Mid Heroes and their Counters

i seldom go mid, but i recall being nyx and naix(dota 1) against pudge.

for nyx, i use mana burn to lessen the chances of hook. and as melee, i can hide on creeps and safely farm. if he does rot i would let him chase me a bit so my creeps would hit him, then spiked carapace so he would be stunned for a sec, then if i cankill him, i would stun him and finish him off.

with naix i just needed a bracer, well i just hide with the creeps and farm, and when he comes near me i just hit him.

stop focusing on pudge lol.. the best way to counter pudge with all heroes, is:
1. rune control - no runes, no mana, no hook, no gank .. etc
2. warding both runes, and the ramp (ie, the opposing mid ramp, so you can see where he is.) the other factor of course is skill level, a lot of people run from pudge when rots, and probably don't realise they could probably kill him if they just stand there and fight (chances are he clicked you, so he will take your own creeps agro as well..)

one of the best mids, of your entire list is night stalker. I can't believe you have left him out!! :D

good match ups.
invoker vs rubick
pudge vs Nightstalker
bloodseeker vs nightstalker
a mid Rhasta vs ranged casters like rubick, invoker, sf is pretty balanced.
death prophet is also a mid hero for levels - also interesting match up vs ranged casters
puck vs invoker - with both at high skill level is very epic!

you have to remember, there is a difference between being a mid farmer/leveler and being a mid level ganker - Invoker for example (or SF, QOP, death prophet) can afford to not gank straight away and farm up a few core items such as force staff, aganims (if they're really good). Pudge, nightstalker, bloodseeker, huskar, viper, rubick, rhasta - all need to gank heavily with every rune for the greater good of the team farm, not their own. so not only is match up a factor, but team synergy and role as well! :)

I am all about the solo mid Rhasta!

Nyx Assassin is a counter to Keeper of the Light, and other nuke-heavy mids if played right.

Bounty Hunter can be a good counter to Drow Ranger and Sniper.

If Pudge is so easy to counter why is it that he still sees professional play? Why is it that Dendi was able to absolutely rape CoL with ease? I'm sorry but a skilled Pudge is in NO way easy to counter. It takes an even more skilled player to win over him in the mid game. Since this guide is based on levels 1-7 I can easily say that Pudge is MUCH harder to counter than you make him out to be Glayde. :)

add a templar assasin to the guide but the counters are pretty obvious with DoT

in professional play, pudge is rarely picked up, and if he is, he is most likely lastpick so the enemy team cant counterpick him.

He's mostly picked by Na`vi, other teams don't really risk picking him.

I saw Mouz pick him once (against WE, as far as I can recall)