|OT| Dota Underlords

[Routa]

Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Platforms: PC. Android, iOS
Price: Free
Release date: Currently in Open Beta

​

About:

Hire a crew and destroy your rivals in this new strategy battler set in the world of Dota. Join the Beta Season, with crossplay on PC and mobile.

Guides/Mechanics/Tips:

Hidden Mechanics, Values, Misconceptions and Bugs Info Dump
An In-Depth Analysis of the Measurement of the Value of Armor and Comparison of Different Armor Effects

Screenshots:

Trailers:

I usually don't make threads, but if you have any suggestions for the OP, please feel free to add.​

 

[Le Pertti]

I'm still figuring out how to play after the patch, I went from often being in the top to being one of the first to lose.XD

 

[BlueOdin]

That’s hot

 

[Alexandros]

My results are very inconsistent. Unless I get Warriors so I can build around their tanking ability, I'm not really sure what to go for.

 

[BlueOdin]

My results are very inconsistent. Unless I get Warriors so I can build around their tanking ability, I'm not really sure what to go for.

I recommend watching streams for Underlords to get better even if it is not as popular as TFT on Twitch. I enjoy Savjz. Pawnyhof is also a good player but I don't enjoy his stream. They usually explain lots of stuff which help you with the game, how to observe the autochessing, how to find out where stuff went wrong, positioning in the lategame, which item on which unit, what units are good at one thing even though their alliances don't make you think about it etc. For example if you go assassin's build units like Morphling or Sand King are good tanks and best put in the front line once level two. Same goes for Viper if you have either Puck or Dragon Knight in your team, too.
Also found the Era Thread helpful since there are people who are more into the meta than me.

There are a few alliances I liked to go for since they have/had good synergies. For example I liked to go for Heartless/Assassin's a while ago because I thought their two alliances bonuses work good together.

 

[Le Pertti]

I used to go for trolls/druids that combo doesn't work that well anymore, because they changed how late the last troll shows up, also the items never show up anymore, the one where a dying druid heals and the one where anyone standing next to a troll gets attack speed.

 

[Copons]

My results are very inconsistent. Unless I get Warriors so I can build around their tanking ability, I'm not really sure what to go for.

I've had somewhat decent results by taking inspirations from RPS builds posts (last one: Dota Underlords builds [August Update] – 7 best builds for Mage, Knights, Trolls, and more).
Though, they are more of a wishful thinking, seldomly applicable to real case scenarios, as they imply getting all the right units at the right time and most of them complete their synergies at level 10 with several 4* and even one 5*.

Though, the ones I have most fun with are:

- Assassin/Scrappy: it only really makes sense if you manage to get some inventors to tank ASAP, or you'll be wiped out easily by beefier enemies. Since the RPS suggestion relies on three 4* (Templar Assassin, Sand King, and Alchemist), I usually replace them with more inventors (I love Tinker!), and use different assassins while I hope to get the right ones.
Also, the mighty Slark with Mask of Madness is always fun to watch.

- Knight/Troll: not always viable, considering how coveted are both knights and trolls, but still!
I really enjoy the trolls' attack speed buff, it's sort of gratifying to see my heroes hitting crazy fast.
I'm not a big fan of knights, usually, as in general I don't like having to hope for my units to position properly, but they have a nice synergy with trolls, so

But to be honest, I'd always play full bloodbound with multiple big-time contracts, as seeing your heroes grow huge is just super fun.
(Yes, I love for-fun glitchy builds, and I was super into the Arc Warden + Crystal Maiden combo, with AW multiplying endlessly, before it was patched out )

 

[BlueOdin]

I used to go for trolls/druids that combo doesn't work that well anymore, because they changed how late the last troll shows up, also the items never show up anymore, the one where a dying druid heals and the one where anyone standing next to a troll gets attack speed.

The global items were changed and their effects were incorporated in some of the alliances. Assassins have the Pocket Sand as a bonus when you have 9, Trolls give now attack speed at both levels, etc- Don't know about Druids because I never use them.

