The Best Support Heroes in Patch 7.34d
Position 4 and 5 heroes to expect in the TI 2023 Group Stage
The TI 2023 Group Stage have only just started, which begs the question; what will the pros pick? Well, we’ve had some time with the TI patch 7.34d to figure out the meta.
Let’s take a look at the best support heroes in this patch.
Treant Protector
Treant is wreaking havoc in pubs right now. And this is even after the nerfs in the latest patch. Before that, he had a staggering 59% win rate!
He is very strong in lane; he hits you like a truck, he can catch you out of nowhere, he can sustain his core with two of his spells, and he’s very good at rotating to the other side lane via Twin Gates.
Treant Protector has had his moments in TIs of the past. And there’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t be prioritized this year, considering he’s been one of the top 5 most-picked heroes in Divine and Immortal pubs for a while.
Notable Treant Protector players at TI 2023:
Shopify Rebellion — Fly
Talon Esports— Oli
BetBoom — TorontoTokyo
Thunder Awaken — Mjz
Chen
Chen is a TI staple, and this year won’t be any different. His conversion to a Universal hero in patch 7.33 was the beginning of his resurgence, which was followed up by some necessary nerfs in the following lettered patches.
His first spell, Penitence, got a decent buff granting him bonus attack range on the target. Also, his Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade got a few changes, now being castable on enemies to deal damage.
Too bad Puppey from Team Secret won’t be playing at this year’s International to showcase his legendary Chen plays.
Notable Chen players at TI 2023:
Virtus.pro — Fng
TSM — Whitemon
Vengeful Spirit
Vengeful Spirit’s key buff was making Wave of Terror reduce enemy attack damage in addition to their armor. This made her a nightmare to trade against in lane, bringing the advantage in her favor more often than not.
Since the addition of Tormentors in patch 7.33, Aghanim’s Shard upgrades are usually what make or break a hero. And that is no different with this hero.
Her upgrade allows her Magic Missile to bounce to a nearby enemy, prioritizing heroes. Even after several recent nerfs, it is still strong enough to purchase at the 15-minute mark instead of waiting for the Tormentor.
Notable Vengeful Spirit players at TI 2023:
Gaimin Gladiators — Seleri
Team Spirit — Miposhka
Shopify Rebellion — Cr1t
Earthshaker
Earthshaker is another TI staple who gets just the necessary buffs in time for the tournament, and this year is no different. In fact, the buffs in patch 7.33c and 7.34 were far too much, requiring a few nerfs after.
The hero is quite versatile and can be played in the mid lane, off lane, and also support by many TI teams. This makes him a priority first-phase pick or ban.
Notable Earthshaker players at TI 2023:
Gaimin Gladiators — Tofu
Evil Geniuses — Matthew
Beastcoast — Scofield
Nature’s Prophet
Nature’s Prophet has been dominating the meta for far too long. It all started in patch 7.33 earlier this year and hit the tipping point in patch 7.34 when Sprout started dealing damage.
With the new, massive map in The New Frontier’s Update, mobility has become very valuable. And being able to gank any lane instantly, thanks to his Teleportaion ability, makes him a nuisance. Not to mention Wisdom Rune snatches and courier snipes.
This single aspect isn’t going to stop Furion from being a serious contender at TI, even after several nerfs brought his win rate down below 50% in pubs.
Notable Nature’s Prophet players at TI 2023:
Talon Esports — Q
TSM — Ari
Evil Geniuses — Panda
Vivo Keyd Stars — Kingrd
IO
No matter the hero’s win rate in pubs, IO always finds a way into at least a few TI matches.
While it may not be the legendary core IO we saw at The International 2019, the hero is arguably the strongest it’s been as a support than ever before. Remember when we said mobility is king this patch? That’s just one reason why.
It’s only a shame Ceb from OG won’t be playing at The International this year to showcase his incredible plays on Wisp (though he has been spamming the hero a fair bit in pubs recently).
Notable IO players at TI 2023:
Team Liquid — Insania
Quest Esports — Kaori
Witch Doctor
Witch Doctor was back in the meta, then nerfed down to oblivion, and now he’s back again!
Death Ward’s damage type being changed to pure allowed him to deal a disgusting amount of damage. It was nerfed after, and then buffed again in patch 7.34d.
Chalice of Azure Ray even played off lane Witch Doctor in the TI 2023 China Regional Qualifiers against Xtreme Gaming, and won!
Notable Witch Doctor players at TI 2023:
TSM — Whitemon
Virtus.pro — Fng
9Pandas — Solo
A special mention to Rubick! He may not have an impressive win rate to show right now, but he always finds a way into the pro meta. Plus, he’s got a handful of notable players at the International.
So, are you gonna play what the pros are playing or stick to your own pool of supports?
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Did you miss our last blog post? Check out the best carry heroes in patch 7.34d!
Thanks for reading!
Anomaluna
