Dota Underlords: How to boost rank in current meta

DOTA UNDERLORDS: FROM UPSTART TO THE BIG BOSS

We all waited for this and now the ranked games were added to the Dota Underlords. This is only an open beta so do not fear about your upcoming rank, with the release developers promised a soft reset. So you could still play, trying various combinations, trying to find the one that fits you the most or just playing for joy while learning the game.

The next ranks (from the best to worst) were added to the Dota Underlords:

• Big Boss;
• Boss;
• Lieutenant;
• Smuggler;
• Enforcer;
• Outlaw;
• Grifter;
• Upstart.

So it is the best time to learn how good you are in this newborn genre that still does not have a name. It could not be called Auto Chess because it is a separate game made by Drodo and that will soon be released in the Epic Store.

Dota Underlords (made by Valve) as the TeamFight Legends (made by Riot Games) are two the most perspective auto battles games, so you need to focus on one of them (or both, why not?) if you are truly interested in this genre.

HOW RANKED SYSTEM IS WORKING

TLDR:

• Glicko system is used in evaluating your true skill rating;
• Calibration will take around 25 games;
• The highest medal achieved will be shown in profile;
• There is no additional data about recalibration in the new season.

Dota Underlords received its own ranked system that is based on the Glicko system. If you are new to this, then you may be confused by the outcome of matches. But one of the developers published a post in the Reddit, where he in details described how the ranked system is working in Dota Underlords.

The Glicko System Unveiled

The internal mechanics of Dota Underlords evaluate your gaming prowess with the help of the Glicko system. This particular system, named after its creator Mark Glickman, is typically employed in the evaluation of players’ skill levels in various competitive games, such as chess and popular computer games like Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

The Glicko system introduces a unique element known as the “Rating Deviation” (RD). Essentially, the RD value fluctuates based on the player’s activity within the game. The less frequently a player engages with the game, the higher their RD will be. For players with a high RD, the system finds it challenging to pinpoint their exact rating, resulting in a range rather than a fixed value.

To provide a more tangible understanding, let’s consider a player with a rating of 1850 points and a Rating Deviation of around 50. In this scenario, the Glicko system postulates that the player’s true rating lies within a range of 1750 to 1950 points. As the RD decreases, this range narrows, thereby providing a more accurate assessment of the player’s skill level.

Glicko System in Dota Underlords

As per the game’s framework, a player needs to participate in approximately 25 matches before the system can accurately evaluate and assign a rank. This ranking is represented by a distinctive medal that changes with each victory, offering visual feedback on your progress.

After this calibration phase, your skill level should mirror that determined by the Glicko system. However, one minor detail sets this process apart. Your profile will only display the highest medal you’ve earned, regardless of any subsequent dips in performance. Your ‘true’ numerical rating, however, isn’t forgotten. It plays a crucial role in the matchmaking process, helping the system pair you with opponents of a similar skill level. This numerical rating is currently hidden in the beta version of Dota Underlords, and it remains uncertain if this feature will be made visible in the future.

Upon the conclusion of each Dota Underlords season, your skill level will be recalibrated. As of now, Valve has not clarified how this recalibration will function. It’s hypothesized that it may involve a ‘soft reset’ as per the Glicko system’s norms and a ‘full reset’ to provide players with an opportunity to recalibrate to a new medal in the upcoming season.

Mastering the nuances of the Glicko system and its implementation in Dota Underlords can significantly enhance your gaming experience and help improve your performance. For more detailed insights and strategies related to Dota Underlords and other popular games, consider visiting Boosteria’s extensive library of guides and blogs. This resource can provide a wealth of information to both newcomers and seasoned gamers alike, equipping them with the knowledge necessary to excel.

BEST STRATEGY IN CURRENT META

Meta at the start of Dota Underlords was pretty much the same as it was in Dota 2 Auto Chess. The main differences are in slightly reworks of alliances and heroes. So if you are interested in Underlords boosting then you need to continuously look for the next alliances.

Alliances

Dragons and Knights in the last patch become Tier-1 strategy, due to the proximity auras of Knights and decreased numbers of Dragons (now 2) to receive a buff. The very buff was enhanced too – now it gives an additional skill to each dragon:

• Puck – Phase shift;
• Dragon Knight – Elder dragon form (the basic skill is Fire Breath now);
• Viper – Corrosive skin.

Warriors are more flexible and much stronger than they are in Auto Chess due to the new item distribution system and thanks to Pudge. Now if you will have Radiance at the Level 3 Pudge – then you will have second (the first one is Troll Warlord) strong damage dealer. Just learn all the items, warriors heavily depend on them. And of course, they are so strong because they could easily build 2 Scaled units to counter mages. 

