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

Intelligence is power, which is proved by the flying Dota 2 hero – Puck the dragon. Thanks to intelligence, magic skills and his wings, the character moves easily, causes a lot of trouble to the enemy, and inflicts serious damage on him.

Puck allies and game tactics

In a team game, Puck has allies to help overcome enemies. These can be: Witch Doctor, Lifestealer, Gyrocopter, Tiny, Sven and many others. For example, Lifestealer will take advantage of the general turmoil that Puck’s attack will create to show his might and take out more enemies.

The dragon is used in mid-lane. There he will effectively gank. The main thing in this interval is to buy Blink Dagger (instant movement around the map). It will help initiate fights and get away from them.

If you have a good game for Puck you can buy Dagon and Ethereal Blade in the end in order to destroy single enemies with a blast.

Opposing characters and how to counter Puck

Puck is countered by:

• Disruptor. This character uses the Static Storm ultimate, forbidding the casting magic spells.
• Doom. This opponent is extremely dangerous, because he can prohibit the use of skills of our hero.
• Templar Assassin helps control the mid lane dragon.
• Nyx Assassin is a dangerous opponent who takes advantage of every weakness of our dragon. For example, an enemy can stun Puck, eat a lot of mana with the help of the Mana Burn skill.

In addition to these four dangerous enemies, you should beware of Lycan, Venomancer, Arc Warden.

To successfully counter this character, you need to know that while Illusory Orb is on cooldown, at the beginning of the game, the hero’s survivability is halved. He can also be lured out of his Phase Shift ability. This can be done with an auto-attack, Shadow Strike, or you can just wait while the Phase Shift skill is used for other purposes.

Items Against Puck

To minimize the threat from Puck, it's important to use items that counter his initiation and help avoid his control:

• Force Staff — Helps to escape from Dream Coil or avoid his attacks.
• Eul’s Scepter of Divinity — Can be used to interrupt his initiation or as a way to avoid his spells.
• Black King Bar — Allows you to ignore his magical abilities, including Dream Coil and Waning Rift.
• Guardian Greaves — Restores health after Puck’s control and helps continue the fight.
• Glimmer Cape – Grants invisibility and magic resistance.

How to Play Against Puck

Early Game

Puck is highly mobile and can quickly engage. It’s hard to contest him on the lane, so keeping a distance and avoiding his combo of Waning Rift and Illusory Orb is crucial. Heroes with high magic damage that can break his defenses are useful in this phase. Make sure to place wards to track his rotations across the map, especially after using Phase Shift.

Mid Game

In the mid-game, Puck becomes even more dangerous as he can initiate fights with Dream Coil. You should avoid clustering in fights and stay alert to his positioning. When Puck uses Dream Coil, be ready to use Force Staff or Eul’s to escape the bind. Constant control and proper initiation from your side are important to counter his destructive combos.

Late Game

In the late game, Puck can still be very dangerous if you don’t control his initiation and movements. Make sure to have a strategy to keep him in check, and be ready for his disables or ultimate. Use BKB to reduce the impact of his magical abilities and try not to let him initiate on your team.

Key Principle for Playing Against Puck

The main principle is to avoid letting him initiate and to not let him set up your team for effective Dream Coil usage. Use items that protect you from his magic or allow you to escape, so you don’t get caught in his combos. Keep an eye on his movements across the map and don’t allow him to create chaos.