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18.12.2023, 09:06
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Counterpicks to Lion in Dota 2

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.

Character Lion in Online Dota 2 Game

Playing Lion is not complicated, rivals rarely hunt the mage.

If a Lion encounter occurs when playing a nuker - a character with consequential damage- the mage doesn't stand a chance of survival.

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:

  • "Earth Spike" - stone spikes that stun the opponent and cause slight damage, depending on the ability's development level; Lion can stun the opponent for up to 2.2 seconds;
  • "Hex" - transforms the enemy into a frog that can't deal damage, loses control, and can't use abilities; transformation duration is up to 3.2 seconds;
  • "Mana Drain" - Steals mana from the rival, significantly slows the target or transfers mana to an ally. A levelled-up ability enables Lion to slow down the opponent by 50%; at the second tier of the effect, Lion drains mana from 3 opponents;
  • "Finger of Death" - a powerful single strike against the opponent; after second-tier activation, Lion can cause damage to 3 nearby opponents.

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.

Usage of 'HEX' ability by character Lion

Professional players rarely pick Lion – this character barely appears in significant Dota 2 tournaments. The win rate-performance ratio of Lion's Kills/Deaths doesn't exceed 45%.

 

Counter picking Lion in Dota 2

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.

Who counters Lion in Dota 2 the best: Top characters

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.

Earth Spirit — one of the top counter picks against Lion in Dota 2

From a gameplay efficiency standpoint, several characters prove to be beneficial against Lion:

  • Broodmother - one of the most formidable characters in the early stages of the game, capable of conjuring spiderlings that attack en masse and deal significant damage;
If Broodmother is leveled to 5 or higher, Lion will intentionally avoid clashing against her.
  • Viper - a character that is often fielded against magic-heavy heroes due to its extended attack range, which makes it possible to eradicate Lion from a distance and dodge the stun;
  • Lina - a powerful damage dealer with an increased attack speed, she eliminates quickly and is considered a dire threat to Lion.
When the damage-support duo encounters Lion, Lina obliterates the demonologist swiftly.

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.

Who Lion counters: which heroes are easiest to stop with the character

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.

Weaver Faceless Void - Weak character against Lion

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.

What are the effective items to counter Lion with?

To step up their counter-picking game against Lion, players arm themselves with supportive artefacts that stir negative impacts on the character's abilities:

  • Infused Raindrop – decreases susceptibility to magic damage and mitigates the risk posed by Lion's 'Earth Spike';
  • Black King Bar – enhances magic resistance, preventing mana drain from his 'Mana Drain' ability;
  • Pipe of Insight generates a protective aura for the team that blocks 300 splash units and penetrates magic damage.
In the event of playing a character with a small health pool, an Aeon Disk proves to be a useful defence against magic damage.

Rundown

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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