Gondar the Bounty Hunter is staking a claim as one of Dota 2’s best support heroes in the current 7.39e patch. The hero, mainly played as a position four, is rising rapidly in popularity in the professional scene—and he isn’t shy about sharing his profits!

This article will explain how and why Gondar is making waves, how the numbers are backing up this hero’s ascension, and also include a Bounty Hunter guide that will help you win games with this sneaky support.

Dota 2 Bounty Hunter By The Numbers

According to statistics by Spectral from October 9-19, Bounty Hunter was contested 13 times out of 113 matches. That nearly tripled to 39 contests out of 125 games in the draft from October 19 to November 2.

The hero’s win rate also jumped from 44.44% to 66.67%, with more teams clearly being cautious about the hero’s position in the meta. At The International 2025 (TI14), Bounty Hunter was contested only five times and picked four times. What changed between now and then?

Bounty Hunter’s Rise Comes With A Change In Support Role

The position four role (i.e., soft support) has evolved slowly over the past year. When Gleipnir was in its most broken state—combining Maelstrom and Rod of Atos into a versatile item that farms and fights equally well—meaning fours like Muerta and Hoodwink dominated the meta. 

These heroes represented a secondary gameplan, scaling well into the late game and becoming damage-dealing cores. Without Gleipnir’s farming capabilities, teamfight-oriented support heroes that could still naturally farm on their own became comparatively more valuable.

If they didn’t, they had to compensate in other ways. Upon examining a snapshot of TI14’s most picked heroes, the most-picked supports—Disruptor, Snapfire, Pugna, and Hoodwink—all possess a variety of nukes that can quickly clear waves.

The Shift Toward Vision and Utility Supports

The notable exception? Bane. Even with his Aghanim’s Shard, Brain Sap takes two casts to clear waves, making it inefficient. Instead, the hero was an excellent laner, then transitioned into the mid-game as a setup hero.

This involved him roaming around the map with his 1,200 range night vision (more than the standard 900), and using Nightmare and Fiend’s Grip to set up for incoming allies. Bounty Hunter belongs to the Bane camp, using his Shadow Walk to obtain information on the map. 

Bounty isn’t a bad laner either, and can leverage his ridiculous base stats (second-highest base armor in Dota with 8.5, top 30 base damage) and low cooldown Jinada and Shuriken to harass enemies.

But that’s not all—like most supports, Bounty’s power spikes revolve around his ultimate. And it’s certainly not a teamfight or lockdown spell—yet, somehow, it’s still one of the highest damage spells in the entire game.

Bounty Hunter’s Track Isn’t Just For Vision And Gold

Bounty Hunter’s signature Track gives vision, lots of gold, and most importantly, damage amplification with no drawbacks.

Hoodwink, one of the most picked heroes at TI14, was popular partially because of her Shard upgrade—Hunter’s Boomerang, which provides 20% spell amplification. This synergy catapulted heroes with high magical damage output, like Sand King, into first-phase picks and bans.

Upon hitting Level 6, Bounty gets 8% universal damage amplification—an incredibly rare mechanic. Besides Gondar, Beastmaster and Undying also gain access to it.

But Beastmaster’s damage amp from Wild Axes only affects him and his controlled units, while Undying’s is locked behind a long-cooldown ultimate that requires him to get up close and personal.

Bounty’s reworked Track in Dota 2 Patch 7.38 gave him increased scaling at Level 6, and that’s a huge plus for the hero. Since the goal is always to generate an unstoppable snowball effect, Track gold and damage amp is better the more front-loaded it is—when it’s more difficult to gain momentum.

Bounty Hunter: Tips, Tricks & Notable Players To Learn From

Tundra Esports’ Matthew “Ari” Walker, Team Spirit’s Aleksandr “rue” Filin, and The International 2025 champion Team Falcons’ Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen, are all premier Gondar players. In the next section, we’ll draw from their play to understand how to leverage the hero’s strengths and mitigate his weaknesses.

