Have you ever been interested in playing support? Wanted to take the same route taken by great captains like Notail and Skem? If that’s the case, you need to pick the right heroes to supplement and sustain your team. With the right heroes picked, support players can easily change the entire state of a game while constantly having the upper hand against their enemies.

Without the proper fulfillment of a certain role, it will be very hard to achieve that win. One of the most underestimated roles in Dota is the support role. Although, that is not always the case. It is important to note that the support role is pivotal towards maintaining the team’s structure and is responsible for the well-being of the entire team. 

In the current patch 7.32, there are a few strong support heroes that players can pick  which will give them an easy +25 towards their MMR. This current patch introduced a few balance changes, nerfs and buffs to certain heroes – including a few support heroes. Here are a few support heroes that you can pick in this current patch, which are considered to be strong and powerful.

DAZZLE 

Dazzle is arguably one of the strongest laning supports in Dota 2 and is capable of bullying and poking his lane opponent from a distance with ease. In addition to the poke, Dazzle’s kit enables him to save his carries – utilizing Shallow Grave making the carry unkillable for a few seconds. 

One of the famous combos players can try is Huskar and Dazzle combo. Dazzle’s Shallow Grave allows Huskar to get the most out of his Berserker’s Blood passive, pushing his attack speed to the limit. His Aghanim’s Shard also makes his Poison Touch a disable, which hexes his enemies for 2 seconds. The newest Aghanim’s Shard covers one of Dazzle’s main weaknesses, a lack of disable. Along with the buffs that the hero got in 7.31d, Dazzle is a strong and easy support to recommend. 

Basic build: Observers and sentries, Force Staff, Glimmer Cape

OGRE MAGI

Aside from Dazzle, another support hero that is also equipped with an oppressive set of skills is Ogre Magi. Ogre Magi is a complete support – having a buff that amplifies his allies’ attack speed with “Bloodlust”, a damage over time and slowin “Ignite” and a single-target stun in “Fireblast”. Aside from that, he has a high base-regen, making him a strong and solid harasser in the lane. 

One of the fun parts about playing Ogre Magi comes in his ultimate, “Multicast”. This allows him to activate any one of his spells multiple times – contingent to how lucky the player gets. The stronger an Ogre Magi gets over time, the more likely he is to multicast, and a 4x Fireblast or a 4x Scythe of Vyse might just win a game single-handedly. If not reliant on luck, Ogre Magi’s Bloodlust is one of the strongest steroids in the game, buffing up any carry with armor and attack speed. 

Basic Build: Aether Lens, Blink Dagger, Force Staff 

JAKIRO

The two-headed dragon, Jakiro, is also a pick that could help  dominate a lane. Jakiro ensures that the carry will have a good time and a strong lane because this hero is equipped with a selection of offensive abilities that can hit multiple enemies. His ultimate, Macropyre, is  just as strong as the rest of his spells. 

He releases an array of flames that burns the enemy quickly and is also a strong team fighting tool that zones the enemies out of position. All in all, Jakiro is a strong lane bully and a great tool for the late game team fights.

Basic Build: Eul’s Scepter, Aghanim’s Scepter, Force Staff 

IO

Lastly, a more passive support with healing capabilities and stacked with regen is Io. The Wisp has a unique playstyle – She exists to tether to a carry and doesn't have an impact otherwise. The hero gives a boost of spell amplification and attack speed with Overcharge – maximizing the damage output of the carry. 

One of the most important aspects of Io is her ultimate, Relocate. Which allows Io to bring a tethered ally anywhere on the map for 10 seconds. Relocate allows a team to essentially be in two places at once. Carries can farm as much as they can until a fight breaks out, and then immediately join the fight anywhere on the map. Relocate can be used in so many creative ways, and it is up to the Io player to make the correct moves on the map. Io’s overall weakness without a carry, and her squishiness make her a difficult support to play, but extremely effective when mastered. 

Basic build: Headdress, Mekansm, Glimmer Cape, Holy Locket

Supports allow a player to learn the game at a higher level, and hopefully the knowledge of supports can propel you to the highest level. Whether you're a carry, or mid laner, the role has something for you!