Yatoro’s: Main Heroes

Ilya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk stands out in the Dota 2 professional scene not only for his mechanical skill but also for his remarkable hero versatility. Unlike many carry players who specialize in a limited pool of heroes, Yatoro has demonstrated mastery over a wide range of position 1 heroes, adapting his picks to match team strategies and counter opponent drafts. This versatility has been a cornerstone of Team Spirit’s success in major tournaments, including their two International championships.

Core Heroes

In Team Spirit’s drafts, Phantom Assassin typically appears when they have setup heroes like Magnus or Dark Seer who can create advantageous engagement opportunities. Yatoro’s PA is particularly effective against lineups with limited lockdown abilities and a surplus of intelligence-based casters who struggle against her physical burst damage.

During Team Spirit’s TI12 championship run, his Terrorblade performances were instrumental in several critical matches, showcasing his understanding of the hero’s timing windows and ability to close out games. His item progressions typically focus on developing early fighting capability with Dragon Lance and Yasha before transitioning into scaling items like Skadi and Butterfly.

Yatoro’s mastery of Morphling extends to the hero’s ability to morph into enemy heroes, often utilizing opponent abilities more effectively than the original hero owners. His Morphling performances frequently feature surprising aggression in the early-mid game rather than the passive farming approach many carry players adopt with this hero.

Secondary Heroes

In lane, his Juggernaut displays aggressive Blade Fury usage to secure early kills, setting the tempo for his team. This hero choice typically appears against lineups with heavy magical damage but limited physical control options.

Team Spirit often pairs Yatoro’s Faceless Void with area damage heroes like Invoker or Lina, maximizing the potential of well-placed Chronospheres. His item progression typically prioritizes survivability and attack speed to maximize damage output during Chronosphere’s duration.

In tournaments, his Wraith King typically appears against burst-heavy lineups that struggle with sustained engagements, leveraging the hero’s second life to outlast enemy cooldowns. His build often includes Radiance for farming acceleration and teamfight presence, transitioning into assault cuirass and other aura items that benefit Team Spirit’s overall fighting capability.

Strategic Aspects of Hero Picks

When Yatoro Picks Phantom Assassin

Yatoro typically selects Phantom Assassin in scenarios where quick target elimination is essential, particularly against lineups with vulnerable backline supports and limited stun capacity. The hero choice often appears when Team Spirit drafts around creating space and distraction, allowing PA to find isolated targets. Strategic considerations include:

His PA performances demonstrate perfect balance between farming and fighting, typically joining engagements after securing key power spike items rather than participating in early skirmishes.

Why Morphling is His Choice in Crucial Matches

Morphling appears in Yatoro’s hero pool during crucial matches due to the hero’s unparalleled adaptability and potential to outplay opponents. This pick emerges when:

What distinguishes Yatoro’s Morphling from other professional carries is his willingness to take calculated risks, morphing aggressively to secure kills rather than playing overly cautiously. His attribute shifting timing during teamfights often results in surviving with minimal health, maximizing damage output while avoiding death.

The Role of Terrorblade in the Late Game

Terrorblade represents Yatoro’s preference for hard-scaling, high-impact late game carries. The strategic considerations behind this pick include:

• Need for objective-taking power (buildings fall quickly to Metamorphosis)
• Enemy lineup lacking illusion clear capabilities
• Team composition favoring extended engagements rather than quick bursts
• Maps where split-pushing and farming multiple areas simultaneously provides advantage

In late game scenarios, Yatoro’s Terrorblade excels at creating map pressure through illusion distribution while maintaining safe positioning. His exceptional micromanagement allows simultaneous farming of dangerous areas using illusions while keeping the main hero protected, accelerating his net worth advantage over opponent carries.

Achievements in Tournaments with Key Heroes

Yatoro’s hero mastery has directly contributed to Team Spirit’s tournament success, with several standout performances:

• The International 10: His “hero ocean” approach with 14 different carry heroes throughout the tournament, including decisive Terrorblade performances in elimination matches
• ESL One Berlin 2024: Dominant Morphling play in grand finals, showcasing perfect attribute shifting in high-pressure situations
• The International 12: Critical Phantom Assassin performances in upper bracket finals, securing early advantages through aggressive play patterns
• Riyadh Masters 2024: Game-winning Faceless Void Chronospheres that captured multiple key targets in team fights
• DreamLeague Season 19: Wraith King performances that demonstrated efficient farming while maintaining fight presence

What distinguishes these tournament performances is Yatoro’s ability to adapt his hero selection based on opponent tendencies and current meta status rather than forcing comfort picks regardless of game context.

Situations Where Yatoro Changes Heroes

Advantages of Picking Faceless Void in Certain Matchups

Yatoro selects Faceless Void in specific situations where controlling the tempo of teamfights offers decisive advantages:

His Void performances demonstrate exceptional game sense, particularly in Chronosphere placement that maximizes allied damage while capturing critical enemy heroes. Unlike many Void players who focus exclusively on backline targets, Yatoro often prioritizes disabling enemy initiators and counter-initiators, allowing his team to execute their game plan without interruption.

Why Juggernaut is Used Against Specific Team Compositions

Juggernaut appears in Yatoro’s hero selection when facing specific team compositions:

Yatoro’s Juggernaut differentiates from other professional carries in his willingness to fight early rather than maximizing farm, often participating in early pushes to secure map control. His build adaptations frequently include fighting items like Diffusal Blade when the situation demands, rather than strictly adhering to farming-focused progressions.

Why Wraith King is an Ideal Pick in the Late Game

Wraith King emerges as Yatoro’s choice in late game scenarios due to several strategic considerations:

• Against burst-heavy lineups that struggle with sustained engagements
• When Team Spirit needs a frontline initiator who can survive initial focus
• Against lineups with limited mana burn capabilities
• When the team composition benefits from having a resilient core that can create space

His Wraith King gameplay demonstrates perfect understanding of the hero’s dual-life nature, often baiting key enemy cooldowns with his first life before returning to secure objectives or continue teamfights. This approach creates significant decision-making challenges for opponents who must choose between committing resources to kill him twice or allowing him to deal uncontested damage.

How Yatoro Adapts Playstyle with Different Heroes

For farming-focused heroes like Terrorblade, his playstyle shifts to emphasize efficient resource utilization and map pressure through illusion distribution. With teamfight-oriented heroes like Faceless Void, he prioritizes positioning and cooldown management to ensure maximum impact during critical engagements.

This adaptability extends beyond mechanical execution to communication patterns within Team Spirit, adjusting how he coordinates with teammates based on his hero’s strengths and limitations. Whether playing a frontline initiator or a backline damage dealer, Yatoro’s game understanding allows him to fulfill exactly what his team needs in each specific draft context, cementing his reputation as one of Dota 2’s most complete carry players.