Intelligence heroes are often the mages, the spell casters, the ones who rely on their mana to make plays! These heroes are considered to be frail and squishy but we are here to overthrow that misconception! The INT heroes are strong, resilient and lethal enough to sweep the rug off your feet. 

We bring you the best 10 Intelligence heroes that are very much relevant in the current meta! These heroes are spread over different roles so regardless of your role you can find a suitable INT hero to play! We hope these heroes assist you in your MMR journey! 

10. Leshrac 

It’s quite advantageous to pick a ranged hero if you’re facing melee heroes. Leshrac solves all your problems against them due to his high magical damage, AoE, and lockdown potential. The best part is that Leshrac is often picked as a flex hero, meaning he can be played in quite any lane! Apart from countering heroes with illusions, Lesh can also mow down buildings with Edict and farm faster than quite literally any hero in the game! A successful early game translates to domination in the late game!

Why is Leshrac a great INT hero?

• Immense farming and wave clear potential
• High AoE magical damage output
• Diabolic Edict and Pulse Nova require no targeting, thus hitting heroes whenever they’re nearby.
• Low CD on spells

Items to Buy on Leshrac

• Aghanim’s Shard
• Bloodstone
• Eul’s Scepter
• Kaya and Sange
• Black King Bar

See Leshrac in action!

9. Outoworld Destroyer

Being a ranged hero does wonders especially if you’re against melee heroes in the mid-lane. His foes do not fare well if they are facing OD. The INT disparity damage is simply too much to handle for them, combined with the magical damage output, and Astral save can turn around team fights. OD is essentially a beast against most mid-laners in the late game!

Why is Outworld Devourer a great INT hero?

• You can Astral yourself or your allies to save them from potential stuns and combos
• Menace in the laning stage 1v1
• Relies more on kills to get farm, meaning more rotations and faster item timings compared to most opponents

Items to Buy on Outworld Devourer 

• Black King Bar
• Force Staff/Hurricane Pike
• Scythe of Vyse
• Aghanim’s Shard
• Eul’s Scepter

See Outworld Devourer in action!

8. Invoker

Not all are capable of mastering this arcane magician. His skillset, often confusing and complicated is intimidating for new players. A good Invoker induces fear in the enemy, and a great Invoker makes them rage quit! Invoker may be seen as this squishy mid hero but is very powerful even when he is low on levels. He is a great nuisance with Cold Snap and Forge Spirit combo. Various combinations can be used to secure kills or ward off enemies in a gank, such as the Tornado into Meteor and Deafening Blast combo or the Tornado into EMP combo.

Why is Invoker a great INT hero?

• Has a total of 10 spells that can be used both offensively and defensively. 
• Multiple spell combinations and builds.
• Decent sustain with the Quas Wex build.
• Snowballs quickly if not contained in the early game.

Items to buy on Invoker

• Scythe of Vyse
• Black King Bar
• Aghanim’s Scepter
• Blink Dagger
• Refresher’s Orb
• Orchid of Maleovalence

See Invoker in action!

7. Queen of Pain

Queen of Pain is a very annoying hero for the enemy mid laner. It is irritating to lane against constant spam and harassment, if overlooked then it can result in your death! She has the perfect skillset to both harass and kill the enemy hero, her mobility makes her even harder to catch. QoP is active as soon as she gets her level 6, allowing her to gank other lanes. You’re at the wrong end of the leash if you face off against her!

Why is QoP a great INT hero?

• Good at wave clear and farming.
• Active hero and a decent early game ganker.
• Items supplement her ability to kill.

Items to buy on QoP

• Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
• Scythe of Vyse
• Refresher’s Orb
• Bloodthorn
• Black King Bar
• Eul’s Scepter

See QoP in action!

6. Jakiro

The twin-headed dragon has ravaged wars with the balance of his cold-blooded vengeance and scorching wrath! Mostly played in the safe lane or in the off-lane, he does immense damage to all of his opponents and the late game can be easily controlled by him as he deals immense magic damage with decent lockdowns. All you need is a Veil of Discord and Ethereal Blade to get the job done!

Why is Jakiro a great INT hero? 

• High Magical Damage output
• Low CD on spells
• Strong laner and lane support 
• Ice Path is a great crowd control spell

Items to Buy on Jakiro 

• Aghanim’s Scepter
• Veil of Discord
• Rod of Atos
• Aeon Disk
• Force Staff

See Jakiro in action!

