Top 5 Weirdest drafts in Dota 2 esports that surprisingly paid off

Sometimes, a game of Dota 2 is decided even before the match has begun, i.e, in the drafting stage. A good draft vs a bad draft decides the fate of the match in higher brackets of Dota 2.

In this article, we look at some unusual hero picks in Dota 2 and how they worked out.

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Most Unexpected Dota 2 drafts

#1 Ana Io in The International 9

OG's Carry Io (Image via dota2)

OG is a team known for weird strategies and play styles. Memes reached its peak when they drafted a carry Io against the Ninjas in Pajamas (NiP).

While the draft was going on, casters said that their could be eight different permutations and combinations on how that draft could turn out. All of them were surprised when Anathan "Ana" Pham picked the Io, a conventional hard support of Dota 2 as a carry.

Ana and Topias "Topson" Miika Taavitsainen on his mid-lane Windranger took down towers with backdoor protection like it was nothing, and won against a better and more conventional lineup.

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#2 Dendi Pudge in The International 3

TI3 had his most bizarre moment when Dendi picked Pudge (Image via Dota 2)

When Danil "Dendi" Ishutin, widely regarded as the first Dota 2 celebrity picked Pudge as the mid-hero against Tong-Fu, everyone thought he was trolling.

They combined Dendi Pudge and Chen, played by Clement "Puppey" Ivanov, to land the iconic Fountain Hook. It is as prolific as it sounds, and if any enemy hero is caught, death is the only way out.

This was a moment that will forever be remembered in Dota 2 history, as Natus Vincere managed to overcome insurmountable odds to come out victorious against the dominating Tong-Fu team.

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#3 Yapzor Terrorblade in Dream League season 9

(Image via Valve - Dota 2)

Terrorblade is one of the hardest carries in the game of Dota 2, but when Team Secret drafted Terrorblade, they had already picked up Lifestealer and Arc Warden as cores.So when Yazied "YapzOr" Jaradat picked it as a support, fans went wild.

He managed to wreak havoc all around the map of Dota 2 , as he maxed Terrorblade's first skill, Reflection which played a key role in killing a lot of enemies.

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#4 Aui Techies in International 5

The Draft (Image via Valve - Dota 2)

The last pick, Techies by Evil Geniuses, which Curtis "Aui" Ling played, was an unconventional pick.

Techies is a hero which is widely regarded as the most annoying to deal with in the game of Dota 2 , because of what it does. They just shut out an area of the map, and apply pressure on the enemy carry to deprive them of farm. Aui did exactly that.

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#5 Ceb Axe in International 8

The draft ( Image via Valve - Dota 2)

Sebastian "Ceb" Debs drafted his signature Axe in the Grand Finals of the International 8 of Dota 2, a hero that people just weren't playing back then.

However, Ceb managed to farm his way, going on a 7-hero killstreak,playing a major part in getting a Game 5 in the TI8 Grand Finals.

In this match, when Ceb blink-called 3 enemy heroes to save his carry Anathan "Ana" Pham, he gave birth to that famous Chat wheel of "CEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEB".