Tidehunter counters, Tidehunter is one of the most iconic tank heroes in Dota 2, known for his resilience, impactful teamfight abilities, and his potential to turn battles around with a well-timed Ravage. However, every hero in Dota 2 has their counters, and Tidehunter is no exception. By understanding Tidehunter’s strengths and weaknesses, along with the heroes and strategies that can counter him, players can effectively neutralize his impact in any given game. This guide provides a comprehensive look at how to counter Tidehunter in Dota 2, ensuring you’ll always be prepared to deal with this formidable hero.
Understanding Tidehunter – Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- High Durability: Tidehunter’s passive, Kraken Shell, enables him to block a portion of physical damage, making him highly tanky and resistant to physical attackers.
- Strong Teamfight Presence: His ultimate, Ravage, is a game-changing ability that deals hefty area-of-effect (AoE) damage and stuns all enemies caught within its range.
- Solid Laning Presence: Abilities like Anchor Smash and Gush provide harass, damage reduction, and kill potential in the laning phase.
- Natural Initiator: Tidehunter can lead the charge in teamfights with his tanky presence, ensuring his teammates follow up after his initiation.
Weaknesses
- Vulnerable to Magic Damage: Kraken Shell blocks only physical damage and debuffs, leaving Tidehunter exposed to magical damage bursts.
- Mana Dependent: His abilities, especially Ravage, have high mana costs. Keeping Tidehunter low on mana significantly diminishes his impact.
- Limited Long-Range Capabilities: Tidehunter is most effective in close combat; he struggles against heroes who can maintain their distance and deal damage from afar.
- Slow Movement: Tidehunter lacks mobility, making him easy to kite and less likely to escape unfavorable fights.
Best Hero Counters to Tidehunter
Countering Tidehunter begins with selecting the right heroes. Here are key hero categories and specific examples tailored to diminishing Tidehunter’s presence:
Magic Damage Dealers
Tidehunter’s Kraken Shell is only effective against physical damage, making magical damage-dealing heroes his natural counter.
- Puck: Puck’s combinationof magic damage and silence (via Waning Rift) can keep Tidehunter at bay, preventing him from using his Ravage.
- Lion: Lion’s arsenal of crowd control and massive burst damage (like Finger of Death) ensures that Tidehunter can be taken down before he has the chance to disrupt the fight.
- Lina: Lina’s high magical damage from her abilities, including Laguna Blade, makes her an excellent lineup choice against Tidehunter.
High Mobility Heroes
Heroes with mobility can dodge Tidehunter’s abilities and kite him effectively during fights.
- Anti-Mage: With Blink and Mana Break, Anti-Mage can burn Tidehunter’s mana, leaving him impotent during crucial teamfights.
- Queen of Pain: Equipped with Blink, Queen of Pain can evade Ravage and counter with magical damage from abilities like Sonic Wave.
Disablers and Silencers
Disabling or silencing Tidehunter before he unleashes Ravage can completely neutralize his effectiveness in teamfights.
- Bane: His abilities like Fiend’s Grip and Nightmare can be used to lock Tidehunter down before he initiates.
- Bloodseeker: With Rupture and silence from Blood Rite, Bloodseeker hampers Tidehunter’s ability to engage or escape.
Heroes with Strong Teamfight Abilities
If your team has heroes with superior teamfight tools, they can mitigate Tidehunter’s impact in fights while providing their own contributions to battles.
- Faceless Void: Chronosphere can lock Tidehunter down, rendering him useless during the ultimate’s duration.
- Ember Spirit: Ember Spirit’s mobility and AoE damage ensure he remains a constant threat in fights even if Tidehunter engages.
Specific Hero Matchups That Counter Tidehunter
While some heroes systemically counter Tidehunter, specific matchups are particularly effective due to their unique skill sets and synergies:
- Chen: With heals and creep-control, Chen ensures Tidehunter’s damage and disables don’t have as much impact on his team.
- Juggernaut: Juggernaut’s Blade Fury makes him immune to Ravage and physical damage, while his Omnislash can deal massive damage to Tidehunter.
- Omniknight: Abilities like Guardian Angel and Purification can completely nullify Tidehunter’s damage output in fights.
General Tips to Counter Tidehunter
- Deny Mana: Heroes like Anti-Mage and items like Diffusal Blade can drain Tidehunter’s mana pool, ensuring he can’t use Ravage during fights.
- Positioning is Key: Avoid clustering together in teamfights to reduce the impact of Ravage.
- Use Vision-Control: Warding effectively prevents Tidehunter from landing surprise Ravages.
- Pick Ranged Heroes: Long-range carries and supports can attack Tidehunter while staying out of his melee range.
How to Counter Tidehunter – A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1 – Pick the Right Heroes
As discussed earlier, countering Tidehunter in the draft phase can go a long way. Magic damage dealers, heroes with high mobility, and hard disablers should form the backbone of your lineup.
Step 2 – Focus on Positioning
Ravage can devastate a poorly positioned team. Spread out during engagements to minimize the number of heroes hit by Tidehunter’s ultimate.
Step 3 – Pressure Him in Lane
Shut Tidehunter down early by applying pressure during the laning phase. Use high-damage supports like Lion or ranged harassers to keep him under control.
Step 4 – Secure Vision
Place wards in key areas to spot Tidehunter’s movements. Knowing where he is allows your team to position correctly and prepare for potential fights.
Step 5 – Invest in Items
Items like Black King Bar (BKB) and Lotus Orb can protect against Ravage. Similarly, Spirit Vessel reduces his survivability by countering his natural tankiness.
Step 6 – Burst Him Down
Coordinate with your team to burst Tidehunter down before he can Ravage. Targeting Tidehunter first in fights is often an effective strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tidehunter Counters
What kind of damage is Tidehunter most vulnerable to?
Tidehunter is most vulnerable to magical damage, as his Kraken Shell only blocks physical damage and doesn’t mitigate magic spells.
Can Anti-Mage counter Tidehunter?
Yes, Anti-Mage is an excellent counter to Tidehunter. He can use Blink to dodge abilities and Mana Break to burn his mana, leaving him unable to cast Ravage.
How does positioning help against Tidehunter?
Good positioning minimizes the number of heroes caught in Ravage and allows your team to spread out damage effectively.
Which item is crucial for countering Ravage?
Black King Bar (BKB) is a crucial item to avoid being stunned by Ravage and ensure uninterrupted damage output in fights.
How do silences affect Tidehunter?
Silences prevent Tidehunter from using his abilities, including Ravage. Heroes like Bloodseeker and Puck can use silence effectively against him.
Is Tidehunter weak in the early game?
Yes, Tidehunter can be pressured in the laning phase as he relies on levels to become impactful. Harass him early with ranged supports and magical damage.
Does Chen counter Tidehunter?
Absolutely. Chen’s healing and creep utility reduce the effectiveness of Tidehunter’s AoE damage and Ravage.
Can ranged heroes effectively counter Tidehunter?
Yes, long-range heroes can kite Tidehunter, keeping a safe distance and dealing damage without being caught in Anchor Smash or Ravage.
How impactful is Tidehunter without mana?
Without mana, Tidehunter loses access to his abilities, including Ravage, which substantially diminishes his role in fights.
Which carry hero works well against Tidehunter?
Juggernaut is a great carry option against Tidehunter due to his immunity from Blade Fury and high burst damage with Omnislash.
Source : Dota 2 Scepter
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