Ancient Apparition in Dota 2

Impressively, Ancient Apparition (AA) has been a top pick in Dota 2 matches recently. Despite a subtle tweak in Dota 2’s patch 7.38c which affected the hero, Ancient Apparition has still been winning most matches. Here’s why this icy powerhouse is a great option for gamers seeking to climb the MMR ladder.

Strengths of Ancient Apparition

Ancient Apparition is an outstanding pos 5 support hero in the current Dota 2 meta. AA’s ability to heavily sway fights with his global ultimate, Ice Blast, has left many opponents fearful and it can finish off opponents who are on low-health, even from across the map. The hero has repeatedly shown brilliant performances in high-level tournaments such as The International 12 and in matches during Patch 7.38c. In fact, due to AA’s unique strengths, the hero is often chosen or banned by players.

Ancient Apparition’s ultimate, Ice Blast, directly counters strategies and heroes relying on healing and regeneration. This makes AA incredibly valuable against popular picks like Oracle and Necrophos, as well as other lineups focused on persistency. AA also has a notable presence globally courtesy of his ultimate, and his other abilities, Chilling Touch and Cold Feet grant the hero potential for long-range harassment. When it comes to team fights, AA offers excellent crowd control and damage, particularly when paired with heroes who can deliver reliable disables to guarantee Ice Blast makes contact.

AA’s ability to harass and remove opponents from the challenge with Chilling Touch and Cold Feet, renders him a proficient laning support. This helps to ensure a solid initial grounding for AA’s carry. Additionally, AA’s Ice Vortex provides both vision and enhanced magic damage, working hand-in-hand with magical burst lineups and contributing to map control. However, there are a few limitations. Ancient Apparition’s fragility means that positioning is very important. Because AA’s disables are neither immediate nor reliable on their own, AA typically requires another hero for setup.

Ancient Apparition as a Counter Hero

Besides his notable strengths, AA is also prominently featured as a counter to healing builds and heroes like Oracle. Oracle, even though bolstered, still remains at great risk to AA, because AA’s Ice Blast can nullify the benefits of Oracle’s False Promise due to its prevention of healing.

Tips for Playing Ancient Apparition

There are certain things players using AA need to keep in mind for successful gameplay. Given AA’s vulnerability to dive and burst, great positioning is crucial. AA players must also strategically time Ice Blast for maximum impact, either to prevent timely saves or to finish off opponents attempting to escape. The use of Ice Vortex for vision provision and reduction of magical resistance is recommended for spell-based team compositions. Furthermore, AA players should regularly liaise with their team to coordinate disables with their Cold Feet and ultimate for better kill conversion.

Why should gamers pick Ancient Apparition now?

• Global anti-healing: AA’s Ice Blast can disable healing and regeneration on a global scale.
• Significant team fight utility: AA offers a strong presence with its disables and damage in fights.
• Lane dominance: AA’s harassment and control abilities can give superiority in the early game.
• Magic Damage Amplification: AA’s Ice Vortex can boost allied magical bursts.
• A counterpick to current meta: AA proves to be strong against sustain lineups and meta heroes relying on healing.

Therefore, Ancient Apparition maintains relevance by offsetting strategies focused on healing currently popular in the meta, by providing consistent utility throughout the game, and by having a lasting map impact. For all skill levels, AA is a prime support pick, especially when played in coordination with team disables and magical bursts.