Razor is a nuisance for any hero who wants to stay nearby and attack for a long time: Static Link steals damage, while Eye of the Storm reduces armor. Below are counterpicks, useful items, and a simple game plan for playing against Razor at every stage.

Hero strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: Razor is strong in prolonged fights. He moves quickly, drains physical damage from a chosen target, and deals consistent damage around himself. Thanks to his tanky items, he is difficult to kill with a single burst.

Weaknesses: The hero is also highly dependent on distance: if you break the link quickly, Static Link will accomplish very little. Razor also struggles against illusions, ranged disables, kiting, and heroes who deal most of their damage with abilities rather than regular attacks.

Best heroes against Razor

Razor usually plays in the offlane, but sometimes goes mid or carry. You need heroes who can break Static Link, create multiple targets, or deal damage without a prolonged exchange of regular attacks.

Carry

  • Phantom Lancer Illusions make it difficult to pick out the real target, while Doppelganger helps break Static Link. Razor can't drain the damage of an entire army with just one link.
  • Ursa Fury Swipes continues to empower attacks even after his base damage is stolen, while Enrage helps him survive counter-initiation and slows.

Mid

  • Queen of Pain Blink instantly breaks the link, after which QoP can continue dealing damage with spells from a safe position.
  • Lina Keeps her distance, quickly stuns, and unleashes her spell combo before Razor can build an advantage from Static Link.

Offlaner

  • Centaur Warrunner Stampede gets the entire team out of Static Link's range, while his large health pool lets him survive the ultimate.
  • Dark Seer Surge saves the linked target, while Wall of Replica creates a powerful illusion of Razor himself to use against his team.

Support

  • Shadow Demon Disruption disrupts the attack and creates illusions of Razor, while Demonic Purge makes it harder for him to chase his chosen target.
  • Hoodwink Plays from a distance, ties Razor to a tree, and doesn't have to get within range of Static Link to deal damage.

Hard support

  • Oracle Fortune's End dispels some buffs and debuffs, while False Promise saves the core Razor has chosen as his main target.
  • Disruptor Glimpse sends Razor back after a chase, while Kinetic Field prevents him from maintaining the distance he needs to link up.

What to build against Razor

  • Force Staff Quickly breaks Static Link and saves an ally from being chased.
  • Hurricane Pike Especially useful for a ranged core: creates distance and lets them keep attacking.
  • Lotus Orb Reflects Static Link and provides armor against Eye of the Storm at the same time.
  • Linken's Sphere Blocks the first attempt to cast Static Link.
  • Silver Edge Disables the passive part of the hero's defenses and helps you initiate unexpectedly.
  • Shiva's Guard Provides armor, reduces attack speed, and makes it harder for Razor to chase the team for a long time.

How to play against Razor at different stages

Laning

Don't run down the lane if Razor has already linked you: head toward the trees or behind your tower by the shortest route. Once Static Link is broken, he has few ways to win the trade. It's important for the support to attack Razor from the side instead of hiding behind the carry.

Mid game

Don't start a fight by focusing the tankiest Razor for a long time. Make him use Static Link on an inconvenient target, then break the link by repositioning. After that, you can switch to his allies or quickly finish Razor himself.

If Static Link is already on an ally, don't just stand by and watch the chase. Slow Razor, push the target away with Force Staff, or make him switch to another hero.

Late game

Late in the game, one successful link can completely shut down a carry. Keep several ways to create distance and don't group up under Plasma Field. Illusions and ability damage remain valuable even when Razor has built up a lot of armor and health.

Keep an eye on Eye of the Storm: its armor reduction is especially dangerous in a prolonged fight. Split your cores across different sides so Razor can't chase one and get into a good position against the other at the same time.