Mars is one of the most recent additions to Dota 2’s roster. And pretty much like any other hero in the past, he also debuted with a splash. The hero is known for his wave clearing power and versatility, not to mention his near-perfect tankiness when attacked from the front. Suffice to say, Mars is a well-rounded hero thanks to his hero kit.
It holds true that battling Mars in a team fight can be quite difficult, especially since he is meant for team control. In this guide, you will learn how to counter his skills and steer clear from his intimidating presence.
The Right Hero
Mars' ultimate, which is called Arena of Blood, is meant to lock enemies inside a coliseum with the spawn of a God. Phantasmagorical gladiators at the edges of the coliseum will knock those who try to flee back towards the center. As a result, anyone who is trapped inside is forced to fight the hero.
Fortunately, not every hero is subject to this ultimate’s domain. Pangolier's rolling thunder, in particular, can be used to easily escape as it does not treat the walls of the arena as terrain to ricochet off of. Also, when the skill is activated, he becomes magic immune.
Just Break Him
Break refers to a status that will completely disable passive benefits. Apparently, Mars’ unmatched tankiness is thanks to his passive ability, which is capable of significantly reducing damage obtained from frontal physical attacks.
Still, it is a hard commodity to come by, and you can always counter it with heroes like Doom and Shadow Demon. They can easily inflict damage, especially when you are equipped with an Aghanim's Scepter. Also, Viper’s Nether Toxin can be spammed to inflict the status Mars gets from his passive. The skill should eventually render him useless.
Make Him Insignificant
It holds true that Mars is a tanky hero in Dota 2. But if you look at his base intelligence, mana pool, and int scaling, the stats are just in the dumpster. This is where you want to take advantage of his weakness and turn him into a creep. Natural Diffusal Blade builders are without a doubt one of Mars’ go-to counters. Phantom Lancer, for instance, can easily ruin this hero’s day. And when Mars is out of mana, there is nothing he can do on the battlefield. When Mars is out of mana, it will not matter how tanky he can be – your team can easily take him down.
