Dota 2: DPC Southeast Asia 2021/2022 Tour 1: Top Heroes

We take a look at the top heroes through Southeast Asia’s DPC Tour 1.

Southeast Asia is a region in Dota 2 that is often underestimated. While it is true that a team from this region is yet to win TI, many big names stand out and have what it takes to bring down some of the strongest squads in Europe, China, and North America. 

Tour 1 of the DPC in Southeast Asia began in December 2021 and finished on 22 January after a series of Tiebreakers. There were many exciting matches and fantastic series, especially in Division I. No one expected BOOM Esports to dominate their opponents, but the team played really well after the recent roster changes.

Besides BOOM Esports, Fnatic and T1 were the other two teams that proved once again they are among the best in the region. Fnatic was considered the favorite, but the team finished second after it failed to defeat BOOM. T1 was also one of the teams that did well after making a drastic roster change after TI 10. 

The best teams in SEA used some of the most famous heroes in the current meta all the time. Names such as Bane, Queen of Pain, and Mars were present in almost every game. In fact, Mars is the most popular hero in the region because he appeared in 73 games in total. This is substantially more compared to other areas. 

Even though there are many similarities between SEA, NA, China, EEU, WEU, and SA, there are a few popular heroes here that were not that common elsewhere. So, let’s go over some of them and see what makes them among the go-to options.

Lion

The first hero that was more popular in SEA than in other regions is Lion. This is one of the supports that teams can pick in almost every situation because the hero is powerful. Lion does wonders in the mid and late game despite not being the best lane support. He has two disables, mana drain, and an ability that does loads of magical damage. Consequently, the hero plays an important role in many drafts.

Lion had the chance to show his prowess in 44 games. Interestingly, the hero has a jaw-dropping win rating of 72%, which is impressive. In fact, he has one of the highest win ratings in the DPC, which means that most SEA teams know how to utilize his potential.

Monkey King

Even though MK did not appear in as many games as Lion, he played a crucial role for many top teams. This is one of the heroes that can snowball really fast and destroy everything in his path, especially if he has an excellent start to the game. Some teams try to use this to their advantage and put him in the mid lane. However, others don’t want to take any unnecessary risks, which is why MK is one of the popular position four supports.

The hero was picked 32 times and won 17 games. This means that his win rating is slightly above 50%, which is not that bad compared to others. In fact, this hero has one of the highest win ratings compared to others that fit in his role.

Phantom Assassin

PA is one of the popular carries in PUBs, but she was never the go-to option in professional Dota 2. Artour “Arteezy” Babaev was one of the first players who utilized this hero many years ago, and since then, many teams have tried to adopt it. PA is great in specific combinations with heroes, such as IO and Magnus. However, she has an awful early game, which is why pro teams are really careful when they decide to give her a chance.

Phantom Assassin was the carry for her team 26 times and earned herself a 50% win rating. This is not that bad when compared to others, but it is not that good either. For example, heroes like Weaver and Wraith King, two of the hottest carries in the meta, have higher win ratings.

Lina

Lina is one of those mid laners that people get when they want to make sure they will win the lane. While it is true that many heroes can defeat her in a 1v1 situation, this hero is widely considered to be among the best in pro Dota. Some teams pick her to fill in the role of a position five or position four, but she definitely shines more in the mid lane. Thanks to her deadly spells, Lina can “erase” an opponent within seconds.

Sadly, the hero is not as successful as other mid laners. Even though she had the chance to shine in 26 games, Lina’s win rating is only 42%, significantly lower than options, such as Lion. 

Mirana

This is definitely one of the heroes we didn’t expect to see, especially in the current patch. Mirana has always been a controversial pick, even in PUBs. Although hitting someone with your arrow is oddly satisfying, it is easier said than done, especially if your opponents are good. That’s the reason why this hero is not as famous as some people think.

Even though he is not the go-to option for every team, some of the best clubs in SEA picked PotM a total of 25 times. What’s even more interesting is that the hero has a 60% win rating, which is more than most other heroes on this list. 

One of the reasons why Mirana’s win rating is high is because of Bane. These two heroes used to be one of the best combos in PUBs because Bane allows Mirana to hit her arrows. The two heroes can disable a given target for more than 10 seconds, which should be enough to kill it.

Looking for more DPC analysis? Check out the top picks from NA’s Tour 1!