Why has Marci been banned or picked at every LCQ game?

During the LCQ there was only 1 hero that was either picked or banned in every game of the tournament. The culprit is one of our game’s most recent additions to the hero roster, Marci. Blessed with damage, mobility and control, this hero has been a menace to Dota 2’s competitive scene. But what exactly makes this mute girl originating from Dota: Dragon’s Blood so incredibly desirable?

Flexibility

Looking at the development of competitive drafting in Dota 2 over the years, one element has become more and more important. This is referring to the prevalence of so-called flex picks. Heroes that can be picked up early in the draft and are able to fulfill a multitude of roles in a multitude of lanes. Flex picks allow a drafter to hide their plans to their opponent, and allows the drafter to change plans later in the draft based on the picks their opponent is showing. Marci in fact, is one of these flex picks. Drafters can pick her up early on in the draft, intending for her to be run as a support. While eventually choosing to use the hero as a core in the offlane for example.

How does she do it?

The question remains however, what makes Marci the best flex pick out there? Surely there must be other heroes who can switch their roles just as easily? Yes and no.

Not only does Marci have the ability to be flexible, she also is really good at what she does. All of her abilities have incredible utility on their own, while combined they can become borderline broken. Her dispose ability can help her reposition both allies and opponents, something that is very useful in a game where positioning is key.

Next, her rebound gives her both incredible mobility and control, but also buffs her allies movement speed. It is an AOE stun that is incredibly quick and with great range, while also giving her a second way to cancel teleport scrolls - something that is becoming more and more important nowadays. For her 3rd skill she summons a sidekick that gives her and her allies awesome sustain and damage output. While combining this with her ultimate, she can single-handedly fight any hero in the game and bring them down on her own, not even needing any real farm to do so. She is simply spectacular in everything she does.

Going forward

While Marci seems to be on top of the drafting food chain as we speak, The International is yet to officially start. And something we have seen during pretty much every TI, is that the meta can evolve dramatically over the course of the event. Causing TI staples like Earthshaker and Elder Titan to maybe even overtake Marci eventually.

Image source: Valve