Lion is a popular character among Dota 2 newcomers due to its ease of control and the presence of magical effects. You could call Lion a supporting character - most of the hero's abilities are passive. While the character might not deal heavy damage, it saps opponents' energy and stun them.
Paired with heroes known for high damage, Lion becomes particularly dangerous. Playing against Lion is not difficult once you know what effects and skills to counter the character with. With the right strategy, you can defeat the Lion at any game stage.
Lion in Dota 2 is an iconic support hero known for his crowd control abilities and high magic damage output. This hero remains a common sight in professional tournaments and public matches due to his versatile kit. His three active skills provide a mix of damage and control, allowing him to take on various roles in team fights.
He can silence opponents with Hex, make them vulnerable with Earth Spike, and even completely take out a hero with his ultimate Finger of Death.
With the right items, Lion becomes an even more significant threat, capable of shutting down carries and creating opportunities for his team. In conjunction with a skilled player, Lion can influence the course of the game significantly.
Encounters with this hero have led to some of the most memorable moments in Dota 2 history, etching Lion's name as a game-changer in the esports arena. With a potent mix of spells that can disrupt the enemy and a big payoff for successful plays, he continues to dominate the meta, offering excitement and unpredictability to every match.
Lion is a mage who's utilised as support for the main characters. This hero has moderate healing abilities, reduced damage, and low attack range.
Playing Lion is not complicated, rivals rarely hunt the mage.
Lion is helpful as a support character due to his ability to stun. In combination with a strong core player, Lion becomes a formidable opponent.
Lion has four magical effects in his arsenal:
When playing Lion, the sequence combination is "Earth Spike" + "Finger of Death" + "Hex" + "Mana Drain" + "Finger of Death". Lion stuns, strikes, turns into a frog, drains mana, renews effects, and then strikes again.
Counter picks – those characters, abilities, and artifacts, that come in handy when playing against Lion. Lion poses a threat with his stun ability – the opponent needs to keep a considerable distance, evading stun and using long-range attacks. Without his stun, Lion becomes virtually useless.
Lion becomes especially dangerous after acquiring the “Blink Dagger” or the “Shadow Blade” artefacts, which allow him to approach an opponent stealthily – it would be impossible to evade Lion's stun in this case. On The Mid Your gaming strategy against Lion on the mid is that if you encounter him one-on-one, you need to eliminate him as quickly as possible. If you are up against Lion and a damage-dealer in a pair, avoiding fighting, retreating, or diverting your opponents to a teammate is better.
When Lion is paired with an ally, the strategy would be to take Lion down first and then defeat the damage dealer who is left without support. Always try to take Lion down first; it's better to deal damage in a pair without using magic effects – Lion is the most vulnerable to physical damage.
On The Line Lion's efficiency noticeably diminishes on the line. After just 10–15 minutes of mutual farm, he can't hold a candle to core heroes. When playing as Lion, experienced players don't go solo on the line; it's justified only when he's accompanied by 2 damage-dealers. If a healer in the team can mend allies, two damage-dealers can pose a substantial obstacle for the opponents. The gaming strategy won't change – the opponent will decide to take Lion down first.
Lion is adeptly countered by characters with stun resistance effects, namely Abaddon and Legion Commander. Earth Spirit is another potent contender against Lion, with his ability to displace himself and the adversary to an ally. If Spirit relocates the mage to a teammate damage dealer, Lion would be powerless to respond.
From a gameplay efficiency standpoint, several characters prove to be beneficial against Lion:
For other characters playing against Lion, it suffices to keep a distance and gradually build artefacts that decrease magic penetration damage and help evade stun.
Lion can be implemented against those characters which have an enhanced attack speed and swift movement at the cost of their abilities.
The wizard's main targets will be Morphling, Anti-mage, Storm Spirit, or Weaver Faceless Void, if the heroes assemble damage artifacts ignoring defense against penetrating attacks. Thanks to his two stunning abilities, Lion will deprive opponents of the ability to use effects for dealing damage - Lion will either kill first or flee.
Lion has shown to perform well against characters that create illusions. The most vulnerable illusionists for the hero include Terrorblade, Phantom Lancer, and Naga Siren. Leveraging his 'HEX' ability, Lion annihilates illusions in team fights and permits allies to eliminate the prime target.
To step up their counter-picking game against Lion, players arm themselves with supportive artefacts that stir negative impacts on the character's abilities:
Lion is not the most potent support character in Dota 2. It is a go-to selection for rookie players.
Countering Lion can be accomplished with any hero if the strategy is followed. If a seasoned pro is driving Lion, an efficient counter-pick with a mage-buster gear setup should suffice.
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