In Dota 2, there are two types of supports. One is called Hard Support, and the other is Soft Support, also known as POS 4. Support heroes possess superior abilities compared to other roles in the early game.

Supporters are responsible for ensuring their Cores have adequate lanes and farms. Along with enabling his Core, the POS 4 Support task is to run around the map and make plays. If someone is proficient in this role, they can significantly simplify the game for their teammates.

Lion POS 4 was always a favorite of Support players due to its abilities with strong disables. Because of this hero's high impact in matches, he is the primary kill target, causing players with less experience to feed. We will teach you the fundamentals and mindset required to win matches with Lion POS 4 Support in this guide.

Lion POS 4 Support Success Checklist

  • You should be able to participate in the majority of the fights.
  • You should be able to avoid getting killed in the early moments of the fight.
  • You should be a threat in the late game.

Lion's Abilities

Because of his abilities, Lion is classified as an initiator, Nuker, and Disabler.

Earth Spike

Lion has three basic abilities, and Earth Spike is the first one. This ability does 80 Damage in the first level and 260 Damage at max level. The stun duration scales with each level of the Earth Spike, starting at 1.4 seconds at the lowest level and increasing to 2.6 seconds at the highest level.

Lion uses Earth Spike
Lion uses Earth Spike

When a unit is targeted, the spikes are released in the straight direction for the 900 range. Every hero and creep in this range will be stunned for a short time. The distance increases to around the 1700 range with the level 25 Earth Spike Talent.

  • When you use Earth Spike on an enemy, Lion usually moves closer to them to cast it. If you understand the 900 range, you can ground cast the spell in the enemy's direction, saving you from being directly in the enemy's face.

Hex

This ability is one of the strongest single-target spells in Dota 2. When used against an opponent, it transforms them into a frog. In this state, the enemy hero can't attack or cast abilities.

Lion uses Hex
Lion uses Hex

Another reason this spell is so strong is that it is an instant cast spell, which means that when you approach an enemy hero from behind or trees, you can immediately hex them without them having time to react.

Hex has a 2.5-second effect on enemies in the first level and a 4-second effect on enemies in the max level. One of level 25 Talents makes Hex 250 AOE ability.

Mana Drain

When cast on an enemy, Lion absorbs their 120 Mana per second at max level. Mana Drain eliminates Mana regen items' need, which is significant for supports, as they do not farm.

Lion Mana Drains
Lion Mana Drains

Thanks to Aghanim's Shard in patch 7.29, Lion can absorb up to three enemy heroes' Mana. While channeling, this hero gains Spell Immunity.

Finger of Death

This ultimate ability deals 600 damage at level one, 725 at level two, and 850 at max level. By killing every opponent with Finger of Death, you gain an additional 40 damage on your ultimate, which increases to 60 damage with talent. Due to the scaling nature of the ability, Finger of Death is an extremely powerful spell.

Lion uses Finger of Death
Lion uses Finger of Death

When you purchase Aghanim's Scepter, the ultimate damage increases and the spell transforms from a single target to an AOE spell.

Skill Builds For Lion

Always begin the game by learning Earth Spike as the first level, as it deals damage and stuns all enemies in its path. This ability makes it simple to contest early-game runes.

Lion Abilities
Lion Abilities

In level two, you must choose between Hex and Mana Drain based on the matchup. This will be discussed in greater detail in the Gameplay section.

Talent Tree

To run faster around the map, Lion POS 4 Support requires high mobility, so don't forget to take the +15 Movement Speed talent at level 10.

Lion Talent Tree
Lion Talent Tree

At level 15, you should choose -2.0s Earth Spike Cooldown because you need to be able to cast as many spells as possible during a fight. Talents at levels 20 and 25 should be chosen in accordance with your matchup.

Difficult Matchups For Lion

These matchups will be the biggest tests for Lion.

Puck

The abilities of this hero are highly effective against supports. Her Warning Rift can silence opponents and prevent them from casting spells. With her Phase Shift ability, she can avoid Lion's Earth Spike, Mana Drain, and Finger of Death.

Puck Silencing Lion
Puck Silencing Lion

Lifestealer

Rage grants Lifestealer spell immunity, effectively negating all of Lion's abilities.

LifeStealer using Rage
LifeStealer using Rage

Slark

If Dark Pact is used prior to the spell being cast on Slark, it will be purged, making Slark a scary hero for supports. His ultimate and item build is another reason.

