No one gets to choose their neutral items in a Dota 2 match. All neutral items drop randomly in their given time slots, and you’ll need to make the best of them. Each hero has neutral items that fit their skillset, and Meepo is no different.
His pool of neutral items is quite limited, however, since he desperately needs base stats. Any neutral item that grants a stat bonus will be beneficial for Meepo, but the following neutral items will be perfect to have in their respective given game stages.
Tier one
The first tier of neutral items becomes available around the seven-minute mark and continues to drop until the timer hits 17 minutes.
Possesed Mask
In terms of agility, no tier-one neutral item can beat the Possesed Mask. Though it lacks other stats like strength and intelligence, a simple boost in agility can be enough for Meepo to survive the early game.
This item allows the wearer to lifesteal for the seven percent of the damage it deals to their targets. The Possessed Mask is an excellent choice for Meepo since he can farm faster and better in the jungle with it.
Fairy’s Trinket
Despite lacking the extra stats that Meepo looks for, Fairy’s Trinket is potentially the strongest Tier one neutral item in the game.
The 200 health bonus is nice and all, but the five percent cooldown reduction and the spell damage buff can help Meepo to snowball during the early game. A Meepo with a Fairy’s Trinket will burst down enemies faster, while also casting more spells in a teamfight.
Ocean Heart
If you’re in the mid lane with Meepo, Ocean Heart will be the best tier-one neutral item to have. The +5 of each stat is a lifesaver for Meepo in the early game, and the item’s passive “Water Regen” allows Meepo to replenish his health and mana while he’s in the river.
Though this buff only applies to the main Meepo, it can certainly increase your efficiency around the map.
Ironwood Tree
Ironwood Tree is possibly the most straight forward tier-one neutral item in the game. Its best part is the +6 of each attribute in the game.
It also has an active ability called “Plant Tree,” which lets Meepo spawn a tree in his targeted location. This tree will stay up for 20 seconds, and you can either consume with a Tango or use it while juking your way through to safety.
Tier two
Tier-two neutral items start hitting the ground right when the first tier of items stop being available at the 17-minute mark. The second tier of neutral items will be lootable for 10 minutes and stop doing so at the 27th minute of the match.
Pupil’s Gift
The Eye of Skadi is a vital part of Meepo’s build, and Pupil’s gift is close to being a cheap knockoff of that. The +13 secondary attribute boost for Meepo would be worth around over 1,000 gold, and he gets to have it for free with Pupil’s Gift.
This stat increase is also passed onto his clones, making it a great utility neutral item for Meepo.
Vambrace
Attack speed will be vital while keeping your farm up during the later stages of the game. Though Poof does most of the work when it comes to Meepo’s farm, more attack speed will help you finish off creep camps faster.
Vambrace also has a decent stat buff, and grants Meepo ten agility, five strength, and five intelligence.
Ring of Aquila
Meepo usually prefers a decent balance when it comes to attribute distribution. He’s a resourceful little fellow, though, and can make do with everything Dota 2 throws at him.
Ring of Aquila has a +9 agility bonus alongside the +3 increase to strength and intelligence. While the latter are nothing impressive compared to the stat bonuses of the best tier-one neutral items, the Aquila Aura allows this item to turn into a real threat.
Meepo is already a great pusher by nature, and the mana regeneration and armor buff lets him push even more decisively. Meepo will start hitting the enemy towers with more creeps.
Tier three
Though tier-three neutral items have some great options for the other core heroes in the game, it has nothing to offer for Meepo.
If you have any of the items listed above, you can skip all the tier-three neutral drops.
Tier four
Tier three may have been a buzz-kill, but the fourth tier of neutral items is filled with resources fit for Meepo.
Tier-four neutral items are available starting from the 37th minute, and they continue to drop until the 60-minute-mark.
Ninja Gear
At this point in the game, you’ll already have a fair split between all the stats, which will enable you to take advantage of neutral items with more dimensional bonuses.
Ninja Gear offers a +20 agility bonus alongside +30 movement speed. The agility boost itself is worth it to pick this item up, but the item’s active ability, Solitary Disguise, turns it into the ultimate mobility tool.
This ability allows Meepo to cast Smoke of Deceit on himself that also increases his movement speed. Meepo can use this item to sneak into the backlines or gank an enemy while they think they’re farming in safety.
Minotaur Horn
Minotaur Horn is pretty much the strength version of Ninja Gear. It doesn’t have any other additional bonuses like movement speed, but the active ability can be quite the playmaker.
Lesser Avatar grants Meepo spell immunity for two seconds. This is essentially a pocket-sized Black King Bar, and it can be used to dodge stuns or any other huge chunks of magic damage on your Meepo.
Illusionist’s Cape
You can never have enough Meepo when you’re playing Meepo. The more, the merrier, and Illusionist’s Cape is the perfect neutral item to pick up if you’re looking for more Meepos to join your ranks.
The item comes with a +14 stat bonus for strength and agility. The illusion of its active ability deals 50 percent of Meepo’s damage, which isn’t too shabby. It can quickly clear jungle camps by itself, and you can also use it as a distraction.
Spell Prism
This is one of the more heavily demanded neutral items in the game. Any spell caster on your team will want a piece of this item. While Meepo isn’t a prime candidate for picking up this item, it can certainly take him to another level.
The 20-percent cooldown reduction for all spells and items is fantastic for Meepo. This allows him to jump around with his Blink Dagger even faster and his damage-per-second increases due to Poof’s reduced cool down.
The item also grants him +12 of each base stat and +4 mana regeneration.
Tier five
Most Dota 2 matches usually last about 25 to 40 minutes. You won’t play games surpassing the 60-minute mark every day, but they’ll always be the ones to remember. The fifth tier of neutral items unlock when the timer hits 60 minutes, and they’ll continue to drop until the match ends.
Mirror Shield
Mirror Shield is one of the most straight-forward tier-five items in the game. It grants +20 of each attribute and comes with a spell blocking passive ability, Echo Shield.
Echo Shield blocks and reflects targeted back to their caster. This ability has eight seconds of cooldown, and it can only be used by the main Meepo. If you’re against the likes of Lion, Lina, or any hero that has single-target burst-damage spells, Mirror Shield will be the item to have.
Fallen Sky
Fallen Sky falls a bit behind its competition, but if you’re having an unlucky game when it comes to neutral item drops, it’s certainly better than most of the arsenal.
The item comes with a +20 attribute boost to strength and intelligence. Additional health and mana regeneration are rarely impactful at 60 minutes into the game, but they’re still nice to have.
The active ability of this item is potentially one of the best forms of blinking to a target location. You’ll land to your targeted location after 0.5 seconds in the form of a Meteor Hammer effect.
Book of the Dead
Meepo is a pusher by nature, and sometimes split-pushing can be key to bringing a long game home.
Besides granting Meepo +30 stat increase for strength and intelligence, Book of the Dead summons four level-three Necromicon units. At level-three, these units will shred towers, and someone will always need to teleport back to defend against Meepo.
Apex
Stats aren’t cheap in Dota 2, and if Apex was a shop item, it would probably cost a fortune. This neutral item grants +75 of a hero’s primary attribute to them, which will be agility in Meepo’s case.
A 75-agility bonus is something Meepo couldn’t even dream of. Apex is potentially the best neutral item for Meepo in Dota 2, and it’s the only tier-five item you can pick up without giving it a second thought.
