The Heroes in Dota 2 - An Introductory Guide for Lone Druid

Introduction

Dota 2 is often considered as one of the hardest games in the world. Not only are there tons of different heroes and items to choose from, but there are also many mechanics that are very difficult to understand. 

Not every single hero is the same, which is why some are way harder than others. Having said that, today, we will take a look at one of the harder heroes to play in Dota 2 - Lone Druid. Famous for his incredible pushing capabilities, Lone Druid is often picked, especially during the professional games. You can make sure of that during Kyiv Dota 2 Major, which will start on June 2.

Let's dive in to learn more about this awesome hero.

Information about Lone Druid

Syllabear (Lone Druids' name in DotA) is a ranged agility hero that is played exclusively as a core. However, unlike many other core heroes out there, Lone Druid can be played in pretty much every core position, depending on the situation. That said, he definitely shines the most when he is represented as a safelane carry. 

There are many unique things about this hero that sets him apart from the others. Without a doubt, Lone Druids' most unique feature is his Spirit Bear. Unlike other spawning units, this bear doesn't have any duration. Instead, once it gets summoned, it stays until either it or Lone Druid die. 

However, there is also an entirely different way in which you can play the hero. If you are not good with the unit controls, you can simply use the bear for that extra damage and focus mainly on LD himself. Although this might not seem that good, it can actually be an excellent tactic, especially when there are certain heroes from your team.

Here is more information about the bear, as well as LD's other skills:

• Summon Spirit Bear - as we mentioned earlier, this  LD's most signature ability. The Spirit Bear is a very powerful companion that is able to do devastating damage, especially later on in the game. It's safe to say that it is as if you have a second hero. You can buy different items on that bear, which means that on paper, you can have up to 12 slots (6  from your hero and six from the bear). This makes Lone Druid a very dangerous hero, especially when the game gets into the later stages.
  The Spirit Bear itself also has a couple of abilities which help when it gets in trouble or when it needs to do damage against the buildings., Whatever the case may be.
• Spirit Link - despite being changed numerous times during the years, this overall effect of the spell has been relatively the same. This is one of the strongest passive skills in the game because it provides a massive 60 Attack Speed Bonus, as well as the 65% Life Steal when the Spirit Bear is attacking its target. In other words, Lone Druid can become incredibly hard to kill, primarily when he uses his ult.
• Savage Roar - this is the saving grace for every Lone Druid player when this doesn't go as planned. Of course, Savage Roar can be used offensively, but it depends heavily on the situation you're in. In most cases, this spell provides an easy way to get out of ganks because it can be used from the Spirit Bear as well.
• True Form - last, but definitely not least, we have LD's ultimate. This spell transforms him into a bear, giving him 20 armor and 1500 HP. In other words, he becomes incredibly tanky, especially when you combine this with Spirit Link.

Items and Counters

Lone Druid can be played in two ways -either with or without the Spirit Bear. Both methods work fine, so it all comes down to the situation you're in. That said, here are some of the most popular item choices for every LD player:

• Radiance - This is the most popular item for Lone Druif if the player decides that he will use the Spirit Bear. Radiance completely changes the pace of the game because it allows the bear to be a lot more involved and dangerous in team fights.
• Hands of Midas - this item is a must for every LD player because it drastically increases the farming rate of the hero. The cool thing is that LD can basically benefit from two midases because he can give one of them to the bear, which means that the hero can farm super fast. 
• Mjollnir is another excellent choice for Lone Druid, especially when he gives the item to the Spirit Bear. Mjollnir provides damage and attack speed, which are the two most important stats for the bear because it can benefit from the Entangle proc.
• Black King Bar is a must whenever there are heroes that do huge magical damage. Although it might seem like a waste of gold to buy BKB on the bear, it can drastically change the course of a team fight because the bear will have 10 seconds where it will hit someone. On theory, it should be enough to score at least one kill.

When it comes down to counters, there are a couple of heroes that can make the life of every Lone Druid player a living hell:

• Zeus has the power to quickly burst down LD because he does tons of magical damage. Although most Druid players buy a Hood of Defiance, it is usually not enough to prevent Zeus from doing massive amounts of damage.
• Slark is another very annoying hero to play against because he can quickly dispel the Savage Roar. However, if you time this right, you might have a chance to escape and even get a kill, should your bear get an entangle.