RIP your pubs.
Terrorblade is finally back in the Dota 2 pro meta after years of absence, but it's only thanks to adventurous support players claiming him as their own. Usually played exclusively as a carry, a new build is picking up steam on top-level pubs. Here’s a breakdown of the surprise new build, which pros are trying it, and if it could have an impact at DreamLeague Season 22.
Valve gave Terrorblade a ton of buffs and changes over the past two years, but it hasn’t been nearly enough. He still ranks as the worst hero in the game in pubs with the only win rate below 44%. However, thanks to the most recent round of buffs in patch 7.35c, pro players have found a new way to play the hero.
Will Terrorblade support take over DreamLeague Season 22?
Terrorblade support abuses the recently lowered cooldown on Reflection to dominate the lane before using his farming tools to pick up necessary items.
The new build is mostly being played by the following pro players.
- Erik "tOfu" Engel from Gaimin Gladiators
- Edgar "9Class" Naltakian from Tundra Esports
- Ivan "Kidaro" Bondarev
- Kirill "Hellscream" Lagutik from Nemiga
- Andrei "skem" Ong from Geek Fam
- Vsevolod "nattynarwhal_" Pelekh from Matreshka
The most common item route is Magic Wand and Tranquil Boots followed by Drums of Endurance or Urn of Shadows. These items are useful in pretty much every game. From there, pros branch out into items like Spirit Vessel, Boots of Bearing, Orchid Malevolence, Force Staff, Vladimir’s Aura, and more.
As for the skill build, pros go 1-1-1 before maxing out Reflection. Take Sunder as soon as you can and use illusions to scout enemy territory, push lanes, or deward from a distance. You can also spawn illusions right next to ward spots to get vision, allowing you to deward without placing an Observer.
Some of the pro players mentioned above, such as tOfu and 9Class, will compete at DreamLeague Season 22 starting on Feb. 25. It’s not clear if any of them intend to try out Terrorblade support on the big stage, but there’s a chance it could appear in the later stage of the group stage. The hero strongly punishes dual melee lanes, and the independent offlaner meta could support it. If it does start popping up in the pro scene, prepare to meet it in your pubs soon after.
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