Ursa, the fearsome warrior of the wild, is known for his devastating melee attacks. With his powerful Fury Swipes, Ursa can quickly tear through opponents, making him a formidable force to be reckoned with. However, there is one hero who can stand toe-to-toe with Ursa and come out on top – Axe.
Axe, the merciless executioner, is a melee strength hero who excels at taking down his enemies head-on. With his ability to call upon his Berserker’s Call, Axe is able to taunt and disable multiple opponents, rendering Ursa’s Fury Swipes useless. This makes him the perfect counterpick against Ursa in the laning phase and beyond.
One of the key strategies to countering Ursa with Axe is to maximize the effectiveness of Berserker’s Call. By positioning yourself strategically and catching Ursa and his allies in the radius of the taunt, you can effectively neutralize Ursa’s damage output and give your team the upper hand in team fights.
Additionally, Axe’s Counter Helix ability proves to be a strong deterrent against Ursa’s attacks. The chance to spin and deal damage to nearby enemies when attacked can quickly turn the tables in your favor. By building up Axe’s tankiness and survivability, you can endure Ursa’s assaults while simultaneously dealing damage back.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a hero to counter Ursa and prevent him from snowballing to victory, Axe is the perfect choice. With his ability to disable and negate Ursa’s damage, as well as his natural tankiness, Axe can keep Ursa in check and give your team the advantage they need to secure victory.
Understanding Ursa’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Ursa is a formidable Dota 2 hero known for his agility, mobility, and burst damage. To effectively counter Ursa with Axe, it is crucial to understand his strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
1. High burst damage: Ursa’s primary strength lies in his ability to deal massive burst damage in a short amount of time. His abilities, especially Overpower and Fury Swipes, can quickly melt through squishy heroes.
2. Roshan control: Ursa is renowned for his ability to take down Roshan at an early stage in the game, allowing his team to secure the Aegis of the Immortal. This makes him incredibly dangerous, as the Aegis provides him with a second chance in team fights.
Weaknesses:
1. Kiting: Ursa lacks reliable crowd control abilities, making him susceptible to kiting. Heroes with abilities that slow, stun, or disable Ursa can effectively neutralize his threat by keeping their distance and avoiding direct confrontations.
2. Armor and evasion: Ursa heavily relies on his burst damage. Therefore, heroes with high armor or evasion, such as Axe, can mitigate his damage output and survive longer in engagements. Axe’s Counter Helix and Berserker’s Call are particularly effective against Ursa.
3. Physical damage reduction: Ursa deals primarily physical damage, and heroes with abilities that reduce physical damage taken can significantly weaken his effectiveness. Axe’s Berserker’s Call, for example, not only disables Ursa but also reduces the damage he deals during the duration of the taunt.
By understanding Ursa’s strengths and weaknesses, Axe players can strategically use their hero’s abilities to counter Ursa effectively. It is crucial to exploit his vulnerabilities, such as his lack of reliable crowd control and his susceptibility to physical damage reduction, in order to neutralize his threat on the battlefield.
Playing Against Ursa as Axe
Ursa can be a challenging hero to play against as Axe, but with the right strategies and item choices, you can effectively counter him in the game.
Prioritize Getting Blink Dagger
One of the key items you should aim to purchase as Axe when playing against Ursa is Blink Dagger. This item will allow you to initiate fights and catch Ursa off-guard, preventing him from using his abilities to their full potential.
With Blink Dagger, you can easily jump on Ursa when he least expects it, initiating a call and taunt combo that will make him vulnerable to your team’s damage. It is crucial to catch him before he can activate his Enrage ability, as it provides him with immense damage reduction and makes him difficult to kill.
Apply Continuous Pressure
When playing against Ursa, it is important to apply continuous pressure on him throughout the game. Ursa relies on getting early kills and farm to snowball and become a formidable force in the later stages of the game.
By constantly harassing Ursa in the laning phase and preventing him from farming freely, you can delay his power spike and limit his impact on the game. Use Battle Hunger to harass him and hinder his last-hitting, forcing him to use his Healing Salves or Tangoes to sustain himself.
