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

Ringmaster is a ranged hero, a classic support. He has strong abilities and at the same time, good survivability thanks to his innate ability and Escape Act.

A good choice against Ringmaster will be heroes that:

• Have high resistance to magic damage
• Will not allow escape with Escape Act.
• Have abilities with dispel

Some of the best heroes against Ringmaster:

• Oracle - Fortune's End will allow you to dispel debuffs from all Ringmaster abilities and Escape Act buff (Wheel of Wonder provocation can only be dispelled with False Promise), and Fate's Edict will save you from magic damage.
• Timbersaw - Escape Act's increased magic resistance won't save from Timbersaw's procast, since all of his abilities deal pure damage. At the same time, Timbersaw's additional magic resistance talent will allow him to be safe from Ringmaster's abilities.
• Anti-Mage is a hero with good mobility and able to quickly deal with Ringmaster thanks to Mana Break and Mana Void. He has high magic damage resistance and can escape Wheel of Wonder with Blink.

Other good choices against Ringmaster are Bristleback, Abaddon, Shadow Demon, Silencer, Grimstroke, Omniknight, Brewmaster, Lifestealer, Slark, Riki, Razor, Pudge, Pangolier, Invoker and Night Stalker.

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

• Black King Bar/Pipe of Insight/Eternal Shroud/Mage Slayer/Glimmer Cape - against magic damage.
• Nullifier will help against “save” items that are often purchased on Ringmaster, such as Glimmer Cape, Aeon Disk, Eul's Scepter of Divinity, and Force Staff. Additionally, Nullifier dispels Escape Act.
• Force Staff/Hurricane Pike/Eul's Scepter of Divinity/Wind Waker - good save against Ringmaster.
• Disperser - Dispels debuffs Ringmaster's abilities and also gives the owner 00% movement boost and 40% slowdown resistance, which will allow to quickly shorten distance or escape from a procast.
• Scythe Of Vyse/Skull Basher/Abyssal Blade/Orchid Malevolence/Bloodthorn - to control Ringmaster.

How to counter Ringmaster:

Early game:

Ringmaster is pretty strong on lane, as he can effectively trade resources thanks to Tame the Beasts and Impalement Arts. However, he can have mana issues early on, which can be taken advantage of. Additionally, it's important not to allow Ringmaster to participate in kills, as if he gets souvenirs - standing lane will become even more difficult.

Mid-game:

With the gain of ultimate and Spotlight (from Aghanim's Shard), Ringmaster will be useful in team fights as well. To prevent Wheel of Wonder's disable, don't look on it. Also remember that Spotlight reveals invisible enemies, quickly kill illusions and makes heroes miss - this gives Ringmaster and his team a big advantage, so after using this ability it's better to retreat. Ringmaster's Ultimite and Spotlight cooldown, or lack of souvenirs, is a great opportunity to force a fight, or just try to earn an easy kill.

Late Game:

Ringmaster isn't as effective in late, as he is easily countered by items like Black King Bar and Nullifier. However, if Ringmaster has set ups for his ultimate (like Black Hole Enigma or Reverse Polarity Magnus) it's important to keep a good position to avoid getting hit by a long disable, or kill Ringmaster first if his abilities are hindering you the most.

General Strategy

Avoid Ringmaster's abilities and acquire items to effectively counter them. Don't forget to focus him in battles - this will greatly increase your chances of victory.