Dota 2: The best core heroes to grind in MMR with in patch 7.31d

When a new patch drops in Dota 2, players start experimenting with new heroes and even new roles to find the best fit for them.

Grinding MMR in the first couple of weeks of a patch is one of the best ways to climb the ladder, as everyone is busy learning new heroes.

This article will look into the three best cores to play in Dota 2 patch 7.31d. Mastering these heroes will go a long way to helping you reach your next MMR milestone:

Lycan

Regardless of the patch or the meta, Lycan is always a good hero to pick.

Lycan can self-sustain in the laning stage and harass the opponent with his Summoned Wolves. The hero thrives in a 'zoo' summon-favored metagame while also dealing significant single-target damage.

It's hard to think of anything Lycan can't do. Well, he doesn't have a ranged attack, but that's what Dagon is for, right?

Lycan can be played in any core role, though he is most successful as a midlaner. The hero is independent early on, which is a useful thing to have in pub games. Players can't predict what sort of allies they will have in the laning stage and picking heroes who rely on teamwork can be risky.

There are multiple ways to build the hero, but the best way to grind MMR with Lycan is to focus on his ability to bring down buildings. Helm of the Overlord and Assault Cuirass are core items for that playstyle.

Black King Bar helps the hero during team fights and when escaping situations. Getting his Aghanim's Shard upgrade is also useful for passively pushing out lanes, though the item is usually purchased a bit later in the game.

Flexible role, strong laning stage, and good damage to heroes and buildings all add up to make Lycan a fantastic hero to master in Dota 2 patch 7.31d.

Visage

We are going all-in on the micro heroes in this article.

After Lycan, we now have Visage. In Dota 2, the objective is to bring down the Ancient and it's a lot easier to do so when you have heroes who are amazing at killing buildings.

This is why both Lycan and Visage are fantastic cores for grinding MMR in Dota 2 patch 7.31d.

There are a lot of differences between Lycan and Visage though. While Lycan can play any core role well, Visage excels in the mid lane and doesn't do as well in the other lanes.

Visage is also easier to bring down at all stages of the game and relies more on his Familiars to do damage than Lycan does.

Visage needs to be in the mid lane because the hero relies on his ultimate to come online.

Visage's Summon Familiars ultimate is his most important ability, and it's not available until level six. It simply takes too long to get there when you're on the sidelines while sharing experience with another player.

In return for being a weaker hero, Visage has several advantages Lycan lacks. For one thing, Visage deals superior damage to buildings, has more burst potential, and his Familiars provide the hero with a strong team fight presence.

When it comes to items, Visage also focuses on buffing his summons. To that end, the hero buys Assault Cuirass, Wraith Pact, and Aghanim's Scepter. Visage is also a good candidate for Boots of Bearing.

Visage takes time to master but it is well worth it. The hero has a whopping 55% win rate according to Dotabuff, making Visage the hero with the highest win rate in pubs right now and one of the best cores for grinding MMR.

Juggernaut

For new players and veterans alike, Juggernaut is one of the best carries in Dota 2 to master.

Juggernaut is a 'jack of all trades, master of none' kind of hero. This makes him a good candidate to climb MMR with due to the fact that the hero can always be useful at all stages of the game.

Juggernaut is one of the best laning carries in the game thanks to Blade Fury. The spell gives him magic immunity while allowing him to run down opponents. With a strong partner, Juggernaut can secure multiple kills in the lane, and in tough lanes, Juggernaut can use Blade Fury to escape.

Juggernaut scales pretty well into the late game thanks to the critical damage from Blade Dance and the fact that Omnislash now deals damage based on the hero's damage, rather than a set amount as it did a few years ago.

When it comes to building the hero, Juggernaut is perhaps the most flexible carry in the game, able to adapt to any situation.

The hero can build Battle Fury or Maelstrom to farm, an early Diffusal Blade to take down Medusa, or Wraith King. Defensively Juggernaut is an effective user of Manta Style, Sange and Yasha, and Black King Bar.

Late-game, Yurnero can buy an Abyssal Blade to lock down magic immune enemies or go for an Aghanim's Scepter for more versatility.

In short, there is no bad item for Juggernaut, which gives people the freedom to develop their own playstyle for the hero.

Otomo is a long-time gaming enthusiast and caster. He has been playing games since he was 10 and is the biggest Dota 2 fan.

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