Abaddon counterpicks: who to choose against this hero in Dota 2

Abaddon is a universal melee hero. Most often acts in a support role. Able to heal at the expense of his enemies' attacks, he can survive almost any attack and protect his allies.

Good choices against Abaddon are heroes that:

• Have abilities that applies break and have a lot of control.
• Reduce healing and health regeneration
• Are able to deal a large amount of damage instantly (heroes with burst damage)

The main thing you need to know when playing against Abaddon is that his ult is both an active and passive ability at the same time. So, to prevent it from activating, you need to apply break on Abaddon in combination with any other control that will not allow him to use active abilities. On top of that, it's also possible to simply overcome the damage threshold for activating Borrowed Time by instantly dealing a large amount of damage that will be lethal to him, such as Lion or Lina Ultimates.

Some of the best heroes against Abaddon:

• Doom - his ultimate allows to off Abaddon from every battle and will not allow him to help his team. Even before gaining the talent at level 25, Doom is effective against Borrowed Time - under this ability, the hero cannot regenerate health.
• Ancient Apparition - Ice Blast also cancels any healing. In addition, the Bone Chill facet is quite nasty for Abaddon, who is a former strength, as it reduces part of this attribute every time AA applies the ability.
• Slark - he is extremely comfortable when playing against melee survivable heroes, they can't keep distance and their survivability just gives Slark easily way to stack Essence Shift.

Other good choices against Abaddon are Hoodwink, Phantom Assassin, Shadow Shaman, Shadow Demon, Shadow Fiend, Viper, Primal Beast, Axe, Lion, Lina, Ursa, Silencer, Outworld Destroyer, Oracle, Undying, Razor, and Phantom Lancer.

In addition to heroes, the following items will be effective against Abaddon:

• Silver Edge - Disables the passive part of Abaddon's ultimate. It is especially effective in combination with Orchid Malevolence or Bloodthorn. This build will allow you to quickly kill Abaddon even without the necessary abilities.
• Nullifier - dispels Aphotic Shield and will help against items for “save” and against buffing allies, which are often purchased on Abaddon.
• Spirit Vessel/Eye of Skadi - reduces the victim's healing and health regeneration.
• Eul's Scepter of Divinity/Wind Waker - will allow you to kite Abaddon's ultimate.
• Scythe of Vyse/Skull Basher/Abyssal Blade - to control Abaddon.

How to counter Abaddon:

Early Game:

In early game, Abaddon can provide comfortable laning to his core hero by constantly healing him and protecting him with Aphotic Shield. Don`t allow him to freely regenerate resources and if there are problems with harass, it is worth asking for help from your allies. Magic Stick and Infused Raindrops will also be useful.

Mid-game:

In the mid-game, Abaddon becomes very durable and able to survive the opponent's attacks thanks to his abilities. During this time, he can actively support his team. Therefore, in teamfights, it is better to avoid focusing on Abaddon, especially when his ult is activated. Look for opportunities to kill Abaddon's allies when he's not around, and after kiting Borrowed Time, you can easily kill him.

Late Game:

In late Abaddon can have a full inventory of items that will increase his ability to survive and support allies. In teamfights during these stage of the game, he acts as a frontman who initiates fights in order to absorb the maximum amount of damage. It is important to control the use of Borrowed Time during combat (especially when he has Aghanim's Scepter) so that he cannot restore his health and continue the fight. It is important to acquire control items and not to enter combat without dealing with Abaddon.

Overall strategy

When playing against Abaddon, it is crucial to consider his survivability and ability to support allies. Avoid focusing him until his Borrowed Time is countered or expended. Use heroes and items that apply debuffs and prevent healing. In team fights, prioritize eliminating his allies first to reduce his impact. Control his ultimate and prevent him from freely moving in fights by using disables and control items.