 players who prefer an aggressive playstyle. It is the offlaner's task in Dota 2 to initiate teamfights. To know when and where to initiate advantageous fights takes some good deliberation on the player's account.
For new players, the complexity of Dota 2 can be overwhelming. Thus, it is a good idea to pick a few simple heroes to practice with. Knowing a hero's abilities, especially when they are straightforward, allows players the headspace they need for better judgment calls.
The most straightforward offlaners of Dota 2
5) Slardar
Despite being among the best heroes for chasing a single target, Slardar is not picked much in the current Dota 2 meta. Slardar's limitation as an offlaner is his lack of large-scale control in a teamfight. But what he lacks in the area of effect disables, he more than compensates for with brute force and single-target lockdown. Slardar packs a mean punch, thanks to a passive bash, a stun, and the huge physical damage thanks to Corrosive Haze (R).
4) Axe
Since the 7.29 patch, Axe's resurgence into the Dota 2 meta has become impossible to overlook. Like Slardar, Axe also requires some good reaction timing on his Blink initiation. But other than this, Axe is simpler than one would assume. With the currently meta Manta-Shard build, all the player needs to do is pick their target, Blink in for a Berserker's Call (Q), Pop the Manta Style, and hit them with the illusions till they come into Culling Blade (R) threshold.
3) Necrophos
In the lower brackets of Dota 2, many core players prioritize physical damage as their weapon of choice. This is what makes Necrophos extremely relevant, as he counters all physical burst-heavy carries with an innate ghost scepter.
The only catch is that the player has to get in some practice in last-hitting, as the hero is highly momentum-reliant. The playstyle can also be explained in a breath: tear enemies down with sustained magic damage and finish them off with Reaper's Scythe, Necrophos' ultimate.
2) Bristleback
Mechanically speaking, Bristleback is among the easiest heroes of Dota 2. Spellcasting with him is a simple rhythm of mashing Q (Nasal Goo) and W (Quill Spray) while chasing down a single target. On top of this, what makes Bristleback beginner-friendly is his status as the tankiest Dota 2 hero while his back is turned.
Due to his passive nature, he gets a 40% reduction of all damage received on the rear side. Unless counter-drafted, Bristleback usually wins his lane, tanks up, and picks up his currently-meta Aghanim's Scepter upgrade to wreak havoc.
1) Tidehunter
Tidehunter's second skill, Kraken Shell, makes him arguably the most difficult hero to gank in Dota 2. Alongside a passive damage block, Tidehunter gets a free, strong dispel every time the damage dealt to him crosses a threshold (450 at max level).
To top it off, his ultimate, Ravage, is a great counter-initiation tool into any Dota 2 draft, able to single-handedly shift the tides of a teamfight.
