Head-to-head Dota 2 7.41e win rate from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Witch Doctor wins the Bristleback vs Witch Doctor matchup: Witch Doctor beats Bristleback in 50.72% of 17,012 ranked matches.
Trying to burst down a Bristleback can feel like a losing race. Witch Doctor has Maledict, one of the best abilities in the game for killing durable heroes by amplifying all incoming damage. The problem is surviving long enough to see it work. Bristleback is designed to run at supports, and he doesn't care much about a channeled Death Ward when he can turn his back to it. Once he gets on top of Witch Doctor, there’s little the support can do to escape the constant Quill Sprays and Goo.
This matchup is all about positioning and team coordination. If Bristleback gets caught by other disables and forced to face Witch Doctor's team, Maledict will secure a quick kill. A well-placed Paralyzing Cask can also keep him locked down and prevent him from turning. However, if Bristleback gets a clean run at the back lines, he's almost guaranteed to kill Witch Doctor first. The fight often hinges on whether Bristleback is controlled before he reaches his target, making the outcome highly dependent on the other eight heroes in the game.
How the matchup shifts across skill brackets — Bristleback's win rate against Witch Doctor in recent ranked matches, split by average match rank. Ranks with too few recent matches are omitted. These rows use the last 30 days of quality-filtered ranked matches, all patches in that span combined — a wider window than the patch-scoped count above, so the per-rank match totals can exceed it.
| Rank | Bristleback win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Herald & Guardian | 50.17% | 1,734 |
| Crusader & Archon | 47.47% | 2,981 |
| Legend & Ancient | 45.79% | 1,402 |
| Divine & Immortal | 43.50% | 246 |
Bristleback's win rate against Witch Doctor in each recent balance patch — whether this matchup is trending up or down. Patches without enough matches are omitted.
| Patch | Bristleback win rate | Change | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.41e | 49.28% | ▼ -0.1pp | 17,012 |
| 7.41d | 49.34% | ▼ -0.5pp | 215,924 |
| 7.41c | 49.82% | ▼ -1.8pp | 113,817 |
| 7.41b | 51.65% | — | 124,476 |
Move this data into a draft
Bristleback starts on Radiant and Witch Doctor on Dire. Add the other eight picks to see whether this head-to-head edge survives the full draft.
Data updated Aug 17, 2026.