Rubick

He can steal Lion's abilities and use them against him or his teammates.

Rubick Using hex against Lion
Rubick Using hex against Lion

Abaddon

This hero's Aphotic Shield has the ability to dispel any teammate who is under hex or stun effects. Lion can't burst Abaddon with his Finger of Death because of his Borrowed Time ultimate.

Nyx Assassin

Abilities such as Vendetta, Mana Burn, and Spiked Carapace are strong against Supports, especially Lion.

Lion damaged himself by Nyx Carapace
Lion damaged himself by Nyx Carapace

Tide Hunter

Kraken Shell can dispel any spell if he takes a lot of damage.

  • Oracle Fate's Edict, Legion Commander Press the Attack, and the entirety of Silencer's abilities can be intimidating for Lion.

Strong Matchups For Lion

Lion will excel in these matchups.

Drow Ranger

This hero lacks an escape mechanism, making her an easy target for Lion. Her low health pool is also put at risk by Lion's powerful Ultimate.

Ember Spirit

Due to the solid escape mechanism of Ember Spirit, Lion can catch him by surprise.

Phantom Assassin

Like Drow Ranger, Phantom Assassin has a low HP pool and lacks an escape mechanism, making him vulnerable to Lion.

Bear in mind that due to Lion's single-target nature, all of his spells can be blocked by Linken's Sphere. The majority of Offlaners purchase Lotus Orbs to reflect Lion spells to himself. Carry heroes purchase Black King Bars to gain magic immunity for a few seconds.

Related: Dota 2: How To Play The Carry Role

Lion's Best Allies

Heroes with a high damage output but fewer lockdown abilities, such as Ursa, Slark, and Juggernaut, can work well with Lion.

General Gameplay Tips For Lion

Lion is one of those heroes you'd rather have on your team than on the opposing team, as his abilities make him extremely difficult to deal with.

  • This hero is frequently picked but is consistently misplayed. To perform better than other Lion players, you must consider a variety of factors.

You should be able to identify who threatens who during the laning phase, depending on your matchup. Purchase the necessary items after recognizing the situation.

  • If heroes threaten you with high kill potential abilities, try to begin the game with boots and one set of tango; if the threat is equal, purchase enough regen to enable you to trade.

Remember that item selection encompasses far more than these two scenarios. If you're new to Dota 2 and lack matchup knowledge, these two tips should suffice until you gain sufficient experience.

  • In general, the items you purchase during the laning phase should dictate your game plan and strategy.

If you bought regen items, make a concerted effort to hit the enemy with your attack and abilities. If you have Boots of Speed, try to keep them from pulling side camps and annoy them early in the game with your high movement speed.

  • Your priority should be to keep enemy heroes from hitting creeps and bullying your Core out of the lane. Therefore, make greater use of your abilities!
Lion anoyying enemy
Lion anoyying enemy

Professional Dota 2 players, such as IG.Kaka or Sonneiko, immediately begin using Earth Spike when the first lane creeps meet each other. According to our analysis, these professional players used Earth Spike 12 times in the game's first three minutes, which is quite impressive.

The issue with non-professional players, particularly low-ranked players, is that they do not use abilities nearly as frequently. In fact, we counted some low-ranked players' ability usage during the given period and discovered that they used it approximately six times. These players prefer to keep Mana to utilize abilities later in the game, which is incorrect.

  • The best game plan is to right-click the enemy after using Earth Spike in order to divert their attention away from Last Hits, allowing your Core to farm with peace of mind.

The issue with right-clicking enemies during the laning phase is that you will aggro the creeps, which leads to pushing the lane. When the lane is pushed, your Core is no longer safe to farm. Dragging your creeps to the side camps is the solution to this. This results in the lane being pushed back and the enemy gaining less experience due to the creeps dying in the side camp.

  • Keep in mind that while you're pulling side camp, the enemy is also attempting to make the game easier for his Core, so keep an eye on their support and prevent them from pulling their creeps to side camp.

At level two, you should choose between Hex and Mana Drain for your secondary ability. If your Earth spike is sufficient to kill an enemy along with your Core, get Mana Drain. Mana Drain ensures that you never run out of Mana, and by draining enemy Mana, you prevent your opponents from using abilities against you.

  • If you didn't start the game with Boots Of Speed and have enough regen, consider purchasing Boots as your next time to increase your movement speed. This item is critical for POS 4 Supports, who are tasked with roaming the map and making plays.

