Primal Beast quickly charges into a fight, tramples heroes, and holds his chosen target with Pulverize. If you face him without control ready, a large health pool won't always save you. This article covers heroes that stop his charge, useful items, and ways to survive his first initiation.

Hero Characteristics

Onslaught lets Beast build up speed and crash into enemies. Trample deals damage while he moves near enemies, while Uproar amplifies his retaliation after taking hits. Pulverize grabs one target and slams them into the ground several times, hitting nearby enemies as well.

The hero's strength lies in his quick gap-closing and high damage in the early game. His weakness is his reliance on movement and being able to continuously use abilities. Stuns prevent him from building up speed, while interrupting Pulverize saves its victim from the rest of the combo. After Beast buys Black King Bar, a regular stun may no longer be enough, so you'll need a backup plan.

Best Heroes Against Primal Beast

Primal Beast is usually picked as a position 3 offlaner or position 2 midlaner. Against him, it helps to restrict his movement, save an ally from his grab, and have control that remains useful after he buys defensive items.

Carry

  • Faceless Void can restore some of his recently lost health with Time Walk. Chronosphere can stop Beast and his attack, as long as Void himself hasn't been controlled.
  • Lifestealer can protect himself from a significant amount of magic damage and regular control with Rage. Against Pulverize, you still need to account for the ultimate's specific mechanics and your team's help.

Midlaner

  • Invoker can disrupt an initiation with Tornado and Cold Snap, while Ice Wall limits pursuit. It's important to use control before Black King Bar is activated or after it expires.
  • Outworld Destroyer can hide an ally with Astral Imprisonment, stopping the attack from continuing. If Beast isn't protected from the spell, you can temporarily take him out of the fight instead.

Offlaner

  • Underlord can hold Beast with Pit of Malice and prevent him from moving freely under Trample. Firestorm is useful against his large health pool.
  • Doom prevents the use of abilities with Doom. Beast loses both his main source of spell damage and the ability to escape with Onslaught.

Support

  • Clockwerk can hinder Beast's movement with Power Cogs and interrupt his actions with Battery Assault while they affect the target. Hookshot lets him intervene in an attack from afar.
  • Rubick can lift Beast with Telekinesis and interrupt Pulverize if he has no protection against this control. Stolen abilities provide additional options for counter-initiating.

Hard Support

  • Disruptor can send an initiating Beast back with Glimpse and prevent him from continuing his attack with Static Storm. Disruptor himself needs to stay out of the initial charge.
  • Vengeful Spirit can swap the position of the grabbed target or Beast himself with Nether Swap. This helps interrupt Pulverize and force the enemy to spend time closing the gap again.

What to Build Against Primal Beast

  • Force Staff helps push an ally away from Trample and out of Onslaught's path.
  • Eul's Scepter of Divinity can interrupt the charge or Pulverize if Beast hasn't activated Black King Bar. Using it on yourself helps you wait out some of the damage.
  • Rod of Atos holds Beast in place and prevents him from using movement to attack. After he buys defensive items, you need to be more careful about when you use it.
  • Pipe of Insight helps the team withstand the magic damage from Trample and other abilities.
  • Glimmer Cape protects an ally Beast is already attacking. It should be used by a hero who is outside the stun.
  • Black King Bar protects against regular control and reduces magic damage. Don't treat it as unconditional protection from Pulverize: Beast can hold a target even through debuff immunity.
  • Linken's Sphere blocks Pulverize's targeted grab as long as the enemies haven't used up the block with another spell or item.

How to Play Against Primal Beast at Different Stages

Laning

Don't let Beast chase you down the lane for a long time under Trample. Retreat toward an ally or tower, where he can be stopped. Don't waste your only stun on a random trade if he's ready to build up speed right afterward. After using Onslaught, Beast has fewer ways to escape a counterattack.

Midgame

Watch for him preparing to charge, and don't have the whole team stand in the same path. A support with an interrupt should keep their distance from the hero Beast plans to grab. After he gets Black King Bar, check which abilities you can still use to save the target. If you don't have a reliable answer, retreat in advance and make Beast spend his defensive resources to close the gap.

Late Game

Account for the possibility of a sudden Pulverize after he jumps in with Blink Dagger. Don't reveal first the hero your team needs to stop the grab. Save your escape tools for the team's main damage dealer and respond to Beast's abilities after he uses them. If his first initiation doesn't result in a kill, use the window before his next initiation.