How to play Doom, the breakout offlaner of Dota 2 7.32

Learning how to play Doom is a great way to earn some MMR as an offlaner in Dota 2 7.32.

While the most impactful changes of the newest patch will be discovered at The International 2022, 7.32 has definitely shaken up the metagame. Heroes that were almost unplayable are now enjoying healthy win rates above 50%. Doom is one of those lucky few.

Doom immediately jumped up 3% in win rate and continues to rise in higher MMRs. He also got a wacky new Aghanim’s Scepter that is equally hilarious and useful. Those looking for an offlaner that never struggles to afford big items ought to spam Doom.

First, it’s important to understand what changed about Doom in 7.32 and 7.32b. His starting agility and growth were considerably improved and several talents were reworked. However, Devour is now no longer dispelled on death. This means that bonus gold will always come through, guaranteeing a certain level of farm regardless of the lane. With those buffs in mind, let’s see how to play Doom in Dota 2 7.32b.

How to play Doom in 7.32b

Doom is generally played as an offlaner, though some pro players have experimented with the hero as a support. Doom scales very well into the later stages of a match, so having farm priority lets him keep up with other cores. Doom doesn’t fit the traditional mold of a tanky blink stunner, but he loves getting into the thick of fights. His somewhat underwhelming defense can be mitigated with items, so try to play as position three. 

As for skills, Devour is the name of the game. The ability grants up to 200 bonus gold from a single creep while passively boosting armor. It’s perfect for securing contested ranged creeps or the new flagbearers. Maxing Devour is ideal, but some lanes require extra points in Scorched Earth. In an ideal game, skills should be 3-1-1 at level five.

For the lane, focus on securing important creeps and trading up on harass. Scorched Earth can shut down a chase and Infernal Blade is a melee stun in a pinch. Doom has decent starting damage at 68, so try to deny as much as possible. If Doom and the enemy carry are last-hitting evenly, Doom is winning the lane.

Once Doom is up, try to group with another core and support. It can be difficult to apply before Blink Dagger, so look for ganking partners with slows or stuns. Repositioning spells like Nether Swap or Dispose are best if they’re available. As for teamfights, get Doom off as early as possible and tank as many spells as possible. Scorched Earth deals damage while disabled and just one Infernal Blade can do work against a strength core.  

The best items for Doom in 7.23

Learning how to play Doom in Dota 7.23 is all about mastering his wide range of item builds. Since Doom gets so much money, he’s great at getting the expensive items needed to counter particular heroes. 

Devour’s unique bonus gold mechanic allows Doom to get an extremely fast Hand of Midas. This luxury is usually never afforded to offlaners, but Doom can get the farm accelerator in under 10 minutes even with a difficult lane. Boots of Speed are often necessary in the lane with Phase Boots later down the line. Blink Dagger and Black King Bar make sense with his kit, but after that, players get to go wild.

Doom’s inflated GPM allows him to buy the flashy items before even the mid or carry. If the enemy Sniper is snowballing, Heaven’s Halberd is only a few minutes away. A sudden Orchid of Malevolence is great for shutting down a Storm Spirit or Void Spirit. Tank auras like Wraith Pact, Pipe of Insight, and Shiva’s Guard are great against wombo combo teams that want to burst multiple heroes at once.

As for the new 7.32 Aghanim’s Scepter, Doom currently has a 54.21% win rate with the item according to Dotabuff. Part of that is due to being an unnecessary 4,200 gold item, but it’s a massive spike above his normal success rate. It works best as a late-game option to counter Linken’s Sphere and Lotus Orb, so don’t get it early.