Anti-Mage counter picks: who to choose against this hero in Dota 2

Anti-Mage is a strong carry hero, i.e. a killer hero, deals a lot of damage to the enemy, but has some weaknesses. With the right approach, Anti-Mage is able to send the entire team to the fountain almost instantly. But you should not be afraid of this hero, if you know what tactics to choose, who to play with and which items to collect. We will talk about this in the article.

Weaknesses of Anti-Mage

• at first, he is far from being the strongest player. If the opposite side has at least a couple of disables from the set of slow, stun, silence effect, then Anti-Mage often goes to the fountain.
• to become powerful Anti-Mage needs constant farm at the beginning, so at the start the rest of the players supply Anti-Mage with light farm in the lane, stacks in the forest, protect him from ganks.
• if the game does not go well for the hero, he goes into the most brutal split push, while his allies are forced to play four on five opponents.

Which heroes counter Anti-Mage

• Anti-Mage’s main counter pick is Outworld Destroyer, as its first ability is pure damage. And it is pure damage that Anti-Mage fears the most, because he has low HP. OD does not fear our hero’s defense.
• The second counter pick is Doom. He grabs Anti-Mage and blocks his escape, then deals heavy damage.
• Bloodseeker – blocks his movement with the ultimate and presents a choice – silence or a heroic death with allies.
• Bane is the owner of a large number of disables, counters of the hero.
• Faceless Void – hitting our hero with a Time Dilation is problematic for him, but there is another skill – it prevents the recharge of Anti-Mage’s abilities. If the hero has already lost his items, then he will not last long.
• Axe – his passive abilities bring irreparable damage to Anti-Mage. At the same time, the damage from the ult does not block when it has reached the minimum thresholds for killing.
• Legion Commander – challenges Anti-Mage to a duel at the start and counters him, while her team kills a stationary target. If the duel takes place in the late game, LC successfully copes with the Anti-Mage by herself.
• Phantom Lancer – ignores Anti-Mage’s unique skill, while the ult easily kills the hero.
• Night Stalker – runs very fast and blocks escape.

The main tactical point of the game against Anti-Mage is to block the ability to level up and collect a certain set of items. In the early game it is better to keep Anti-Mage away from creeps by putting a strong ranged hero against him.

Items against Anti-Mage

• Orchid Malevolence / Bloodthorn – Forces Anti-Mage to stay still, preventing his escape.
• Scythe of Vyse – Instant Hex leaves him defenseless.
• Heaven’s Halberd – Disarms him, making him useless in fights.
• Crimson Guard – Reduces his teamfight damage.
• Shiva’s Guard – Lowers his attack speed through its Aura.
• Abyssal Blade – Stuns him, preventing Blink escape.

How to play against Anti-Mage

Early game

Deny his farm by pressuring his lane. He struggles against strong physical damage and disables.

Mid game

Control the map and shut down his jungle. The key is to prevent him from freely farming Battle Fury and Manta Style.

Late game

Anti-Mage becomes a monster in the late game. Focus him in fights using Hex, Abyssal Blade, and Bloodthorn. Do not let him move and attack freely.

Overall strategy

Anti-Mage is dangerous due to his mobility and survivability, but he struggles against fast-paced play, control, and physical damage. Deny his farm, control the map, and never let him roam freely.