Mid guide

Burst early with Avalanche and Toss, then grow into the hero nobody wants to stand next to.

780 HP279 manaLevel 1

TinyDota 2 hero

Tiny is a Strength hero who starts as a bursty stone thrower and grows into a huge right-click monster with splash damage.

StrengthMelee

#82of 127 heroes
by pick rate

Pick rate: 4.6%
Hero win rate: 44.3%

Our game-phase read Editorial · impact 1–5

Source & our read · Sep 12, 2026

OpenDota · retrieved Sep 12, 2026. 172,295 Tiny picks and 76,338 wins in approximately 3,780,175 rank-classified public matches. Excludes Turbo and pro stats. This is a sample, not all players.

Pick rate = hero picks ÷ estimated matches; win rate = hero wins ÷ hero picks. Estimated matches = all hero picks ÷ 10, following OpenDota’s calculation. Tied pick counts share a rank. The API does not provide observation timestamps.

Our impact scores · 1 low, 5 high
Early · 4/5	Avalanche and Toss kill most heroes from level three with a partner.
Mid · 5/5	Blink Dagger and Grow make the combo a reliable pickoff and his attacks start to hurt.
Late · 4/5	Grow and attack items keep him relevant, though kiting lineups can wear him down.

The Dota2Freaks take Editorial

Why pick Tiny?

Pick Tiny when your team needs early magic burst that still becomes a tanky, tower-crushing core later.

When to think twice

Avoid Tiny against lineups with heavy magic resistance early or many ranged kiters who never let him reach them.

The usual mistake

Do not Toss before Avalanche is on the ground, and do not cast the combo without enough mana for both spells.

Our picks · Mid

Tiny item builds

Choose for the game in front of you.

Standard

Default mid path that uses Blink Dagger for the combo and then scales with attack items.

01Starting
Empty inventory slot
Lane with stats and regen
02Lane
Empty inventory slotEmpty inventory slot
Sustain combos in mid
03First core
Empty inventory slot
Reach targets for the combo
04Mid game
Add attack damage after Grow
05Late game
Scale right-click damage
06Luxury
Sustain in long fights

Blink DaggerReaches the enemy backline so Avalanche and Toss land on the right target.Guide ↗

How to use these builds

These are our editorial build paths. Labels describe their purpose, not measured popularity or win rate. Click an item for its use. Each stage is an inventory snapshot: keep earlier items, use consumables, upgrade components, and replace small items as space runs out. Boots, defenses, and late slots can change with the draft.

More match and build examples: Dota 2 Pro Tracker. Item names and images: Valve.

The draft check

Friends & counters

Our picks, based on how the spells work together.

5 friends to play with

Io

Io's Tether and Relocate bring Tiny to targets anywhere and keep him alive after the combo.

Crystal Maiden

Arcane Aura solves Tiny's mana problems and Frostbite holds a target for Avalanche.

Lion

Earth Spike and Hex hold enemies in the avalanche for the full duration.

Slardar

Slithereen Crush groups enemies for Avalanche and Corrosive Haze speeds up Tiny's attacks.

Juggernaut

Tiny's stun gives Juggernaut a stationary Omnislash target and his splash clears the rest.

5 counter picks to watch

Axe

Berserker's Call interrupts the combo and Culling Blade finishes Tiny after his health drops.

Lion

Hex and Mana Drain stop the combo and empty Tiny's small mana pool.

Windranger

Windrun makes Tiny's attacks miss and Shackleshot holds him for Focus Fire.

Razor

Static Link steals the damage that makes Tiny dangerous after Grow.

Bane

Nightmare and Fiend's Grip keep Tiny locked down before he can cast.

About these picks

These are useful ability interactions, not a statistical ranking or guaranteed matchups. Positioning, items, and cooldowns change the result. Hero links open a full guide when available, otherwise the directory.

Ability references from Valve: Io · Crystal Maiden · Lion · Slardar · Juggernaut · Axe · Lion · Windranger · Razor · Bane. Checked 2026-10-13.

The buttons

QWER + D / F · open for spell values

AvalanchePoint targetBombards an area with rocks that stun and damage enemies repeatedly.

Mana: 105 / 120 / 135 / 150
Cooldown: 23 / 20 / 17 / 14s
Total damage: 90 / 180 / 270 / 360

TossUnit targetGrabs the nearest unit and throws it at a target, damaging the area where it lands.

Mana: 125
Cooldown: 20 / 17 / 14 / 11s
Damage: 90 / 180 / 270 / 360

Tree GrabUnit targetPulls a tree from the ground to use as a weapon for a number of attacks with bonus damage and splash.

Mana: 40 / 35 / 30 / 25
Cooldown: 16 / 13 / 10 / 7s
Attacks: 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

GrowPassiveTiny grows in size, gaining armor, attack damage, movement speed and extra Toss damage.

Mana: —
Trigger cooldown: 0s
Bonus damage: 60 / 120 / 180

Tree ThrowUnit targetThrows the grabbed tree at a target, damaging enemies around the impact.

