I’m excited to introduce this guide tailored specifically for Dota 2 beginners. It’s packed with essential information to guide you toward becoming a skilled player.
Here’s what you’ll find in this guide:
Player Roles: In Dota 2, there are different roles for players. Each role has a special job that helps the team do well.
Heroes: You’ll see lots of heroes in Dota 2, and they all have different powers. This guide will help you find the heroes you like the most.
Items: There are many things you can use in the game to help you win battles. This guide explains all about them.
Dota Map: The game happens on a big map. We’ll talk about how the map works and why it’s important.
Lane Creeps: You’ll learn why these little guys in the lanes are so important in Dota 2.
Jungle Creeps & Neutral Items: There are cool things hidden in the jungle that can help you. We’ll show you where to find them.
Roshan: There’s a big boss in the game called Roshan. Beating him gives you great rewards.
Warding & Vision: Knowing where to put things on the map helps you see better. This guide teaches you how.
Runes: Magical things appear in the game that give you special advantages. We’ll talk about how to use them.
Buildings & Structures: Understanding the buildings on the map is a big part of winning. We’ll explain why they’re important.
Now that you know what we’ll talk about, let’s get started! Learning these things will make playing Dota 2 more fun and easier. Let’s go!
Dota 2 Player Roles
When you start playing Dota 2, knowing about player roles is really important. Each role has its own job, and they help the team win. Let’s see what these roles are and how they make a difference in the game!
Carry: Carries are heroes that get really strong later in the game. They’re important for winning matches.
Midlaner: These players like to be active in the early part of the game. They move around the map a lot and help the team by controlling the game.
Offlaner: These heroes are tough and stay in a hard lane. They’re good at taking hits during fights and making it hard for the enemy team.
Soft Support (Position 4): These players focus on helping the team by stopping the other team’s progress early in the game.
Hard Support (Position 5): These players mainly help the carry hero get stronger. They also make sure the team can see what’s happening on the map.
Knowing about these roles is really useful in Dota 2. It helps you help your team and do well in the game.
Dota 2 Heroes
In Dota 2, there are 124 heroes, each like a star in the game. They all have special powers that players use during matches.
These heroes belong to four main groups:
- 31 Strength Heroes: Tough and can take a lot of damage.
- 31 Agility Heroes: Fast and deal damage quickly.
- 30 Intelligence Heroes: Masters of magic and strategy.
- 32 Universal Heroes: They have a mix of strength, agility, and intelligence traits.
Heroes also have different difficulty levels:
- 55 Very Easy Heroes: Great for beginners. They have simple abilities.
- 57 Moderate Difficulty Heroes: They’re a good challenge to improve your skills.
- 12 High Skill Heroes: These need advanced mastery. Some need a lot of control skills.
Here are some tips for picking heroes in Dota 2:
Starting with the easier heroes is a good idea. They have simpler abilities, which makes learning the game easier. Then, as you get better, you can try heroes with moderate or higher difficulty. This way, you can learn and improve at your own pace.
Dota 2 Items
Items in Dota 2 are really important for your hero to do well. Knowing about them helps you win.
There are different types of items:
- Consumable Items: These items are cheap and really useful at the start of the game. They help your hero stay in the lane longer. Items like Healing Salve, Clarity, Tango, and Enchanted Mango are examples.
- Basic Items: These items are like the base for stronger gear. They’re not too expensive and give good advantages in the early and middle parts of the game. Items like Wraith Band, Bracer, Power Treads, and Phase Boots are some of these.
- Upgraded Items: These are the most powerful but cost a lot. People usually buy them later in the game. They can change the game. Some examples are Shadow Blade, Revenant’s Brooch, and Aghanim’s Scepter.
Understanding these items helps you choose what your hero needs to be stronger and win the game.
Dota 2 Map
The Dota 2 map is where all the action takes place. It’s divided into two equal halves for the Radiant and Dire teams. Each side has the same setup, making it fair for both teams.
There are three main paths on the map.
