Invoker counter picks: who to choose against this hero in Dota 2

Invoker is a magical hero who can deal a lot of damage to multiple enemies at the same time. He is not used alone, but in a team game, Invoker can be a key character that will help win.

Invoker in Dota 2 is often sent to the middle (82%) or hard (about 11%) lane. This is due to the fact that he is a long range hero, who deals magic damage depending on the abilities of the enemy. He easily adapts to any situation in Dota 2.

Invoker has 10 spells at his disposal, which are built on a combination of Exort, Quas, Wex spheres. This allows you to find a way to win against almost any opponent. But all this is possible only in the capable hands of a player who knows how, where and at what moment to use Invoker. He creates chaos on the battlefield. But even such a character has counterpicks. Below we will analyze them in order not only to neutralize the mage hero, but also to protect yourself if you decide to pick this character.

Who counters Invoker

Flexibility, versatility, a wide range of abilities (escape, control, high damage, attack speed, etc.) make this intelligent player hard to reach. But Invoker can be tamed, and he is very easy to stop on the lane. Some heroes do it on their own when going 1v1, while others need to build up some advantages when playing in the mid.

Invoker’s effective opponents are characters who acquire Orchid Malevolence or Black King Bar. Or heroes who have similar abilities.

Let’s see who counters Invoker depending on the stage of the game. After all, at each stage, the strengths and abilities of the hero-mage are very different and only skillful characters will be able to resist him.

Counter picks for Invoker on the mid lane are:

• Zeus. Plays at a distance from the opponent. Cannot deal serious damage, but hinders farming. Using the Thundergod’s Wrath and Lightning Bolt skills helps reveal Invoker’s position if he is invisible. On the other hand, Zeus is easy to gank.
• Templar Assassin. The character acts from afar, causing significant damage. Built-in damage and debuff protection helps counter attacks when combined with Psi Blades and Refraction. After the sixth level, he can easily kill Invoker.
• Viper. This character is hard on Invoker due to his high magic resistance (30%). It’s hard to break through. At the same time, he deals a lot of damage from the first minutes of the game, hinders farming. Invoker can only buy Healing Salve to restore health. And if he falls under the slowdown, he will die.
• Nyx Assassin. Burns out the magical power of the mage hero. Casting Spiked Carapace stuns Invoker and prevents him from making a full impact.
• Silencer. Annoying character. His abilities prevent the mage character from casting spells. Can turn the tide of battle by himself.
• Skywrath Mag. Inflicts silence precisely on the mage hero. Which forces the latter to leave mid in the early stages.

Mirana (takes the enemy by surprise, inflicts great damage), Drow Ranger (due to silence, brings significant damage) and several other characters also can become a problem for Invoker.

In the late game, killing a mage hero is more difficult, but possible. Invoker can be countered by:

• Anti-Mage. He has high resistance to magic, so the procast will not work on him. Using anti-glare will allow you to get out of bad situations and return the damage. At the same time, he burns out mana, on which Invoker is highly dependent. Anti-Mage’s mobility prevents combos from being used on him. His ult allows you to blow up Invoker and his teammates.
• Doom. He is dangerous because when using the ultimate ability, he turns Invoker into a useless toy. Whoever wants to beat him can do it. Buying Aghanim’s Scepter makes it impossible for Invoker to use items. When Doom reaches the sixth level, it is better not to meet with him.
• Faceless Void. An unpleasant adversary. His late game abilities have a chance to pause Invoker’s ability cooldowns for 6 to 12 seconds. Using the Chronosphere will allow you to kill the mage hero.
• Night Stalker. Good at night. Will bother Invoker with constant ganks. The abilities of this character do not give the hero-mage a chance to survive.
• Bounty Hunter and Slardar make it impossible for Invoker to hide. Even when using invisibility, the mage remains visible to other characters.
• Lifestealer, Juggernaut, Pangolin. All of this heroes are immune to magic (due to special abilities), so they become inaccessible to Invoker for a short period of time.

Other characters also perform well against our hero. For example, Pudge, Axe and Centaur Warrunner with Blade Mail can damage Invoker’s abilities and easily survive procast.

If you don’t let the Invoker kill characters at the beginning, he won’t get the gold and experience boost. Therefore, he will not be able to pump his abilities. But if you let the situation go, it will be difficult to stop the Invoker in about 20 minutes of the game. Therefore, the main thing is to prevent farming.

Which items will help to counter Invoker

The following items can help in the fight with the hero-mage:

• Black King Bar – grants invulnerability to Invoker’s magical damage. All spells become useless.
• Glimmer Cape – provides invisibility, 45% magic resistance. Thanks to this, it will be possible to survive the procast and escape from the magician.
• Orchid Malevolence – prevents the Invoker from casting spells, affecting the game. Increases damage.
• Blade Mail – protects in a face-to-face encounter.
• Hood of Defiance – increases resistance to magical damage or gives the character a shield that blocks 325 damage.
• Rod of Atos – allows you to limit the mobility of the Invoker.
• Medallion of Courage – helps characters with high physical damage lower enemy defense.

To beat Invoker in Dota 2, you need to constantly gank him to prevent him from farming. And then without having high enough level and items, he does not bring any benefit and dies quickly. If you don’t let the Invoker get powerful and rich in the early game, you should not be afraid to play against him in the late or midgame. Even if he survives, the danger from him will be minimal.