How Bristleback and Grimstroke perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Bristleback and Grimstroke win 50.44% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 6,100 matches.
Trying to bring down two targets at once becomes a lot easier for Bristleback with a Grimstroke on his side. When Grimstroke lands Soulbind, Bristleback's Viscous Nasal Goo will hit both tethered enemies. This lets him rapidly stack the slow and armor reduction on two heroes instead of one, setting them up to be run down by his whole team. Grimstroke can also use Ink Swell to speed Bristleback up and deliver a stun, making it even harder for enemies to get away from the constant Quill Sprays.
This pairing is strongest during mid-game brawls where both heroes want to take long, extended fights. Bristleback can wade into the enemy team while Grimstroke supports him from a distance with slows and silences. The main weakness is a lack of reliable, instant lockdown. Teams with high mobility or strong saves can often disengage before the armor reduction from Goo becomes fatal. If the enemy lineup can kite Bristleback or burst Grimstroke down early in a fight, the synergy doesn't get a chance to come online.
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 | 53.01% | 432 |
| Crusader & Archon | 50.05% | 957 |
| Legend & Ancient | 50.24% | 621 |
| Divine & Immortal | 44.44% | 135 |
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 | 50.44% | ▲ +0.1pp | 6,100 |
| 7.41d | 50.38% | ▼ -0.7pp | 75,066 |
| 7.41c | 51.09% | ▼ -1.8pp | 33,419 |
| 7.41b | 52.90% | — | 34,005 |
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Data updated Aug 17, 2026.