- Top Lane: It’s the Offlane for the Radiant team and the Safe Lane for the Dire team.
- Middle Lane: Right in the middle.
- Bottom Lane: Offlane for the Dire team and Safe Lane for the Radiant team.
These lanes are connected by pathways that run through jungle areas, rivers and by various buildings and structures.
Understanding the map helps players know where to go and how to help their team win battles!
Lane Creeps in Dota 2
Lane creeps are the basic units that keep spawning and moving down the three lanes of the Dota 2 map. They are made up of melee and ranged creeps and are super important for heroes.
Here’s what you need to know about them:
- Melee: They have more health and deal more damage.
- Ranged: They attack from a distance but have less health.
- Siege Creep: These are special creeps that show up at specific times in the game. They come every 5 minutes. Siege Creeps are strong and do a lot of damage to structures. They are crucial for pushing lanes.
- Gold and Experience: When heroes defeat these creeps, they get gold and experience points. It’s really important to get the final hit on these creeps to earn gold. And heroes need to stay close to them to keep growing.
Knowing how to get gold by last-hitting creeps, gaining experience from them, and realizing when Siege Creeps arrive helps players control lanes better and get an advantage in Dota 2 matches!
Jungle Creeps & Neutral Items
In Dota 2, the jungle is filled with various creatures known as Jungle Creeps. These creatures provide heroes with extra gold and experience when defeated. Occasionally, they drop special items called Neutral Items. These items, available in different tiers, significantly alter how heroes engage in battles, introducing surprise and strategic elements to the game. Understanding these aspects can profoundly impact Dota 2 matches.
Here’s the detailed breakdown:
- Neutral and Ancient Creeps: Spread throughout the jungle between lanes, these non-player-controlled creatures offer heroes valuable resources in the form of extra gold and experience. While Neutral Creeps present a standard challenge, Ancient Creeps pose a tougher obstacle but offer greater rewards to those who confront them.
- Tormentors: These specialized bosses among neutral creeps cannot move or attack but are formidable adversaries due to their rapid regeneration and a 90% damage reflection. Defeating a Tormentor causes it to return stronger, reflecting an additional 20% damage. Successful teams that defeat a Tormentor receive an Aghanim’s Shard, benefiting the entire team.
The Tormentor spawns 20 minutes into the game and respawns every 10 minutes after being defeated. This predictable cycle allows teams to strategize around its appearance for lucrative rewards.
- Neutral Items: Neutral items drop from jungle camps, with increased chances if heroes eliminate ancient camps. They come in five tiers, each tier offering five different items. Drop rates and timings for each tier are as follows:
- Tier 1 (14% drop rate): Appears after 7 minutes into the game.
- Tier 2 (10% drop rate): Appears after 17 minutes into the game.
- Tier 3 (10% drop rate): Appears after 27 minutes into the game.
- Tier 4 (10% drop rate): Appears after 37 minutes into the game.
- Tier 5 (10% drop rate): Appears after 60 minutes into the game.
Furthermore, using the Hand of Midas item grants an instant neutral item drop. This gameplay mechanic significantly influences a hero’s strength and capabilities during matches.
Understanding these jungle inhabitants, discovering Neutral Items, and managing challenges like Tormentors are critical elements that can significantly shape a team’s strategy and performance in Dota 2 matches!
Roshan in Dota 2
Roshan is a powerful opponent in Dota 2 and defeating him brings valuable rewards.
Here’s what happens when Roshan is defeated:
- First Defeat: Roshan drops the Aegis of the Immortal, which gives a hero a second chance at life if they die in a battle. This can be a game-changer during critical fights, letting heroes come back to the battle after being defeated.
- Second Defeat: Besides the Aegis, Roshan drops “Cheese,” a consumable that instantly restores 2500 health and 1500 mana to the hero who uses it.
- Third Defeat: Roshan rewards either an Aghanim’s Scepter or a Refresher Shard. The Refresher Shard refreshes all the hero’s abilities and items, except for the Refresher Orb, which serves a similar purpose but needs to be bought with gold.
