Troll Warlord counter and synergy picks
Pick Troll Warlord with Wraith King to increase win-rate from 50.8% to 57.6% or against Chen to increase win-rate to 58.2% in Patch 7.39b.
Good with...
...based on stats [7.39b]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▼ |
|---|---|
6.8% | |
5.5% | |
4.4% | |
4.3% | |
3.6% | |
3.6% | |
3.5% | |
3.4% | |
2.8% | |
2.7% | |
2.4% | |
2.4% | |
2.0% | |
2.0% | |
1.9% |
...based on gameplay [7.39b]
Synergy: Empower + RP
Empower boosts Troll's farming speed and damage significantly, making him come online faster.
Reverse Polarity (RP) sets up perfect clumped fights where Troll can shred multiple targets with Battle Trance active.
Heavenly Grace gives Troll status resistance and strength which is great during Battle Trance dives.
Guardian Angel makes Troll nearly unkillable when going deep, letting him commit fully in fights.
Overcharge massively boosts Troll’s attack speed and damage which is perfect for amping up his DPS during Battle Trance.
Tether provides movement speed and shared lifesteal, helping Troll stick to targets or escape when needed.
Relocate enables global ganks or saves, letting Troll split-push safely or surprise enemies with sudden reinforcements.
Constant sustain from Io's Spirits + Tether healing allows Troll to stay on the map longer and fight more often.
Troll Warlord is good with Crystal Maiden because her Arcane Aura supports his mana-intensive spell usage, and Frostbite plus Whirling Axes chain disables enemies. Crystal Maiden’s Freezing Field also keeps enemies in place for Troll to focus them down. She covers Troll’s weak early-game and helps him in laning phase with mana and slows. Together, they create strong control and burst in mid-game fights.
Troll Warlord has good synergy with Magnus because Empower gives Troll Warlord cleave and bonus damage, significantly boosting his farming and teamfight presence. Magnus’ Reverse Polarity groups enemies, allowing Troll to unleash his full damage potential with Battle Trance. This combo dominates mid to late-game engagements. Troll becomes a much faster carry with Empower for jungle and Ancients
Troll Warlord works well with Oracle because Oracle’s False Promise can save him during Battle Trance and allow him to go all-in without fear of dying. Purifying Flames and Fate’s Edict provide healing and magic immunity, allowing Troll to survive magical bursts. Troll Warlord’s need for protection and sustain fits perfectly with Oracle’s kit. This pairing allows Troll to maximize his damage output while being kept alive.
Troll Warlord synergizes well with Shadow Shaman due to Shackles and Hex, which allow Troll to lock on enemies without being kited. Shadow Shaman’s early pressure in lane helps Troll secure farm and dominate early engagements. Their combined disables guarantee kills before enemies can react. With Troll pushing fast and Shaman’s Mass Serpent Ward, they take objectives quickly.
...core items [7.39b]
A core Boots upgrade to become more tanky against high physical damage lineups. Also gives you more damage and mobility to either fight on the lane and chase down enemy heroes or move around the jungle camps faster.
A core item for farming by clearing creep waves and neutrals much faster with cleave damage. Increases your right click damage and provides HP and mana sustain.
A core item to avoid most disables and silences on the enemy team to get Battle Trance off and hit freely in fights. Also improves your right click damage and tankiness through HP pool and magic resistance.
A core item that gives you mobility and damage through stats while making it more difficult for enemy heroes to get away from you during Battle Trance. Also help survive in fights when playing against lockdown spells like Reverse Polarity, Duel, Berserkers Call. The heal amplification from Sange also has great synergy with Battle Trance.
A mid-late game pick up to dispel roots and silences from yourself with Whirling Axes (Melee). Also lets you dispel defensive spells and items on enemy heroes with Whirling Axes (Ranged) to hit them freely.
A core upgrade for Basher to have reliable lockdown against elusive enemy heroes and burst them down with right clicks during Battle Trance.
Good against...
...based on stats [7.39b]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▼ |
|---|---|
7.4% | |
6.9% | |
6.8% | |
6.6% | |
6.3% | |
6.1% | |
5.9% | |
5.6% | |
5.5% | |
4.8% | |
4.6% | |
4.5% | |
4.3% | |
4.1% | |
3.8% |
...based on gameplay [7.39b]
Whirling Axes (Melee) provides a 60% miss chance, preventing Anti-Mage from burning Troll Warlord's small mana pool.
Troll Warlord's passive root allows him to very effectively fight an Anti-Mage by preventing Anti-Mage from Blinking away. This is even more effective when combined with a Skull Basher or Abyssal Blade.
Counterspell will do nothing to prevent Troll Warlord's high physical damage.
Due to Troll Warlord's abysmal base intelligence and intelligence gain, he is one of the worst targets to use Mana Void on.
