The dust has settled after the grand Dota tournament of the year, and now it’s time for teams and organizers to take a well-deserved break. While they recharge, let’s take a moment to reflect on the lessons learned from The International and how we can apply them to our own games. In this article, we will highlight some of the top TI heroes that are also great choices for your everyday matches.

Dazzle: A Versatile Support Hero

Dazzle was a highly sought-after hero during The International, and now he’s gaining popularity in pub matches as well. With recent buffs to Bad Juju Health cost and new playstyles emerging, Dazzle is a solid pick for support or utility core roles. In particular, the combination of Aghanim’s Scepter and Hand of Midas allows Dazzle to farm quickly and snowball out of control. However, keep in mind that Dazzle is still relatively squishy, so focus on his saves and crowd-control abilities rather than pure damage. For support players, prioritize getting Shallow Grave early on and consider items like Aghanim’s Shard and Pipe of Insight for team defense.

Chaos Knight: A Powerful and Tanky Carry

Chaos Knight is a top choice for carry players right now. With a low cooldown on his ultimate, there’s no reason not to use it for farming and pushing lanes. Unlike other illusion-based heroes, CK doesn’t require as much micro-management, making him approachable even for beginner players. His innate tankiness, strong laning presence, and impressive late-game burst potential make him a force to be reckoned with in pubs.

Spectre: Late-Game Scaling and Map Presence

Spectre may have a slower start in the laning stage, but her early midgame and late-game scaling make up for it. Blade Mail and Radiance are popular items for her, and Urn of Shadows provides necessary sustain and mana regeneration. Playing Spectre well doesn’t require any specific tricks; she’s simply a strong hero. Keep an eye on the map, seize attack opportunities, and use Reality to send a Spectral Dagger while securing kills across the map. With Spectre, you’ll be a formidable force in pub matches.

Ancient Apparition: Consistent Support with Some Challenges

Ancient Apparition was the most reliable support hero of The International, but his effectiveness in pub matches can be more challenging. Landing Ice Blast takes practice, and laning against tough offlane duos can be problematic. While AA has good chip damage and range, his kill potential is limited, and he lacks strong defensive plays. AA shines when he doesn’t need to worry about losing the lane or when paired with a strong safelane carry like Chaos Knight. As for items, Glimmer Cape is helpful against heroes with strong gap-closing abilities, and Aghanim’s Shard is a valuable addition to his toolkit.

Beastmaster: A Strong All-Around Hero

Beastmaster is a versatile hero who can frontline, initiate, burst down enemies, and scale well into the late game. The Break effect from Aghanim’s Scepter is especially powerful against many meta heroes. However, keep in mind that Beastmaster’s strength is partially dependent on the enemy team composition. He excels against heroes like Spectre and Bristleback but may struggle against others. When picking Beastmaster in pub matches, especially as a novice player, be cautious of potential counters and early game punishes.

What are your thoughts on The International 2023? Did you enjoy the games and the evolving meta? Are you considering trying out some of the strongest TI heroes in your own games? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and let us know if you think there are other heroes worth highlighting!