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

Grimstroke is a ranged intelligence hero who most often acts as a support. He has a large amount of control and is capable of turning battles with his spells.

Good choices against Grimstroke are heroes that:

• Can catch, control or quickly kill Grimstroke
• Have high survivability
• Can save an ally from Grimstroke's abilities.

Soulbind cannot be dispeled, but can be interrupted with the following abilities:

• Meat Hook/Dismember (with Aghanim's Shard) Pudge (if allies are linked)
• Omnislash/Swiftslash Juggernaut.
• Life Break Huskar
• Storm Hammer (with Aghanim's Scepter) Sven
• Snowball Tusk (if allies are linked)
• Supernova Phoenix (with Aghanim's Scepter if allies are linked)
• Work Horse (with Aghanim's Scepter) Centaur Warrunner (if allies are linked)
• X Marks The Spot Kunkka
• Relocate Io (if allies are linked)
• Nether Swap Vengeful Spirit (if allies are linked)
• Boulder Smash/Geomagnetic Grip Earth Spirit (if allies are linked)
• Hookshot Clockwerk
• Solar Guardian Dawnbreaker
• Primal Split Brewmaster

Some of the best heroes against Grimstroke:

• Bristleback is a survivable character, which makes him not afraid to get hit by Grimstroke's procast. He can effectively deal Dark Portrait illusion due to his high amount of physical damage.
• Clockwerk is also a pretty resilient character, using Hookshot to both catch Grimstroke and escape Soulbind.
• Night Stalker is the storm of all supports in Dota 2 because of his silence and ultimate, which will allow him to break the enemy's position, find the right target and quickly deal with it.

Underlord, Razor, Wraith King, Silencer, Windranger, Timbersaw, Doom and Anti-Mage are also good choices against Grimstroke.

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

• Wind Waker - will save from Soulbind (Eul's Scepter of Divinity will save from Phantom`s Embrace).
• Nullifier - will help against save items that are often purchased on Grimstroke, such as Glimmer Cape, Aeon Disk, Eul's Scepter of Divinity, and Force Staff. In addition, Nullifier dispels Ink Swell.
• Black King Bar/Pipe of Insight/Mage Slayer/Glimmer Cape - if Grimstroke's team has heroes that can deal a lot of magic damage under Soulbind.
• Guardian Greaves, Shiva's Guard, Crimson Guard, Assault Cuirass/Ghost/Ethereal Blade - against combinations with physical damage, including Dark Portrait illusions.
• Scythe Of Vyse/Skull Basher/Abyssal Blade/Orchid Malevolence/Bloodthorn - to control Grimstroke.

How to counter Grimstroke:

Beginning of the game:

On the lane, it is important not to be exposed to Stroke of Fate when surrounded by a large number of units and not to be exposed to Ink Swell for long periods of time, Magic Stick and Infused Raindrops will also be useful. Grimstroke may have mana issues early on, which can be taken advantage of.

Mid-game:

After getting Soulbind, Grimstroke becomes quite dangerous, especially if he has heroes on his team that his ultimate synergize well with, such as Lion or Lina. In a fight against Grimstroke, it is crucial to keep a good position and kill Grimstroke as fast as possible.

Late Stage:

In addition to combinations with Soulbind, Grimstroke can cause trouble in late with Dark Portrait from Aghanim's Scepter. This ability creates an extremely strong illusion of the enemy hero that is immune to effects, has 95% magic resistance, and deals 150% damage. Applying Dark Portrait to a hero with high stats Grimstroke can turn a battle or even a game upside down. If Dark Portrait or Soulbind is a threat to you, it is better to kill Grimstroke before fight, or control him in combat.

General Strategy

Grimstroke is vulnerable to damage and has low survivability and mobility. Use these vulnerabilities to quickly kill him in battles, and purchase artifacts to protect from damage and control - it will greatly increase your chances of victory.