Troll Warlord can build a Silver Edge or a Monkey King Bar to completely ignore Blur. Whirling Axes (Melee) provides a 60% miss chance, making a Coup de Grace critical strike very hard to land. Battle Trance negates Coup de Grace, preventing Troll Warlord from dying to her critical hits.
Berserker's Rage together with Troll Warlord's high attack speed gives Troll a high chance of rooting enemies, which allows Troll Warlord to man-fight Sven.
Whirling Axes (Melee) provides a 60% miss chance, and the passive armor provided by Berserker's Rage makes Troll resilient to physical damage in early game. Sven's God's Strength is much less effective as a result.
Beware that Sven can farm much faster than Troll Warlord by stacking ancients and clearing them with Great Cleave.
Troll Warlord is good against Meepo because his high single-target damage and attack speed can kill Meepo clones quickly, especially during Battle Trance. Meepo is vulnerable to sustained fights, and Troll Warlord’s root from ranged Whirling Axes can isolate a Meepo for a pick-off. In the mid to late game, Troll Warlord can use Abyssal Blade to lock a clone and burst it down instantly. Meepo’s net does not scale well into late game where Troll shines.
Troll Warlord is strong against Ember Spirit because his meele root can prevent Ember from escaping using Fire Remnant. Troll Warlord’s fast attack speed shreds Ember once locked down, and Battle Trance ensures Ember cannot burst Troll down easily. Ember Spirit is squishy and relies on kiting, which is shut down by Troll Warlord’s mobility and pursuit. Ember also struggles to handle Troll’s tanky build in prolonged manfights.
Troll Warlord is good versus Chen because Chen’s army of creeps feeds Troll Warlord free Fervor stacks and Whirling Axes can clear summons easily. Chen has no reliable disable to stop Troll Warlord once he commits with Battle Trance. Troll Warlord also deals physical damage that pierces through Chen’s low-health pool quickly. In the early game, Troll Warlord can outman him in lane and remove his map presence by picking off his creeps.
Troll Warlord is effective against Ursa because Troll can kite Ursa using his ranged form and root from Whirling Axes. Battle Trance outlasts Ursa’s Enrage in most 1v1 fights, giving Troll the edge in sustained damage. Ursa relies on burst and quick kills, while Troll thrives in long engagements where Fervor and lifesteal keep him alive. Troll Warlord also scales better into the late game with superior split-push and item progression.
Troll Warlord performs well against Anti-Mage because Anti-Mage struggles against root mechanics and sustained physical damage. Troll Warlord’s root prevent Anti-Mage from blinking away, making it possible to kill him before he escapes. Troll can build early Bashers and Abyssal Blade to keep Anti-Mage locked down during fights. In late-game scenarios, Troll’s tankiness and high attack speed make it hard for Anti-Mage to burst him down quickly.
Bad against...
...based on stats [7.39b]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▲ |
|---|---|
-8.4% | |
-7.2% | |
-6.3% | |
-5.0% | |
-4.4% | |
-4.2% | |
-3.9% | |
-3.7% | |
-3.6% | |
-3.5% | |
-3.3% | |
-3.2% | |
-2.8% | |
-2.8% | |
-2.8% |
...based on gameplay [7.39b]
Static Link can drain most or all of Troll Warlord's damage, making him useless in a teamfight or unable to last hit in lane. This is especially effective during Battle Trance, because Troll has no option to cancel the link.
Storm Surge allows Razor to chase after or run away from Troll Warlord while doing damage with Eye of the Storm.
Shrapnel and Headshot allows Sniper to kite Troll Warlord effectively.
Having natural big attack range together with increased attack range from Hurricane Pike allow Sniper to sit and fire at Troll Warlord from a safe distance.
Cold Embrace can protect Troll Warlord's target, especially during Battle Trance.
Winter's Curse can turn Troll Warlord's high physical damage and attack speed against his allies.
Troll Warlord is bad against Axe because Axe's Berserker's Call forces Troll Warlord to attack him during his ultimate, which allows Axe to lock him down and kill him easily with Blade Mail and Culling Blade. Troll Warlord's reliance on right-clicking makes him vulnerable to the counterattack mechanic of Axe, especially during the laning and early mid-game phase. Troll Warlord cannot out-sustain the pure disable and burst Axe brings with his spell combo.
Troll Warlord struggles against Naga Siren because her illusions overwhelm him and make it difficult to focus the real hero during fights. Ensnare prevents Troll Warlord from repositioning or escaping, especially when he’s channeling Battle Trance. Naga Siren's Song of the Siren can reset fights or waste Troll Warlord’s ultimate duration. The illusion spam and evasion from Manta Style or Butterfly also weaken Troll Warlord’s impact in late-game duels.
