Bounty Hunter counters, Bounty Hunter is one of the most intriguing and frustrating heroes to play against in Dota 2. His stealthy nature, high burst damage, and map-level impact through his Track ability make him a formidable opponent. However, like all heroes, Bounty Hunter has distinct weaknesses and specific counters that players can exploit to neutralize his effectiveness. In this guide, we dive deep into the strategies, hero counters, itemization, and gameplay techniques needed to counter Bounty Hunter successfully and dominate your games.
Understanding Bounty Hunter – Strengths and Abilities
Before delving into counters, it’s essential to understand what makes Bounty Hunter a threat in Dota 2. By grasping his abilities and strengths, you can better anticipate his moves and play around his strengths. Below is a breakdown of his core abilities:
Shuriken Toss
This ability is Bounty Hunter’s bread-and-butter nuke. It deals significant damage and applies a slow debuff, which hampers both the movement speed and attack speed of his target. Shuriken Toss is particularly dangerous in skirmishes and fights involving a Tracked enemy, as it bounces between all visible Tracked targets.
Shadow Walk
Shadow Walk allows Bounty Hunter to become invisible for a significant duration. Upon breaking invisibility with a physical attack, he deals bonus damage to his target. This ability enables him to roam the map, gank unaware targets, and secure kills while remaining concealed in critical moments during team fights.
Track
Track is arguably Bounty Hunter’s most impactful ability in a team context. It provides vision of the targeted enemy hero, including true sight even if they go invisible. Additionally, all allies near the Tracked target gain bonus movement speed, and Bounty Hunter’s team receives additional gold if the Tracked target is killed. Track rewards aggression and snowball-oriented gameplay, making Bounty Hunter a dangerous hero in coordinated skirmishes.
Bounty Hunter’s Weaknesses
Despite his strengths, Bounty Hunter has vulnerabilities that you can exploit to gain the upper hand in games:
- Reliance on Abilities: Bounty Hunter’s value is heavily tied to his abilities, particularly his invisibility andTrack. Disabling or silencing him severely hampers his effectiveness.
- Squishy Nature: Bounty Hunter is a relatively fragile hero with low health and armor values early in the game. Heroes with burst damage can take him down before he has a chance to react.
- Item Reliance: To shine later in the game, Bounty Hunter depends on gold from successful Track kills and core items like Shadow Blade or Black King Bar to maintain his impact.
Top Heroes to Counter Bounty Hunter
To shut down Bounty Hunter effectively, there are specific heroes well-equipped to counter his abilities and playstyle. Here’s a detailed list of heroes that excel against him:
Disable and Silence Heroes
- Bane: Bane’s Fiend’s Grip is an ideal counter to Bounty Hunter as it silences and stuns him, leaving no room for escape. Additionally, Bane’s Enfeeble reduces the effectiveness of Bounty Hunter’s physical attacks.
- Lion: Lion possesses two valuable disables: Hex and Earth Spike. Both abilities ensure that Bounty Hunter cannot capitalize on his invisibility or escape potential.
- Bloodseeker: Bloodseeker’s Rupture prevents Bounty Hunter from maneuvering freely, and his Thirst ability reveals Bounty Hunter’s position even while he is invisible, as long as his health is low.
High Burst Damage Heroes
- Anti-Mage: Anti-Mage excels at dealing burst mana burn damage through his Mana Void, which punishes Bounty Hunter’s low mana pool. His mobility also makes him hard for Bounty Hunter to catch.
- Juggernaut: Juggernaut’s Omnislash works extremely well against fragile heroes like Bounty Hunter. Combined with his Blade Fury, Juggernaut can survive Bounty Hunter’s initiation and turn fights in his favor.
Heroes with True Sight or Invisibility Detection
- Drow Ranger: While not directly providing detection, Drow’s naturally high damage output combined with items like Dust of Appearance can neutralize Bounty Hunter’s ability to stay hidden.