I would like to play more Troll builds but Troll Warlord being 5 gold has made that a bit unachieveable sadly.

 

[kio]

I just love the current state of the game. It feels like it has the right amount of skill and rng.

For what it's worth my current rank is Boss5 and my personal go-to combo is Knights+Warlocks+Dragons (+Trolls as a drive-by), 4+4+1 or 6+2+1 depending on how contested CK and SF are or how fast I can 2* one of them. Bat+Luna+DK+Omni/Abba are must-haves on the Knight side, WD+Raptor if you go 2 Warlocks or WD+Raptor+SF+Necro/Veno if you go 4 (this also guarantees small Troll buff because of Bat+WD). As far as Dragons go, I prefer Viper to Puck although there are incentives to choose Puck against heavy nukers. Your 3* priority is Luna and Bat followed by whatever tank you chose (Abba or Omni). If your lucky enough a 3* Viper is also ridiculous and 3*WD is an incredible amount of cc.
Side note: if you want you can disregard Dragons and keep DK as an incredible tank, although this forces you to get another form of dps (like an assassin, for instance)
As far as items go Fall from Grace is your best friend because almost all your damage is physical and -5/-10 armor is a huge damage boost. You should also be looking at Moonshard for DK, Relic for Luna, Mana boots for bat (for instant mana boost at the start of the fight) and octarine for Omni or Abba. If you get a refresher put it on Raptor and insta win every fight.

I've also been experimenting and got some good results with Scrappy+Warlocks (6+2), with SF/Raptor+Alch as the warlocks. In this case the trick is to remain at lvl8 as long as possible to maximize the scrappy buff, although it can be tricky to get Techies (the 6th scrappy) while at 8. Since Alch is scrappy and warlock it opens a slot to some heavy damage dealer/tank (depending on what you need), so you can have 2x 2*Tinker/Clock/Timber/BH and still get full advantage of the Scrappy buff or invest in something else like a CM (for maximum mana regen), Slark/Lycan/Tree (for annoyance and survivability) or whatever cheap 2* you can find fast that provides some utility. Your 3* priorities are Tinker and BH, followed by whatever tank you can get your hands on (clock or timber).
As far as items go, I believe Scrappy love armor and raw hp, Tinker wants some mana items and BH wants damage.

 

[Copons]

I just love the current state of the game. It feels like it has the right amount of skill and rng.

Ditto!
I'm bad at strategic games, and I can't say I'm a good player (I rarely win, but I almost always manage to get on the podium), but it always feel satisfying and relatively fair.
Of course there are times when my Mask of Madness Slark dies too soon, and THAT'S TOTALLY THE RNG HATING ME, but still, can't complain.

The only thing that's still super obscure for me is the heroes positioning.
I've always had trouble in every strategic games, but usually you get by because your units are slightly better than enemies anyway.
But that's not the case in Underlords, so I'm totally clueless, and just try to achieve perfect symmetry, which is also very annoying to do on odd levels.

 

[Le Pertti]

I agree! The game now is so much better than it ever was before. Just sucks to suck at it haha.

 

[Alexandros]

Are summoning armies a bit too powerful at the moment? Three-star Venomancers, Lycans and druids often fill the screen with units.

 

[Le Pertti]

Are summoning armies a bit too powerful at the moment? Three-star Venomancers, Lycans and druids often fill the screen with units.

Yeah I do the best when going with summons. But I still don't win so there are more powerful sets.

Also the one achivement about getting to lvl 10, has anyone managed that? I've never gotten they high.xD

 

[Rockin' Ranger]

Yeah I do the best when going with summons. But I still don't win so there are more powerful sets.

