Grimstroke counter and synergy picks
Pick Grimstroke with Wraith King to increase win-rate from 48.5% to 55.7% or against Pangolier to increase win-rate to 55.1% in Patch 7.39b.
Good with...
...based on stats [7.39b]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▼ |
|---|---|
7.2% | |
6.0% | |
5.2% | |
5.1% | |
4.9% | |
4.0% | |
3.9% | |
3.6% | |
3.6% | |
3.5% | |
3.1% | |
3.0% | |
3.0% | |
2.6% | |
2.3% |
...based on gameplay [7.39b]
Grimstroke's Ink Swell gives Alch everything he needs to charge fearlessly into the enemy as he is is a perfect body to set it up. Soul Bind causes Unstable Concoction to be thrown on both targets for massive AOE damage and Crowd Control.
The two pair well in lane as they are melee/ranged. Soul Bind works with Doom, doubling its effect. Infernal Blade and War Stomp, which Doom can acquire trough Devouring a Centaur Conqueror, can set up Ink Swell, while Scorched Earth helps Doom catch up and stick to his target.
Soulbind amplifies Lion’s burst with Double Hex and Double Finger of Death, blowing up two targets instantly.
Axe blinks into the fight with Inkswell, lands Berserker's Call, then Grimstroke follows up with Soulbind and potentially double Culling Blade in late game.
Double Hex and Shackles through Soulbind make him a deadly follow-up partner in teamfights or tower sieges.
Inkswell ensures clean Duel initiations, and Soulbind punishes tight enemy positioning during skirmishes.
Charge + Inkswell offers long-range, high-pressure pickoffs. Soulbind can force double stuns or target lock.
Soulbind combined with X Marks the Spot and Boat creates powerful teamfight control. The double X-Mark setup forces two enemies into position for follow-up spells, amplifying Kunkka’s impact and enabling devastating combos.
...core items [7.39b]
A core Boots upgrade that helps with mana sustain to spam spells for fighting and clearing creep waves.
A core item that lets you cast spells and items from a distance and keep yourself out of danger in fights. Gets upgraded to 
Ethereal Blade later in the game.
A core upgrade for Ink Swell to heal and instantly dispel roots and silences on your cores.
A core mobility item to quickly close the gap on enemy heroes and set up kills with your control and damage spells. Has great synergy with 
Aghanim's Shard to get close to allies in trouble and dispel them with Ink Swell.
A core item to get a powerful illusion of an enemy hero with high right click damage. Can get multiple illusions in combination with Soulbind.
A late game pick up to disable multiple heroes in combination with Soulbind.
Good against...
...based on stats [7.39b]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▼ |
|---|---|
6.6% | |
5.9% | |
5.8% | |
5.7% | |
5.6% | |
5.6% | |
5.3% | |
5.3% | |
5.0% | |
5.0% | |
4.6% | |
4.2% | |
3.8% | |
3.8% | |
3.5% |
...based on gameplay [7.39b]
Nyx relies on spells and sneaky initiations. Grimstroke's Phantom’s Embrace silences him through Vendetta, and Soulbind disables his ability to chain-stun effectively.
Phantom’s Embrace forces Slark to reveal himself to remove the silence, interrupting his regen timing. Soulbind can prevent his escapes with teammates and chains well into disables.
Grimstroke punishes his predictable charges with Inkswell on a frontline ally. Soulbind disables his BKB rampage by locking him with another target, allowing double stuns or silences.
Grimstroke can kite Troll before BKB. Phantom's Embrace prevents his lifesteal and ultimate activation if timed correctly, and Soulbind makes melee clumps risky.
Phantom’s Embrace ruins Storm’s early fights before BKB. Grimstroke scales well into the late game by catching Storm with long-range disables when comboed with allies.
Her spiderlings give easy targets for Phantom's Embrace. Inkswell clears spiders fast, and Soulbind paired with AoE disables punishes her swarm-based approach.
Treant is vulnerable to ranged poke and silence. Grimstroke’s long range harass stops Treant from healing or protecting teammates freely during fights.
Grimstroke can silence him before he rolls or stops his combos with well-timed Phantom's Embrace. Soulbind disrupts Earth Spirit not allowing him to use skills to escape.
