The carry role in Dota 2’s patch 7.38c is packed with nuance. While many heroes fall into “average” territory, three cores have emerged as clear front-runners. Wraith King, Medusa, and Lifestealer top the charts thanks to their scaling, stability, and ease of execution—three factors that define S-tier success in both pro and pub play.
Let’s break down what makes each of these heroes so dominant and how you can use them to crush games and climb MMR.
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Wraith King: The Undisputed Farming Machine
Few heroes have benefited more from recent tweaks than Wraith King. His Bone Guard facet now allows skeletons to stay active nearly full-time. Combined with a simple item progression and game plan, Wraith King’s skeletons practically play the game for you.
Why He’s S Tier
- Insane farm speed with permanentskeleton uptime
- Low execution: You don’t need to micro or hit complex spell timings
- Amazing talents: Bonus stun duration, slow duration, and attack speed
- Versatile itemization: Blade Mail, Radiance, Blink, and S&Y
Whether you’re ahead or behind, Wraith King always finds his way back into the game with farm and reliable impact.
Medusa: Unkillable and Unstoppable
Medusa continues her reign as one of the most dominant scaling cores, with incredible synergy between her item builds and facets. While Venomous Volley is the most common facet in safe lane, Undilation sees more offlane usage. Either way, she scales exceptionally well.
Why She’s S Tier
- Massive late-game impact, even from behind
- Simple mechanics, hard to burst down
- Item flexibility: Manta, Skadi, Butterfly, Mjolnir
- Offlane and safe lane viability
While early aggression can shut her down, once she gets to her Manta/Skadi timing, Medusa becomes a raid boss.
Lifestealer: Nerfed but Not Broken
Despite a series of nerfs, Lifestealer still has what it takes to top win rate charts. His innate tankiness, scaling from kills, and item build around Radiance and Sange & Yasha give him reliable power throughout the game.
Why He’s S Tier
- Naturally tanky, with status resistance and HP scaling
- Infest bombs provide initiation or escape
- Easy to execute, but strong scaling into midgame
- Works well in almost any draft
If you’re looking for a consistent hero to carry from the 15-minute mark through the late game, Lifestealer is a safe and smart pick.
How These Heroes Win You Games
The defining traits of these S-tier carries are:
- Scalability: All three heroes scale without needing perfect laning phases
- Simplicity: They’re not overly complex—great for pubs
- Tempo Flexibility: While they’re late-game monsters, they can fight if needed
- Item Synergy: All three get stronger with Radiance, Blade Mail, or S&Y
Whether you’re trying to grind ranked or just find a reliable go-to pick in this patch, these three are guaranteed to deliver.
FAQs
Q: Are Wraith King, Medusa, and Lifestealer good in low MMR?
A: Absolutely. All three are easy to execute and excel in chaotic fights.
Q: What’s the best item build for Wraith King?
A: Blade Mail + Radiance + S&Y + Blink is the core progression.
Q: Is Medusa better in offlane or safelane?
A: Offlane Medusa with Undilation is trendy, but Venomous Volley in safe lane is still the standard.
Q: What’s Lifestealer’s timing?
A: Once you hit Radiance or S&Y, Lifestealer becomes teamfight ready and scales from there.
In patch 7.38c, carry is all about consistency. And in a field of B-tier flexibility, these three heroes dominate through simplicity, strength, and synergy.
