The best offlane heroes in Patch 7.38c

The Dota 2 meta is constantly evolving. Each new patch introduces balance changes that can significantly impact hero viability, leading to the rise of new meta-defining picks.

Some heroes suddenly stand out due to timely buffs or shifts in itemisation. Dota 2 Patch 7.38c, which has been live for nearly a month, has already made a noticeable impact on the game. Heroes from previous metas are making strong comebacks, and the offlane in particular has seen some exciting developments.

In this article, we highlight some of the best offlaners (offlane heroes) in patch 7.38c. Whether you're looking to climb the MMR ladder or simply dominate your pub matches, these picks offer reliable performance and strong presence in the current meta.

Medusa

It may come as a surprise to some players, but in patch 7.38c, Medusa stands out as one of the best offlaners (offlane heroes) in the current meta. Thanks to her Undulation facet, she can completely skip buying boots — a unique advantage that not only frees up a valuable item slot from the start but also makes her immune to movement speed slows, one of her typical weaknesses.

Medusa is the only hero in Dota 2 who relies entirely on her mana pool for both survivability and damage output. This makes her itemisation as an offlaner in patch 7.38c very straightforward: focus on items that increase her mana pool and reduce mana costs. With this build, she becomes incredibly tanky and difficult to bring down.

Look me in the eyes.

Her utility in team fights is also underrated. With her third ability, Gorgon’s Grasp, she can punish enemies who overcommit by locking them in place, setting up a devastating Stone Gaze that allows her team to follow up with ease.

Medusa also scales exceptionally well as the game progresses. In certain matchups, she can even act as a temporary position 1 carry until the actual carry comes online. As of now, she holds a solid 52.26% win rate, which only reinforces her viability in the offlane role.

Beastmaster

Beastmaster has remained a consistent force in the offlane across recent patches. Even after receiving a few nerfs in the prior update, he continues to be one of the best offlaners (offlane heroes) in patch 7.38c.

Thanks to his abilities, Call of the Wild Boar and Wild Axes, Beastmaster boasts a strong laning stage. His itemisation — often including Aghanim’s Scepter — allows him to serve as a frontliner in skirmishes while also allowing him to soak up the farm. Thanks to this item, he can also easily pick off lone heroes on the map.

This guy never gets the respect he deserves in the average level pubs.

Combined with his summons, he excels at taking down towers and pressuring objectives early. Beastmaster also scales impressively into the late game.

His ultimate, Primal Roar, becomes a deadly tool against enemy cores, providing reliable lockdown and, in many cases, enough burst potential to help eliminate priority targets — shifting fights heavily in his team’s favour.

Both of Beastmaster’s facets are performing well in this patch, contributing to his current 50% win rate as an offlaner. Reliable, impactful, and difficult to ignore, Beastmaster remains a cornerstone pick for players looking to control the tempo of the game from the offlane.

Dawnbreaker

When patch 7.38 initially launched, Dawnbreaker received a number of reworks. At the time, much of the community considered these changes to be nerfs. However, in patch 7.38c, those assumptions have been overturned — Dawnbreaker now stands out as one of the best offlaners (offlane heroes) in patch 7.38c.

She’s one of the few offlane heroes that can make a utility-focused build truly shine in the current meta. Her new facet, Trailblazer, leaves a fire trail behind her second ability, Celestial Hammer, which grants bonus movement speed to allies who step on it. At first glance, this might seem minor — but in reality, movement speed often determines whether you secure a kill or let it slip away. Having that kind of team utility from level one can shift early fights in your favour.

Valora, the Dawnbreaker, most prized warrior amongst the Children's ancient creations.

Her Aghanim’s Scepter build continues to be a reliable core option. In the late game, the instant cast time on Solar Guardian provided by Aghs is irreplaceable, allowing Dawnbreaker to chain-stun targets and swing the momentum of teamfights. Currently, she boasts a 54.6% win rate as an offlaner.

Dawnbreaker’s resurgence is just one example of how shifting balance can elevate unexpected heroes. It’ll be exciting to see what other picks rise — or return — in the coming weeks.