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

Io is a ranged universal hero, most often acting in a support role. The character is not that strong on his own, but he is extremely effective in supporting his allies in battles and can provide high survivability and mobility to a key character on his team.

A good choice against Io would be heroes that:

• Reduce healing and health regeneration
• Can quickly shorten the distance, catch, control and kill Io
• Will not allow you to escape with Relocate

Some of the best heroes against Io:

• Ancient Apparition - Ice Blast cancels out any healing and health regeneration making it extremely difficult for Io to help allies in a fight against AA.
• Kunkka - X Marks the Spot will prevent you from escaping with Relocate. Kunkka can also effectively counter-initiate with Ghostship.
• Winter Wyvern - Winter`s Curse will allow you to quickly deal with Io, who is often near his allies.

Disruptor, Lich, Doom, Earth Spirit, Vengeful Spirit, Spirit Breaker, Necrophos, Spectre, Nyx Assassin, Night Stalker and Underlord are also good choices against Io.

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

• Spirit Vessel/Eye of Skadi - reduces the victim's healing and health regeneration.
• Eul's Scepter of Divinity/Wind Waker/Rod of Atos/Gleipnir - knocks down Relocate cast.
• Scythe Of Vyse/Skull Basher/Abyssal Blade/Orchid Malevolence/Bloodthorn - for Io control.
• Nullifier - will help against save items that are often acquired on Io, such as Glimmer Cape, Aeon Disk, Eul's Scepter of Divinity, and Force Staff.

How to counter Io:

Beginning of the game:

On lane it is important to attack specifically Io, and during an active Overcharge it is best not to engage and keep your distance. It is also important to control runes.

Mid-game:

It is important not to stay alone, lest you become an easy victim for Io and his ally, who can attack with Relocate. If your team has the advantage, it is worth playing aggressively and trying to find and kill Io, who will most likely be helping farm his core hero.

Late Stage:

It is also important to be ready to attack with Relocate and try to kill Io specifically first. In addition, with the talent at level 25, Io in combination with some heroes (like Alchemist) can push very fast, even with an active backdoor. Therefore, you should have Town Portal Scroll or Boots of Travel to be able to protect buildings.

Overall strategy

To effectively counter Io, it is important not to will allow him to support his team in battle. Try to kill him first and purchase the necessary items for control and healing reduction - this will greatly increase your chances of victory.