Dota 2’s Strongest Heroes Ranked by Base Damage in 2025

Damage in Dota 2

Dota 2 damage is classified as physical, magical, and pure. For starters, physical damage is the common hit from melee heroes and is often reduced by armor or damage block. Each point of armor reduces the amount of physical damage a unit takes, making it essential to manage armor and damage in battles.

On the other hand, spellcasters usually deal magical damage, and can be countered by magic resistance and magical damage barrier. This type of damage is prevalent in abilities that have a stun, slow, or dispel effect, and it generally works in combination with other utility effects. A hero's base magic resistance is typically around 25%, and it can be increased by items or abilities.

Pure damage, however, isn’t generally reduced by anything – save for specific abilities that lead to damage reduction. It is one of the deadliest forms of damage in the game because it doesn’t have the usual counters like armor or magic resistance. Pure damage is typically associated with high-impact, single-target abilities or debuffs.

Dota 2’s variety of damage types adds a deep layer of complexity and strategy to the game. Whether through damage amplification, damage resistance, or simply exploiting the right type of damage against a certain hero, mastery of this system can make all the difference in the outcome of a match.

Heroes and Damage

In Dota 2, damage is a core mechanic that determines how much harm is dealt to enemies in the game. However, not all damage in Dota 2 is the same, and the game features several types of damage that interact differently with various abilities, items, and mechanics. Understanding these types is essential for mastering the game and strategizing in fights.

Base damage is an essential factor in a hero’s early game performance in Dota 2, influencing their ability to last-hit, trade, and harass in lane. Heroes with higher base damage can secure last hits more easily and deal better damage in fights early on.

So which heroes have the highest base damage, to begin with?

Top 10 Dota 2 Hero Average Base Damage

Based on this data, Treant Protector has the highest base damage among all heroes, which is significant for his early laning phase. His ability to use Nature's Guise for harassment combined with his strong base damage allows him to trade effectively, especially in the early game. Most of the heroes with the highest base damage belong to the Strength class. Heroes like Treant Protector, Pudge, and Ogre Magi have high base damage values, giving them a strong foundation for trading and laning early.

Weaver, Faceless Void, and Slark—Agility heroes—have moderate base damage (around 40), but they tend to scale much better with items and abilities, relying on their mobility, positioning, and scaling potential rather than raw damage at the start.

Heroes like Shadow Shaman tend to have lower base damage (around 43). Intelligence heroes usually rely on their abilities to deal damage rather than basic attacks. Their low base damage is balanced out by their utility and crowd control.

It is worth noting that there are also no universal class heroes on this list, whose hero with the highest average base damage starts at 34 in Magnus.

DPS vs Base Damage

Both Base Damage and DPS (Damage Per Second) are critical components of how heroes deal damage, but they describe different aspects of a hero's damage output. Understanding the distinction between them can help players optimize their heroes' effectiveness in different stages of the game.

Base Damage refers to the raw damage a hero deals with their attacks before any external modifiers (such as items, buffs, or debuffs) are applied. Base damage is a fundamental statistic derived from a hero's strength, agility, and intelligence, as well as their level.

On the other hand, DPS represents the average amount of damage a hero can deal over the course of a second. It is a comprehensive measure of a hero's total damage output over time, considering not just base damage, but also additional factors like attack speed, items, buffs, and debuffs.

Top 10 Dota 2 Heroes by Hero Damage in 2025

Based on this data, four out of the top five heroes are Intelligence heroes, which traditionally aren't considered the "big hitters" in Dota 2. This challenges the conventional wisdom that Strength heroes are the primary damage dealers. Intelligence heroes, especially Arc Warden and Zeus, are showing that their burst and sustained damage can rival or surpass Strength heroes in key situations.

Arc Warden's position at the top with a massive 7,252.33% hero damage is a major shift in the meta. Known for his ability to split push and deal damage with his Tempest Double, Arc Warden’s high hero damage demonstrates how utility and damage amplification can lead to top-tier performance, even without the raw tankiness of Strength heroes.

Traditionally, Strength heroes like Sven, Wraith King, and Centaur Warrunner have been staples of high hero damage due to their durability and ability to stay in fights longer. However, the trend of high-damage Intelligence heroes like Zeus and Tinker taking the top spots suggests that burst damage, combined with sustain or ability-based damage, is more effective in 2025's meta.

The fact that Spectre, a late-game hero, is on the list suggests that it’s not just about staying alive and dealing damage over time. High damage output is now coming from heroes who can either scale up quickly (like Tinker and Ursa) or leverage abilities to influence fights globally (like Arc Warden and Spectre). Survivability no longer guarantees a spot in the damage rankings.

The fact that Spectre, a late-game hero, is on the list suggests that it’s not just about staying alive and dealing damage over time. High damage output is now coming from heroes who can either scale up quickly (like Tinker and Ursa) or leverage abilities to influence fights globally (like Arc Warden and Spectre). Survivability no longer guarantees a spot in the damage rankings.

The Fundamental Shift of Hero Damage

At this point, it is safe to say that the ever-changing meta of Dota 2 has influenced the game at a drastic scale. It’s no longer just about tankiness or sustained melee damage from Strength heroes; Intelligence and Agility heroes are finding new ways to dominate in terms of hero damage, thanks to evolving itemization, strategies, and ability mechanics.

The trend seems to point to the increasing importance of burst damage and global map presence, with a diminished emphasis on pure tankiness or long-term sustained damage.

One can say that it really depends on how the players come up with the right build and the right tactics at their disposal in using the heroes that can turn the tide of the battle and deliver promising success in their games. Suffice to say, damage may play a huge role, especially the build of the hero, but it all goes down to whoever is swinging the stick at this point.