Best Dota 2 carry heroes in 7.41 — tier list for August 2026

The 7.41 meta is the longest-running patch in Dota 2's recent history, and the carry position has settled into a clear hierarchy. This tier list is sourced from OpenDota's 30-day Immortal+ dataset (the highest skill bracket where players actually farm efficiently and play the meta correctly) and cross-referenced with TI 2026 qualifier draft statistics.

S-tier: the meta dominators

Medusa is the clear S-tier. Her 56% win rate at 28% pick rate in Immortal+ is the highest in the role. The reason: Mana Shield scales with raw items, so a Medusa with 3-4 core items is functionally unkillable in a straight 1v1. Split Shot is the fastest farming ability in the game, and Mystic Snake gives her team mana sustain that's hard to find elsewhere.

Juggernaut holds S-tier because his Healing Ward lets him stay in fights that would kill any other carry. His Battle Fury timing at 12-15 minutes is still the fastest farming build in the game, and Omnislash is the most reliable team-fight closer. Juggernaut beats Medusa in the 25-35 min window but loses in 45+ min games where Medusa's mana pool outscales his raw damage.

A-tier: situationally best

Phantom Assassin is the third most-picked carry (18%) but her 52% win rate reflects her high-variance playstyle. PA is the best hero in the game at deleting a single support in 2 seconds via Stifling Dagger + crit stacking, but she's hard-countered by MKB (Monkey King Bar), which is back in the meta because of her.

Faceless Void is the strongest carry in coordinated 5-man play. Chronosphere is the best single-target lockdown in the game and Time Walk gives him mobility no other carry has. His 53.7% win rate is impressive considering he's only banned in 8% of games (lower than Medusa's 35% ban rate).

Anti-Mage is the only carry in A-tier whose win rate dropped below 52% (51.2%). AM is the best answer to illusion heroes (Terrorblade, Phantom Lancer) but he's countered by team-wide magic damage and early aggression. Pick him when the enemy has TB/PL or when you need split-push.

B-tier: viable but not dominant

Terrorblade (52.9% WR), Luna (50.1%), Drow Ranger (49.8%), Ursa (51.6%) — all four are situationally strong but none are meta dominators. TB and Luna need a 25-30 min timing window; Drow and Ursa fall off past 35 minutes.

C-tier: off-meta

Clinkz (48.3%), Wraith King (47.9%), Sven (46.2%) — all three are niche picks that require either a specific lineup advantage or a smurf bracket to work. None of them are first-pick material in Immortal+.

What about Monkey King, Slark, Spectre?

• Monkey King: 47.1% win rate, off-meta. The

rework made him more of an offlane than a carry.

• Slark: 49.2% win rate, balanced. The Aghanim's

Shard nerf hurt his mid-game.

• Spectre: 48.6% win rate, balanced. Haunt

requires too much coordination in pub play.

How to use this tier list

If you're climbing MMR, play Medusa or Juggernaut. Both are straightforward, have clear item builds, and punish uncoordinated enemies.

If you're drafting in a 5-stack, prioritize Faceless Void or Phantom Assassin — both reward coordination with above-53% win rates.

If the enemy has TB or PL, lock Anti-Mage immediately. He's the hard counter and his 51.2% WR jumps to 58%+ in those specific matchups.

Patch impact on this tier list

The 7.41a hotfix (Aug 6) buffed Medusa's Mystic Snake mana restore and nerfed PA's crit damage. This pushed PA down from S-tier to A-tier and confirmed Medusa as the dominant carry. The next patch (7.41b, expected Sep) is rumored to nerf Medusa's Split Shot damage — if that ships, expect Juggernaut to take over as the solo S-tier.