DreamLeague Season 22 has come to a close with Team Falcons crowned as the champions. Before the start of the tournament, Valve released a minor gameplay update, buffing and nerfing some meta heroes, which significantly altered the strategies and gameplay of the matches throughout the DreamLeague Season 22.

As a result, many teams had only a few days to adapt to their new gameplay patch. Thus, several highly-regarded teams got eliminated early on.

Falcons are soaring right now.
Credits: Twitter. @FaclonsEsports

The concepts and ideas implemented at DreamLeague are starting to bleed into pubs. Let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the most unique drafts at DreamLeague Season 22.

The Supports

Mirana and Bats are the most popular support heroes of DreamLeague Season 22.
Credits: Valve

Many viewers witnessed quite a unique approach in the supporting roles at the last iteration of DreamLeague. Support heroes with saving or initiating abilities are starting to return to the meta. Additionally, we’ve witnessed most teams opting for an untraditional support hero, Terrorblade. Nevertheless, it’s a solid drafting option. Thus, let’s take a moment to reflect on why these heroes are starting to fall into place at the meta.

Mirana

Mirana's Darfall Warden is extremely cool skin for the hero.
Credits: Valve

It’s been quite some time since players have seen Mirana in matches. The hero has been quite unreliable in the past. However, some heroes that Mirana pairs well with started popping up more often in the meta. As a result, the hero has become a viable pick. Support Mirana's like to build Drums to help speed up the tempo of their team in this faster-paced meta.

The hero heavily relies on well-coordinated communications. Thus, she often made an appearance at DreamLeague Season 22.

Mirana's Crescent skin changes the animation effect of her second ability, Sacred Arrow. The skin is Mythical.
Credits: Valve

Nevertheless, being a Universal hero, Mirana scales well as the game progresses. Despite having mediocre attack damage, her attack range makes her viable to trade against opponents during the laning stage.

Additionally, she can overpower her opponents with Starstorm during the trading. Her second ability, Scared Arrow, is a viable option to destroy the catapult, slowing down the pushing prowess of her opponents. With a laning partner who can lockdown the enemy hero, Scared Arrow can be used aggressively to secure kills. She has an escape,  in case the trading doesn't favor her. Her ultimate ability, Moonlight Shadow, is the perfect ability to initiate or retreat from skirmishes.

At the recent DreamLeague, Mirana was played in 77 matches, and the hero had a 57.14% win rate.

Batrider

Batrider used to be an annoying midlaner, but now he is an annoying support.
Credits: Valve

Batrider has been missing from the professional scene for quite some time now. However, despite receiving slight nerfs in the recent patch update, the hero is returning to the meta.

The hero’s second ability received a nerf. However, despite getting nerf, he is still a viable option as a support for the meta. Batrider is one of the strongest supports because of FlameBreak.

The most viable build for the hero is taking no point in his first ability, Sticky Napalm. A point in FlameBreak, and some points in FireFly, are more than enough to force many support heroes out of the lane.

When Flame Break is combined with Blood Genrade, it becomes impossible for most heroes to outrun the FireFly. Thus, the combo makes Batrider the strongest support during the laning stage. Additionally, some squishy cores also fell prey to this combo. FireFly is a reliable ability to steal enemy stacks from their jungle.

Flaming Lasso is a great tool to displace crucial targets from skirmishes. In the recent tournament, Batrider got picked 56 times, and the hero has a 60.71% win rate.

The Cores

Sven and Mars are the most viable initiating heroes of DreamLeague Season 22.
Credits: Valve

The DreamLeague meta saw the return of some core heroes, especially the ones with high burst damage. Additionally, cores with crowd-control aoe abilities were highly sought-after throughout the tournament.

Sven

Sven is one of the most easy carries to play.
Credits: Valve

Sven was the most popular safelaner at DreamLeague Season 22. The hero did not receive direct buffs, but the items Sven usually went for received buffs.

The hero’s biggest weakness was he could be kited quite easily in the late-game skirmishes during God Strength. However, with some recent changes to his itemization, the hero can stay on top of his opponents, which makes him a massive threat on the map throughout the game.

The Itemisation

Sven is one of the most reliable heroes in this patch.
Credits: Valve

Sven’s itemization usually goes the same route. The hero will get a Mask Of Madness to increase his farming speed and an Echo Sabre for additional damage and to sustain his mana.

However, once he has those two items, pro players often go for an Aghanim’s Scepter on the hero before getting a Black King Bar. By going this route, Sven received a huge power spike at the 18-22 minute window. The Aghs allow the hero to follow Stun Hammer when it gets used. It also applies a basic dispel on the target.

