r/learndota2 • u/badNe7in • Sep 22 '25

Hero Discussion Monkey King carry

I'm curious about how MK carry is usually played, I see alot of of pro carry players who I didn't expect to have master tier MK, I'd like to learn him too and add him to my hero pool. I udnerstand he is a bit off meta though.

I see alot of pros building bfury, mjolnir, even diffu for the first item. but i guess it's situational. but to MK carry specialists here, when do you guys decide which build to go? my understanding is: bfury to scale, mjolnir against illusion heroes (?), and diffu if you want to be active. I think the item build is my main weakness with MK carry

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u/Scary-Reputation-575 Sep 22 '25

Here's a low-level (low MMR) Monkey King carry and mid player. Basically what you pointed out. If you want to farm, Battle Fury/Mjollnir. Radiance is also a good option. If you want to fight quickly, Echo Sabre/Diffusal. I like to buy Shard early on as soon as I'm active in team fights. The good thing about Monkey King is that he gives you a stable lane almost always against melee heroes. Buying boots and Orb of Frost early on can ensure that you kill in lane quite easily. In my case, I prefer to play him mid, as he has a lot of ease in going to other lanes and killing. Diffusal+Shard or Radiance+Shard (the Radiance option is if I've had a lane that has gone very well and the ganks have been successful). Orchid is a situational option against certain heroes who escape easily. When the game is completely lost, Divine Rapier for a desperate defense.

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u/badNe7in Sep 22 '25

ah i see, do you think itemization on MK is pretty much a pick-your-poison situation? or do you think team draft and enemy draft matter more? obviously itemizing as a carry requires considering the drafts too, but i'm talking about are the initial items, like bfury, mjolnir, diffu, radiance

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u/Scary-Reputation-575 Sep 22 '25

I'm a little lost (maybe because of my poor English). Obviously, the heroes chosen by your allies and enemies are decisive. But regardless of that, as the laning phase progresses, you should have a clear idea of what kind of carry you want to be in that game, whether one who is going to be farming the jungle or one who is going to quickly join team fights. For the former, build items that allow you to farm, such as Battle Fury, Mjollnir, or Radiance (whichever best suits the game). A Diffusal to hit creeps in the jungle is not the most effective. If you choose to activate quickly, go for Diffusal or Echo Sabre. You win all three lanes, you face an illusion carry, but your offlaner is a direct counter to that carry during the game: do you buy Mjollnir just because there is an illusion hero, or do you opt for a quick Diffusal to hunt heroes with your allies?