Invoker counters, Invoker is one of the most iconic heroes in Dota 2, known for his versatility and high skill ceiling. With access to ten unique spells, Invoker can adapt to almost any situation, making him a formidable opponent. However, playing against Invoker can feel overwhelming, especially if you are not familiar with the strategies or hero picks that counter his playstyle. In this guide, we’ll break down the best ways to counter Invoker, covering hero picks, item builds, strategic tips, and more. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned player, understanding how to deal with Invoker can drastically improve your success rate in games where he is present.
Understanding Invoker – An Overview of His Strengths
To counter Invoker effectively, it’s essential to understand his primary strengths:
- Versatility: Invoker can adjust his playstyle to the game’s needs, whether through crowd control, burst damage, or utility spells.
- High Burst Damage: Combos like *Sun Strike*, *Chaos Meteor*, and *Deafening Blast* can quickly eliminate squishy targets.
- Global Presence: With *Sun Strike*, Invoker can contribute to fights across the map, punishing poor positioning or low health bars.
- Scalability: Invoker improves significantly as the game progresses, benefiting from levels, items, and the coordination of his team.
While these attributes make Invoker a challenging opponent, understanding his weaknesses is key to formulating a successful counter strategy.
Exploiting Invoker’s Weaknesses
Although Invoker is a strong hero, he is not without flaws. Here are his main vulnerabilities:
- Fragility: Invoker has low base health and armor, making him an easy target for burst damage or sustained attacks.
- Reliance on Skill Timing: Invoker needs precise execution to maximize his impact. Disrupting his rhythm with silences or stuns can significantly reduce his effectiveness.
- Dependence on Farm and Levels: Invoker’s power spike can be delayed by effective lane control and repeated ganks.
- Inherent Mana Dependency: Most of Invoker’s spells require substantial mana. Heroes or items that deplete mana can hamper his ability to engage effectively.
Hero Counters – Best Picks Against Invoker
Early Game Counters
Early game heroes that can pressure Invoker during the laning phase often perform well against him. Here are top picks for shutting down Invoker in the early stages:
- Zeus: Zeus’s long-range abilities like *Arc Lightning*and *Lightning Bolt* allow him to continuously harass Invoker, making it difficult for him to farm safely. Zeus excels further with *Thundergod’s Wrath*, which provides global kill potential.
- Templar Assassin: With *Psi Blades* and *Refraction*, Templar Assassin can trade damage favorably against Invoker. Her armor and damage block from *Refraction* make her a challenging opponent during the early game.
- Viper: Viper’s *Poison Attack* and *Corrosive Skin* render Invoker’s harass ineffective while giving him a significant edge in lane trades.
- Nyx Assassin: Using *Mana Burn*, Nyx can deplete Invoker’s mana pool, and *Spiked Carapace* stuns Invoker whenever he casts a damaging spell. This significantly reduces Invoker’s ability to use his combos effectively.
- Silencer: Silencer is a spellcaster’s worst nightmare. His *Arcane Curse* and *Last Word* not only deal damage over time but silence Invoker, disrupting his ability to execute his spell combos.
Late Game Counters
The late game requires heroes who can either survive Invoker’s burst damage or render him ineffective in team fights. Here are the best counters:
- Anti-Mage: Anti-Mage’s *Mana Break* and *Spell Shield* mitigate Invoker’s damage output, while *Mana Void* punishes his large mana pool.
- Doom: Doom’s ultimate ability, *Doom*, disables Invoker’s use of abilities and items, making him a sitting duck in team fights.
- Faceless Void: *Chronosphere* effectively locks Invoker in place, ensuring he cannot escape or retaliate during the duration. Faceless Void excels at shutting down squishy heroes during this stage of the game.
- Night Stalker: At night, Night Stalker’s *Hunter in the Night* and *Crippling Fear* make him a nightmare for spell-dependent heroes like Invoker, silencing him and preventing effective counterplay.
- Bounty Hunter: With *Track*, Bounty Hunter reveals Invoker even if he turns invisible with *Ghost Walk*. The extra gold from *Track* assists in snowballing an advantage.
