Strafe's Selections: The Top Ultimate Abilities In DOTA 2
From passive abilities to active ones, character skilling plays a crucial part in MOBAs. However, some abilities are not like others. The ultimate ability can only be scaled when the particular in-game character reaches a certain level. It is a part of what makes a character powerful and unique. Likewise, in Dota 2, ultimate abilities are integral to the game. It is usually the most high-powered ability a hero possesses in his arsenal. A relevant hero with the right timing on his ultimate usage can effortlessly turn the tides of the skirmishes in their team’s favour.
A cool banner for DPC showcasing different Dota 2 heroes.Credits: Valve
Dota 2 is different from other MOBAs because of its complexity. The concept can also be applied for its ultimate, as it can be a passive or an active ability. Due to this head-aching concept, it can be challenging to determine which hero has the most powerful ultimate.
Most ultimates are patch-reliant, meaning they rely on the patch. However, there are some ultimates which can be reliable on every patch. For the newcomers, we’ve made a list of the best ultimates which are reliable in every patch. For contrast, we will be leaving out heroes with passive ultimates.
Tidehunter- Ravage
The Tanky Watermelon is one of the stable heroes in the Dota 2 professional scene.Credits: Valve
Ultimate abilities with crowd-control potential are always welcome in Dota 2, as they allow teams to turn the tides of the skirmish. Tidehunter is one of the heroes who possess such a strong ultimate. His ultimate, “Ravage”, literally calls the tentacles of the abyssal god to damage and stun his opponents. Not to mention, it also really looks scary awesome.
During professional matches, players are often very cautious when Tidehunter is drafted due to the strength of its ultimate ability. The hero is easy to play because he is tanky during the laning stage. Moreover, the hero has the potential to easily change the momentum of the game with a surprise initiation.
Although a certain doom is ensured for opponents caught in Ravage, they have an easy way to counter it. Strong dispells always work, and activating a Black King Bar at the right time would also allow the players not to get caught in such a devastating ultimate. Theoretically, it can also be dodged with a Manta Style and Blink Dagger with the right timing. However, in reality, no successful attempts were recorded. Nevertheless, Ravage has created many memorable moments in Dota 2.
Magnus- Reverse Polarity
Collapse made his mark known in the professional scene with Magnus.Credits: Valve
Magnus is one of the heroes that has gained popularity in recent years due to Team Spirit’s offlaner, Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov. The hero can easily re-position the opponents during the skirmishes, but that’s not all.
His ultimate is a 3.5-second stun that repositions all his opponents in front of him. It is a magical damage spell, but it is not stoppable by a Black King Bar. Only strong dispells can dispel the effects of RP. Reverse Polarity is a powerful ultimate that can penetrate spell immunity, making it an excellent setup for team combos. It can also be used to interrupt channelling spells and teleports.
Dodging RP, one of the strongest ultimates in Dota 2, may seem impossible, but like every other spell, it can be done. However, it requires a certain level of mechanical skills and perfect timing. Only skilled players who can activate the invulnerability given by Manta Style at the right moment can successfully dodge RP.
Faceless Void- Chronosphere
A fan art of Faceless Void Arcana.Magnus’s ultimate may seem like a strong ability in Dota 2. However, there are even much stronger ultimates in the game. One such example of this is Faceless Void’s ultimate- Chronosphere.
Chronosphere could be one of the strongest AOE crowd control ultimates in all MOBAs. It allows the hero to create a bubble, locking down everything caught in its AOE. Communication is the key to pulling off a good Chrono, as it locks everyone except Void. In the recent patch update, the ability also locks the spell cooldown of the opponents if they got caught in Chronosphere.
Chronosphere is one of the strongest spells because it can impact the gameplay and strategy of a match. In high-level matches, players will try not to clump together as they fear getting chronoed when Faceless Void gets drafted.
The ultimate goes through BKB and cannot be manta-dodged. In the early game, Aeon Disk is a viable counter to avoid damage inside Chronosphere. However, as the Nullifier gets picked up by Void, nothing can absorb the incoming damage inside Chrono.
Enigma- Black Hole
Getting caught in Enigma's ultimate, Black Hole is scary.Credits: Valve
What's worse than being Chrono'd by Faceless Void, you ask? Well, being Black Holed by Enigma is always an option. The ultimate ability of Enigma could easily be the strongest ultimate in the game. Black Hole, like most AOE crowd control spells, controls the pace of the skirmish. Teamwork is not required to get a perfect Blackhole, but it’s much harder.
It requires patience, timing and individual skills to hit a perfect Black hole. Enigma’s ultimate doesn’t affect the teammates, so it’s a much safer alternative. It also goes through spell immunity and can be a crucial spell to set up a team combo.
Although it goes through spell immunity, there is a way to avoid getting caught in Black Hole. A good usage of Blink Dagger could easily dodge getting sucked into Enigma’s lethal ultimate.
Rubick- Spell Steal
Rubick's Fantoccini's Dilemma skin is one of the most expensive skins in Dota 2. It makes the hero look like a puppeteer.Credits: Valve
Rubick’s ultimate, Spell Steal, could easily be the most overpowered ultimate in Dota 2. It allows the hero to steal and use whatever spell his opponent uses last. Additionally, his third ability enables him to enhance the stolen spell when he uses it. Moreover, in the recent patch update, his ultimate receives a buff, allowing it to be upgradable by the purchase of Aghanim Scepter. When Rubick purchase Aghs, the hero can steal two separate spells. Although Rubick is a challenging hero to master, a good Rubick player can easily pull off incredible plays.
Dota 2 is an ever-changing game with patch updates, allowing players to find new overpowered heroes in every patch. However, over time, certain heroes have become stable in the game and with them, players try to master using the hero’s abilities to their full potential. The aforementioned spells are our picks as the top ultimate abilities in Dota 2. If you think we missed any ultimates, let us know in the comments below.
Featured Image Source: Valve & Reddit
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