TL;DR
- Mars dominated with 85% win rate through Blood Sport facet, making him the most reliable pick
- Naga Siren became the most contested hero despite limited appearances due to her game-changing potential
- Facet selection proved crucial, with Kunkka’s High Tide achieving 81% win rate versus Grog Blossom’s 36%
- 27 heroes remained completely unpicked, highlighting significant meta imbalance at TI13
- Drafting patterns favored ranged carries and versatile supports, shaping the tournament’s strategic landscape
The International 2024 group stage concluded with the Seeding Decider phase, revealing a fascinating meta shaped by Valve’s innovative facet system and innate abilities. This tournament introduced unprecedented strategic depth, forcing teams to adapt their drafting approaches throughout the competition. The data from TI13’s group stage provides crucial insights into hero viability, facet effectiveness, and drafting priorities that will influence the remainder of the tournament. Professional teams demonstrated clear preferences for certain hero combinations while completely avoiding others, creating a polarized meta that rewards preparation and adaptability.
While Drow Ranger maintained a perfect 100% win rate across four matches, her limited sample size makes her performance statistically insignificant. The true standout performer was Mars, who achieved an impressive 85% win rate across 13 appearances, solidifying his position as the group stage’s most reliable hero. His success stems from excellent lane presence, team fight control, and synergy with the Blood Sport facet. Close behind, Luna and Naga Siren both secured approximately 78% win rates, demonstrating the power of ranged carries who can scale effectively into the late game while providing early-game impact through their abilities.
The facet system emerged as a critical factor in match outcomes, with Mars’s Blood Sport facet leading all selections with an exceptional win rate. Kunkka’s High Tide facet followed closely at 81%, while his alternative Grog Blossom struggled significantly at just 36%, highlighting how facet choice can dramatically alter a hero’s effectiveness. Interestingly, only Kunkka and Batrider saw multiple facets utilized during the group stage, suggesting teams either found optimal facet combinations quickly or lacked confidence in experimenting during high-stakes matches. This conservative approach to facet selection indicates the high skill ceiling required to master alternative builds.
Naga Siren emerged as the tournament’s most contested hero, appearing in 9 matches while facing frequent bans due to her game-winning ultimate and split-pushing capabilities. Shadow Demon, Sand King, and Windranger followed closely in contest rates, reflecting their versatility across different team compositions and playstyles. The most frequently picked heroes—Sniper, Windranger, and Kunkka—each appeared in 27 matches, demonstrating their reliability and adaptability. Mirana, Dragon Knight, and Snapfire also saw significant playtime, rounding out the core group of meta-defining heroes that teams relied upon throughout the group stage.
A striking 27 heroes received zero picks or bans throughout the entire group stage, including fan favorites like Pudge, Phantom Lancer, Spectre, Arc Warden, and Warlock. This significant portion of the hero pool being completely ignored raises questions about game balance and meta diversity. Some heroes like Axe, Brewmaster, Anti-Mage, and Death Prophet were deemed ban-worthy despite never being picked, suggesting teams feared their potential in specific scenarios. Lycan’s three bans without a single appearance further exemplifies how certain heroes maintain strategic value even when outside the current meta, potentially serving as surprise picks for later stages.
Action Checklist
1. Analyze Mars's Blood Sport facet build and itemization patterns for your own games 2. Practice Naga Siren split-pushing strategies to understand why she's so heavily contested 3. Master Kunkka's High Tide facet timing and combo execution 4. Identify 3-5 heroes from the unpicked list that could serve as effective counter-picks 5. Study team compositions that successfully utilized the top win-rate heroes 6. Develop contingency plans for facing the most banned heroes 7. Track facet usage trends as the tournament progresses to anticipate meta shifts
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Best and worst heroes and facets of The International 2024 Group Stage. Most picked and banned heroes at TI13 TI13 Group Stage Meta Analysis: Top Heroes, Winning Facets, and Drafting Insights