Best Items to Counter Invoker
Items play a crucial role in mitigating Invoker’s threat. Here are must-have item choices:
- Black King Bar (BKB): Grants magic immunity, nullifying all of Invoker’s damage-dealing spells during the duration.
- Orchid Malevolence: Quick silence from this item interrupts Invoker’s ability to use spells and increases incoming damage from your attacks.
- Glimmer Cape: Provides invisibility and magic resistance, allowing you to avoid Invoker’s spell combos.
- Blade Mail: Reflects spell damage back to Invoker, punishing him for focusing you in fights.
- Hood of Defiance: Reduces incoming magical damage or absorbs a significant amount of spell damage.
- Rod of Atos: Roots Invoker in place, making him vulnerable to attacks and disabling his mobility.
General Strategies to Counter Invoker
Beyond hero picks and items, understanding how to play against Invoker is equally important. Here are some general strategies:
- Apply Constant Pressure: Invoker thrives on time and space to farm. Frequent ganks and lane harassment can prevent him from scaling quickly.
- Control Vision: Maintain map control with wards and sentries to counter Invoker’s *Ghost Walk* escapes.
- Prioritize Silences and Stuns: Spells that disable or restrict Invoker’s ability to cast are crucial in neutralizing his team fight effectiveness.
- Communicate with Your Team: Coordinate with your peers to layer crowd control and prevent Invoker from initiating or counterattacking.
How to Play Against Invoker – Step-by-Step Guide
- Draft Appropriately: Choose heroes with silences, stuns, or high burst damage to counter Invoker during the draft phase.
- Ward Aggressively: Place observer wards in areas where Invoker is likely to gank or farm.
- Harass During the Laning Phase: Pick heroes that excel at poking and denying farm, such as Zeus or Viper.
- Deny Power Runes: Prevent Invoker from gaining runes that can change the tide of the mid-game.
- Stick as a Group: Play as a team during the mid and late game to nullify Invoker’s potential AoE impact.
Invoker Counters – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I counter Invoker’s *Ghost Walk*?
Buy detection items like *Sentry Wards*, *Dust of Appearance*, or *Gem of True Sight*. Heroes like Bounty Hunter or Slardar are also excellent for revealing invisible targets.
What heroes work best when laning against Invoker?
Zeus, Viper, and Templar Assassin are some of the strongest laners against Invoker due to their abilities to harass and zone him effectively.
Is Black King Bar the best item to counter Invoker?
Yes, BKB’s magic immunity can make Invoker’s spells ineffective, ensuring safety during team fights.
How do I prevent Invoker from snowballing?
Regularly gank him during the early-mid game, deny him farm, and focus on controlling power runes.
What’s the best way to disrupt Invoker’s combos?
Silences (e.g., Silencer’s abilities or Orchid Malevolence) and stuns are the best tools to disrupt his combos.
Can mana burn heroes counter Invoker effectively?
Yes, Anti-Mage and Nyx Assassin shine as counters because they deplete Invoker’s mana, limiting his ability to cast spells.
Is it better to avoid fights with Invoker mid-game?
Avoid fighting Invoker until you have the right items (e.g., BKB or Glimmer Cape) and focus on farming or pressuring other lanes instead.
How do I deal with *Sun Strike* during laning and ganks?
Keep an eye on your health, and use healing items (like Tangoes or Healing Salves) to avoid dying to *Sun Strike* snipes.
Should I focus Invoker first in team fights?
Yes, shutting down Invoker early in a fight prevents him from unleashing his combos, often securing the team fight for your side.
Are invisibility heroes good against Invoker?
Invisibility heroes can be useful, but keep in mind that Invoker often carries detection like *Dust* or *Sentries*. Be strategic in your approach.
By following these strategies and applying the tips shared above, you’ll be better equipped to dominate games against Invoker. Remember, practice makes perfect, and countering Invoker effectively often comes down to experience and preparation.
Source : hOlyhexOr
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