Mages and Hunters after a couple of nerfs now much weaker, but still they are high-tier strategies. Hunters is an incredibly flexible build that could be used against Mages – it is extremely easy to build 4 scaled units. Mages in this patch felt a bit weaker than normal, Pipe of Insight hit hard so now you are heavily depending on the mage build, or you will not have enough damage to pierce through nagas and Pipe of Insight.

My personal Top 3 of strategies in Dota Underlords:

1. Knights + Dragons (the rest three slots could be filled with Trolls or could fill it with the utility legendaries);
2. Warriors (or Warriors + Hunters if you are don’t have Troll Warlord till the 20 round);
3. Mages (mages are extremely good, but everyone wants to build them and the hero pool is not so big);

These are three end game alliances, that could ensure your win in the late game against almost all other popular buildes. But do not forget that items and global buffs are affecting the game, you need to build your strategy around the items.

Strategies

The strategy for the early stages is similar to all auto-chess-like games: change heroes to the ones, which cost 2 coins, but do not take them too early. The best starting alliance is Warriors, but do not fix at one, pick anything you want because you will choose the final end-game alliance only by the 15 round.

If you are new to the Dota Underlords then you may be surprised with the proximity auras that were added as a new feature. This is an interesting addition to the whole game, but the balance of units was shaken. Now AoE units are have increased Value, but Valve is slowly nerfing them. For example, now Keeper of the Light requires 150 Mana so he will start a cast with a massive delay.

But I want to share a few strategies that are not so popular, so you could easily build them, but these alliances are incredibly still strong and have insane durability. But remember that this is a late game strategy, so you need to rush 10 level as quickly as you can. Never prioritize weak alliances, or you will lose early and mid game and will not have enough health points to perform a classy comeback.

Savages

The core of these alliances are Savage units, there are 6 of them and you will need everyone. Then the strategy may variate depend on the units are getting. 

Savage Warriors:

• 6 Savage: Tusk, Enchantress, Lycan, Venomancer, Sand King, Lone Druid;
• 6 Warrior: Tusk, Lycan, Kunkka, Doom, Troll warlord, Tiny;
• 2 Human: Lycan, Kunkka;
• 2 Druid: Enchantress, Lone Druid;
• 1 Demon: Doom.

This is an incredibly strong and tanky lineup with the incredible damage outcome. And if you will manage to receive 1-2 Tooth and Claw global buffs then you most probably will be the strongest player at the match.

Savage Trolls:

• 6 Savage: Tusk, Enchantress, Lycan, Venomancer, Sand King, Lone Druid;
• 4 Trolls: Troll Warlord, Witchdoctor, Shadow Shaman, Batrider;
• 2 Warlocks: Witchdoctor, Shadow Fiend;
• 2 Druid: Enchantress, Lone Druid.

Thanks to the warlock buff you will always have enough health to apply enough stacks of Tooth and Claw to slowly kill all the enemies around. Trolls in this build are your main source of damage, so be sure that your Troll Warlords is protected from all sides.

Mages

Yup, Mages. In this patch, the meta of mages is slowly coming to its end so it will be not too hard to build the next impressive but not standard buildes.

Primordial Mages:

• 6 Mage: Crystal Maiden, Razor, Lina, Puck, Keeper of the Light, Ogre Magi (replace him with Lich as soon as possible);
• 4 Primordial: Razor, Tiny, Arc Warden, Morphling (change him with Enigma as soon as you’ll get this unit)
• 2 Human: Keeper of the Light, Kunkka;
• 2 Shaman: Arc Warden, Disruptor (Shadow Shaman);
• OR 2 Warlock: Enigma, Shadow Fiend.

We know how devastating could be Mages, but in this lineup, you could try some interesting things like Arc Warden + Crystal Maiden to continuously produce copies. It will be even better with the Refresher Orb on Arc Warden, just try it! It is a hilarious and incredibly strong strategy.

Scrappy Mages:

• 6 Scrappy: Bounty Hunter, Clockwerk, Tinker, Timbersaw, Alchemist, Techies;
• 3 Mage: Keeper of the Light, Crystal Maiden, Lich;
• 2 Human: Crystal Maiden, Keeper of the Light;
• 2 Heartless: Lich, Necrophos;
• 2 Warlock: Alchemist, Necrophos

This is the most interesting Scrappy alliance with the ideal balance between incoming and outcoming damage. The awesome addition to this strategy will be the next global buffs: Fall From Grace, to receive 4 Heartless bonus with 2 humans and 2 Heartless in our army, and Final Flash. Thanks to the Scrappy buff your mages will have enough time to cast the second Chain Frost and Illuminate, and, in most cases, it will finish all the opponents.