Dota 2 is an ever-expanding game with various complicated and interesting mechanics. With each new patch, something new will be released and we thank Valve and Icefrog for the chance to see this great game. In addition to the tweaks in the map, items added in or removed, and a few heroes getting balanced here and there, however, is the niggling hope that a new hero will be added into the Hero Pool. That came true back in TI 6 when Underlord was introduced. In this Underlord Dota 2 guide, we aim to help players know the basics, pros, and cons of this tanky hero.
Here is our Dota 2 guide for Underlord.
For more Dota 2 Guides, you can also read: Dota 2 Mars Guide
Vrogos, the Underlord is a hero introduced back on Dota 1 as a sort of Pusher/Semi-Carry hero. He used to be called Azgalor, the Pit Lord, but when he was introduced on Dota 2, he became Vrogos, the Underlord. He’s a Melee hero with a strength primary attribute and a lot of skills that last incredibly long. His Firestorm and Pit of Malice can be combined pretty well with each other while Atrophy Aura can sap enemy attack damage.
With Underlord, you’ll always be able to be at the team fights due to Dark Rift teleports. He can save allies, do potential ganks against enemies, and in general be an absolute nuisance. And when Atrophy Aura gets to its max capacity, it’s like having a 4th Carry on the team as well for a few minutes.
All in all, Underlord can be a pretty devastating hero when used correctly. And with great team composition, he can be immensely useful in setting up ganks, team fights, and in general, being a tanky boy to hit.
There are no myths, songs, or legends that tell about what lies beneath the surface of the world.
Deep under the world’s surface, lie many wondrous things. However, the underground also hides several horrors unimaginable. Deep, deep, beneath the roiling waves of magma and the volcanoes hiding their sheer power, lies Aziyog, the Obsidian City. A sprawling city of endless stonework and caves hewn and mortared from the bones of countless slaves. It’s here where the Abyssal Horde rests for their newest conquests, with Vrogos, the Underlord at their helm.
With armaments forged from the depths of Hell, he leads his horde to greater conquests. Through shadow, flame, and mind-breaking malice he destroys his foes. With dark rifts he strikes at countless worlds, expanding his dominions and enslaving his quarries.
Eventually, though, the subterranean lands below the worlds began to thin and lack any new conquests. Thus, Vrogos sets his eyes on the worlds above. With probing attacks, he ascertains the nations aboveground of their power. And then, once the initial scouting runs are done, he prepares his legions for mighty and unending conquest. None shall bar him from what is rightfully his. Vrogos will have the sunlit worlds above, or they can burn with shadow and flame.
These are the skills that Dota 2’s Underlord has available to him. Do note that some of these skills can be improved/unlocked with Aghanim’s Scepter/Shard, which we’ll indicate in their text. We’ll start with Firestorm, followed by Pit of Malice, Atrophy Aura, Fiend’s Gate, and lastly, Dark Rift.
Underlord’s burning flames blazes forth from the deepest depths to start his conquest of worlds.
Underlord sends out waves of searing flame that damages enemies in a target area. Those damaged will also get burned for additional damage over time. 6 waves of Firestorm fall from the sky towards Underlord’s enemies around a 425 unit radius, 500 with the level 10 Talent.
With Aghanim’s Shard, this allows Firestorm to be self-targetted. When this is done, Underlord will cast Firestorm on himself, with the ability’s radius following where Underlord goes. In addition, the wave count of Firestorm is increased by 3 additional waves for a maximum of 9 firestorm waves.
Underlord twists reality’s seams to manifest his unending hatred, paralyzing those that dare defy him, his conquests, and his will.
Underlord casts a spell and creates a pit filled with his hatred for those that oppose him. Any enemy unit that enters the pit is immediately rooted for a time. Units within the pit will be affected by the root effect every 3.6 seconds after the root expires.
To stand against the Underlord means to stand against his very presence. However, doing so saps one’s conviction and ability to fight from their very souls.
Enemies that are near Underlord in a certain radius will lose a portion of their base damage. When they die while affected by this, Underlord gains a portion of that as a temporary damage buff.
The reach of the Abyss has always been limited in scope. However, Aghanim’s power allows Underlord to reach countless other worlds, increasing Vrogos’ thirst for conquest.
Underlord opens up 2 portals that allies can teleport with. One is created near Underlord’s current location. The other is created 4000 units away from Underlord. Allies can channel for 2 seconds on one portal to teleport to the other portal.
Underlord’s legions attack without prior warning, leaving naught but ashes and despair where flourishing life once stood.
Underlord opens a rift of darkness at a targeted friendly building or unit. After a few seconds, any allied heroes near Underlord, as well as Underlord will be teleported to the unit/building’s location.
These are the Talents that Dota 2’s Underlord can get on specific levels:
Now that we’ve talked about which heroes have a harder/easier time with him, let’s talk about how to build Dota 2’s Underlord. We’ll start on what Underlord needs to get at the start of the game, then the early game, mid-game, and then the late game. We’ll also touch a bit on what items Underlord can get in certain situations.
When the game starts, it’s usually a good idea for Underlord to get items that give him additional HP and MP regen.
In the early game, it’s a good idea to prioritize Underlord’s low MP and movement speed. His survivability is pretty high due to his high HP and tankiness, but having ways to recover some HP can be pretty clutch.
