Undying in Dota 2: counters, win rate and common mistakes

Undying — Strength, melee; roles: Support, Durable, Disabler, Nuker. Public match win rate — 49.9%. In short: Undying is strong against Lion, Warlock, Dragon Knight but suffers against Jakiro, Rubick, Ember Spirit.

Lost the game?Paste a match ID — we show who threw and why: deaths, lanes, items, map replay.

Undying win rate by rank

public matches, OpenDota data · scale 40–60%

Herald

50.4%

Guardian

49.9%

Crusader

50.4%

Archon

50.4%

Legend

49.7%

Ancient

49.5%

Divine

48.6%

Immortal

—

Undying is strong against

hover a hero for a summary

Lion57.2%78 games

Warlock54.5%74 games

Dragon Knight53.6%80 games

Invoker53.3%75 games

Underlord52.8%67 games

Luna52.5%60 games

Axe52.1%109 games

Templar Assassin52.1%61 games

Who counters Undying

Jakiro41.8%105 games

Rubick42.7%153 games

Ember Spirit42.8%120 games

Winter Wyvern43.2%72 games

Mirana43.8%86 games

Beastmaster44.2%60 games

Shadow Fiend44.8%152 games

Pangolier45.3%90 games

How to play Undying against counters

items, your spells and what to fear — per enemy

vs JakiroJakiro shreds Tombstone and punishes clumps — spread out, place Tombstone away from Macropyre and jump him around Ice Path.41.8%

What to build against it

Pipe of InsightReduces team-wide magical damage from Dual Breath, Liquid Fire and Macropyre.

Blink DaggerLets you bypass the Ice Path line and Decay Jakiro instantly.

Eternal ShroudSoaks his magical damage-over-time and refunds mana for your spells.

Force StaffPushes you or an ally out of burning Macropyre.

How to use the spells of Undying

DecayJakiro is slow and fragile: steal strength with Decay often in lane to shrink his HP pool.

TombstonePlace Tombstone behind cover or to the side, not in Dual Breath or Macropyre lines — Liquid Fire kills it fast.

Soul RipHeal an ally caught in Macropyre, or restore Tombstone after his attacks.

Watch out for Jakiro

Ice PathDon't line up with allies; Macropyre follows the stun — keep side positioning.

Liquid FireAoE fire attacks wreck Tombstone and slow attacks — don't drop it next to him.

vs RubickRubick steals Tombstone and Flesh Golem — bait his Spell Steal first or cast your big spells after he uses it.42.7%

What to build against it

Lotus OrbReflects Telekinesis, Fade Bolt and even Spell Steal back at Rubick.

Blink DaggerReach the long-range Rubick quickly and punish him with Decay.

Pipe of InsightCuts Fade Bolt and stolen nuke damage on your team.

Linken's SphereBlocks Telekinesis or Spell Steal when you initiate.

How to use the spells of Undying

TombstoneDon't leave Tombstone as your last cast near Rubick; cast Decay after so he steals the weaker spell.

Flesh GolemPop Flesh Golem when Rubick is out of sight or his Steal is used, then Decay right after.

Soul RipFinish low-HP Rubick with Soul Rip near creeps — your best nuke on him.

Watch out for Rubick

Spell StealPierces BKB. Track your last cast — a stolen Tombstone or ult gets used against you.

TelekinesisThe landing stuns nearby enemies — don't stack on allies when Rubick is close.

vs Ember SpiritEmber clears zombies and escapes with Remnants — bully him with Decay in lane and save disables for his chains.42.8%

What to build against it

Ghost ScepterSaves you from Sleight of Fist and his physical attacks.

Pipe of InsightMitigates magical damage from Searing Chains, Immolation and Fire Remnant.

Spirit VesselCuts his regen and burns his HP in fights.

Rod of AtosRoots Ember in place as he tries to reposition before Remnants.

How to use the spells of Undying

DecayEmber is melee in lane — frequent Decays drain his strength and hinder farm.

TombstonePlace Tombstone where he returns after Sleight of Fist; zombies slow and hinder escape.

Flesh GolemGolem slows with attacks and adds durability vs his dives — pop it when he commits.

Watch out for Ember Spirit

Sleight of FistPierces BKB and hits everyone in the area — avoid stacking with zombies and your carry.

