Wraith King counter and synergy picks
Pick Wraith King with Ancient Apparition to increase win-rate from 57.3% to 62.3% or against Phantom Assassin to increase win-rate to 63.2% in Patch 7.38c.
Good with...
...based on stats [7.38c]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▼ |
|---|---|
5.0% | |
4.6% | |
3.1% | |
3.0% | |
2.8% | |
2.7% | |
2.5% | |
2.5% | |
2.5% | |
2.2% | |
2.2% | |
2.2% | |
2.0% | |
2.0% | |
2.0% |
...based on gameplay [up-to-date]
Stampede provides WK with much needed mobility in order to make sure he gets on top of any high priority targets and can connect his Mortal Strike. Wraithfire Blast is amazing for both setting up Hoof Stomp and as a follow-up to it. Stampede can be used globally after Reincarnation to get WK out of a dicy situation.
WK serves as a durable frontliner for Arc and an initiator, which fits perfetly with his playstyle as ideally he wants to sit in the back undisturbed and get off multiple volleys of attacks and spells. Wraithfire Blast is a great set up for Arc to follow up with Spark Wraiths and Flux and Reincarnation's Aghanim's Scepter upgrade allow him to keep fighting even past death.
Magnus provides WK with Empower, which greatly amplifies his farming speed and gives him much needed AOE damage, which WK generally lacks. This allows him to reach his item timings much more consistently and turns some matchups on their head as the lack of AOE damage makes him generally weak versus Illusion heroes.
The two pair well in lane as they are melee/ranged. Wraithfire Blast can set up Sacred Arrow, while both Solar Flare and Moonlight Shadow can provide WK with either more damage or mobility, which can cause him to either oneshot targets or close the gap on them more easily.
The two pair well in lane as they are melee/ranged. Wraithfire Blast can be combined with Poison Touch to run down an opponent out of lane and taking full control of it. Shadow Weave provides additional sustain to further extend the laning phase and push out waves quickly so WK can accelerate his farm with jungle camps. Weave both gives armor to WK, which he lacks greatly, while substracting armor from his opponents, amplifying WK's mostly right-click damage.
...counter items [up-to-date]
A core Boots upgrade that gives you tankiness and damage to farm faster and have more lane control. Also boosts your mobility and lets you close the gap on enemy heroes with the Phase active to stun and hit them.
A core item that greatly accelerates your farm and boosts your damage output since you have two lives in fights to maximize Radiance damage output.
A core mobility item to quickly close the gap on enemy heroes. Lock them down with Wraithfire Blast and burst them during the stun duration.
A core item to avoid most disables on the enemy team giving you a window to dish out as much damage as possible freely. 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. Also gives you a dispel and the ability to split push lanes safely with illusions. Has great synergy with Radiance.
An upgrade for Basher to have reliable lockdown against elusive enemy heroes and follow up with right clicks and Wraithfire Blast to burst them down.
An amazing late game item for you and your team that triggers Wraith form on your allies when they die to help them have more impact in teamfights.
Good against...
...based on stats [7.38c]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▼ |
|---|---|
5.8% | |
5.7% | |
5.6% | |
4.3% | |
4.2% | |
4.0% | |
3.7% | |
3.6% | |
3.5% | |
3.4% | |
3.3% | |
3.1% | |
3.1% | |
2.9% | |
2.9% |
...based on gameplay [up-to-date]
Reincarnation makes it hard for Techies to all in combo WK as he would be left with a life to spare, while Techies would be out of gas. Bone Guard Skeletons can soak multiple Proximity Mines.
Reincarnation serves as a natural deterent for Earthshaker to all in Wraith King with an Echo Slam as he would shortly come back to life, while Shaker would be left with not much in the tank. WK can select Spectral Blade as a facet instead of Bone Guard in order to reduce the number of Echo Slam targets.
Reincarnation makes it difficult to all in WK with Stampede as he'd have an extra life to spare. Wraithfire Blast can lock down any retreating with Stampede targets so WK can stay on top of them. His abudance of sustain trough Vampiric Spirit can easily result in a situation where WK completely outheals Centaur's Retaliate and total damage output.
A natural counter to Axe as he has built in Lifesteal to sustain trough his Berserker's Call. Additionally, he can deal Pure damage to Axe, which does not get mitigated by armor and has at least 1 extra life, making it impossible to kill him in a single Call+BM+CB combo.
Wraith King's innate sustain allows him to man fight Spectre as by herself she doesn't output amazing damage and the Dispersion damage she relies on is offset by WK's Lifesteal. Silver Edge, which provides Break is a naturally great pickup for WK. He's got 2 lives.
WK doesn't really have any high impact active spells, considering he can have up to 3 passives, making him probably the worst hero in DOTA to be affected by Crippling Fear. Wraithfire Blast has enough of a cast range to outrange Crippling Fear and Vampiric Spirit supplies him with sufficient sustain to 1v1 NS. Boneguard can be a problem for NS as he lacks the AOE to clear the skeletons quickly, allowing WK to split push lanes, giving him and his team the upper hand.