This itemisation allows Sven to take early skirmishes with his God Strength.  Sven can easily jump the pesky supports at the backlines and wipe them out as soon as the skirmish starts, giving an advantage to his team.

Usually, after getting Aghs, players get a Black King Bar for spell immunity. After BKB, players either went for Daedelus or upgraded their Echo Sabre into Harpoon, making it easier for the hero to catch the retreating opponents.

Additionally, Sange and Yasha are a viable option for Sven as they give Status Resistance, Movement Speed, Attack Speed, and more. The stats that the item gives come in handy to Sven, as he is a hero heavily reliant on bursting an opponent during the duration of his ultimate ability. Sven was picked 47 times and had a win rate of  51.06 % at the tournament.

Mars

Mars The Impaler is a voiceline often used by the hero.
Credits: Valve

Mars is one of the few heroes that has had a consistent presence in the professional scene for some time. However, Mars is not a common pick unless there is a specific hero that Mars counters well or a skilled player who is proficient at playing Mars. Otherwise, the hero is often not drafted.

However, he is one of the most popular offlane heroes and is a constant pick at DreamLeague Season 22.  With a new itemisation, which allows the hero to initiate skirmishes flawlessly, Mars had a 55.26% win rate at the tournament. He was picked 76 times.

Mars is one of the most popular offlane heroes in Dota 2. Despite being introduced as a safelaner, the hero found its home in the offlane.
Credits: Valve

The hero usually rushes a Blink Dagger after the laning stage. The item with the combination of his ultimate ability, Arena of Blood, allows the hero to pick off unexpecting heroes on the map with his team. While some players get a Black King Bar to make their initiation easier, some opt for an Euls Scepter of Divinity after getting their Blink Dagger. Both items are solid choices as they make the hero’s initiation easier.

As the game progresses, Mars will usually get a Scythe of Vyce and a Refresher Orb. With those items in his inventory, Mars can easily control the opponents in skirmishes, allowing his team’s safelaner to an easy kill.

The Versatile Heroes

Terrorblade and Leshrac are the versatile heroes of the tournament.
Credits: Valve

At DreamLeague Season 22, some heroes were picked due to their versatility. With versatile heroes already in their lineup, the teams can often confuse or react to their opponents’ lineup. The recent patch update granted some heroes the ability to play any role they desire.

Terrorblade

Who would have thought Terrorblade would be one of the support heroes at DreamLeague Season 22?
Credits: Valve

Terrorblade is one of the latest heroes to join the Versatility Club. Thus, we will be seeing more support Terrorblade in our pubs. For the longest time, the hero used to be the safelaner.

Abilities

Terrorblade is a villan in Dota 2 anime, Dragon's Blood.
Credits: Valve

The support Terrorblade's laning stage primarily revolves around Reflection, which allows him to trade favorably with his opponents. Additionally, at level 10, he can reduce the ability's cooldown.  At level 15, he can further enhance the ability by increasing its slow and damage output, making it a valuable asset in all stages of the game.

His second ability, Conjure Image, is efficient for scouting the map. It is reliable information to know the opponents’ location before a skirmish. Additionally, the ability can be used to cut and pull waves. Metamorphosis, TB’s third ability, is a reliable source to output overwhelming damage during the early game. Moreover, TB can use Sunder defensively to save his allies during skirmishes.

Itemization

Baleful Hollow is one of the easiest skins to get on Terrorblade.
Credits: Valve

Support Terroblade’s itemisation differs from the core variation. As a support, the hero’s key item is Urn of Shadow before upgrading it to Spirit Vessel.

After finishing the Vessel, support TB can get a Hurricane Pike, a good item for kiting and increasing his damage output during skirmishes. Some players also like to itemize a stats build for support Terrorblade with Drums of Endurance, upgrading it to Boots of Bearing.

Leshrac

The Space Goat is back again as a meta pick. However, this time it will be easier to kill him (hopefully) since he is a support.
Credits: Valve

Leshrac is one of the heroes that has been popping in and out of the meta. Recently, the hero has found his place as a support in the DreamLeague Season 22.

Leshrac has always been a meta hero.
Credits: Valve

Leshrac is one of the few buffed heroes in the latest patch with more damage on Diabolic Edict. The hero can easily secure objectives. Additionally, it allows him to trade comfortably during the laning stage, even giving him the potential to solo the enemy core. Winning the trade means Leshrac can pull the creep wave during the laning stage to his team’s favour.

Guardian Greaves is a viable item for Leshrac as it provides sustain in skirmishes. Additionally, in the recent patch update, the mana cost for his ultimate ability, Pulse Nova, got reworked. As a result, the hero can now use the ability more efficiently in the early-game skirmishes.

Dota 2 Spring Update brought some new features to Dota plus.
Credits: Valve

Featured Image Source: Valve

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