Flame GuardAbsorbs magic: don't waste Soul Rip into the shield; break it or wait for it to end.

vs Winter WyvernWyvern turns your Golem and zombies against your team — spread out and hold your ult until Winter's Curse is used.43.2%

What to build against it

Lotus OrbReflects Splinter Blast and Winter's Curse when cast on the Lotus holder.

Linken's SphereBlocks Winter's Curse on you so your Golem isn't frozen mid-fight.

Spirit VesselReduces healing from Cold Embrace on her allies.

Pipe of InsightSoftens magical damage from Splinter Blast and Arctic Burn.

How to use the spells of Undying

DecayDecay the fragile Wyvern — strength steal cuts her HP hard.

Flesh GolemHold Golem until Winter's Curse is used, or your allies will be forced to hit you.

TombstonePlace Tombstone near Cold Embrace targets: cocoon blocks physical, but zombies keep pressure after.

Watch out for Winter Wyvern

Winter's CursePierces BKB. Don't stand next to allies — spacing limits how many get cursed.

Cold EmbraceCocoon blocks physical damage: switch to Soul Rip or another target instead of hitting it.

vs MiranaMirana escapes with Leap and snipes with Arrow — keep creeps between you and catch her with Tombstone.43.8%

What to build against it

Dust of AppearanceReveals Moonlight Shadow invisibility before her team engages.

Sentry WardGives vision of the invisible team during Moonlight Shadow.

Rod of AtosRoots Mirana in place so she can't Leap away.

Pipe of InsightReduces Starstorm and Sacred Arrow damage.

How to use the spells of Undying

TombstoneZombies slow and stop escapes — drop Tombstone on her, not after she Leaps.

DecayMirana is agility with low strength: early Decay noticeably cuts her HP.

Soul RipSave Soul Rip to heal an ally hit by Arrow after the stun.

Watch out for Mirana

Sacred ArrowStay behind creeps — Arrow hits the first unit; longer flights stun longer.

Moonlight ShadowPierces BKB. Expect an invisible engage after her ult — use Dust and Sentries.

Tips are based on ability descriptions and matchup stats — a guideline, not a rule.

Undying builds by role

purchase popularity on the hero, split by item type; hover an item

Starting items

Iron Branch19%

Observer and Sentry Wards9%

Tango9%

Gauntlets of Strength9%

Magic Stick6%

Early game

Boots of Speed40%

Chainmail15%

Soul Ring15%

Phase Boots15%

Bracer7%

Bottle2%

Ring of Health1%

Mid game

Aghanim's Shard17%

Blink Dagger9%

Point Booster8%

Vitality Booster8%

Soul Booster8%

Tiara of Selemene7%

Octarine Core7%

Late game

Blink Dagger19%

Black King Bar10%

Aghanim's Scepter6%

Soul Booster6%

Reaver4%

Situational items on Undying: when to buy

red — heroes that counter Undying

Linken's SphereBlocks single-target disables and ultimatesEspecially vs heroes that counter Undying: Beastmaster

Orchid MalevolenceSilence for slippery, spell-based escape heroesEspecially vs heroes that counter Undying: Ember Spirit

Dust of AppearanceReveal invisible heroesEspecially vs heroes that counter Undying: Mirana

Glimmer CapeSave an ally from magic and focusEspecially vs heroes that counter Undying: Jakiro

Pipe of InsightTeam-wide magic shieldEspecially vs heroes that counter Undying: Jakiro

Black King BarAgainst heavy disables and magic damage

Monkey King BarAgainst evasion: pierces Evasion and Butterfly

Phantom Assassin

Windranger

Brewmaster

Silver EdgeDisables passives (Break)

Manta StyleDispels silences and roots

Why players lose on Undying

from matches analyzed on DotaLeak: 1

Not enough analyzed Undying matches yet. Analyze yours — it will count.

FAQ

Who counters Undying?

Undying loses most often against Jakiro, Rubick, Ember Spirit. What to build and how to play vs them →

Who is Undying good against?

Best matchups: Lion, Warlock, Dragon Knight.

What is Undying's win rate?

In public matches — 49.9%. It varies by rank, see the table above.

What to build on Undying?

In the mid game players most often buy Aghanim's Shard, Blink Dagger, Point Booster. Situational items depend on the enemy — see above.

Similar heroes

Axe