Also the one achivement about getting to lvl 10, has anyone managed that? I've never gotten they high.xD

I'm at the two star level for that having reached it 34 times right now since I usually get to level 10. My basic strategy is to reach it as soon as possible. Since the only reliable way to get more than 5 gold per round is through interest I get to 50 gold as soon as I can, and then spend on leveling for anything I have left over after buying units while staying about 50. I'll sometimes drop below an interest level either through leveling up a unit, or leveling if I need to buy an available unit but I have a full bench, but for the most part I try not to level until I'm above 50 gold. I'll never pay to reroll until I've hit level 10.

One really important thing about interest is that it's calculated from how much gold you have as soon as the battle starts. This means you can spend below an interest level once the fighting starts and not lose out on that interest. If your build has Crystal Maiden and the shop has your second one available it's not a unit that is going to have a place in the fight in the current round so if you're sitting at 31 gold you should wait until after the battle starts to buy it. It might just be 1 gold here and there but you want to make sure you're getting as much as you can. Another thing to consider with this is leveling up. If you're at 52 gold and you're 9 or less XP away from the next level, then spend to level up during the battle. You'll get the full 5 of interest and you'll have a the better odds at higher level units. Once I'm level 10 I'll then spend on rerolls looking to stay above 50 gold until it looks like it's time to go all in, either to stay in the game or get in position to finish off the last couple opponents.

Now, there are times where you'll need to change things up and deviate from this, but losing early isn't that bad. Plus with the free rerolls you get now it can be pretty nice. Sometimes things will be going really poorly and you'll have to get more aggressive. I really only change up from conservative spending once I feel like I'm about 2 or 3 rounds from being knocked out. Otherwise you can come back from being behind if you've set yourself up with a strong economy and are going to be able to out level the people ahead of you who've spent aggressively.

 

[BlueOdin]

You know the games where someone drops down to single-digit health relatively fast but then destroys everyone and wins the round? For the first time I was not just the former but also the latter.

Also anyone else buying 5 cost unit only to sell them immediatly because of the achievement?

 

[Le Pertti]

Also anyone else buying 5 cost unit only to sell them immediatly because of the achievement?

No, but I will now!

 

[Routa]

3 Star Slark with MoM

Just basically soloed a game for me with Tidehunter and company CCing everyone else.

Also finally hit 25 for the Proto Pass!

 

[Le Pertti]

I hate Slark so so so so much!XD

 

[Routa]

Steam :: Dota Underlords :: Coming up next in Dota Underlords

A few weeks ago we talked about the upcoming updates being a bit leaner (balance and bugs) while we worked on bigger updates. After chewing on things for a bit, we're ready to chat about what's coming in the next few weeks. One quick note before we dive in: When making games alongside a live...

steamcommunity.com

Our main focus currently is on Season 1 and its features. Some features (like the ones below) will be shipping early in Season 0, while others will only make sense with the whole package at the beginning of Season 1.

Duos Game Mode
In the next week or two we'll be introducing a new game mode we've been calling Duos (well we've actually been calling it Battle Buddies, but Duos seems a bit more professional). Duos is a new way to play Underlords cooperatively with a friend - just party up and battle against 3 other teams. Supports Casual and Ranked version.

Underlords
We're also going to introduce Underlords to the game in a few weeks. The team is really excited about this feature - these Underlords are a core part of the game and we think they will add a layer of fun and strategy to every match.

UI and other Improvements
Massive changes are also coming to our UI, especially on the PC, based on feedback and also to accommodate our new features.

Heroes and Alliances
Lastly, we'll soon be introducing new heroes and alliances, expanding the roster and creating new and interesting ways to play Underlords. In addition to this we'll continue looking for feedback and tweaking game balance throughout all of these updates.

Finally
This is normally where we'd say 'that's about it' - but knowing us and our community, we can pretty honestly say that things will change. Season 1 is the update where our Beta turns into a fully released game, so expect features like the new and improved Battle Pass and others like City Crawl to make their first appearance there.

Stay tuned.

 

[Hektor]

Looking forward to the new content

 

[Alexandros]

I can't make mages work. Any tips?

 

[Routa]

I can't make mages work. Any tips?

