There are a couple of mid-laners in the current Dota 2 patch that can work really well in the mid-lane. Shadow Fiend and Leshrac are probably the first names that come to mind, but Zeus is also among the top-tier picks. That’s why this Dota 2 Zeus guide will include the ins and outs of the hero.

Zeus is not a pick that you see that often among professional games. However, he can do wonders in PUBs because of his insane damage output. Of course, he is not that easy to master and requires a lot of practice, but once you learn how to use him, you can get MMR in no time.

Zeus is easy to play but hard to master, so let’s check what makes him so special.

Overview of the hero

Zeus is a ranged INT hero notorious for being one of the deadliest spellcasters in the game. In fact, he is often the midder with the highest hero damage, even more than Tinker. That’s mainly because of his ultimate, which allows him to deal damage to all heroes in the game.

One of the key things to learn from this Zeus Dota 2 guide is that the hero is all about timing. Although he can farm with his Q, Zeus is definitely not the fastest farmer in the game until he gets a lot of mana regen. However, he makes up for it by being one of the strongest heroes in the early and mid-game. Hence, you should try to take as many fights as possible and get kills so you can snowball.

The laning stage & what to be aware of

As one of the biggest nukers in the game, Zeus can lane against everything. Sure, some heroes are stronger than others, but thanks to his Q, Zeus can farm with little to no effort. What’s more, since this ability hits multiple units, he can also harass the enemy’s mid-laners who dare to come too close.

Aside from farming, Zeus is the best hero when it comes down to forcing the enemy hero to use a lot of regens. Once he hits level 3 and his Lightning Bolt is level 2, he can start spamming the ability and do a lot of damage. Needless to say, things become even more complicated for his enemies when ‘he hits level 6.

Although Zeus is an excellent midder that can do wonders, he is vulnerable to ganks. Even though his 3rd skill was reworked and allowed him to have some kind of an escape tool, he continues to be one of the easiest heroes to kill.  Hence, Zeus needs a lot of vision, and he has to rely on his support for help.

The hero has to do a lot of things in the mid-game

Assuming that Zeus survives in the early game and even gets a couple of kills, it is safe to say he becomes the strongest hero in the game for the next couple of minutes. This is when players might feel pressure because they have to make plays around the map. Zeus can nuke any support and snatch kills all the time, which will allow him to snowball even more.

One of the best ways to take advantage of his firepower is to have a position 4 on your team that will allow you to gank your opponents. Things like Spirit Breaker and Tusk care greatly because they can be really aggressive and even save you when needed. 

Combos with Zeus

One of the things to keep in mind when using Zeus is that the hero can work in combination with a lot of other heroes. This Zeus Dota 2 guide will reveal some of them, but there might be many other combos to choose from. 

One of the best all-around Zeus combos you can go for is Bloodseeker. Putting the latter in the safelane will allow him to have tons of extra MS and AS because Zeuses nukes his enemies all the time. In other words, Bloodseeker always has an advantage over his opponents, especially when Zeus uses his ult.

Another popular combo with Zeus involves Spectre, one of the deadliest carries in the game. The safelane monster does not benefit from the constant nukes as much, but Spectre and Zeus can combine their ults together. Doing this will allow them to take fights when they want to and does not require them to stay close to their other allies. In others words, this is one of the best global strats.

Speaking of global starts, Zeus can also shine with heroes like Nature’s Prophet. The latter is not that popular in the current meta, but he is a hero that has proven himself as a stable position 1 in certain cases.

The best items for Zeus

Every Zeus Dota 2 guide has to include information about the different items the hero has to go for. Like most midders, Zeus has a few must-have items, as well as a couple of situational ones that can work in certain scenarios.

One of the things that make people forget when playing with  Zeus is that the hero needs to survive to do damage. Hence, he needs a defensive item that will allow him to say safe or escape from danger, depending on the situation. One of the best options in this regard is Force Staff because the item allows the hero to survive against some ganks. 

Aether Lens is also a great option because it gives Zeus more range to cast his abilities. This allows him to have a better position. What’s even more impressive s that this item can be used to get Octarine Core later on.

Zeus is also among the heroes who benefit a lot from Aghanim’s Scepter because he gets access to Nimbus, another global ability that does damage. The same applies to Aghanims’s Shard, another item that’s really good for the hero.

In terms of something more exotic, items like Refresher Orb, Scythe of Vse, and even Ethereal Blade can be perfect, especially in some lineups.

Counters

The last thing you should keep in mind before you start playing with Zeus is that the hero has a lot of counters. As mentioned, he is one of the most fragile midders in the game, meaning that some heroes can rip through him.

Starting Anti-Mage, which is definitely his most prominent opponent, Zeus is also not good against Meepo, Storm Spirit, and Huskar. Each of them can kill him in seconds and is difficult to bring down. This doesn’t mean that Zeus can’t work against them, but it is something that players have to be aware of.