Your late game support of choice

Even if they have a BKB/whatever, he can still kite them halfway to hell, then turn and fight them. SD himself would need farm, like Aghs, Ghost Sceptre, Urn, but other than that...

As it turns out from real-game experience, SD with Urn and Force Staff beats a Dragon Knight with Armlet and Maelstrom, in Dragon Form.

Exaggerations or whatever else I'm doing aside, it's pretty much undeniable that he's nothing to be trifled with lategame. That 50% damage amp hurts, 60% damage illusions hurt, and you have 3 ultra-purges on a 40 second cooldown. Hell, if you can get 3 or 4 stacks of poison even that hurts.

Somewhere, Crystal Maiden is crying

Because in late game there are only 2 things worth mentioning that he has:

Nature's Guise - very situational
Overgrowth


Of course he isn't useless, but he really shines in early and mid game. Of course you can heal a tower from 10 HP to full in minute 55, but it will only delay a push for like... 4 seconds? Treant Protector is one of the best early and mid game heroes, just like Undying. They have various uses in late game, but there are heroes who can give you more (of course situationally, as everything in Dota).

Treant Protector with Abaddon and Axe are just simply unstoppable in early game, and if you will play it right you can take towers early and snowball like crazy.




Some could say that Disruptor is a best lategame support, as he can mute and trap whole enemy team for up to 4-5 seconds. Glimpse is also such a great ability. This is one of the best non-ultimate abilites in the game in my opinion.

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So, I shall edit my previous post here.

My list:

• Witch Doctor
• Earthshaker
• Disruptor

im going to look at this realistically, so not at all supports 6 slotted.
so on average a venge or wisp will have very little, while enigma or shadow shaman will have much more.

1: undisputed numero uno is Enigma. Midnight Pulse, Black Hole, farms so fast that being on par with cores is realistic. Very little contest.

now it becomes as bit harder and im not sure about it, also it becomes situational on who is the best.

Elder Titan: especially great against agility carries, has the most ridiculous spell in the game, Natural Order, only rivaled by Song of the Siren. he provides good vision with Astral Spirit and can do high lategame damage with Astral Spirit. has a hard time getting items but doesn't really need much.

Lion yes boys this ugly guy. WANNA KNOW WHY? blink Hex with Earth Spike followup. And Finger of Death is such high damage that it is still relevant in lategame just for quick pickoffs.

Shadow Shaman also has blink hex! but he is just that bit slower, has a longer yet more unreliable disable after that, BUT farms quicker, generally gets more tower gold, and can do sneaky rax takedown with mass serpent wards.

Io even without items this guy just buffs 1 hero so much, improves their farm, can save them from pickoffs, and have global presence and ratting power like no other.

Witch Doctor, because potential 27000 damage, and Maledict is pretty insane against high HP heroes.

Earthshaker. because this. Crouching Earth Shaker, Hidden LaNm



after that comes stuff like Dazzle, ommniknight and Silencer.

*Confused*

Not Crystal Maiden?

Enigma and Omniknight for me.

When both are farmed, I think Enigma is the best offensive support and Omniknight is the best defensive support.

It isn't as clear cut as that of course, but in most cases I think the one of the above will serve a team better than most others once it goes to extreme late (45:00+).

I voted Dazzle, because Shallow Grave is always useful and Weave is always relevant. But his heal/heal bomb is pretty useless and I'm not sure Poison Touch does all that much late game.

But, upon reading comments i would go for a draw. With a couple of items it would have to be Witch Doctor for me. Get Aghs, BKB and a mobility item (very reasonable if position 4, possible if 5) and he can wreak havok. Maledict + Death Ward is just such a strong combo, and Voodoo Restoration makes you a portable fountain. Even if you just keep your carry up for an extra few seconds, late game it can matter.

But if you have a RICH support Omniknight could have it. Aghs/refresher is so strong. The only problem i have with Omni is well explained by this game last night http://www.dotabuff.com/matches/1225414230 (Perseverance was in the stash, close-ish to the refresher!)
Now, my stats are 0-1-3. I was there, i was just being a healing, bkb-ing utility machine. I was holding my Purification's for when they were needed, as opposed to when they could do the most damage. And the stats man. It is just boring looking. That's my problem... I quite like playing him, he's a good challenge and if you **** up you know about it quickly! Looking afterwards it looks like you weren't there! But at the end of the day, it's about the team and the win. (I was a football manager in another life)

Can you guys define late game? Are you referring to a game that lasts 30 min? 45 min? 60+ min? I think that influences the answer, no?

Early Game - before 15:00
Mid Game - 15:00 - 35:00
Late Game - 35:00+

By the late game, you'll see huge Items like Refresher Orb, Eye of Skadi, Abyssal Blade etc. coming out. Many Black King Bar charges will have been reduced to 5 seconds on Heroes that picked them up fairly early (before 25:00) and most Heroes will start to dwindle in effectiveness, with fights usually being decided on how well each team can protect/lock down the Position 1s.

As such, the best Late Game Supports will offer strong Utility that can turn fights around.