Updated on July 31, 12:40 p.m. (GMT+8): Improved relevancy post-Phoveus hero revamp.

Phoveus is a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang hero who thrives against enemy heroes who love to move around.

His ultimate, Infernal Pursuit, allows him to leap onto nearby enemy heroes who use blink or dash skills and deal devastating blows.

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His passive, Demonic Force, allows him to charge at enemies with his Basic Attacks. Astaros’ Gaze reduces the cooldowns of his skills whenever an enemy hero blinks, dashes, or is displaced near him.

However, even if he’s on the opposing team, certain heroes can make it tough for him during the laning phase, preventing him from snowballing late into the game. Here are three heroes who can stop him.

Pick these three heroes to counter Phoveus in Mobile Legends

Yin

Yin‘s ability to isolate enemies, combined with his burst damage makes him a strong counter to Phoveus.

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When Yin uses his ultimate, My Turn, he pulls his target into a different realm where they fight one-on-one. In this situation, the enemy fighter loses his strong team fight capability and reduces the effect of his Demonic Force passive.

The Martial Genius’ first skill, Charged Punch, deals significant burst damage. This can quickly deplete the Chain of Sin’s health before he can use his abilities effectively.

Esmeralda

As one of the hardest heroes to kill in the EXP lane, Esmeralda proves to be a strong choice against the Chains of Sin.

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She ignores shield effects and can also generate a shield herself, an important skill when up against Phoveus who needs to sustain in the lane.

Additionally, Esmeralda lacks any blink or dash skills and can cast abilities while moving, making it challenging for Phoveus to land Demonic Impact or Dark Wave.

In this matchup, you’ll only need Dominance Ice and Athena’s Shield. The latter helps mitigate some of his damage, as he scales with magic damage in all his skills.

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X.Borg

What makes X.Borg a good counter is his ability to sustain himself and maintain decent defensive stats even after his Firaga Armor is destroyed, despite relying on dash skills with Last Insanity.

The key strategy here is to frequently use Fire Missiles to pressure Phoveus into tower-hugging during the laning phase.

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If he retaliates, X.Borg can pick up Firaga Supplies to replenish his health and armor. This strategy should be used until reaching level four, at which point X.Borg can execute Phoveus with Last Insanity if his health is below half and he’s at maximum temperature stacks.

For this matchup, prioritize building War Axe and Brute Force Breastplate. If ahead, consider Ice Queen Wand; otherwise, opt for defensive items like Immortality if the game is close.

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