At 5:00, Dota 2's first night begins. Always attempt to Gank Midlane or other lanes at night. You may wonder why. All heroes except a few, such as Slark, have poor night vision, making it difficult to react to ganks. If you want to gank successfully, use Smoke Of Deceit because the enemy might have a vision along your way with Observer Ward.

Lion Ganking with smoke of deceit

If you want to gank during the day, we strongly advise using Smoke of Deceit. The Smoke of Deceit is the best item for POS 4 Supports; it makes you invisible until you get close to an enemy, allowing you to gank even during the day.

  • Therefore, never forget to use Smoke of Deceit.

As you may already know, Lion easily dies, which makes him challenging to play. After Boots, consider purchasing a Magic Wand and Infused Raindrops; these items will increase your survivability.

As a POS 4 Support, your goal is to constantly participate in the majority of the fights, which is why Tranquil Boots is your next item. This item grants an excessive amount of Movement Speed, allowing you to move more quickly around the map.

  • Once you reach level six with this hero, ship out Wards and Smoke, then team up with one or two heroes who have a high damage output to gank an enemy Midlaner or Hard Carry.

As you may already know, killing heroes with Finger Of Death earns you Finger charges, which increase the damage dealt by the next Finger of Death. Low-Ranked Players use Ultimate on enemy heroes even with 100 HP.

  • This ability has a high Cooldown in the early game, so making Finger of Death bonus damage is incorrect in the early game.

When you decide to gank other lanes as a POS 4 Support, you should always place one Observer Ward in your lane prior to leaving to ensure your Core avoids the Ganks.

In general, a game situation must dictate where the Observer and Sentry Wards should be placed. If you're winning and have an aggressive lineup, try using aggressive Wards to scout and then kill enemies with Smoke.

Aggressive ward and gank
Aggressive ward and gank

If your team has been stomped, put defensive wards in your jungle area to prevent getting ganked. When playing Lion, you want to stay on the edge of the fight in order to avoid dying early. As mentioned previously, this hero gets killed easily.

Your next priority should be to farm here and there to acquire items such as the Blink Dagger, which enables you to gank, and the Glimmer Cape, which helps teammates.

Lion Itemization And How to Approach Different Stages Of The Game

You should itemize properly to complete the lion checklist.

Starting Items

Purchase sufficient Regen items if you wish to trade with the opponent. You can purchase a fairy fire to increase your physical damage by two, which will help you outplay enemies. Additionally, you can purchase Windlace on top of regen items to increase movement speed by a little bit and later turn it to Tranquil Boots.

Tips for Lion's Laning Phase Item choices

As mentioned in the Gameplay section, your role as a POS 4 Support is to rotate around the map assisting teammates. As a result, having a high movement speed is critical.

  • You cannot simply run to side lanes at 300 movement speed.

Tranquil Boots is your best choice here. Purchase a Magic Wand with Infused Raindrops to increase your survivability.

  • Don't forget to utilize Smoke of Deceit to Gank enemies.

Tips for Lion's Mid-Game Item Choices

Consider your team's lineup and the opponent you're facing if your team lacks initiator heroes and requires an element of surprise to catch enemy heroes off guard. Farm for Blink Dagger here and there. If your team is struggling and you need to enable your teammates to purchase Glimmer Cape or Force staff.

  • Aether Lens is another option instead of Blink Dagger.
  • Again, Don't forget to utilize Smoke of Deceit to make plays.

Mid-Game Items

If you need to make a gap between yourself or a teammate and the enemy, Force Staff is the right item. For example, this item is essential against Clockwork.

Glimmer Cape and Force Staff
Glimmer Cape and Force Staff

If your opponent's lineup contains an excessive amount of spell damage and you believe your team could benefit from an invisibility item, purchase Glimmer Cape.

Tips for Lion's Late Game Item Choices

Purchase as many "Support Items" as possible as the game progresses. If you haven't purchased Glimmer Cape or Force Staff, do so immediately. Alternatively, if you have already purchased them in mid-game, concentrate on Blink Dagger.

  • You can also purchase Aghanim's Scepter if you have an excessive number of Finger of Death stacks.

Late Game Situational Items

If you're the primary target of the enemy team, don't hesitate to buy Aeon Disk. While wearing this item, you will not take any damage for 2.5 seconds, the downside is that you will also be unable to deal any damage.

Next: Dota 2: How To Play Slark And Dominate Every Game