The holidays are here, and it’s time to celebrate and experiment. No one in your pubs will take Dota seriously for a while, so why should you? Today, we’ll share some crazy ideas about the least popular heroes in the current meta and how to make them work well enough to avoid the naughty list.

One hero is incredibly unpopular in both pubs and the professional scene. He excels against heroes like Enigma but struggles with his laning stage and lack of identity, making him a questionable choice most of the time. However, with the right setup, Silencer can shine. Since the Last Word rework made it an aura, I’ve been trying to find a combination of heroes to make it truly powerful.

Theoretically, Last Word is very powerful, but it requires a setup from multiple heroes to work effectively. This is where Earth Spirit’s Magnetize comes in. By applying separate instances of Silence on multiple targets, which then propagate to all other targets who are Magnetized, you can potentially silence up to six targets. This is especially effective when combined with Silencer’s Last Word aura, which can deal 360 damage per second for 3.5 seconds without the talent.

Under the right circumstances, this combination can make any fight pre-minute 20 trivial. Once BKBs get short and Silencer gets his level 20 talent, the damage potential becomes almost unlimited, staying relevant even against the tankiest of targets. Additionally, stealing Intelligence can hurt less intelligent heroes and reduce their Magic Resistance, making Silencer a powerful core hero in pub games.

We’ve seen carry heroes like Earthshaker, Tiny, and Magnus be popular and successful in ESL One Bangkok. Why not Sand King? He has universal flash-farming potential and incredible late-game damage, making him a tempo core with a stun. Note that Stinger attacks apply effects and proc various items, including Aghanim’s Scepter and Mage Slayer, which can drastically improve survivability.

Getting lifesteal items and critical strikes is worth it, as this type of carry is flexible and can adapt to any circumstances. He can be a tanky frontline or a damage-dealing semi-glass cannon. Some professional players are experimenting with Strength facet Morphling, which is intriguing but not yet widely played.

With an Octarine Core rush and almost full Agility, Morphling can get a ~70% cooldown reduction when Morphing into another hero. This allows for various roles, from an annoying crowd-control hero to a full-on nuker with insane magic damage output. The Adaptive Strike stun from Morphling remains accessible, adding to his versatility.

This post is a bit silly, but it highlights the beauty of Dota—despite being exceptionally competitive, there’s room for creativity and fun. So while we wait for the next Major patch, let’s have some silly fun and share your own janky strategies in the comment section below.