Troll Warlord is bad against Muerta because when she activates Pierce the Veil, she becomes immune to physical damage, which completely nullifies Troll Warlord’s right-click-focused kit. His ultimate Battle Trance cannot affect Muerta during this time, making her a direct counter in one-on-one scenarios. Muerta can kite Troll Warlord using her ranged advantage and crowd control like The Calling. She also scales better in ranged matchups while Troll Warlord relies heavily on gap closing.
Troll Warlord suffers against Slark because Slark can dispel Troll’s root from Whirling Axes with Dark Pact and disengage easily with Pounce. Slark becomes stronger during prolonged fights thanks to Essence Shift, which works against Troll Warlord's extended engagement style. Slark also builds items like Black King Bar and Skadi, which mitigate Troll’s burst and regen. In late fights, Slark can dodge Battle Trance and reset using Shadow Dance, making Troll Warlord ineffective.
Troll Warlord is weak versus Ancient Apparition due to Ice Blast completely countering his sustain during Battle Trance. Troll Warlord relies on life steal to stay alive when low HP, and Ancient Apparition’s ultimate prevents healing, making him an easy target when low. In addition, Cold Feet and Chilling Touch slow his mobility and attack effectiveness. Ancient Apparition stays far behind in fights, making it hard for Troll Warlord to punish him directly.
Troll Warlord is countered by Bane because Bane has multiple strong disables including Nightmare and Fiend’s Grip that bypass Black King Bar and stop Troll Warlord during Battle Trance. Enfeeble reduces his damage and lifesteal, directly weakening his power in duels and skirmishes. Bane’s toolkit allows him to peel for his teammates or lock Troll down in critical moments. He can also stay out of Troll’s attack range while controlling him from afar.
Troll Warlord is bad against Clinkz because Clinkz has high burst damage and mobility, allowing him to kill Troll before he can use Battle Trance. Clinkz’s Skeleton Walk helps him kite or escape Troll’s chase, while Burning Barrage pierces through Troll’s defenses. Clinkz usually hits a strong mid-game timing before Troll Warlord is online, punishing him while he’s still farming. Troll Warlord also lacks reliable detection or lockdown to control Clinkz.
...counter items [7.39b]
Helps you sustain HP and mana as Troll Warlord frequently uses Whirling Axes to harass and secure last hits.
Gives you movement speed to kite or close the gap on Troll Warlord. Also counters the movement slow from Whirling Axes (Ranged).
Gives you movement speed to kite or close the gap on Troll Warlord. Also counters the movement slow from Whirling Axes (Ranged).
Gives you tankiness to take less damage from Troll Warlord's right clicks and trade HP more effectively.
Gives you HP sustain and tankiness to take less damage from Troll Warlord's right clicks.
Lets you kite and waste some of Troll Warlord's Battle Trance duration. Also lets you dispel the slow from Whirling Axes (Ranged) and the blind from Whirling Axes (Melee).
Gives you or an ally armor and a physical damage barrier to significantly reduce the burst potential of Troll Warlord's right clicks during Battle Trance.
Provides evasion and lets you disarm Troll Warlord to prevent him from right clicking freely in fights as well as waste some of his Battle Trance duration.
Lets you kite Troll Warlord by putting some distance between him and yourself with Hurricane Thrust and hit him from range.
Gives you another layer of damage with a true strike right click that ignores the miss chance from Whirling Axes (Melee).
Lets you kite Troll Warlord by pushing yourself or an ally away from him when rooted his melee stance right clicks.
Lets you kite Troll Warlord by protecting yourself against his right clicks in Ethereal form as well as waste some of his Battle Trance duration.
Gives you an instant disable against Troll Warlord to burst him down in its duration before he can impact fights or become invincible and lifesteal back up using Battle Trance.
Lets you save yourself or an ally from Troll Warlord's right clicks and waste some of his Battle Trance duration. Can also be used to burst him down with heavy magic damage as a follow up.
Lets you save yourself or an ally by Cycloning them when rooted by Troll Warlord's melee stance right clicks. Also lets you waste some of the Battle Trance duration by Cycloning Troll Warlord.
Gives armor to your team and buildings to take less damage from Troll Warlord's right clicks to nullify his kill and push potential.
Gives you an instant lockdown against Troll Warlord and burst him down with a possible chain stun before he can impact fights or become invincible and lifesteal back up using Battle Trance.
Gives you armor and evasion to defend yourself against Troll Warlord's right clicks with the tankiness and miss chance.
Gives you more accuracy on right clicks to ignore the miss chance from Whirling Axes (Melee).
Bad with...
...based on stats [7.39b]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▲ |
|---|---|
-7.9% | |
-7.1% | |
-6.6% | |
-6.1% | |
-6.1% | |
-5.6% | |
-5.6% | |
-5.4% | |
-5.2% | |
-5.2% | |
-5.1% | |
-5.0% | |
-4.9% | |
-4.8% | |
-4.6% |
