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Dota 2 Hard Support tier list: best heroes to support ranked pubs

Sports Writer

Publish Date: 01/12/2025

Key Points

Witch Doctor, Lich, and Disruptor top the charts in ranked pubs.
Hard support success is all about reliability.
Avoid high-coordination picks like Io and Naga in solo queue.

Dota 2 Hard Support Tier List for Ranked Pubs (Patch 7.39e)

If you’ve played any ranked in 7.39e, you already know how brutal support life can get, which is why I’ve put together a full Dota 2 hard support tier list for ranked pubs that leans into win rates, and comfort picks.

In 7.39e, you’re buying wards, and getting blamed for dives you didn’t start. So if you’re going to suffer, at least suffer on a hero that can carry from position five. Right now, hard supports that bring early control, defensive utility, or easy teamfight spells are climbing fast. Let’s dig into what’s strong, what’s situational, and what you should probably never touch.

What hard support means in ranked pubs

If you’re playing position five, your job starts with your carry and never really ends. You’re the warder, the courier babysitter, the lane babysitter, and when the map opens up, you become the smoke leader and vision controller. In ranked pubs on Dota 2 betting sites, where coordination’s a myth and mid-lane Tinkers do their own thing, hard supports need to hit a few key beats. Win the lane (or at least keep it stable), offer clear fight value, and survive without farm. The less your kit relies on setup, the better.

Lich dota 2

How this Dota 2 hard support tier list came together

Here’s what I looked at:

Win rates and pick rates in ranked across multiple MMR brackets
Execution simplicity. Low-skill floor = more consistent impact
Fight value. Reliable spells that change fights, even if your core whiffs their BKB timing
Laning presence, especially important with so many kill lanes in 7.39

S-tier heroes check all those boxes. A-tier might lack some ceiling, but still win games. And the further down the list you go, the more messy things get, often requiring perfect coordination or specific lineups to justify.

The tier list

Here’s a summary of where each hard support stands in ranked pubs for patch 7.39e.

Tier	Hard Support Heroes
S	Witch Doctor, Disruptor, Lich, Clockwerk, Pugna, Dazzle, Silencer
A	Warlock, Undying, Jakiro, Marci, Shadow Demon, Ogre Magi, Snapfire, Bane, Shadow Shaman, Phoenix, Abaddon, Venge, Wyvern, Venomancer, Elder Titan
B	Grimstroke, Rubick, Oracle, Enchantress, Crystal Maiden, Mirana, Ancient Apparition, Pudge, Zeus, Ringmaster, Omniknight, Earthshaker, Nature’s Prophet
C	Techies, Lion, Chen, Tusk, Earth Spirit, Batrider, Muerta, Keeper, Nyx, Skywrath, Windranger, Dawnbreaker
D	Io, Treant, Naga Siren, Gyrocopter, Riki, Night Stalker, Alchemist

S-Tier

These are the best in slot. If you just want to win pubs without sweating your mechanics or micro, start here.

Witch Doctor

Witch Doctor is the poster child for pub dominance right now. His win rate’s hovering around 54%, and that’s not surprising. Maledict punishes greedy offlaners, Voodoo Restoration keeps your carry in lane longer, and Death Ward can flat-out win teamfights when left unchecked.

▶️ Dota 2 Witch Doctor

Disruptor

Disruptor just thrives in pubs. Glimpse deletes bad TPs, Static Storm shuts down slippery mids, and Kinetic Field forces clumped engagements. You can win fights off good spellcasting alone, and that’s gold in ranked.

▶️ Dota 2 Disruptor

Clockwerk

If your carry is passive and you want to get aggressive, Clockwerk is the pos five you want. He dominates early trades with Battery Assault and Cogs, and his Hookshot lets you start fights without waiting for your cores to show up.

