Bristleback — Dota 2 7.41e Counters, Synergies & Win Rate
Also known as: Rigwarl, BB
Bristleback (Rigwarl, BB) in Dota 2 7.41e: win rate, pick rate, top counters and best teammates, from Batru's ranked-match pipeline.
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Bristleback by rank bracket
Bristleback is strongest in Herald & Guardian games, winning 51.91% (#24 of 127 heroes), but drops to 45.35% (#116) in Divine & Immortal.
| Bracket | Tier Rank | Win Rate | Pick Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herald & Guardian | #24 of 127 | 51.91% | 13.10% | 14,412 |
| Crusader & Archon | #89 of 127 | 47.77% | 9.02% | 24,204 |
| Legend & Ancient | #112 of 127 | 45.53% | 6.00% | 12,961 |
| Divine & Immortal | #116 of 127 | 45.35% | 4.34% | 3,385 |
Recent ranked matches split by average match rank — the same data behind the per-rank tier lists each bracket links to.
Bristleback win rate by patch
Bristleback is winning 48.18% of 13,714 ranked matches in patch 7.41e, down 1.4pp from 7.41d.
| Patch | Win Rate | Change | Pick Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.41e | 48.18% | ▼ -1.4pp | 7.87% | 13,714 |
| 7.41d | 49.54% | ▼ -0.2pp | 9.16% | 2,260,354 |
| 7.41c | 49.78% | ▼ -1.2pp | 9.66% | 1,324,210 |
| 7.41b | 51.01% | ▲ +0.3pp | 10.48% | 1,476,047 |
| 7.41a | 50.67% | ▲ +1.2pp | 8.79% | 502,572 |
| 7.41 | 49.46% | — | 8.33% | 75,619 |
Win rate and pick rate per patch window over all quality-filtered ranked matches; the newest patch accumulates matches for days after release — its row shows the current sample size.
Bristleback counters & matchups
Bristleback is a tanky offlane core who takes reduced damage from behind, stacks Quill Spray for escalating AoE, and becomes nearly unkillable mid-game. He's strong into AoE-light, immobile heroes his quills grind: Gyrocopter, Chen and Nature's Prophet lose the attrition fight. Bristleback is countered by armor-shred, break, and burst that beat his passives: Slark shreds his armor and bursts him, Legion Commander duels him, and Primal Beast or Nyx Assassin punch through. Draft tip: Bristleback is a brutal frontliner into right-click and low-burst drafts; he's countered by armor reduction, break, and high magic burst.
Strong against
| Hero | Win Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Tiny | 59.46% | 370 |
 Shadow Demon | 58.62% | 145 |
 Medusa | 58.55% | 234 |
 Doom | 57.91% | 316 |
 Storm Spirit | 56.98% | 430 |
 Kez | 56.11% | 303 |
 Ursa | 56.10% | 492 |
 Pangolier | 56.08% | 189 |
Struggles against
| Hero | Win Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Legion Commander | 38.38% | 1,201 |
 Slark | 39.35% | 887 |
 Broodmother | 39.91% | 228 |
 Viper | 40.53% | 718 |
 Warlock | 41.98% | 474 |
 Necrophos | 43.00% | 1,172 |
 Undying | 43.24% | 932 |
 Marci | 43.33% | 330 |
Bristleback synergies
Bristleback is a self-sufficient tank who soaks damage and out-sustains fights — he wants a carry to farm behind him and a healer to make him unkillable. He pairs best with hard-carries and sustain: Spectre and Wraith King scale safely behind his durable front line, while Naga Siren provides the AoE control to fight. Give Bristleback a scaling core and a heal, and he becomes an immovable wall the enemy can't kill or ignore.
Best teammates
| Hero | Win Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Oracle | 56.32% | 277 |
 Winter Wyvern | 55.70% | 298 |
 Vengeful Spirit | 55.19% | 790 |
 Meepo | 54.96% | 131 |
| Marci | 54.66% | 247 |
 Dazzle | 54.15% | 386 |
 Arc Warden | 54.01% | 274 |
 Phoenix | 53.99% | 276 |
Data updated Aug 9, 2026.