The easiest heroes to start playing in Dota 2

Dota 2 is tough as nails, but the easiest heroes can make every match feel rewarding for a new player.

Dota 2 is arguably the most difficult popular multiplayer game to learn. It can take dozens of matches to get used to the controls, and feeling confident can take dozens more. However, the learning curve is a lot smoother when picking heroes suited to your level. If you’re just now jumping into the lanes, here are two of the easiest Dota 2 heroes for each position.

All Dota 2 heroes have some complexity to them, especially when it comes to optimal item build and skill usage. However, certain characters have a much lower skill floor and more room for error. Faceless Void, for example, may seem straightforward, but messing up a Chonosphere can cost a whole game. These picks are easy to execute even in a bad game, and a single mistake is unlikely to cost any MMR.

Lich and Ogre are the easiest Dota 2 hard support heroes

Lich is an amazing choice for a first-time Dota 2 player. He’s straightforward and offers plenty of utility. His Frost Blast is very simple, applying damage and slowing its target. Sinister Gaze is a simple way to learn channeled spells, and slapping Frost Armor on cores is an easy way to build favor. His ultimate Chain Frost is a fire-and-forget ultimate that can still deal a ton of damage. While fragile, Lich is a great way for new players to get comfortable supporting.

If you want someone a little tankier, Ogre Magi is another great starter hero. As a melee hero with strong spells, he spends most of the laning phase tossing Ignites and distracting the offlaner. He’s bulky compared to other supports, and Ogre’s high base damage makes it easy to trade. His passive ultimate Multicast allows for big plays in the late game. If you’re struggling to learn to position, Ogre Magi’s bulk will give you a little extra room for error.

New to soft support? Try Spirit Breaker and Bounty Hunter

Soft support is all about making plays all around the map, and few heroes can do that, as well as Spirit Breaker. Charge of Darkness allows him to start ganking extra early and attend fights all over the map, and his simple kit means there’s no shame in taking a few deaths. Nether Strike is extremely valuable for picking off important enemies, and after that, he can just right-click an enemy and hope to get lucky.

If you prefer to make the enemy carry’s life a living hell, Bounty Hunter is your hero. Jinada allows him to pester both the carry and hard support, and his long cast ranges help him stay out of the fray during team fights. Invisibility often means invincibility at lower MMRs, and playing him also helps train up your vision game. Shuriken Toss is extremely useful as a low cooldown stun to boot.

The easiest Dota 2 offlane heroes are terrifyingly tanky

Centaur Warrunner may no longer have the highest strength gain in the game, but he’s still the default tank initiator for a reason. Hoof Stomp is a powerful spell, able to stun all five enemy heroes with the perfect Blink Dagger usage. Double Edge lets him dominate over carries while Retaliate stomps harassing supports in their tracks. Using Stampede well can require checking across the map, but that’s a valuable skill Centaur rewards learning.

If you’re interested in Dota 2 from the Dragon’s Blood anime, Dragon Knight is another natural pick. He’s arguably the simplest hero in the game, with a point-blank stun and magic area spell. The hero’s biggest draw is his tankiness, as he gets 13 health regeneration and armor from his passive. Dragon Knight also has ridiculously high right-click damage, which is great for managing creep waves in the lane.

The easiest mid heroes win the lane and the game

Mid is probably the most difficult role to learn for a brand-new player, but Viper is a quick and dirty way to start. When it comes to harass, few heroes can contest him. Poison Attack zones most melee heroes from the lane outright, and Nethertoxin allows him to quickly clear waves and camps in ranged matchups. He’s a monster ganker too. If you’re tired of losing lane, grab Viper and make the other guy’s life miserable.

If you prefer something with a little more finesse, Zeus is another one of the easiest mid heroes in Dota 2. He dishes out insane damage while Heavenly Jump lets him get out of the most precarious situations. He also gets Bottle, which can help new players get used to the river rune system. Thundergod’s Wrath even lets him gank without leaving the lane. Few things are as satisfying as exploding an unsuspecting support, so slam Zeus in the second phase and start looking forward to it.

Newbie carries should try Jugg and Wraith King

Looking to start with carry? We can respect that, but you may need a hero that takes care of some of the nuances themselves. Wraith King is that hero, as he effectively gets a permanent Aegis of the Immortal at level six. Mortal Strike helps him secure last hits while Vampiric Spirit provides both sustain and a farming tool. The skeletons control themselves, so don’t worry about learning micro to start. 

An Aegis at level six is cool, but a Black King Bar at level one is even cooler. Juggernaut is infamous for dominating his lane thanks to Blade Fury, which is arguably one of the strongest spells in the entire game. Pair him with aggressive support and turn the safe lane into a meat grinder. Healing Ward is also a low-risk way to start learning micro. Being a good Jugg player is all about optimizing your item build, making him great for getting familiar with the shop. He’s also got some sick cosmetics.