Lycan counters, Lycan, the ferocious wolf-man of Dota 2, is a hero designed to dominate opponents with his unique blend of summons, speed, and sheer physical power during his ultimate, Shapeshift. However, as troublesome as Lycan can be when left unchecked, his weaknesses and predictable playstyle make him vulnerable to certain heroes, strategies, and itemizations. In this guide, we’ll dissect Lycan’s strengths and weaknesses, provide hero counters, outline general strategies to nullify his impact, and detail actionable tips on how to deal with this werewolf terror. Whether you’re a novice or a veteran, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the tools to counter Lycan effectively.
Lycan’s Strengths and Weaknesses – Analyze Before Countering
Strengths of Lycan
- High Mobility and Damage Output: Lycan’s ultimate, Shapeshift, grants him maximum movement speed, critical strike, and increased health regeneration, making him a formidable foe during teamfights or while chasing enemies.
- Summons for Harassment: Lycan’s wolves are a constant presence. These summons not only deal high physical damage but are capable of scouting and disrupting enemy supports.
- Pushing Strength: With wolves and his ability to summon additional units using Helm of the Dominator or Necronomicon, Lycan can quickly decimate enemy structures if left unattended.
Weaknesses of Lycan
- Early-Game Vulnerability: Lycan demands farm and levels to come online. He is susceptible to early aggression and struggles without his core items.
- Lack of AOE Damage: Lycan relies heavily on single-target attacks and his summons. He struggles against heroes capable of producing large-scale AOE damage.
- Counterable Ultimate: Despite his immense strength during Shapeshift, Lycan is not immune to stuns or disables, making crowd control (CC) abilities vital when dealing with him.
Hero Counters – Picks to Shut Down Lycan
Earthshaker – The AOE Disabler
Earthshaker is often cited as one of the most effective counters to Lycan. His abilities allow him to punish Lycan’s dependence on summons, especially in clustered fights.
- Fissure: Blocks Lycan’s escape paths, forcing him and his wolves to take extended routes.
- Echo Slam: Devastating against Lycan’swolves and summoned units, often turning fights around for Earthshaker’s team.
- Enchantment Totem: Amplifies Earthshaker’s damage, making him capable of bursting down Lycan even through his ultimate.
Broodmother – Out-Swarming the Summoner
Though often considered a niche pick, Broodmother excels as a counter to Lycan for two reasons: her ability to overwhelm with spiderlings and her superior farming capabilities.
- Spiderlings: Outnumber Lycan’s wolves and quickly burst them down, denying him farm and map control.
- Webs Mobility: Outmaneuvers Lycan on the map, allowing her to pressure lanes and objectives.
Winter Wyvern – The Anti-Pusher
Winter Wyvern is an excellent support hero against Lycan due to her ability to depush waves and control summons effectively.
- Splinter Blast: Quickly clears Lycan’s waves and wolves, neutralizing his pushing potential.
- Winter’s Curse: Forces Lycan’s allies to attack each other, denying his ability to dominate team fights during Shapeshift.
Legion Commander – Duel for Glory
Legion Commander thrives in isolating Lycan. Through her Duel ability, she can lock him down while rendering his mobility irrelevant, provided she has sufficient backup or scaling items.
- Duel: Prevents Lycan from escaping or using his summons effectively in team fights.
- Press the Attack: Acts as a purge to remove silences or crowd control applied by Lycan’s teammates.
Bloodseeker – The Punisher of Speed
Bloodseeker thrives against fast-moving heroes like Lycan. Through Rupture, he transforms Lycan’s maximum movement speed into a liability.
- Rupture: Prevents Lycan from freely chasing or escaping during Shapeshift.
- Blood Rite: Silences Lycan, limiting his ability to summon wolves or cast Howl.
Enchantress – The Summon Slayer
Enchantress is one of the best defensive heroes against Lycan. Her ability to steal creeps and tank physical damage makes her a frustrating opponent.
- Enchant: Takes control of Lycan’s summoned wolves or neutral creeps to deny him resources and control in fights.
- Untouchable: Negates Lycan’s high attack speed, reducing his effectiveness in duels.
Nature’s Prophet – The Global Nuisance
Nature’s Prophet applies pressure by focusing on macro gameplay and creating space, which can nullify Lycan’s usual snowball potential.
- Treants Swarm: Treants counter Lycan’s wolf summons while pushing lanes faster than Lycan can respond.
- Global Teleport: Punishes Lycan’s split-pushing strategy by matching or surpassing his mobility.
General Strategies – Outmaneuvering Lycan
Lockdown and Stuns Are Crucial
Lycan becomes much less effective when disabled. Picking heroes with long-range stuns and heavy crowd control ensures you can stop him in his tracks, even during Shapeshift. Stuns are particularly important because they bypass Lycan’s immunity to slowing effects.
Focus on Early Game Aggression
One of the most effective ways to counter Lycan is by pressuring him during the laning stage. Denying him farm and shutting down his early-game potential prevents him from acquiring core items, delaying his power spike.
Ward and Watch Roshan
Lycan is highly efficient at taking down Roshan early in the game. Ward Roshan and plan ambushes to deny Lycan the Aegis, which can significantly hinder his mid-game timings.
How-to Guide – Countering Lycan Step-by-Step
- Deny Lycan Farm: Pick aggressive offlaners or roaming supports to harass Lycan and prevent him from comfortably farming in the early game.
- Play the Vision Battle: Lycan thrives with superior vision. Invest in Sentry Wards and Dust to counter his scouting wolves.
- Defend Towers: Use heroes that excel at wave clearing, such as Tinker, Lina, or Underlord, to delay Lycan’s ability to push objectives.
- Control Roshan: Constant monitoring of the Roshan pit is essential since Lycan will attempt to claim the Aegis multiple times during the game.
- Teamfight Coordination: In team fights, prioritize locking down Lycan before he can activate Shapeshift or do significant damage.
FAQ – Lycan Counters
What are Lycan’s main weaknesses?
Lycan is weak in the early game, relies on farm to come online, and struggles against heroes with AOE damage and stuns.
How do I stop Lycan from farming?
Employ aggressive early-game strategies like harassment and camp-blocking with Sentry Wards to slow Lycan’s gold and experience gain.
Which items are good against Lycan?
Items like Shiva’s Guard, Ghost Scepter, Heaven’s Halberd, and Lotus Orb are effective. Shiva’s Guard mitigates physical DPS, while Ghost Scepter grants temporary immunity to physical damage.
Which supports counter Lycan effectively?
Winter Wyvern and Enchantress are great counter-picks as they can depush waves and deal with summoned wolves effectively.
Is Lycan vulnerable to silences?
Yes, silences prevent Lycan from summoning wolves or using Howl, which hinders his burst potential during fights.
How does Bloodseeker counter Lycan?
Bloodseeker’s Rupture forces Lycan to stand still or take immense damage if he moves, negating his speed advantage during Shapeshift.
What’s the best way to defend against Lycan’s split-pushing?
Heroes like Tinker, Nature’s Prophet, and Ember Spirit excel at defending against split-pushers by clearing creep waves and counter-initiating.
Can illusion-based heroes counter Lycan?
Yes, illusion-based heroes like Phantom Lancer can confuse Lycan, making it hard for him to focus on the real hero amidst the illusions.
How do I counter Lycan’s summons?
Pick heroes with strong AOE abilities, such as Earthshaker, Sand King, or Jakiro, to clear his wolf summons effectively.
What is Lycan’s weakness in teamfights?
Lycan relies on physical damage and his summons. Using stuns, slows, and AOE damage-focused heroes can limit his effectiveness during team fights.
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