How Ancient Apparition and Bristleback perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Ancient Apparition and Bristleback win 51.88% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 7,342 matches.
Chasing down a target that Bristleback has softened up can be easier with an allied Ancient Apparition. The slow from Ice Vortex helps Bristleback stay close enough to continue stacking his spells, while a Cold Feet can lock an enemy down for the finish. Ice Blast is the main contribution, as it lands globally to stop any healing or lifesteal that might let a target escape Bristleback's sustained damage. It's a way to secure kills that might otherwise get away, turning a long chase into a confirmed takedown.
Ultimately, this pairing often feels like two heroes playing their own separate games. They don't directly cover each other's weaknesses; Ancient Apparition is still a fragile support, and Bristleback can't do much to protect him while diving the enemy backline. The success of the duo depends more on the enemy draft than on their own teamwork. If the enemy team relies heavily on regeneration or healing, AA is a strong pick, and Bristleback provides a solid frontline for him to play behind. But without that specific weakness to exploit, their kits don't offer much special interaction.
How this pairing performs across skill brackets — the duo's team win rate 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 | Team win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Herald & Guardian | 56.19% | 614 |
| Crusader & Archon | 51.90% | 1,260 |
| Legend & Ancient | 47.12% | 607 |
| Divine & Immortal | 37.50% | 104 |
This duo's team win rate in each recent balance patch — whether the pairing is trending up or down. Patches without enough matches are omitted.
| Patch | Team win rate | Change | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.41e | 51.88% | ▲ +0.5pp | 7,342 |
| 7.41d | 51.35% | ▲ +0.1pp | 87,616 |
| 7.41c | 51.26% | ▼ -0.7pp | 39,371 |
| 7.41b | 51.96% | — | 44,153 |
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Data updated Aug 17, 2026.