I usually win with Mages when I have some strong front-line units such Mages+Scrappy, Mages+Knights (with a Puck and Dragon Knight).

They also seem to be pretty weak early game compared to other alliances and units, so they're usually units I hoard on my bench and if things are looking good start embracing a Mage strategy mid-game.

 

[Kylac]

I can't make mages work. Any tips?

6 mages is pretty bad right now. 3 mages is quite good. They are more of a supplemental alliance like Scaled or Warrior. There are two main builds that use them

4 scrappy/3 mages. so Tinker, Clockwork, Alchemist, Timbersaw + Crystal Maiden, Puck, KotL.

or the primordial, assassins, mages, and dragons build. which is surprisingly quite strong given how strange it is.

that's Puck, Crystal Maiden, Razor+ Tiny, Arc Warden, Morphling + Viper and Queen of Pain. Queen of Pain can be substituted for Slark or Phantom Asassin sometimes. You don't have a MoM carry in the normal lineup so Slark and PA are more appealing.

Morphling is a really powerful unit right now. Waveform does so much damage and is only 60 mana.

 

[Alexandros]

Thanks guys, I had some decent results trying the Scrappy+Mages build that you recommended.

 

[BlueOdin]

Going full assassins in casual matchmaking:

Going full assassins in ranked:

 

[kio]

Sometimes the stars align and everything goes your way. Just had one of those experiences with Brawny, Axe 2* at round 2 and Jugg 2* at round 5. Ended the game with 96hp and 3 completed win-streaks

Now that I've spent all my luck I can't wait to see what the next games will look like...

 

[Routa]

New patch: Dota Underlords :: The Update In Which Juggernaut Gets A Lil' Tweak

Probably the biggest change:

 

[kio]

Jugg change to tier 3 and odds rework killed brawny tbh. It's a tempo based tactic that has no way to work with things the way they are.
Mages are possibly broken again.

 

[Routa]

Underlords getting a new hero.

 

[QFNS]

Heck yes. The Jugg change has made brawny pretty bad now I feel unless you can get that super early Jugg.

The percentages change is pretty big by late game tho. You'll end up seeing level 5 units WAY WAY more often now. 3 of the last 5 games I've played people have had tier 5 and one person even got a 2* tier 5.

 

[BlueOdin]

Knight + Trolls+Necrophos are back. Even better if you can get a Fall from Grace. Especially disgusting with a 3 Chaos Knight. One-shotting so much

Went for them in the last three matches and won all of them. One game I was able to get Troll Warlord to level 2

Also like the percentage change to 5 gold units because it makes the level 3 of buying a 1000 of them easier.

 

[Alexandros]

What is generally better? A Tier 1 or 2 three-star unit or a Tier 4-5 two-star one?

 

[kio]

Glad they fixed those stupid odds so fast.

 

[Le Pertti]

How does the seasons work, one has to unlock everything before next season or they are out of reach forever?

 

[BlueOdin]

How does the seasons work, one has to unlock everything before next season or they are out of reach forever?

That's how it works in other games. Battlepasses trying to get you through that fomo.

Though the protopass isn't so bad. They should maybe tone down the exp needed or cap it at some point if they plan more levels. Maybe a bit more exp for playing a match. You get enough exp through dailies and the achievements. I hope the latter resets because if not that makes it harder.

 

[Le Pertti]

That's how it works in other games. Battlepasses trying to get you through that fomo.

Though the protopass isn't so bad. They should maybe tone down the exp needed or cap it at some point if they plan more levels. Maybe a bit more exp for playing a match. You get enough exp through dailies and the achievements. I hope the latter resets because if not that makes it harder.

I hope at least enough forewarning. I don't have many unlocks left now but been playing bunch of breath of the wild so feel like I've been slacking XD

 

[BlueOdin]

I hope at least enough forewarning. I don't have many unlocks left now but been playing bunch of breath of the wild so feel like I've been slacking XD

I think they will announce when the protopass is going to end. In other it also tells you how many days are remaining until the current season ends.

