Weaver counters, Weaver, the elusive and nimble Dota 2 hero, often proves challenging to counter due to his high mobility, armor reduction capabilities, and survivability through his ultimate ability, Time Lapse. However, like every hero in Dota 2, Weaver has his own set of weaknesses that can be exploited with the right strategies, heroes, and item choices. This guide will break down Weaver’s strengths and weaknesses, counter strategies for various phases of the game, specific hero counters, and provide actionable tips to help you shut down this pesky hero effectively.
Understanding Weaver – Strengths and Weaknesses
Weaver’s Strengths
- High Mobility: Weaver’s skill Shukuchi allows him to move quickly, become invisible, and initiate or escape fights with ease.
- Damage Amplification: The Swarm ability harasses enemies, attaches bugs that reduce armor over time, and creates openings for his team.
- Survivability: With Time Lapse as his ultimate, Weaver can rewind his health and position to a previous state, making him deceptively hard to kill if not disabled properly.
Weaver’s Weaknesses
- Fragile Early Game: Weaver has low health, subpar movement speed without Shukuchi, and poor early-game regeneration, making him vulnerable to lane harassment.
- Vulnerability to Disables: Disables, stuns, and silences prevent Weaver from using Shukuchi and Time Lapse, rendering him highly susceptible to focused attacks.
- Low Attack Range: Weaver’s attacks are relatively short-ranged, meaning most of his harass relies on his abilities rather than direct trades, leaving him open to zoning strategies.
Effective Strategies to Counter Weaver
Early Game – Deny Weaver Farm and Limit His Impact
Harassment and Lane Control
- Pick ranged supports with disable capabilities, such as Jakiro, Disruptor, or Skywrath Mage, who can harass and zone Weaver away from creeps.
- Place Sentry Wards in the lane early to detect Shukuchi and prevent Weaver from escaping or hiding in trees.
- If laning against him, apply consistent pressure with two supports to deny Weaver free farm and experience.
Early Item Choices
- Medallion of Courage: Counteract the armor reduction from The Swarm while boosting your own team’s survivability anddamage.
- Solar Crest: An upgrade to Medallion, further amplifying physical damage output against Weaver.
- Glimmer Cape: Forces The Swarm bugs to drop off and reduces allied vulnerability to chase-down attempts with its invisibility.
Mid to Late Game – Shut Down Weaver with Control and Damage
Disables and Silences
- Heroes with silences, including Silencer, Drow Ranger, and Night Stalker, can severely hinder Weaver’s ability to use Shukuchi or Time Lapse.
- Chain stuns from heroes like Faceless Void, Legion Commander, or Lion can lock Weaver down until he is eliminated.
- Area-of-Effect (AoE) disables, such as Magnus’ Reverse Polarity, make it much easier to neutralize Weaver, especially during hectic team fights.
Nukes and Burst Damage
- High burst damage heroes like Zeus, Lion, or Phantom Assassin can take Weaver from full health to zero before he gets the chance to cast Time Lapse.
- Ability nukes work well, even when Weaver builds survivability items such as a Linken’s Sphere, since well-timed spells can bypass these defenses.
General Tips for Mid to Late Game
- Carry Dust of Appearance and Gem of True Sight to continuously reveal Weaver’s invisible movements with Shukuchi.
- Always communicate and coordinate with your team to ensure Weaver is focused and dealt with effectively during engagements.
Hero Counters to Weaver
Faceless Void
Faceless Void’s Chronosphere completely disables Weaver, preventing him from using any abilities, including his ultimate Time Lapse. This makes it one of the best tools against Weaver in clutch team fights.
Naga Siren
The ability Song of the Siren allows Naga Siren to catch Weaver or isolate him. Meanwhile, Mirror Image creates confusion, making it difficult for Weaver to focus his attacks effectively.
Rubick
Rubick’s spell-stealing ability is incredibly effective against Weaver, especially since he can steal impactful spells like Shukuchi. Rubick also has decent disables to slow Weaver down.
Silencer
Global Silence is a perfect ability to counter Weaver, as it prevents him from casting any abilities across the map. Weaver’s survivability significantly drops when silenced.
Drow Ranger
A long-range Sniper-like hero, Drow Ranger’s gust silences Weaver and forces him to stay in place. Combined with her powerful late-game physical damage, she’s a menace for Weaver to deal with.
Legion Commander
Duel locks Weaver in place and deals consistent damage in the process. If Legion Commander is farmed, Weaver won’t have a chance to escape or retaliate.
Night Stalker
Night Stalker’s silence during the night and ability to chase down Weaver with his movement speed bonus make him one of the most effective heroes for keeping Weaver in check.
Lion
Lion possesses multiple disables, including a long-duration stun and hex, both of which render Weaver helpless. His ability to deal burst damage with Finger of Death also helps counter Weaver’s low health pool.
How-to Guide – Counter Weaver Like a Pro
- Always carry detection items, such as Sentry Wards, Dust of Appearance, or a Gem of True Sight.
- Draft silences or stuns in your team composition to prevent Weaver’s escape.
- Use heroes with AoE or chain crowd-control abilities to lock Weaver down effectively.
- Create pressure in the early game to deny him farm and neutralize his mid-game power spike.
- In team fights, focus down Weaver before he activates Time Lapse.
- Invest in armor-reducing items to offset The Swarm debuff and cut down Weaver’s impact in sustained fights.
FAQ – Weaver Counters
What are Weaver’s biggest weaknesses?
Weaver struggles against silences, disables, and burst damage. His early game is also quite weak due to his low health and regeneration.
Which heroes are best at countering Weaver?
Heroes like Faceless Void, Silencer, Night Stalker, and Lion are among the best counters due to their disables, silences, and burst potential.
How can I prevent Weaver from escaping?
Use detection tools like Sentinel Wards, Dust of Appearance, or Gem of True Sight to reveal him during Shukuchi. Chain stuns and silences also prevent him from escaping.
What items should I prioritize when countering Weaver?
Items like Silver Edge, Glimmer Cape, Medallion of Courage, and Scythe of Vyse are great choices to disable and kill Weaver efficiently.
Is Weaver weak against AoE stuns?
Yes, AoE stuns from heroes like Earthshaker or Magnus are effective, as they can catch Weaver even during Shukuchi’s invisibility.
Does Linken’s Sphere make Weaver unkillable?
No, Weaver with Linken’s Sphere isn’t unkillable. Abilities that bypass Linken’s Sphere or rapid crowd control coordination can still take him down.
Can Weaver be countered in the late game?
Yes, Weaver can be countered in the late game with heroes that have consistent disables, silences, or burst damage. Any careless mistake on Weaver’s part can still be punished.
How important is shutting down Weaver in the early game?
Very important. A strong early game denial of farm can permanently cripple Weaver’s ability to scale and contribute effectively in the mid and late games.
Are illusion-based heroes good against Weaver?
Yes, illusion-based heroes like Naga Siren can confuse Weaver, making it more difficult for him to focus on the real threats in fights.
What should I avoid when countering Weaver?
Avoid focusing on Weaver without proper disables or detection. Chasing him endlessly without the right tools gives him time to regroup or set up counterattacks.
Source : Rank 1
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