It’s a bit ironic—support heroes are often seen as the least threatening, yet when it comes to banning champions in Honor of Kings, they consistently top the list. According to Crickex Affiliate’s recent ban rate statistics, the top five most banned heroes are all supports. It goes to show, no matter what challenge lies ahead, once you’ve made it this far, you’ve got to see it through.

Some support bans are justified, but others seem exaggerated. While many Crickex Affiliate players make thoughtful decisions based on team composition or strategy, plenty simply follow the crowd. Take Donghuang Taiyi, for example. His high ban rate is mostly due to his unique ultimate. Players love flashy, high-mobility heroes, but those heroes are especially vulnerable to crowd-control abilities like Donghuang’s and Zhang Liang’s ultimates. While he’s often banned in high-rank matches—where mechanical skill and reflex-based heroes dominate—he’s rarely a real threat in lower tiers.

Even after recent tweaks by the developers, encouraging Donghuang Taiyi to be played in the solo lane, players have largely stuck to using him in a traditional support role. The numbers clearly show just how unpopular he’s become in off-lane play. Still, as the developers have stated, Donghuang Taiyi’s ultimate may be disruptive, but it’s far from unstoppable. Ranged heroes with slow or control abilities can counter him effectively.

If Donghuang wants to engage and land his ultimate, he needs to approach in good condition. If he’s already taken damage or used key abilities, diving into the fight becomes a wasted move. When facing Donghuang, heroes like Zhang Liang are a strong counter, capable of locking him down before he can act. Alternatively, heroes with long range and tower pressure—such as Wang Zhaojun or Zhou Yu—can keep his health low from a distance, opening up the field for assassins to finish the job.

Compared to Donghuang, another support hero—Shield Mountain (Dunshan)—can be even more frustrating. Donghuang at least has a long-cast ultimate, while Shield Mountain’s shield-raising first skill is almost instantaneous and low-cost. That said, Crickex Affiliate points out that Dunshan is also easier to counter. His utility may bother certain picks, but with the right strategy, neutralizing him isn’t difficult. At the end of the day, dignity is something you build for yourself—no one else can hand it to you.