Support · Field guide
Lion
Hold a target in place long enough for allies to act, then survive to cast again.
First check
Which disable must start the chain, and which one can wait for the escape attempt?
Play as Lion
- Stand where you can follow an ally’s initiation without showing first. Your second spell often matters more than an early solo cast.
- Use disables in a sequence with your team rather than at the same instant. Name who is covering the target after the first effect ends.
- Choose Finger of Death for a reliable kill or pivotal fight turn, then help your team convert the numbers advantage.
Play against Lion
- Track where Lion is before entering a narrow route. Make him reveal himself or spend a disable on a less valuable target.
- Pressure him after he uses the first disable; that is often the opening for your mobile hero to move.
- Bring the current save or defensive item that answers the actual disable sequence in your match, and practice its timing.
Make the lesson stick
Watch one fight at quarter speed and note every overlap between allied disables and the time Lion stayed alive for a second cast.
Added September 26, 2026. These are decision cues, not fixed builds or matchup guarantees. Verify current spell and item behavior in the Dota client, the official Lion hero page, and official updates.