Build Armor and Attack Speed Reduction
To further counter Ursa’s physical damage output, it is advisable to build items that provide armor and attack speed reduction. Items like Shiva’s Guard and Assault Cuirass are excellent choices, as they can significantly reduce Ursa’s damage and attack speed.
Additionally, applying the debuff of Counter Helix on Ursa can further hinder his attack speed and damage output during team fights. Use your abilities wisely and position yourself strategically to maximize the effectiveness of his counterattacks.
Overall, countering Ursa as Axe requires good initiation, constant pressure, and the right item choices. By implementing these strategies, you can neutralize Ursa’s threat and ensure victory for your team.
Choosing the Right Items
When facing an Ursa as Axe, it is crucial to choose the right items to counter his high burst damage and physical attacks. Here are some items that can greatly help in dealing with Ursa:
Blade Mail: This item reflects a percentage of the damage taken back to the attacker, which can be very effective in punishing Ursa for his aggressive playstyle. Activate Blade Mail before engaging Ursa to make him think twice before attacking.
Vanguard: Vanguard provides additional tankiness and damage block, reducing the impact of Ursa’s physical attacks. This item is especially useful in the early game when Ursa’s damage is still manageable.
Heaven’s Halberd: This item not only provides evasion, but also disarms the target for a few seconds. Using Heaven’s Halberd on Ursa ensures that he cannot attack during this period, greatly reducing his damage output.
Ghost Scepter: Ghost Scepter grants temporary ethereal form, making you immune to Ursa’s physical attacks. Activate it when Ursa is about to use his ultimate or when you are low on health to prevent him from finishing you off.
Aghanim’s Scepter: Aghanim’s Scepter is a great late-game item for Axe. It provides additional stats, cooldown reduction, and upgrades Axe’s ultimate ability, allowing him to counter Ursa’s high health pool by dealing pure damage equal to a percentage of Ursa’s maximum health.
Remember, itemization alone is not enough to counter Ursa. It is important to also play smart, coordinate with your team, and take advantage of Axe’s abilities to control and disable Ursa during team fights.
Executing Axe’s Abilities Against Ursa
When facing Ursa as Axe, it is crucial to use your abilities strategically to counter his strength and come out on top. Here are some tips on how to utilize Axe’s abilities effectively against Ursa:
- Battle Hunger: Use Battle Hunger to slow Ursa’s movement speed and drain his health over time. This ability can be particularly effective in the laning phase, where Ursa relies on his high attack speed and mobility to secure kills. Apply Battle Hunger on Ursa whenever he tries to engage or retreat, forcing him to either take constant damage or waste resources to remove the debuff.
- Counter Helix: Axe’s passive ability Counter Helix has a chance to deal damage in an area around him whenever he is attacked. This ability can be very useful against Ursa’s fast and frequent attacks. When facing Ursa in a team fight or during a gank, try to position yourself in such a way that you can trigger Counter Helix as often as possible, maximizing your damage output and potentially deterring Ursa from focusing you.
- Berserker’s Call: Ursa’s high physical damage can be a threat, but Axe’s Berserker’s Call can turn the tide in your favor. By taunting Ursa and forcing him to attack you, you not only reduce his damage output but also increase your own resistance through your Counter Helix procs. Use Berserker’s Call when Ursa is about to unleash his fury, effectively neutralizing his threat and allowing your team to focus and bring him down.
- Culling Blade: Axe’s ultimate ability, Culling Blade, deals massive damage to low-health enemies, instantly killing them if they fall below a certain threshold. Ursa’s high health pool can make him a tough target, but when he is low on health, Culling Blade can swiftly eliminate him from the fight. Keep a close eye on Ursa’s health and try to time your Culling Blade to secure the kill and prevent him from regenerating through his Enrage ability.
By employing these strategies and utilizing Axe’s abilities effectively, you can effectively counter Ursa and tip the scales in your favor. Remember to communicate with your team, coordinate your attacks, and take advantage of your strengths as Axe to take down this formidable foe.