Bad against...
...based on stats [7.38c]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▲ |
|---|---|
-21.1% | |
-19.1% | |
-18.1% | |
-18.0% | |
-17.9% | |
-17.6% | |
-17.5% | |
-17.1% | |
-16.2% | |
-16.1% | |
-16.0% | |
-16.0% | |
-16.0% | |
-15.9% | |
-15.6% |
...based on gameplay [up-to-date]
Atrophy Aura reduces WK's attack damage, which is almost all of his total damage output. Underlord can control him multiple times with Pit of Malice, as he lacks innate dispel. Fiend's Gate allows him to bring in the numbers on WK if he ever gets caught out anywhere on the map in order to get trough his second life via Reincarnation.
Anchor Smash reduces WK's attack damage significantly, which is almost all of his total damage output. Blubber can dispel Wraithfire Blast after a single Mortal Strike as the game goes on. Gush reduces armor, which WK already struggles with and Dead in the Water is hard for WK to deal with due to his low base attack speed. Ravage can be timed as Reincarnation is about to revive WK to instantly disable him.
WK's total damage output comes mostly from his attacks and Phoenix can make them both miss with Blinding Sun or reduce their frequency with Fire Spirits. Supernova can be hard for WK to deal with as he is a melee hero and also lacks good base attack speed or built in debuff immunity.
WK's total damage output comes mostly from his attacks, which he cannot take advantage of during Slark's main defensive tools: Shadow Dance and Depth Shroud (Aghanim's Shard upgrade). Dark Pact can dispel Wraithfire Blast and Reincarnation's Wraith form still provides Slark with Essence Shift stacks.
Rage/Unfettered can be used to dodge/dispel Wraithfire Blast. Feast + Open Wounds outheal Vampiric Spirit and in a 1 on 1 fight, which WK is supposedly "king" of LS tends to win as he outdamages and outheals WK. Infest can disarm trough Debuff Immunity once upgraded with Aghanim's Scepter, removing most of WK's damage output for it's duration.
...counter items [up-to-date]
Gives you movement speed to kite Wraith King and his skeletons. Also counters the movement slow from Wraithfire Blast and Reincarnation.
Gives you movement speed to kite Wraith King and his skeletons. Also counters the movement slow from Wraithfire Blast and Reincarnation.
Gives you tankiness to take less damage from right clicks from Wraith King and his skeletons to trade HP more effectively.
Gives you armor as well as helps lower the Vampiric Spirit lifesteal and chase down Wraith King with a movement speed slow on right clicks.
Wraith King has naturally very low armor and has to acquire it trough items. Use Blightstone and physical damage to harass him before he builds his armor up.
Lets you block jungle camps from spawning to slow down Wraith King's farm speed.
Use blood grenade to help kite Wraith King or chase him down
Helps significantly lower the lifesteal from Vampiric Spirit with Soul Release charges.
Lets you kite Wraith King by putting some distance between him and yourself with Hurricane Thrust and hit him from range.
Lets you burn through Wraith King's mana pool with right clicks and burst him down without letting him Reincarnate, which makes him spend gold on an early BKB to survive.
Use the active to either kite Wraith King or negate the damage from his Spectral Blade.
Lets you block jungle camps from spawning with Sentries to slow down Wraith King's farm speed. The Observers help you scout and gank him with Smoke plays.
Lets you kite Wraith King and his skeletons by protecting yourself or an ally against their right clicks through invisibility.
Lets you kite Wraith King and his skeletons by protecting yourself against their right clicks in Ethereal form.
Lets you kite Wraith King and his skeletons by pushing yourself or an ally away from them.
Lets you save yourself or an ally from right clicks from Wraith King and his skeletons. Can also be used to burst him down with heavy magic damage as a follow up.
Lets you survive and never get bursted by Wraith King's Blink Dagger initiation and follow up Wraithfire Blast stun and right clicks.
Use the active to either kite Wraith King or negate the damage from his Spectral Blade
Gives armor to your team and buildings to take less damage from right clicks from Wraith King and his skeletons to nullify their kill and push potential.
Helps lower the lifesteal from Vampiric Spirit.
Provides armor and helps lower the lifesteal from Vampiric Spirit.
Lets you apply the break effect on Wraith King to reduce his damage output and HP sustain from Vampiric Spirit, Spectral Blade, and Mortal Strike.
Gives you armor and evasion to defend yourself against right clicks from Wraith King and his skeletons with the tankiness and miss chance.
Gives you an instant silence and massive burst damage against Wraith King to kill him without letting him stun you using Wraithfire Blast or summon skeletons from Bone Guard.
Bad with...
...based on stats [7.38c]
| Hero | Change in Win Rate ▲ |
|---|---|
-7.5% | |
-5.3% | |
-4.9% | |
-4.9% | |
-4.6% | |
-4.1% | |
-4.0% | |
-4.0% | |
-3.8% | |
-3.7% | |
-3.5% | |
-3.4% | |
-3.2% | |
-3.1% | |
-3.0% |
