The Best 13 Dota 2 Heroes For Beginners 2024
This game is like an ocean - it’s super deep, from the mechanics to the variety of playing experiences. But to get that gaming joy, you need to climb the high mountains of skill-development. Although not many gamers will pass such a tough test. If only they knew Dota 2 beginner heroes… That’s why we’ve put together this Dota 2 guide to help you reach the rewarding stage where you get to think “I can play Dota 2” faster and easier.
- Abaddon
- Bristleback
- Crystal Maiden
- Dragon Knight
- Lich
- Lion
- Ogre Magi
- Phantom Assassin
- Sniper
- Sven
- Tidehunter
- Vengerful Spirit
- Wraith King
The game has 119 heroes, and the truth is that most of them are too difficult for newcomers. Let’s take a look at the 13 best Dota 2 characters to start your adventure. Use them to grasp the game principles.
Abaddon
- Offlaner / Roamer
- Strength
- Melee
This is a dark creature who takes his power from the mystical black mist. Abaddon can perform various roles in the game thanks to his versatile abilities, but players mostly use him on the Hard Lane or as Support.
For beginners, this hero gives a feeling of power. Choose him to join battles and he’ll kill quite a few creeps and heroes. Abaddon also has a good level of protection, so for opponents, it’s not so easy to kill him.
The ability Mist Coil damages enemies or heals teammates but takes some amount of health. With Aphotic Shield, Abaddon creates a layer of magical energy around his allies. It protects for a while and then bursts, damaging attackers. The strike Curse of Avernus slows the enemies down and can silence them if it hits four times.
Try to level up Abaddon fast, so he will become much more effective as an Offlaner.
Bristleback
- Offlaner / Carry
- Strength
- Melee
This hedgehog-like creature is very good for beginners who want to stay in battles for a long time and make lots of kills. Bristleback is a very durable Dota 2 hero thanks to his significant amount of health.
His past was filled with fights - not for the glory but just to keep order in a tavern. Once Bristleback was defeated by a powerful opponent, and that turned out to be the beginning of his training for becoming one of the Dota 2 easiest heroes. The guy learned to use his back as a kind of shield and his quills as dangerous bullets.
In game matches, Bristleback uses the ability Viscous Nasal Goo to slow the opponents down and reduce their armor - as they become covered in sticky snot. With Quill Spray, he shoots quills around and deals even bigger damage in the case of multiple hits. Two passive abilities protect the hero and make him a bit more effective in offense:
- Bristleback, for taking less damage while attacked from the back;
- Warpath for becoming stronger and faster after casting a spell.
Bristleback is among the best dota 2 hero for beginners for the Offlaner role. Along with staying on the lane, he can farm in the forest.
Crystal Maiden
- Support
- Intelligence
- Ranged
As a little girl, Crystal Maiden couldn’t control her extraordinary freezing power. She caused lots of damage and trouble, so her parents sent her to an icy realm. After studying magic from an Ice Wizard, Crystal Maiden became a dangerous hero, and is now one of the best beginner Dota 2 heroes.
On the one hand, she is rather slow and fragile, so players should avoid hot battles. On the other hand, Crystal Maiden helps immensely the whole team, and especially Dota 2 carries by slowing enemies and restoring mana to teammates.
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Crystal Nova is a helpful ability to slow opponents and decrease their attack rate. Frostbite covers one enemy in frost and deals damage. Arcane Aura is an excellent ability for a support in Dota 2 - it helps to restore mana for the whole team, and it’s a passive one. Freezing Field is a really powerful ultimate attack that creates dreadful icy explosions, damages, and slows down opponents in a big territory.
Pick up Crystal Maiden if you want to practice quite a difficult but very important role of support. Keep the ability Freezing Field as a “secret” weapon for situations when you can’t escape mass fights.
Dragon Knight
- Midlaner
- Strength
- Melee
The game itself offers this hero for beginners - you play with him in the starting tutorial. Then, in multiplayer Dota 2, Dragon Knight remains the same, accessible and effective.
Despite having an average amount of health, this hero can stay in his lane for a long time without returning to the base - thanks to the passive ability of health regeneration. Also, Dragon Knight is fast and has a very good defense.
After killing the most powerful but very, very old dragon, this guy was blessed by the creature and took his might inside. Time after time, the Knight can transform into various dragons and use their skills in Dota 2 matches.
Breathe Fire helps Dragon Knight damage a few opponents at once. Dragon Tail is a hit by the shield to stun the victim. Elder Dragon Form allows turning into three types of dragons.
Dragon Knight is one of must-play Dota heroes. With him, you stay alone on the lane to gain more experience in one particular match and also in Dota 2 in general - maybe you will be able to level up until you join one of the richest esports organizations. For effective use of the ability Elder Dragon Form, don’t forget to buy the item Black King Bar.