Before Void gets BKB, Grimstroke can root and silence him. Even during Chrono, Grimstroke can land Phantom’s Embrace from outside, or Soulbind to punish grouped targets.
Bad against...
...based on stats [7.39b]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▲ |
|---|---|
-6.4% | |
-5.8% | |
-5.4% | |
-3.6% | |
-3.5% | |
-3.4% | |
-3.2% | |
-3.0% | |
-2.9% | |
-2.8% | |
-2.8% | |
-2.6% | |
-2.6% | |
-2.5% | |
-2.4% |
...based on gameplay [7.39b]
Anti-Mage easily dispels Grimstroke’s Inkswell with Manta Style and avoids his combo with Blink. Grimstroke's high mana pool makes him vulnerable to Mana Void.
Naga’s illusions confuse targeting for Inkswell and Soulbind. Her Song resets fights completely, making Grimstroke’s long cooldowns unreliable.
Clinkz picks off Grimstroke before he can cast spells. His mobility and invisibility make it hard for Grim to land skillshots or defend himself.
Spectre jumps to the backline with Haunt and instantly pressures Grimstroke. He lacks escape or tankiness, making him an easy pickoff.
Willow’s mobility and shadow realm lets her dodge Inkswell and Phantoms. Terrorize can counter-initiate against Grimstroke’s aggressive combo.
Grimstroke struggles to deal with Arc's double presence from Tempest Double. Spark Wraiths and constant harass zone Grimstroke out of fights.
Bristle shrugs off Grimstroke’s magical poke. Soulbind rarely gets value due to Bristle's natural spread positioning and high durability.
Mirana’s Leap and Moonlight Shadow allow her and allies to evade Inkswell and Soulbind. She also arrows Grimstroke easily from fog when he channels.
Grimstroke has no way to stop Lycan’s physical burst or high-speed pushes. His summons waste Phantom’s Embrace and quickly dive Grimstroke in fights.
Grimstroke’s low mobility makes him vulnerable to Flak Cannon and Call Down. Gyro thrives in chaotic teamfights where Grimstroke gets overwhelmed.
...counter items [7.39b]
Helps you sustain HP and mana as Grimstroke frequently uses his spells to harass, secure last hits, and set up kills.
Gives you HP sustain to stay in the lane and not get zoned by Grimstroke's high spell damage.
Gives you movement speed to chase down Grimstroke or get out of the Ink Swell AoE. Also counters the movement slow from Stroke of Faith.
Gives you movement speed to chase down Grimstroke or get out of the Ink Swell AoE. Also counters the movement slow from Stroke of Faith.
Gives HP sustain to you and your ally to stay in the lane and not get zoned by Grimstroke's high spell damage.
Lets you absorb a massive instance of damage from Stroke of Faith, Phantom's Embrace, and Ink Swell.
Lets you take off Phantom's Embrace as well as instantly pop Ink Swell off an enemy hero.
Lets you reflect Soulbind and Phantom's Embrace back on Grimstroke. Can also be used to dispel the slow from Stroke of Faith.
Gives you magic resistance to significantly reduce the damage taken from Grimstroke's magic heavy toolkit.
Gives you and your team magic resistance and barrier to significantly reduce the damage taken from Grimstroke's magic heavy toolkit.
Gives you magic resistance to significantly reduce the damage taken from Grimstroke's magic heavy toolkit.
Gives you debuff immunity and magic resistance to avoid Grimstroke's stun and silence as well as reduce the damage taken from his magic heavy toolkit.
Gives you magic resistance and barrier to significantly reduce the damage taken from Grimstroke's magic heavy toolkit as well as save yourself or an ally caught by Soulbind.
Gives you a repositioning tool to break Soulbind if neither hero has moved after getting leashed together. Also lets you push yourself or an ally out of Ink Swell AoE.
Lets you block and not instantly get caught by Soulbind and Phantom's Embrace.
Bad with...
...based on stats [7.39b]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▲ |
|---|---|
-7.7% | |
-7.0% | |
-5.7% | |
-5.6% | |
-5.4% | |
-5.3% | |
-5.3% | |
-5.1% | |
-5.1% | |
-5.0% | |
-4.6% | |
-4.6% | |
-4.3% | |
-4.2% | |
-4.0% |