Track is Bounty’s most important skill. The earlier you get it, the faster you can set up kills and boost your team’s economy. More often than not, you’ll need a solo lane to leech some experience, most preferably mid.

How To Play With Your Allies As Bounty Hunter

Bounty excels with allies that can quickly get into the fight, leveraging your vision advantage to quickly jump targets. This includes naturally mobile heroes with movement spells, Blink initiators, and global heroes.

Therefore, scout reasonably ahead—there’s no point dying in a jungle without any allies near you. In the video below, notice how Cr1t sets up vision in an area that he knows the opponents are likely to contest: it’s 20 minutes, spawn time for the Tormentor.

Instead of rushing in, he simply waits around the area for his teammates to gather up before walking up the dangerous high ground. Even without getting a single Track off, it turns into a successful team wipe for Falcons.

That said, don’t be afraid to occupy dangerous areas that your team would otherwise not farm. You can’t take every fight—and that’s alright. Pushing waves in and forcing enemies to defend is a great way to gain intel. It also means your Shuriken can actually cut down waves reasonably.

Bounty Hunter is a hero who thrives on the outskirts of battle. Shadow Walk can technically stun, but it’s best served to keep you out of harm’s way so you can Track freely. You can certainly use it to start fights, especially on isolated targets, but be wary of your positioning in full-blown skirmishes.

Which Items To Get On Bounty Hunter?

For items, Vessel is a potent hybrid item for Bounty Hunter. It lets you provide damage from range, gives you some good stats and mana regen to stay on the map, and can serve as healing in a pinch.

Otherwise, the focus is mainly on survivability and maneuverability. Force Staff is an excellent save, Drums of Endurance can be the difference maker to chase down some heroes, and utility items like Lotus Orb can be a lifesaver.

Despite being a relatively low health support, Bounty can prove surprisingly tanky, especially with the Level 15 damage reduction talent on Shadow Walk. This also applies to the hero’s Aghanim Shard upgrade, which lets him cast Shadow Walk on allies.

You can see Spirit’s rue abusing the hero’s capabilities here, getting off multiple defensive items and Shadow Walks to keep his team safe. Dota 2 legend Sébastien “Ceb” Debs recently analyzed Ari’s gameplay, explaining how Tundra’s new support player helped the team win against Team Spirit.

All three position fours will be competing in Blast Slam IV, an ongoing tier-one Dota 2 tournament. Expect highlight plays from some of the world’s best players, and Bounty Hunter to peek his head more than once in an action-packed weekend.

FAQs

Why is Bounty Hunter considered the best support hero in Dota 2 Patch 7.39e?

Bounty Hunter’s mix of vision, gold generation, and universal damage amplification makes him one of the best supports in Dota 2 Patch 7.39e. He excels at scouting safely, boosting his team’s economy, and turning every pickoff into a snowball advantage in coordinated play.

How did changes to Gleipnir affect Bounty Hunter’s rise?

After Gleipnir lost its dominance, supports that could naturally farm and fight gained value. Bounty Hunter thrived in this meta, offering strong lane presence, map control, and gold momentum without needing expensive farming items to stay relevant.

What makes Track such a strong ability?

Track grants vision, bonus gold, and universal damage amplification—three top-tier mechanics in one spell. It rewards coordination, accelerates team economies, and ensures Bounty’s squad always fights with an information and gold advantage.

Which professional players are excelling with Bounty Hunter right now?

Elite players like Tundra’s Ari, Spirit’s rue, and Falcons’ Cr1t- have showcased how effective Bounty Hunter can be in Dota 2, turning vision and mobility into consistent map control and teamfight dominance across high-level tournaments.

What items work best on Bounty Hunter as a support?

Vessel is the key pickup for sustain and pressure. Force Staff, Drums, and Lotus Orb enhance mobility and survivability, keeping Bounty active on the map while helping allies chase or escape effectively.

References

1. Competitive High Tier Meta: Previous Two Weeks (Spectral stats)
2. Competitive High Tier Meta: Last Two Weeks (Spectral stats)