Medusa: The Rising Star of Dota 2
Medusa has quickly become one of the most powerful heroes in the current Dota 2 meta. With recent changes to her abilities, she has become nearly unstoppable. In fact, only three heroes are able to effectively counter her in this patch.
In the latest patch on April 20 (Patch 7.33), Medusa’s starting Strength was reduced to zero. However, her Mana Shield is now a passive ability that absorbs 98% of all incoming damage. This makes her incredibly tanky and difficult to take down, especially once she reaches level 25 and selects the appropriate talent, increasing her damage absorption even further.
According to Dotabuff, Medusa currently has a positive winrate against almost all heroes except for three. This indicates just how strong she has become in the current meta.
Countering Medusa: Anti-Mage, Dark Seer, and Underlord
There are only three heroes that can effectively counter Medusa in the current patch: Anti-Mage, Dark Seer, and Underlord.
Anti-Mage has historically been a strong counter to Medusa, burning a percentage of her mana with each hit. His Mana Void ability has also been buffed to deal even more damage and stun duration. Anti-Mage’s mobility allows him to avoid Medusa’s Stone Gaze and finish her off if necessary.
Dark Seer is another hero that can counter Medusa. His ability to push lanes and control the map makes it difficult for Medusa to farm. His Wall of Replica ability allows him to use Medusa’s own power against her team, creating a more powerful version of Medusa to fight for his team.
Underlord is the best aura carrier in the current meta and can effectively counter Medusa. His Atrophy Aura reduces Medusa’s damage by a significant percentage, and his abilities like Pit of Malice and Firestorm control and damage her. His Fiend’s Gate ability can also catch Medusa off-guard, opening her up to a team gank.
Alternative Heroes to Counter Medusa
If the three counter heroes mentioned earlier are unavailable, there are alternative heroes rising in the meta that can still pose a threat to Medusa. Slark and Phantom Lancer with Diffusal Blade can quickly burn her mana pool and overwhelm her with illusions. Nyx Assassin’s changes allow him to burn a significant portion of Medusa’s mana pool with his Vendetta strike, making him a viable counter.
As the meta develops, more counters to Medusa may emerge. It will be interesting to see if Medusa can maintain her dominant status leading up to the next major tournaments.
Dota 2, Medusa, Hero counters, Anti-Mage, Dark Seer, Underlord, Slark, Phantom Lancer, Nyx Assassin