▶️ Dota 2 Clockwerk

Lich

Lich is one of the easiest supports to play well in pubs, and his impact is massive for the effort. Frost Blast chips down enemies, Frost Shield gives your carry a free armour steroid, and Chain Frost can punish grouped enemies in every low-MMR fight.

▶️ Dota 2 Lich

Silencer

Global Silence ruins everything in pubs. No coordination means people don’t prep BKBs, and Silencer takes advantage of that with ease. On top of that, his laning phase is quietly oppressive. Arcane Curse and Glaives wear down anyone who sticks around.

▶️ Dota 2 Silencer

Pugna

Pugna brings wave clear, sustain, and tower pressure, all things most pos fives lack. His Nether Ward punishes mana-hungry mids, Life Drain saves teammates or finishes kills, and Nether Blast melts tier ones.

▶️ Dota 2 Pugna

Dazzle

Dazzle isn’t the best support, but he keeps your team alive forever. Shallow Grave is still one of the best saves in Dota, and between Poison Touch and Shadow Wave, you’ve got all the lane tools you need.

▶️ Dota 2 Dazzle

A-Tier

These heroes aren’t as dominant as S-tier picks, but they’re solid choices for almost any ranked match.

Laning powerhouses

Undying

Tombstone demands early attention, and Decay spam wears down dual lanes.

▶️ Dota 2 Undying

Warlock

Shadow Word is underrated in 2v2 trades, and Chaotic Offering still flips teamfights.

▶️ Dota 2 Warlock

Jakiro

Dual Breath + Liquid Fire makes for a miserable time in lane.

▶️ Dota 2 Jakiro

Marci

Rebound repositioning and Disposers make her a hard-to-ignore laning presence.

▶️ Dota 2 Marci

Lockdown and setup

Shadow Shaman

Double disable, tower pressure with Serpent Wards.

▶️ Dota 2 Shadow Shaman

Bane

Fiend’s Grip makes for strong pickoffs, especially in 4-man smoke plays.

▶️ Dota 2 Bane

Vengeful Spirit

Swap saves and initiation in one, can punish bad positioning.

▶️ Dota 2 Vengeful Spirit

Teamfight utility and saves

Phoenix

Sun Ray, Supernova, and soft healing all come together in longer fights.

▶️ Dota 2 Phoenix

Abaddon

Aphotic Shield still counters stuns and silences easily.

▶️ Dota 2 Abaddon

Wyvern

Winter’s Curse always has value in clumped fights.

▶️ Dota 2 Wyvern

Snapfire

Cookie saves, Mortimer’s Kisses adds huge nuke value.

▶️ Dota 2 Snapfire

Niche, specialist, or “maybe not” picks

Not every hero fits into ranked pubs, even if they technically work in pro games or stacks. This part of the list breaks down the riskier picks. The ones that require coordination, comfort, or a very specific game plan.

1️⃣ B-Tier

Heroes like Grimstroke, Rubick, and Oracle are all viable, but only if you’ve put in the reps. Their kits are harder to execute, and they usually need coordination or very specific drafts to shine. Don’t pick them just because they’re fun. Pick them if you’re already good at them.

2️⃣ C-Tier

This is where Chen, Techies, Earth Spirit, and even Batrider live. They’re playable, just not great as position five. Many need too much gold, map space, or setup to work from a support slot. They can be strong, but unless you’re stacking or coordinating, they’re not worth the risk.

3️⃣ D-Tier

Io, Treant, Naga Siren, Night Stalker, heroes that are powerful in pro play but absolutely miserable in pubs. They need coordination, tempo timing, and often a team playing around them.

▶️ Dota 2 Lo

The real backbone of your pubs

You’re not going to top the scoreboard. You’ll rarely get MVP. But you can absolutely win ranked games as a hard support, especially when you pick a hero that doesn’t rely on your teammates doing the right thing. This tier list is about results. And right now, the results say Witch Doctor wins games. So ward up, pick your poison, and keep your carry alive just long enough to win it for you.