 

[QFNS]

What is generally better? A Tier 1 or 2 three-star unit or a Tier 4-5 two-star one?

The answer is usually it depends. But several of the 4/5 tier units even at 1 star have REALLY powerful abilities. So my typical move is that if I find a tier 4/5 unit that either completes an alliance that I want or has just a really strong abiliity I'll swap out a Tier 1/2 2 star unit for it. Techies in particular has won me several rounds, but Gyro and Medusa are both very strong also.

I haven't found a good comp for Lich, but I've certainly gotten rekt by him. So I think they are all powerful and probably worth upgrading a 2 star tier 1 or 2 for unless it totally screws your synergies.

 

[Copons]

Dammit, screw the current tier 5 odds!
I had this perfect team, can't even remember what it was but it kept me in first place from start to (almost) end.
At some point, I need a tier 5 hero (might have been Medusa) to complete all the alliances.
I get to level 10, and then start rerolling.
I swear to god. I haven't seen, not just Medusa, but any single tier 5 unit in like 30 rerolls.
Meanwhile the player in second place had more common sense and instead of trashing the match for one hero, they kept building upon their team and eventually beat me.

I guess they should average out the current odds with the previous patch ones, which were just too high (I managed to get several 2* tier 5 without even getting to level 10).
Right now, it's almost impossible to get a quality build, and some alliances are extremely hard to complete (Troll, Scaled, and Scrappy all need a tier 5).

 

[Alexandros]

Yeah I completely gave up on Trolls when Warlord became a tier 5.

 

[Le Pertti]

But when you do get warlord it's pretty sweet! Putting a high damage item on him also he becomes so mean!

 

[kio]

Right now, it's almost impossible to get a quality build, and some alliances are extremely hard to complete (Troll, Scaled, and Scrappy all need a tier 5).

You don't need tier 5 for scrappy. BH + Timber + Clock + Tinker + Alch + Sniper are all tier 4 or below.

On a different note, I wish people learned to press tab once in a while to see what builds other players are doing and how contested some heroes are. What's the point of going knights, scrappy, savages, whatever on round 10-12 if there are already players committed to that build? Your just a troll and are sabotaging both yourself and the other guys. It's getting tiresome and I wish there were some way to communicate that to the other person.

 

[BlueOdin]

You don't need tier 5 for scrappy. BH + Timber + Clock + Tinker + Alch + Sniper are all tier 4 or below.

On a different note, I wish people learned to press tab once in a while to see what builds other players are doing and how contested some heroes are. What's the point of going knights, scrappy, savages, whatever on round 10-12 if there are already players committed to that build? Your just a troll and are sabotaging both yourself and the other guys. It's getting tiresome and I wish there were some way to communicate that to the other person.

But if I stop going for the build that I want then the other person has it easier to get the build that they and I want!

 

[Copons]

You don't need tier 5 for scrappy. BH + Timber + Clock + Tinker + Alch + Sniper are all tier 4 or below.

Ah, you're right, I totally forgot about Sniper, and was thinking of Techies as the sixth one!

 

[kio]

At the risk of showing how much of a scrub I really am, yesterday I finally managed to hit Big Boss rank after being stuck between Boss3 and Boss5 for almost 1 month.

 

[Le Pertti]

Haha don't worry kio ,I've been stuck on smuggler for a long long time. I very rarely win, at least you don't loose levels now.

 

[Hektor]

WHERE IS THE PATCH VOLVO

 

[Routa]

Need that Battle Buddies mode

 

[kio]

Since I'm sick of fighting against 9 evasive comps in every game I decide to tweak my usual scrappy build in order to fight it. The results were acceptable although the build clearly needs a 3rd mage for the magic resistance debuff but I don't know what to replace Maybe if I was luckier I could have gotten the item that allows you to have 11 heroes in order to confirm how effective it really is.

 

[Le Pertti]

Man I really don't know how to play this game, after 140 hours one would think I could do better than always be the first to be kicked out of the match.XD