- Slardar: Slardar’s Corrosive Haze grants vision of invisible heroes like Bounty Hunter, making it much easier to remove him from fights.
Specific Counter Matchups
- Medusa: Medusa’s durability makes her a tough target for Bounty Hunter. With her mana shield and ability to buy a Scythe of Vyse, she can turn unfavorable fights.
- Bristleback: As a tanky hero who thrives in prolonged fights, Bristleback can withstand Bounty Hunter’s burst damage and shrug him off with minimal impact.
General Strategies to Counter Bounty Hunter
Besides hero picks, there are strategic adjustments you can implement to reduce Bounty Hunter’s impact:
Itemization
- Dust of Appearance: Provides temporary true sight, neutralizing Bounty Hunter’s Shadow Walk.
- Gem of True Sight: A more permanent solution to counter invisibility, especially in coordinated teams. However, guard it carefully to avoid losing it in the event of a team wipe.
- Orchid Malevolence: Silences Bounty Hunter, keeping him vulnerable and unable to use his abilities.
- Force Staff: Offers mobility to escape when afflicted by Track or caught in a gank.
Team Coordination
- Stick together to avoid solo pick-offs.
- Share detection items like Sentries among support players.
- Bait Bounty Hunter into traps by keeping lower-health allies well-protected with disables and burst heroes nearby.
How to Counter Bounty Hunter – A Step-by-Step Approach
- Draft Wisely: Pick heroes that either thrive with disables, true sight, or tankiness to survive Bounty Hunter’s quick bursts.
- Buy Detection Early: Purchase Dust, Sentries, and a Gem as soon as Bounty Hunter becomes active on the map.
- Secure Vision: Establish map control with wards and dewards to prevent Bounty Hunter from roaming freely.
- Control the Tempo: Avoid giving Bounty Hunter easy Track kills by sticking together and always having sufficient backup in engagements.
- Counter-Initiate: Maintain heroes with strong counter-initiation abilities, like Lion, to turn Bounty Hunter’s aggressive plays against him.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bounty Hunter Counters
What are the best heroes to counter Bounty Hunter?
Heroes like Bane, Lion, and Bloodseeker are particularly effective because they can disable or reveal him while neutralizing his strengths.
How can I deal with Bounty Hunter’s invisibility?
Use detection items like Dust of Appearance, Sentry Wards, and Gem of True Sight to reveal him and mitigate his stealth advantage.
Is Bounty Hunter strong in the late game?
Bounty Hunter’s strength diminishes slightly in the late game if the enemy team has sufficient detection and tanky heroes. However, his Track gold remains impactful.
What items should I prioritize against Bounty Hunter?
Items like Force Staff, Glimmer Cape, Orchid Malevolence, and defensive items help mitigate Bounty Hunter’s damage and chase potential.
How do I prevent my team from giving away Track gold?
Stick together, play around vision, and avoid unnecessary Solo plays to prevent Bounty Hunter from exploiting weak links in your team.
Which support heroes are good counters to Bounty Hunter?
Supports like Lion, Witch Doctor, and Bane shine against Bounty Hunter due to their disable and survivability potential.
Does Slardar’s Amplify Damage counter Bounty Hunter?
Yes, Slardar’s Amplify Damage reveals invisible heroes like Bounty Hunter, making him much easier to track during fights.
Are tanky carries good against Bounty Hunter?
Yes, tanky heroes like Medusa and Bristleback can absorb his damage and make it difficult for him to secure quick kills.
Can mobility heroes counter Bounty Hunter?
Heroes with high mobility like Anti-Mage and Storm Spirit can evade ganks from Bounty Hunter and punish him during fights.
What is the best strategy to avoid getting snowballed by Track kills?
Prioritize detection, map control, and high-durability team compositions to deny Track gold and nullify Bounty Hunter’s early-to-mid game spike.
Source : DotTa 3
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