5. Storm Spirit 

Prepare for stormy weather time! Storm Spirit is one of the well-known counters to most mid heroes! This is due to his ability to jump directly on them and control him while his teammates follow up! Played exclusively in the mid lane (unless you’re below 3K) Storm struggles severely in the lane, but as soon as he gets his level 6, he can change the trajectory of the game with his spells. A late-game 6-slotted Storm is a lethal force to be reckoned with!

Why is Storm Spirit a great INT hero? 

• He can easily initiate and chase heroes in the trees with Ball Lightning 
• Abilities deal both physical and magical damage, making them difficult for enemies to itemize against.
• Low CD on spells

Items to buy on Storm Spirit

• Scythe of Vyse
• Bloodthorn
• Bloodstone
• Black King Bar

See Storm Spirit in action!

4. Enigma

The mystery of this being lies within the abyss, often known to bend and manipulate time. Enigma is a deadly force that is feared by every other dota player! Enigma has various tools which help him farm faster and efficiently. He is known for split-pushing and his almighty ultimate, the Black Hole. It is regarded as one of the best ultimates in the game! It can change the trajectory of the game, turn around team fights and make enemies rage quit! 

What makes Enigma a great INT hero?

• Can deny ranged creeps to create Eidolons which can further be used to jungle or harass enemies right from level 1.
• High base movement speed and intelligence. 
• The farm can be accelerated with high levels in Demonic Conversion, leading to stronger Eidolons!

Items to buy on Enigma

• Blink Dagger
• Guardian Greaves
• Aghanim’s Scepter
• Refresher’s Orb
• Glimmer Cape
• Black King Bar

See Enigma in action!

3. Rubick

Rubick is an evergreen pick as he never seems to go out of fashion! His excellent spells and spellcasting have kept him relevant all these years as he is a great disabler. Rubick does insane damage not only in the literal sense but if he gets hold of spells like Glimpse or even Fissure, then he can truly turn the tides around. The prominent reason why Rubick is frequently picked is because of the flexibility he provides, along with the impact he has in the game!

Why is Rubick a great INT hero?

• Prominent against other relevant heroes in the meta that have immense crowd control/damage spells. Ex. Enigma, Tidehunter, Magnus
• His Telekenisis proves to be a great disable spell in both the early and late game.
• Fade Bolt ensures your enemies deal minimum physical damage

Items to buy on Rubick

• Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
• Aether Lens
• Blink Dagger
• Aeon Disk
• Force Staff
• Glimmer Cape

See Rubick in action!

2. Zeus

Zeus proves to be one of the best mid laners regardless of your status as a new or experienced player, this is highly attributed to his extreme DPS spells and wave clearance abilities. He is a must-play hero as he is very annoying against his enemies right from the laning phase. He can dish out some serious damage with spells and constantly harass his opponents. He is also infamous for having the potential to solo kill enemies from miles away on the map with the right items and levels!

Why is Zeus a great INT hero?

• High magical damage and low cooldown on spells!
• High kill potential right off the bat
• Great talent tree that scales well with levels and items

Items to buy on Zeus

• Octraine Core
• Refresher’s Or
• Bloodstone
• Aghanim’s Scepter

See Zeus in action!

1. Tinker 

This mechanical genius requires quick reflexes and strong muscle memory! Tinker is often ranked one of the most complex Mid heroes, guaranteed to make your hands ache after one long and intense game! Tinker is a very annoying hero from the enemy mid laner’s perspective. He won’t let you do physical damage, nor will he let you farm thanks to his Heat-Seeking Missiles! Due to his mobile nature, you never know where he will be on the map! 

Why is Tinker a great INT hero?

• Defense Matrix blocks a significant amount of damage and provides status resistance.
• Immense magic damage output.
• Can defend high-ground effortlessly.
• Can chain disable enemies with items thanks to the Rearm ultimate

Items to buy on Tinker 

• Aether Lens
• Blink Dagger
• Aghanim’s Scepter
• Scythe of Vyse
• Bloodstone

See Tinker in action!

You may also like:

• [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Carry Heroes That Wreck Hard!
• Top 10 Best Mid Heroes of Dota 2
• Top 10 Best Support Heroes of Dota 2
• In-game Best Settings for an Advantage in Dota 2
• Top 10 Best Offlane Heroes in Dota 2
• [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Agility Heroes That Wreck Hard!
• [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Junglers That Wreck Hard!
• [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Aghanim Upgrades That Are OP