Enigma, Marci, and Shadow Fiend dominated TI11’s group stage drafts

They were banned and picked in almost every match.

Image via Valve

In addition to possessing incredible mechanical skills, professional Dota 2 players are also tasked with identifying the strongest heroes after each patch to gain an advantage over others. The Dota 2 meta looked settled as The International 2022’s group stage came to an end, and from the available pool of over 120 heroes, some were the clear favorites.

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With the group stage of TI11 coming to an end on Oct. 18, Enigma, Marci, and Shadow Fiend ended the first part of the tournament as three of the most popular picks.

Despite being one of the classics in Dota 2, Shadow Fiend was considered one of the weaker heroes until gameplay patch 7.32. SF’s Shadowraze was significantly buffed in this version as it started applying a stackable movement and turn rate slow. This change alone turned SF into one of the best mid-lane heroes since his solo kill potential skyrocketed.

Marci’s popularity may have come as a shock to fans since the hero was hit heavily by the nerf hammer in Patch 7.32. Before the nerfs, Marci was a top pick in the meta, and she fell off a little bit after the nerfs. She received a readjustment in Patch 7.32b/7.32c, and it looks like professional players still found a way to turn her into a real threat on the map. While Marci has quite an average win rate in pubs, Marci ended the Last Chance Qualifier with an over 70 percent win rate.

Enigma was another hero that had a rather nice time right after Patch 7.32. Aghanim’s Scepter new Black Hole upgrade granted the spell a pulling effect. Enigma’s Shard upgrade was also swapped for a Malefice stun duration increase by 0.35 per tick. His level 20 talent +400 health was also moved to level 15 with a 50 hp nerf, which allowed the hero to become tanky more quickly.

The remaining table features the top 16 heroes picked in The International 2022’s group stage and their win rates.

HeroNumber of matches picked inNumber of matches banned inWin rate
Marci7610550 percent
Shadow Fiend718054.93 percent
Undying637149.21 percent
Tiny613950.82 percent
Primal Beast599550.85 percent
Leshrac555656.36 percent
Pangolier548346.30 percent
Enigma4711657.45 percent
Snapfire442145.45 percent
Crystal Maiden431065.12 percent
Silencer424745.24 percent
Nyx Assassin423866.67 percent
Clockwerk394546.15 percent
Morphling379143.24 percent
Broodmother327862.5 percent
Pudge284264.29 percent
Author
Image of Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan is a Staff Writer and Fortnite Lead at Dot Esports. Gökhan graduated as an industrial engineer in 2020 and has since been with Dot Esports. As a natural-born gamer, he honed his skills to a professional level in Dota 2. Upon giving up on the Aegis of Champions in 2019, Gökhan started his writing career, covering all things gaming, while his heart remains a lifetime defender of the Ancients.