Underlord is the best off-lane hero for racking up MMR

Off-laners are often the deciding factor in close Dota 2 matches, but one hero is particularly good at closing out games.

Vrogros the Underlord has maintained an impressively high 54.77% win rate in patch 7.29. That’s just .2% below metagame king Ancient Apparition. Underlord’s success boils down to his robust kit that compliments nearly every strategy.

The most recent update included a few useful Underlord buffs. Firestorm’s radius is now a flat 425 at all levels, and a 25 range increase on his physical attacks makes laning slightly easier. While buffs are nice, the current metagame really helps the hero shine. Underlord serves as a counter-pick against almost every popular archetype, including super tanky carries like Spectre to evasive gankers like Storm Spirit.

In a metagame that revolves around tanky cores, percentage-based damage is extremely valuable. Underlord ticks that box with Firestorm, which deals a guaranteed 12% max health damage to any affected targets. Under the best conditions, Firestorm can deal 44% of a hero’s health. With just a Soul Ring, Underlord can shove the enemy carry’s wave under tower and steal the jungle for themselves.

Pit of Malice is the least exciting part of his kit, but don’t underestimate it. Pit’s unique strength is that it can root multiple times during its duration. Chaining stuns in Pit of Malice is highly effective, as the target will be rooted in between spells. Even popular defensive items like Manta Style and Aeon Disk can’t protect their owners from Pit of Malice roots.

Atrophy Aura is another great anti-carry ability. It reduces the physical damage of enemy attacks by 35% at level four. It also grants a massive amount of temporary damage when a unit dies under Atrophy Aura’s effect. Underlord can rack up 225 damage minimum from a team wipe. Underlord can demolish enemy towers and barracks right after winning a fight. A level 25 talent grants 40% of the bonus to nearby allies. A late game team fight can spread an insane 585 damage across five heroes.

In the laning stage, Underlord pairs best with supports that keep the enemy still. Shadow Demon is a natural pairing. Disruption has a ton of synergy with Firestorm and Pit of Malice. Rubick is another great choice, as he can reposition the enemy into Underlord’s spells. Alternatively, Underlord can keep the lane shoved all by himself. Roamers like Windranger and Tiny can assist for the first waves before leaving to gank.

All of those have contributed to Underlord’s sky-high win rate, though his pick rate is still remarkably low. Underlord is also one of the easiest off-lane heroes to play, but he’s only present in 5.36% of 7.29 Dota 2 matches. Thanks to his robust kit and flexible laning phase, Underlord is statistically the best off-laner for gaining MMR.