Mana: 0
Cooldown: 0s
Bonus damage: 10 / 20 / 30 / 40

Tree VolleyPoint targetRequires Aghanim's Scepter. Channels to throw several trees from the surroundings at an area.

Mana: 150
Cooldown: 17s
Splash radius: 400

Base stats & innate Level 1 · no items

Strength30+4.2 / lvl

Agility0+0 / lvl

Intelligence17+2.4 / lvl

Attack damage: 61–67
Armor: 0.0
Move speed: 275
Magic resist: 25%
Attack range: 150
Base attack time: 1.7s
Health regen: +4/s
Mana regen: +0.85/s

DOTA2FREAKS GUIDE · REVIEWED Oct 13, 2026

Dota 2 Tiny guide: mid builds, abilities and tips

Tiny is a Strength hero who starts as a bursty stone thrower and grows into a huge right-click monster with splash damage.

What role does Tiny play in Dota 2?

Tiny is a melee Strength hero. Our recommended role is mid, with offlane and position 4 as alternatives.

Tiny plays two games in one. Early, Avalanche and Toss deal huge magic burst and let him kill almost anyone with a partner. Later, Grow and Tree Grab turn him into a tanky attacker whose hits splash and crush towers. Pick him when your team wants early kill pressure that still scales. His mana pool is small and his cooldowns are long, so every combo has to count.

How to play Tiny in Dota 2

Tiny laning and early decisions
In mid, use Bottle and early levels in Avalanche to threaten the enemy from level three. Toss a creep onto the enemy hero when they stand near your wave, then follow with Avalanche for a surprising amount of damage. Keep an eye on mana: one full combo empties you, so do not waste spells on last hits.
Tiny positioning and teamfights
With Blink Dagger, jump next to the enemy backline, cast Avalanche so it covers the target, then Toss them into the avalanche or toward your team. After Grow, you can also start fights with attacks: grab a tree, walk in and let the splash hit everyone around your target.
Dota 2 Tiny item build decisions
Bottle, Power Treads or Phase Boots and Magic Wand carry the lane. Blink Dagger is the usual first core for the combo. Echo Sabre adds the double attack that fits Tree Grab, and Black King Bar protects the long cast animations. Daedalus, Assault Cuirass and Satanic scale the right-click version.

Dota 2 Tiny tips and ability interactions

D2F ADVICE

Tiny: Toss into Avalanche, not the other way

Avalanche stuns and damages in several ticks. Cast it first on the spot where the target will land, then Toss the target into it so the enemy takes the full duration while stunned. If you toss first, the target lands before the avalanche begins and loses part of the damage.

Tiny: Grow makes Toss hurt more

Each level of Grow adds bonus damage to Toss on top of armor, attack damage and movement speed. Level the ultimate as soon as it is available: the combo stays strong into the mid game and your attacks become dangerous at the same time.

Tiny: Keep a tree for towers

Tree Grab gives a set number of attacks with bonus damage and extra damage against buildings, plus splash behind the target. Grab a tree before pushing a tower, and use Tree Throw when a fleeing hero is out of reach. The tree attacks also clear stacked camps quickly.

Dota 2 Tiny ability mechanics

Key Tiny mechanics · Valve snapshot Oct 13, 2026
Detail	What it means in your game
Avalanche	Bombards an area with rocks that stun and damage enemies repeatedly.
Toss	Grabs the nearest unit and throws it at a target, damaging the area where it lands.
Tree Grab	Pulls a tree from the ground to use as a weapon for a number of attacks with bonus damage and splash.
Tree Throw	Throws the grabbed tree at a target, damaging enemies around the impact.
Tree Volley	Requires Aghanim's Scepter. Channels to throw several trees from the surroundings at an area.
Grow	Tiny grows in size, gaining armor, attack damage, movement speed and extra Toss damage.

Dota 2 Tiny FAQ

Which role should Tiny play in Dota 2?

Tiny is strongest mid, where Bottle and early levels let him kill with Avalanche and Toss and then scale into a right-click core. He also works in the offlane or as a position 4 roamer, where the burst creates kills for a partner. Choose the core roles when you want him to carry fights later.

Which items should Tiny buy in Dota 2?

Bottle, boots and Magic Wand cover the lane. Blink Dagger is the common first core, followed by Echo Sabre and Black King Bar. Daedalus, Assault Cuirass and Satanic turn him into a late-game attacker, while Aghanim's Scepter adds Tree Volley for a spell-focused game.

Is Tiny suitable for Dota 2 beginners?

Tiny is a good hero to learn combos with. Avalanche and Toss are easy to cast, and Grow makes him forgiving in fights. The hard parts are mana management and tossing the right unit, because Toss grabs the nearest unit, which can be an ally. Beginners should practice the combo in a lobby before trying it in lane.

How should you use Tiny's ultimate in Dota 2?

Grow is passive, so the main decision is levelling it early. It raises armor, damage, movement speed and Toss damage, which keeps the combo lethal and makes Tiny a strong attacker. Plan your items around it: once Grow is maxed, attack items like Echo Sabre and Daedalus give more than another spell item.

Next pick?