The Doorman’s main threat#
The Doorman is a controller: shapes where fights happen with zones, walls, traps and disables.
The kit is spirit-leaning, so spirit resistance and spirit shields do the most to blunt it.
Abilities to play around#
Ability 1
Call Bell
Throws a bell that deals spirit damage on impact, then explodes after a short delay to damage nearby enemies, slow them, and reduce their accuracy.
Play around it Slows — Enduring Speed and Debuff Reducer help you walk out of it.
Ability 2
Doorway
Places two linked doors that carry players and most projectiles from one to the other. The doors close when their duration ends.
Play around it Respect its range and cooldown; fight when it’s been used.
Ability 3
Luggage Cart
Sends out a cart that damages and pulls enemy heroes along its path. It can instead be alt-cast to target allied heroes.
Play around it Disable or displacement — this is what starts kills. Track its cooldown and punish the window after it’s used; Debuff Reducer shortens it, and Unstoppable or Indomitable answer the biggest ones.
Ultimate
Hotel Guest
Sends an enemy's body to stay at the Baroness Hotel, dealing spirit damage and extra damage if they fail to check out in time.
Play around it Respect its range and cooldown; fight when it’s been used.
Counter items, with reasons#
Specific answers to this kit
Counterspell
Vitality · 3,200 souls
Use Counterspell, or invincibility such as Ethereal Shift or Dynamo's Quantum Entanglement, to block Hotel Guest damage.
Ethereal Shift
Spirit · 6,400 souls
Use Counterspell, or invincibility such as Ethereal Shift or Dynamo's Quantum Entanglement, to block Hotel Guest damage.
General answers
General answers are our editorial reading of the kit. Counter items only help if you’re the one being hit — buy for the threat you actually face.
How to beat The Doorman#
- Use Counterspell, or invincibility such as Ethereal Shift or Dynamo's Quantum Entanglement, to block Hotel Guest damage.
- Indomitable prevents Hotel Guest from sending you to the Baroness.
- Unstoppable prevents the Doorman from casting Hotel Guest on you.
- Dispel removes Call Bell's slow and accuracy debuff and immediately drops you off a Luggage Cart.
Mistakes to avoid
- Fighting inside their zones and walls.
- Chasing into areas they prepared before the fight.
Want to see the hero from the other side? Read the The Doorman guide, or open the counter-pick helper to plan against a whole enemy team.