When it’s time for the midgame, Underlord needs to roam around and fight the enemy team. Thus, getting items that increase his ability to team fight and sustain is a must.
When the Lategame comes, Underlord needs to keep his team’s survivability up and running. Thus, getting items that can help in keeping himself and his team alive is a must.
These are the items that Underlord should get in certain scenarios only. That, or if he has a lot of gold in the bank that he can make use of while still allowing him to buyback.
As stated, Vrogos the Underlord is pretty useful in engaging and getting away from team fights. He’s also great when it comes to crowd control, damage reduction, and just being a tanky hero to deal with. With enough stacks, his Atrophy Aura can be a real problem for the enemy team while Pit of Malice keeps them in place. His Firestorm gives additional damage, while Dark Rift and Fiend’s Gate can be used to get in and out of battle.
Underlord can be used as either an Offlane or Support hero, though he can be a hybrid between the two roles as well. He can take charge of the battlefield and just be an annoyance with Pit of Malice and Firestorm. These 2 skills are his go-to when it comes to creating various hazards for enemies to deal with during team fights.
In addition to this, Atrophy Aura is a great damage mitigation ability that actively reduces the damage of enemy heroes. With items like Guardian’s Greaves and Shiva’s Guard, he can be an incredibly tanky damage sponge to chew through by physical damage heroes.
However, he constantly suffers from low Mana, which can be a problem as he’s sometimes needed for a quick escape. If he uses a lot of Pits of Malice or Firestorms during the fight and it goes south, his team might not be able to get away. Still, he’s a very good hero to pick due to how durable he is. That, and his ability to be anywhere on the map alongside his team, and his crowd control abilities.
These are the matchups that Dota 2’s Underlord has an advantage against. This doesn’t mean that they can’t fight against Underlord, it’s just that they’ll have a very difficult time doing so.
Templar Assassin’s Refraction charges can be easily removed with Underlord’s Firestorm. In addition, Firestorm can still hit Templar Assassin even when she’s melded, making it very difficult for her. She also has a very difficult time maneuvering around Underlord’s Pit of Malice, especially with her short attack range.
Underlord can straight up destroy Drow Ranger’s attack damage using Atrophy Aura. Especially since she gets more attack damage due to the agility buff that Marksmanship gives her.
Underlord can easily clear up Phantom Lancer’s illusions thanks to Firestorm. In addition, Pit of Malice and Atrophy Aura can wreak havoc with Phantom Lancer. This is because both abilities can root and reduce his and his illusion’s damage respectively.
Legion Commander will have a very difficult time getting Duel buffs due to Underlord’s Atrophy Aura and Pit of Malice. The 1st reduces her base damage, making it hard to kill people, while Pit of Malice roots her.
Meepo’s clones suffer the same fate as Phantom Lancer’s illusions. They can be rooted, have their damage reduced, and their HP whittled down by Pit of Malice, Atrophy Aura, and Firestorm respectively.
Dark Seer is a melee intelligence hero with a lot of abilities that need him to be in melee range. Because of this, Underlord’s abilities are especially hard to play against when Dark Seer is involved.
These are the matchups that can counter Dota 2’s Underlord. This doesn’t mean that Underlord can’t fight against them, it’s just that he’ll have a very difficult time doing so.
Kunkka has good physical damage with the use of Tidebringer. Meanwhile, X Marks the Spot can isolate an ally that’s about to go on a trip with Dark Rift or Fiend’s Gate.
Disruptor can do the same thing as Kunkka’s X Mark’s the Spot with the use of the Glimpse Ability. In addition, Disruptor can easily shut down Underlord when he uses Static Storm and Kinetic Field. This locks down Underlord and his team, especially if they’re grouped up for Dark Rift.
Razor’s Static Link can significantly reduce Underlord’s damage while buffing his own. Even when Underlord’s in the middle of Atrophy Aura, Razor can still shred Underlord’s damage until he deals love taps for damage numbers.
In addition to this, Eye of the Storm can shred Underlord’s armor, making it easy for Razor to whittle him down and kill him.
Winter Wyvern can do something similar as Disruptor with her Splinter Blast and Winter’s Curse abilities. If Underlord’s team is bunching up to do Dark Rift, she can do Winter’s Curse to punish them. She can also use Splinter Blast on them to spread out the damage between everyone. If done correctly on a fleeing team, she can straight up destroy low HP heroes that want to flee using Underlord’s Dark Rift.
Ursa’s enrage can dispel the root that Pit of Malice gives. In addition, Fury Swipes can make short work of Underlord as it’s not affected by Atrophy Aura.
Rubick can easily use Spell Steal to take Firestorm, Pit of Malice, or Dark Rift and turn it against Underlord. Pit of Malice is especially useful as it gives Rubick’s team a root to keep enemy heroes and units still.
Outworld Destroyer’s Arcane Orb can shred Underlord’s HP due to its Pure Damage modifier. In addition, Sanity’s Eclipse can turn Underlord’s HP to nil, especially since Underlord has low MP compared to Outworld Destroyer.
Luna’s Lunar Blessing can negate the attack damage reduction that Underworld’s Atrophy Aura can give in the early game. This allows Luna’s team to have an easier time in the early stages. In addition, Eclipse can be used even when Luna is rooted in Underlord’s Pit of Malice. What makes it worse is if she has Aghanim’s Scepter, as she can target an area with Eclipse to screw Underworld’s team over.
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