The easiest way to take Rosh solo as OD in Dota 2

Outworld Destroyer isn’t the first hero most Dota 2 players think of when it comes to taking Rosh solo, but OD is now a member of the exclusive club.

Whether you plan to go Meteor Hammer or Moon Shard, OD is one of the best mid lane heroes to play in solo ranked. He has a great matchup spread and can quickly snowball to a victory against feeble-minded opponents. His versatility allows him to do almost everything except hit towers and take Roshan, but the latter weakness has been solved by a very creative OD player.

Here’s how to take Roshan at 10 minutes using Outworld Destroyer and a Shadow Amulet.

How to solo Rosh as OD before 15 minutes

To try this strategy for yourself, pick Outworld Destroy and queue up normal items. Power Treads with a Null Talisman or two is more than enough. OD lanes very well against most opponents, so it’s not too hard to get the items needed to solo Rosh by the end of the laning stage. Make sure to get at least three points in both Arcane Orb and Essence Aura. The key item for this technique is Shadow Amulet, so queue that up next.

Now comes the difficult part. Optionally use Smoke of Deceit and head to Roshan’s pit with the Shadow Amulet. Stand as far away as you can from him, then smack him twice with Arcane Orb. When Rosh approaches, activate the Shadow Amulet and lose his aggro. When he walks back to the starting spot, hit him again. Rinse and repeat to get an Aegis of the Immortal when the enemy team least expects it.

It’s worth noting how this technique is not limited to just OD, and any ranged hero can theoretically use Shadow Amulet toggling to solo Rosh at any time. However, OG is the best suited for it since his Arcane Orb attacks deal a ton of damage to Roshan. He’s the most efficient hero for using this technique, though Shadow Blade is not always the ideal first item for the mixed-damage nuker.

What heroes can solo Rosh in Dota 2?

Thanks to this neat trick, nearly any ranged hero including OD can technically solo Rosh. However, there are very few heroes that can reliably do so safely.

Here’s a brief list of the most common heroes than can solo Rosh in Dota 2. Note that they do not need to use the Shadow Amulet trick.

• Alchemist 
• Huskar
• Meepo
• Phantom Assassin
• Shadow Shaman
• Troll Warlord
• Ursa

While all these heroes can clear Rosh pit by themselves in certain situations, it greatly depends on their strength relative to Roshan. Alchemist needs a lot of items to get to that point, while Ursa only needs lifesteal and a few points in Fury Swipes. Any carry can theoretically get to the point where they can solo Rosh, but the ones listed above are the most efficient at doing it before the ultra-late game. There are also heroes like Windranger and Phantom Lancer who can theoretically solo Rosh but take a very long time to do so.