Axe is a strong selection for most hero configurations because of his versatility. He is a tanky team fight initiator and counter-initiator whose Blink Dagger and Berserker’s Call combination can influence battles.
The popularity of the strong hero stems from his versatility as a carry or offlaner. He has a good laning phase because of Battle Hunger and can destroy opponent heroes with his Culling Blade.
Not only is he highly tanky, but his new Manta Style build also causes significant damage. Therefore, while Axe will always be a nuisance, the following heroes are the most capable of dealing with him.
3 Heroes To Counter Axe in DOTA 2
Batrider
Batrider’s kit is highly effective against Axe. Batrider is all about relocating enemies and being mobile, allowing a smart player several counterplay options.
Firefly offers Batrider increased movement speed and the ability to fly over any terrain, making him tough to capture. At the same time, Sticky Napalm considerably slows Axe. It causes him to absorb more damage from all of Batrider’s spells. Batrider can also easily disrupt the strength hero’s combination with his Flamebreak.
In addition, Batrider’s Flaming Lasso helps him to gain an advantage over his foes before they can cast spells. Batrider’s ability to generate chaos and reposition adversaries makes it very tough for Axe, for he can shut him down from the start of the laning stage to the finish of the game.
Luna
She is one of the quickest characters in the game, can farm quite quickly, and deals decent physical and magical damage. The only thing Luna can’t do is heal, but that’s what those dorky supports are for in this tournament.
The powers of Luna appear tailored to counter Axe. Lucent Beam is ideal for harassing adversaries at a distance and stopping them from using Blink Dagger. The fear of Eclipse guarantees adversaries stays far from Luna, a problem for Axe, who performs most of his damage at melee range. As Moon Glaives ricochet during team battles, they quickly dispel any illusions created by Manta Style.
Axe can’t handle the damage of Luna. So long as she can maintain her distance in the early game, Luna should eventually prevail.
Phoenix
Regarding support, Phoenix is one of the best allies against Axe. Like the previously stated heroes, Phoenix possesses tremendous mobility and, a significant amount of AOE damage, all-in-one support.
Phoenix’s Icarus Dive allows him to dive in or out of fights quickly. It means Phoenix will typically be found at the far back of the team, making it extremely dangerous for foes to try to kill him. Phoenix can also use Fire Spirits to drastically slow Axe’s attack speed, improving his chances of successfully activating Supernova.
Moreover, Sun Ray allows Phoenix to heal everyone caught by Axe while also doing a lot of damage. Phoenix is incomparably difficult for Axe to control due to his superior mobility, potent heals, and immense team-fighting abilities.