- Aegis Duration: The Aegis lasts for 5 minutes before expiring, but the other items don’t have an expiration time.
- Roshan’s Respawn: Roshan comes back to life randomly between 8 to 11 minutes after being defeated. This gives teams another chance to defeat him and get his rewards.
Understanding these drops, what they do, and when Roshan comes back to life is very important in Dota 2. Teams often plan their strategies around Roshan’s respawns to gain an advantage in matches!
Vision Game & Warding
Having good vision and using wards is crucial in Dota 2. It helps teams understand enemy movements and greatly impacts how the game progresses.
Why Vision Matters
Importance of Vision: Wards provide sight in critical areas, safeguarding your territory, revealing surprise attacks, and securing major objectives like Roshan. Clear vision guides strategic decisions and is essential during team fights.
Different spots for placing wards:
- River Wards: These help monitor enemy movements between lanes, particularly beneficial for mid laners.
- Triangle Wards: Disrupt enemy farming during the mid-game, making it easier to set up ambushes.
- Lane Wards: Constantly observe enemy movements in lanes, aiding in tracking rotations and potential ambushes.
- Twin Gate Wards: Offer vision to prevent ambushes and watch over Roshan attempts.
- Jungle Wards: Observe enemy farming patterns, enabling ambushes and resource denial.
- Cliff Wards: Placed on high cliffs, these give extensive vision and They offer unique strategic advantages when properly utilized.
Heroes with vision-related abilities:
- Slark: His “Shadow Dance” reveals wards and grants superior vision control.
- Night Stalker: “Hunter in the Night” enhances vision during nighttime.
- Beastmaster: Utilizes “Hawk” and “Boar” for scouting purposes.
- Keeper of the Light: His “Illuminate” provides vision along its path.
- Venomancer: Uses “Plague Ward” for map control.
- Bounty Hunter: “Track” offers vision and bonus gold for ganking.
Understanding how to use wards effectively, spotting runes, and leveraging heroes with vision-centric skills can significantly impact the outcome of Dota 2 matches!
Runes in Dota 2
Runes are powerful boosts that show up on specific time frames on the map, giving different advantages to heroes who grab them. Knowing about these runes and their timings is really important to gain an edge in matches.
Here are the types of runes and their effects:
- Bounty Runes: These pop up at the start (1-minute mark) at four spots, then every 3 minutes in the jungle areas. They give gold to every hero but no experience.
- Wisdom Runes: Appearing near the Tier 2 offlane towers every 7 minutes, they give experience to the hero who picks it and the hero with the lowest experience on the team.
- Water Runes: They appear on both sides of the river at 2 and 4 minutes, restoring 40 health and 80 mana when activated.
- illusion Rune: Creates two illusions of the hero, useful for scouting or confusing opponents.
- Haste Rune: Gives maximum movement speed, useful for quick movement or setting up attacks.
- Shield Rune: Gives a temporary shield that absorbs damage, up to 50% of the hero’s total health.
- Double Damage Rune: Doubles the hero’s base damage, making their attacks really powerful for a short time.
- Arcane Rune: Reduces cooldowns and mana costs by 30% for abilities, making spellcasting more efficient.
Understanding when runes appear, what they do, and grabbing the right ones at the right time can really help in Dota 2. It helps with better attacks, fights, and controlling the map!
Building Structures in Dota 2
In Dota 2, buildings are important for teams. They protect, heal, and give special powers. Destroying specific buildings makes your team stronger and weaker for the other team. Knowing these buildings is crucial to win!
Towers: Essential defensive structures guarding lanes and the Ancient. There are three towers protecting each lane and two towers protecting each Ancient. Tower specifications:
- Tier 1 (T1): Attack damage: 90, HP: 1800, Armor: 12
- Tier 2 (T2) and Tier 3 (T3): Damage: 172, HP: 2500, Armor: 16
- Tier 4 (T4): Damage: 172, HP: 2600, Armor: 21
Understanding the varying strengths and resistances of each tier of towers is crucial for effectively pushing or defending lanes in Dota 2.