Lich
- Support
- Intelligence
- Ranged
He is a Lord of ice and frost. A very long time ago, when Lich was still alive, he threatened mighty lands with his frost magic. After being captured and spending countless years in an abyss, he returned as an undead, which is even more dangerous for everyone around.
Beginners can use such might to learn the role of Dota 2 support and help a carry on the Easy Lane. Lich has easy-to-use abilities, he can defend towers very well, and supports his teammates during team fights.
The ability Frost Blast hits enemies with an icy cold, which damages and slows them down. Frost Shield is protection from attacks. Lich can hypnotize an enemy with Sinister Gaze to make them move closer and will drain out their mana. Chain Frost is a powerful ultimate ability - a magical sphere flies between opponents and damages them, each time coming back harder.
Lich is a very good support character. Here are some pieces of advice for Lich Dota 2:
- Avoid big battles with him - the guy has low defense and does not have any escape abilities.
- Control your mana consumption in the early game. The abilities of Lich are quite demanding for this resource.
- Use Chain Frost only on a group of enemies for better effectiveness.
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Lion
- Support
- Intelligence
- Ranged
As a powerful magician, Lion was once seduced by a demon. Sweet promises made the guy commit terrible crimes, but in the end, the demon betrayed his victim. In a fury, Lion went to hell and destroyed the deceiver. After returning back, he was transformed into a dangerous beast - quite a hero for Dota 2 matches.
For beginners, Lion may seem difficult to control - he has four active abilities. Still, they are straightforward, so you can become effective in the game with such a support hero. You will stay on the Easy Lane with a carry and assist your partner with the mana-draining ability, stuns, and even powerful damage.
Lion can use Earth Spike to stun an enemy and Hex to turn them into a frog. These two abilities come together very well - opponents will not be able to escape attacks of the carry. Unlike other Dota characters, Lion will not feel a lack of mana - he can take it away from his enemies thanks to Mana Drain. The ultimate ability of Lion, Finger of Death is very dangerous. It deals a lot of damage and becomes stronger the more you use it.
Learn to combine the abilities of this guy for attacking opponents but stay safe from their weapons. Lion is one of the Dota 2 best supports - you may find yourself using him even after successfully passing your beginner stage.
Ogre Magi
- Support
- Intelligence
- Melee
Ogre Magi has a big amount of health and a very good level of defense. Along with three easy-to-use active abilities, this makes him one of the best Dota 2 beginner heroes.
This huge creature has two heads, which is a rare and very happy occasion for his kind - two brains make him cleverer than other ogres (but let’s not call him really clever). His mighty and helpful abilities are great to learn Dota 2 mechanics.
Fireblast burns opponents to damage and stun them. Ignite uses special chemicals to cause pain for enemies and slow them down. The ability Bloodlust is a serious help for teammates - they get a bigger movement and attack speed.
Ogre Magi can cast Bloodlust on himself and towers. Multicast is a passive one and allows the use of abilities multiple times.
You may feel like there’s a lack of money due to the support role of Ogre Magi, and although it is better to try and earn more - with good items, this hero becomes much stronger.
Phantom Assassin (Carry)
- Carry
- Strength
- Melee
The role of Carry is a challenging one for beginners, but you should start learning it anyway if you plan to become a good Dota 2 player. Phantom Assassin is a good carry hero to start with.
She belongs to a mysterious order of Veiled Sisters who kill different random people for obscure reasons - probably to keep a subtle balance in this world.
In the game, Phantom Assassin can approach a victim very fast and deliver powerful hits. Her initial defense and health are not very big, but she can avoid direct attacks thanks to dodging.
Phantom Assassin throws her Stifling Dagger to damage and slow down an enemy. Phantom Strike is a very useful teleportation ability. Thanks to it, the hero can instantly jump to an opponent and attack them with increased effectiveness. While the ability Blur is used to avoid attacks and become invisible for a while.
Arguably the most powerful ability of Phantom Assassin is the easiest one at the same time - because it’s passive. Coup de Grace increases the chance of making a critical hit with the usual attack or with Stifling Dagger.
Even with such great heroes as Phantom Assassin, it’s always a good idea to take a look at a Dota 2 beginners guide. For example, you can get some helpful info from our Biggest Dota 2 FAQ.
Sniper
- Midlanner / Carry
- Agility
- Ranged
Sniper is a good hero for those players who prefer staying a bit away from the fights. Thanks to his weapon, this guy can deliver quite high damage from a big distance. Still, this comes with a downside - Sniper is rather fragile due to his slow movements, the lack of escape abilities, and relatively low health.
