Bloodseeker is one of Dota 2‘s safer picks. He has a good winrate in all ranks – 52% as of writing this, and he is definitely a dominant pick in the lower ranks. He is also decently flexible, being strong as either a laner champion, or a jungler.
Today we’ll talk about Bloodseeker and how you can win with him Dota 2. We’ll cover some essential information you need to know regardless of your preferred role, but we’ll specifically focus on Bloodseeker’s strengths as a laner.
Who should play Bloodseeker?
The first factor you should take into consideration is that he is melee. There is a very good chance that you will need to go up against a ranged hero, so it’s best if you have some experience with such matchups. If you don’t usually play melee heroes, there will be a learning curve.
Also, you have to be extremely confident in yourself. Bloodseeker relies on his ability to steal HP, so you can easily win fights even if you are low on health. So you can’t run away from fights you could have potentially won. If you engage correctly, you should always come out on top.
What items does Bloodseeker need?
- Black King Bar
- Radiance
- Diffusal Blade
- Abyssal Blade
As of now, these are Bloodseeker’s core items in Dota 2. For better or worse, there really is no set guide to your other items, because it really depends on the situation. The most obvious example are your boots, which will be Power Treads or Phase Boots in most cases.
Mjollnir is a great pick if you are ahead. It increases both your damage and attack speed, both of which are necessary for a victory. Just make sure that you use the active effects of Mjollnir as well, because they grant you even more damage.
On the other hand, Sange and Yasha will help you if you are behind. I know, it’s not a defensive item – quite the opposite – but it gives you extra lifesteal, which is crucial if you want to survive teamfights. It will make you a little less squishy, while also giving you strength, agility, status resistance, attack speed and movement speed. When you are playing from behind, these stats are all crucial to hold out.
When to switch it up
As usual, watch out for the counters. Just make sure that you look at the statistics very closely, as the first hero on the list isn’t your worst case scenario. Bloodseeker actually comes out on top most of the time, even if placed against one of his counters. Statistically speaking, you will have the lowest chance of winning if you go up against Lifestealer or Clockwerk. But even then you won’t be in too much trouble.
The other consideration you need to have is, will be dealing with a ranged opponent? You will always be at a slight disadvantage in those match-ups. However, that’s only the case in the early game, while you still need to hold back and farm very cautiously. If you aren’t that experienced with melee heroes, your early game might be a little harder than it should be. My advice is to stay back and trade very carefully, until you learn how to better control your Bloodseeker.
How to play as Bloodseeker
You will be playing either as a jungler or a laner, but this time we will talk about the latter situation, because it has a better winrate. Plus, it’s also much simpler if you haven’t been playing Dota or Bloodseeker for too long. If you are feeling adventurous, then you can even lane and jungle at the same time, although I don’t recommend it while still learning a champion.
In the early game you will mostly stay back and farm. You won’t be strong until level three, so waiting around will be your only option. But once you have put two points into your Thirst, you can be on the lookout for a kill. Most of the time you will need to go for a jungler, because the enemy laner will be too cautious at this point. And they should be.
Once you get one or two kills, it’s time to be roaming around in the jungle and taking picks. Since Bloodseeker is one of the fastest heroes of Dota 2, you will have no problem catching people. Fair warning: the enemy jungler will realize what’s going on very quickly, so if you want to keep your kill farm consistent, I suggest you don’t camp them. Instead, gank some lanes.
Bloodseeker has the ability to carry the entire game, so if you play aggressively enough in the early and mid game, you will be able to easily win. If you like the dynamics of the champion, you might want to try another champion like this: Naga Siren.
