Discover the 5 powerhouse heroes you should ban in solo rank battles, and how to counter them effectively when facing a 'stacked deck'.

When climbing the ranks, what's the biggest fear? Is it teammates testing new heroes or a team that's too inexperienced? What Mytour finds most daunting is players instinctively picking heroes based on personal preference.

In Arena of Valor, players often ban heroes they fear or simply don't want their teammates to pick. Banning heroes without reason or randomly has somewhat given the opposing team the chance to hold the strongest, most meta-compatible cards. So, Mytour is here to help you ban more effectively by providing a list of the top 5 heroes worthy of 'imprisonment', based on statistics from Garena.

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Top 5 - Aleister

It's no surprise that Aleister is one of the top 5 most frequently banned heroes in Arena of Valor, especially in lower ranks. What's most frightening about this guy isn't his ability to deal unreal damage or his superb mobility, but his ultimate - Eternal Prison. Once a victim is caught, survival seems impossible. If caught, teammates should focus on dealing continuous damage to him or use crowd control to interrupt Aleister's ultimate. So, the prerequisite is to have supportive teammates by your side.

To counter him, players can pick heroes with strong damage output like Krixi, Veera, or those with effective long-range crowd control abilities like Ilumia, Alice, Lumburr,... If not, players can opt for sacrificial heroes to bait out Aleister's ultimate, such as Thane or Richter when built as a full tank with a silence-inducing ultimate, for example.

Top 4 - Zata

Currently, Zata is one of the rare mid-lane mages frequently banned in solo rank, the higher the rank, the more likely he gets locked away. The reasons behind his bans are quite intriguing: firstly, to prevent opponents from dominating the mid lane, and secondly, to deter teammates from picking Zata because whenever this guy is in allies' hands, the eagle suddenly turns into a sitting duck.

So how do you counter this guy? Your team should include sturdy heroes or fast burst Mid - Support combos like Krixi, Liliana,... paired with Thane, Aleister, Baldum, Annette,... or agile heroes to outmaneuver his damage. Additionally, if you need a hero to counter Zata, you can opt for heroes in Arena of Valor with strong crowd control effects and sufficient damage to interrupt his flights and put him on the scoreboard, like Veera for example.

Another thing is, if Zata is about to take off and your team has no skills or effects to stop him, you can move closer to your teammates to share damage, increasing survival chances if you happen to be his target.

Top 3 - Aya

With a banning rate of up to 29%, Aya, the 'SV', is a familiar card when players... don't know who to ban. Similar to Zata, players ban this Arena of Valor hero out of fear of facing her or having her on their team. Especially in some cases, when Aya pairs up with a Jungler, the AD and Mid are truly a match made in heaven, inseparable wherever they go.

In the hands of players who understand teamwork, Aya becomes extremely formidable. Especially when Aya joins forces with agile Assassins like Aoi, Nakroth, or even Taara along with a Suffering ability, it's unbeatable. The enemies simply can't take down this duo due to Aya's thick virtual shield buffed by her second ability for her allies.

To counter Aya, focus on strong early-game aggression when she's still weak. Especially at level 1, if the enemy team has strong jungle heroes, Aya alongside the jungler won't stand a chance. Additionally, if you notice signs of Aya pairing up with the jungler, call for continuous ganks and pressure the dragon lane to gain an advantage. The last thing is, if Aya is paired with Assassins, Marksmen, Mages, and squishy Warriors should not roam alone, as they're easily ambushed.

Top 2 - Kaine

It's quite unfair for Kaine that previously Batman was hardly noticed or banned much in ranks, but since his makeover with new appearance and skills, Kaine is now banned more frequently. He sits at the second spot with a banning rate of up to 30%.

Except for the Challenger rank - Warrior of 100 stars, Kaine is always banned in lower ranks. Why is that? In the 2023 Season 3, Kaine easily outplays Marksmen, Mages, and squishy Warriors with his constant stealth, even against foes like Elsu, Ilumia, or those who build vision items, agile Kaines can easily maneuver and outplay them.

To counter this hero, we need Supports with map vision abilities like Ilumia, Krizzix,... Immediately check the map when the bat icon appears, and especially have teammates nearby to quickly burst him down. Marksmen should utilize shock-resistant items like Gilded Greaves, Knight's Plate,... Mages should opt for defensive items like Skadi's Ice Ring or early Frosty's Revenge.

Besides that, the team should pick heroes with enough mobility to limit Kaine's range of activity and easily evade his combos. For the Top and Jungle positions, consider heroes who can hold their own, especially late game if you need someone to split push like Skud, Wonder Woman,...

Top 1 - Grakk

This Arena of Valor hero is no stranger to being banned in ranks from Master and below, with a banning rate of 38.3% according to Garena statistics.

The sign that the enemy team wants to pick this hero is when they ban Chaugnar - Grakk's hard counter. If this guy falls into the hands of tryhard players who specialize in farming gold, it's like the enemy team is drawn to him like a magnet. Speaking of Grakk, he impresses with his long-range pulls and hooks, once hooked, you're on the scoreboard immediately. Grakk is the type of hero who can turn the tide with just one item upgrade, completely changing the situation, carrying the whole team. For example, in the late game, a lucky pull by Grakk hits the carry or a single hook gathers 4 - 5 enemies at once.

To counter this guy, apart from Chaugnar and crowd control items, you can pick heroes tough enough to stand tall and soak up damage for your teammates like Thane, Mina, Lumburr, Y'bneth,... If you're playing Elsu, Yue, Iggy, then limit your damage output with basic attacks because these heroes are sluggish and lack mobility, making them perfect targets for Grakk's hooks. Therefore, focus on poking from a distance and maintain a good position.

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