From his very childhood, he was an exceptional shooter. During a special ceremony of his people, Sniper killed a mountain beast, but he did it in a special way, predicted by legends. Amazing fame awaits him with the price of being exiled from his own village.
In the game, Sniper uses Shrapnel to damage and slow down enemies in a specific area. Headshot is a passive ability that increases the chances of… a headshot, obviously (it would be nice to have this passive ability in CS:GO. Take Aim allows shooting distant opponents.
For beginners, it’s worth to learn the ultimate ability of Sniper, Assassinate, to deal a colossal amount of damage through a proper aim. You don’t even need a Dota 2 Sniper guide - just wait for the perfect moment in the game.
An effective Sniper Dota 2 build should include the item Hurricane Pike. It pushes off close opponents and gives the hero space to make four shots.
Sven
- Carry
- Strength
- Melee
Here we have another very good Dota 2 carry for beginners. Sven is incredibly strong and has a good level of defense. His weakness is an average amount of health.
Sven mastered the ancient art of being a Vigil Knight and then destroyed the biggest treasure of this order - to get revenge for his parents. Now, free from this mission, he is ready to bring his power to the Dota 2 game.
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Storm Hammer is both stunning and allows you to damage a few enemies at once. Great Cleave is an attack with a similar effect. The ability Warcry supports teammates by increasing their armor and the damage level. With God’s Strength, Sven becomes much more powerful for a while.
Use the ultimate ability of this Dota hero only when you really are in a battle - so that you’re not wasting time and potentially increasing damage. A good Dota 2 Sven guide would recommend getting Sven these items:
- Echo Sabre for double hits;
- Daedalus for critical hits while using God’s Strength;
- Black King Bar for avoiding slowing spells.
Tidehunter
- Offlaner
- Strength
- Melee
He is a sea beast that’s come from the abyss and now threatens everyone who he can reach from the water. In matches of Dota 2, Tidehunter doesn’t even need the sea to slay his enemies.
For beginners, this creature is very good due to a high amount of health and decent armor. For opponents, it’s hard to kill Tidehunter, so he becomes a solution for players who are tired of constantly dying in the game. This character is also strong enough to kill a lot of creeps and still be very dangerous for opposing heroes.
Gush is a water attack that reduces armor and slows down the victim. The passive ability Kraken Shell gives protection from physical attacks. Tidehunter can use Anchor Smash to deal even bigger damage to enemies.
The ultimate ability of Tidehunter is pretty awesome. Activate Ravage to summon tentacles from the ground and attack opponents in a larger area.
Consider purchasing these items for Tidehunter:
- Blink Dagger - to suddenly attack enemies;
- Guardian Greaves - for restoring health and mana of teammates.
Vengeful Spirit
- Roamer
- Agility
- Ranged
This is one of the agility Dota 2 heroes. Thanks to her stunning and debuffing abilities, Vengeful Spirit really can support the whole team.
Once, she was a beautiful princess, but her sister betrayed her for becoming a ruler of that land. Without her wonderful wings, angry with her former beloved one, the girl was turned into a mystical creature that now looks only for revenge. With such an attitude, she is a great warrior for MOBA matches.
Use Magic Missile to stun and damage enemies or Wave of Terror, a powerful cry that decreases the armor of victims. With Vengeance Aura, nearby allies attack from a bigger distance. Players can find a good use for the ability Nether Swap, which allows you to change positions with any other Dota 2 hero.
In the late game, Vengeful Spirit can become even more powerful, helping carry to finish the opponents. Despite being a nice choice for beginners, she is also a good hero for experienced players with high Dota 2 ranks.
Wraith King
- Carry
- Strength
- Melee
He left his mortal body behind in search of eternal power. After a dark magic ritual with many bloody sacrifices, the King got his new mystical form. As Wraith King he continues an endless fight, expanding his realm and strengthening his throne.
In Dota 2, Wraith King is a very interesting hero for beginner and not only. He has a good amount of health and reliable armor but in game fights, this character can deal significant damage. Like other Dota 2 carries, Wraith King becomes stronger with time, so make sure to gain as much experience on the Easy Lane as possible.
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The ability Wraithfire Blast includes quite a few effects - it damages and stuns the victim, and then slows their movement and deals additional damage over time. Vampiric Aura gives passive support to nearby melee allies. With Mortal Strike, the hero has a nice chance of dealing bonus damage.
Probably, the best ability of Wraith King is Reincarnation. The hero rises from the dead and slows surrounding enemies.
Wraith King is easy to control, but to become an effective player with this (or any other hero), you should invest some time in just playing Dota 2 with him. Practice makes perfect, and the best way to progress fast is to enjoy the game, and let our short Wraith King guide be helpful during the initial stages of your experience.
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