Best Mid heroes of Dota 2 patch 7.35b – Zeus

Zeus has been an excellent Dota 2 hero ever since he was reworked and received his much needed escape mechanism. Now, in Dota 2 patch 7.35b, this hero is stronger than ever.

His W deals double damage to creeps, which means that you can use it to greatly accelerate your farming speed. At level 4, Lightning Bolt’s damage is 350 against heroes and 700 against creeps. That’s 700 damage for 135 mana, with a cooldown of just 6s. If you have enough mana, Zeus is probably one of the fastest farmers in the game right now.

Why Zeus is strong in Dota 2 patch 7.35b

Zeus has a win rate of 52% and a pick rate of 15.5% in the current meta. Players like to pick him for mid, but he can also play as position 3 thanks to the high damage, low cooldown, and long cast range of Arc Lightning.

Later in the game, this ability completely destroys illusions. So if you’re against a hero like Phantom Lancer or Terrorblade, picking Zeus is one of the better way to deal with the late-game threat. After a certain point, these kinds of heroes are very hard to beat using conventional methods because they quickly overpower most right-clickers. But Zeus has different tools.

Apart from the damage dealt by Lightning Bolt, this ability also provides true sight for 5s in a 750 radius. This makes Zeus the nemesis of most invisible heroes, who absolutely despise being exposed with an ability that can be cast very frequently.

Heavenly Jump offers Zeus the ability to deal damage, obtain unobstructed vision around himself for 3s in a 900 radius, and jump 500 units. The enemies he hits have their movement speed slowed by 80% for 1s, and their attack speed slowed by 100 for the same duration. Like the other two abilities, this one also has a low cooldown (26 – 14s).

One overlooked aspect of Heavenly Jump is that it can be used in combination with a Force Staff or a Blink Dagger to put a lot of distance between yourself and your opponents. Or, if you feel courageous enough, to not let them escape.

Zeus has one of the most powerful ultimates in the game. It hits every enemy hero on the map and deals 300 – 550 damage +5–10% max HP as damage. At level 1, that’s the equivalent of roughly 2000 damage. In a team fight, using this ability properly can secure a lot of kills.

When you play Zeus, the key is to build mobility, mana, and mana regeneration. Items like Phylactery, Aether Lens, and Arcane Boots are very useful. Add to them a Blink Dagger and an Ethereal Blade and you’re well on your way to winning.

Header: Valve