HeroesCounters

DotaLeak › Heroes › Axe › How to counter

Axe

How to counter Axe in Dota 2

Best counters to Axe: Bane, Bounty Hunter, Monkey King. Through BKB: Berserker's Call, Counter Helix, Culling Blade.

A plan vs Axe for your hero and rolePick your hero and position — the coach lays out laning, mid and late game, how to play around each spell and when to buy counter items.
Build my plan →

Best counters to Axe

win rate vs this hero in public matches
Bane 70.5%88 gamesBounty Hunter 68.6%35 gamesMonkey King 65.6%93 gamesChen 64.4%45 gamesLycan 62.5%40 gamesKeeper of the Light 61.5%104 gamesOracle 61.3%31 gamesLeshrac 60.9%69 games

Worst picks vs Axe

Death Prophet 35.4%48 gamesMorphling 37.9%58 gamesFaceless Void 38.5%52 gamesBristleback 41.0%117 gamesSilencer 41.1%124 gamesTerrorblade 41.3%63 gamesTechies 41.6%125 gamesCrystal Maiden 42.1%121 games

Axe spells: BKB and dispel

what BKB blocks and what can be dispelled
Berserker's CallPierces BKBCannot be DispelledCD 18 / 16 / 14 / 12

Axe taunts nearby enemy units, forcing them to attack him while he gains bonus armor during the duration.

Battle HungerBlocked by BKBBasic DispelPureCD 20 / 15 / 10 / 5

Enrages an enemy unit, causing it to take damage over time until it kills another unit or the duration ends. The enemy is slowed as long as they are facing away from Axe.

Counter HelixPierces BKBInstant EffectPureCD 0.3

After a set number of attacks, Axe will perform a helix counter attack, dealing pure damage to all nearby enemies.

Culling BladePierces BKBBasic DispelPureCD 80 / 75 / 70

Axe spots a weakness and strikes, dealing pure damage. When an enemy hero is killed with Culling Blade, its cooldown is reset, and all nearby allied units gain bonus movement speed and armor. Axe permanently drenches his blade every time he kills an enemy Hero with Culling Blade, gaining bonus armor for each stack.

One Man ArmyPassive / BuffCannot be DispelledCD —

Axe gains Strength based on 50% of his Armor as long as there are no allied heroes within 700 distance from Axe. The effect fades over 3s after approaching an ally.

Items against Axe

5 counter items with buy timings and conditions: when to buy and which of Axe’s spells each one shuts down. Tailored to your hero and role.

Open in the plan →

What Axe builds

popular purchases by stage
Early game
Boots of SpeedChainmailPhase BootsSplintmailBracer
Mid game
Blink DaggerBlade MailBlack King BarAghanim's ShardSpirit Vessel
Late game
Black King BarShiva's GuardHeart of TarrasqueLotus OrbSoul Booster

When Axe is strongest

Laning (0–12m)
4/5
Mid Game (12–28m)
4/5
Late Game (28m+)
2/5
A plan vs Axe for your hero and rolePick your hero and position — the coach lays out laning, mid and late game, how to play around each spell and when to buy counter items.
Build my plan →

FAQ

Who counters Axe?

By public match stats, Bane, Bounty Hunter, Monkey King do best against Axe.

Do Axe's spells pierce BKB?

Through BKB: Berserker's Call, Counter Helix, Culling Blade. BKB blocks the rest.

Which heroes struggle against Axe?

Death Prophet, Morphling, Faceless Void struggle the most against Axe.

Which of Axe's effects can be dispelled?

Dispellable: Battle Hunger, Culling Blade.

Axe: win rate by rank, builds and common mistakes →

Lost the game?Paste a match ID — we show who threw and why: deaths, lanes, items, map replay.