Barracks: In each lane, there are two types of barracks: one for melee units and one for ranged units. Destroying the enemy’s melee or ranged barracks in any lane strengthens your team’s creeps in that lane.
However, if you manage to destroy all three sets of barracks across the lanes, it triggers a powerful boost called “mega creeps“. All your creeps become exceptionally strong, creating a significant advantage for your team in pushing and controlling the map.
Understanding the importance of destroying barracks strategically can greatly influence the flow and outcome of the game.
Fountain: Located in each team’s base, the fountain is the place where heroes respawn upon death. It serves as a healing sanctuary, providing an aura called “Fountain Rejuvenation“. This aura continuously heals 5% of a hero’s health and 6% of their mana per second when they are within the fountain’s vicinity. The fountain acts as a safe zone for regeneration, allowing heroes to recover quickly before returning to the battlefield.
Understanding the healing aura of the fountain is crucial for heroes to regenerate health and mana effectively during crucial moments in the game.
Effigy Buildings: Cosmetic structures within the base, can be destroyed
Outposts: Each team, Radiant and Dire, begins with two Outposts. One Outpost is located near their triangle jungle, while the other is near their respective safe lane towers. If the enemy destroys the Tier 2 tower, they gain the ability to capture the enemy’s triangle outpost.
Outposts serve as strategic points on the map, allowing players to teleport to them within a distance of 250 units and a channel time of 6 seconds. Additionally, Outposts provide vision within a range of 500 units.
Understanding and controlling Outposts is crucial for strategic mobility and map awareness, offering players the ability to quickly move across the map and gain vision control in key areas.
Defender’s Gates: Defender’s Gates are pathways in each team’s base leading to their own Tormentor, Wisdom Rune, or Ancient Camp. These gates act as barriers that only friendly units can pass through, while enemies are completely blocked from entering or exiting.
Watchers: There are a total of 8 Watchers strategically placed across the map, acting as free wards that provide up to 800 units of vision around them. Activating a Watcher requires a 1.5-second channeling time, and once activated, it remains active for 7 minutes, granting valuable vision to the team that activates it.
It’s important to note that Watchers do not provide true sight, gold or experience. If an enemy recaptures a Watcher, it returns to a neutral phase, providing no vision to either team.
Twin Gates: There are two Twin Gates on the map: one near the Roshan pit and the Dire Outpost, and the other near the Radiant Outpost and Roshan pit. Twin Gates allow every hero to teleport from the top part of the map to the bottom, or vice versa. The channel time for teleportation using Twin Gates is 4 seconds.
These structures serve as strategic teleportation points, facilitating quick and efficient movement between the top and bottom parts of the map.
Understanding and utilizing Twin Gates can significantly impact a team’s mobility and response time during crucial moments throughout the game.
Lotus Pools: There are two Lotus Pools in Dota 2, positioned on both respective offlanes. These structures offer a 400-unit radius vision, providing visibility across their immediate surroundings. When channeled, enemies can detect Lotus Pools due to the vision and sound they emit. Lotus Pools periodically spawn Healing Lotuses, and if a hero collects 6 Healing Lotuses, they combine to create a Greater Healing Lotus.
With 6 Greater Healing Lotuses and 1 Cheese obtained from Roshan, players can craft a “Block of Cheese“. The Block of Cheese provides an All Damage Barrier of up to 500 and a Barrier Regeneration Rate of up to 100, offering a powerful defensive advantage during crucial moments in the game.
Understanding the mechanics of Lotus Pools and the items they can produce is vital for strategic planning and control on the map.
Forge Your Path: The Beginning of Your Dota 2 Adventure
Starting in Dota 2 might feel tough, but remember: Your journey isn’t just about winning games; it’s about finding your strengths. Get ready to dive into the game, armed with what you’ve learned, and write your own Dota story. It’s your time to shine!
