Have you heard a lot about Dota 2 but are hesitant to play it because you don’t know the game? Valve’s Dota 2 is one of the most complex games in the MOBA (Massively Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre, and when you watch a stream or a video about the game, it can be difficult for beginners to understand the actions of the player. But don’t let that discourage you!
Dota 2 is the most played game on Steam, developed by Valve. The goal of the game is actually very simple: Destroy the enemy’s base before they destroy yours. While the goal is simple, to be successful players will need to combine their individual skill and teamwork before destroying the opposing base.
In this guide we have prepared for you, we will provide information about the simple mechanics of Dota 2 and information that will make you a little more comfortable when you are new to the game. If you have experienced a simpler MOBA game like League of Legends before, you can be sure that you will start the game a few steps ahead.
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What is Dota 2?
Dota 2 is a team strategy MOBA game developed by Valve and published in 2013. The aim of the game is to destroy the enemy team’s base (ancient) throughout the match by getting stronger with items and leveling up, with you and your four teammates choosing from around 123 playable heroes.
Of course, the players on the opposing team also have the same goal as you. Therefore, every move you make throughout the match is of strategic importance. While deciding what to do to gain an advantage for your team, you must also interpret the enemy’s moves and prevent the enemy from taking the advantage. Although this may seem like it will take a lot of brainpower, don’t worry. No one is a top-level tactician in this game, so all you have to do is punish your opponent when they make a mistake.
A Dota 2 match lasts between 20 minutes and 1 hour on average, depending on how the game progresses. Make sure you can handle this amount of time when entering a game.
Dota 2 Map and Lanes
The Dota 2 map is divided into two sides, Radiant and Dire. Radiant is on the left and has a green vibrant theme. The river that runs diagonally from the top left to the bottom right is on the right side of Dire. It is quite lifeless, unlike Radiant.
The map is also divided into three lanes: top, middle and bottom. In between the lanes are the camps of neutral jungle creatures. In each lane, teams have 3 towers. These towers have the ability to automatically attack when enemy minions or heroes come into range. The safe lane, called Safelane, is located at the bottom for Radiant and at the top for Dire. This is because the map is not symmetrical.
The towers closest to the river are called first towers; second-tier towers are further back, and third-tier towers are located at the beginning of the corridors very close to your base. Players can teleport to these towers or to statue-like structures in their forests with teleport paper. Each area also has its own forest with secret shops where you can buy special items.
Dota 2: Heroes
There are 123 playable heroes in Dota 2. Each of the heroes has its own special skill set. This makes each match in the game special because some heroes are natural opposites of others. Also, heroes can contribute more to the game depending on the synergy in your team composition.
If you are new to the game, we recommend that you choose heroes with low difficulty levels and try these heroes in training mode before playing them in the normal game.
Dota 2: Runes, Vision, Items and Creatures
Runes appear periodically on the map and provide bonuses to the player or team that picks them up. There are four rune points on the map, two in the river and one in each team’s jungle.
At the start of the game, Bounty Runes spawn at specific rune points that give extra gold to all teammates. After the first rune, they spawn in jungle rune points every three minutes.
Strengthening runes spawn randomly at one of the two warding points in the river at 6:00. They then continue to spawn at regular intervals.
There is a day/night cycle in Dota 2. During the preparation phase, the map is night. After the match starts, the map is day until 5:00 and this cycle continues every 5 minutes. When the map is night, the heroes’ visibility is reduced, so they are more vulnerable to danger (There are some exceptional heroes who use the night to their advantage).
Totems and Vision
There are two different types of totems in Dota 2. The first is yellow totems that give you extra vision in the location you place. The second is blue totems (guard eye) that show hidden enemies and enemy totems.
Invisibility:
In Dota 2, some heroes can become invisible thanks to their abilities or some items (items, power runes, etc.). These can be seen thanks to towers and sentry wards called sentry totems. In addition, invisible heroes can be revealed with True Sight provided by some hero abilities.
Creatures:
Creeps, also known as minions (Creatures), are the main source of gold and experience in the game. In order to earn gold from creeps, you need to make the last hit. You can also prevent your opponent from earning gold by making the last hit to your own minions. You should pay attention to your health bar and pay attention to how much your hits take from the bar. If you do this, it will be much easier for you to make the last hit.
Neutral Creatures:
Neutral creatures (creeps) are found in the forest and river, they are enemies to both sides. There are also ancient creatures in the forest of both sides. Ancients are stronger than normal neutral creatures and contain more gold and experience.
Roshan:
Roshan is a large monster that hangs out in his own special hole in the middle of the river. He is a neutral creature, but he is incredibly difficult to kill. When killed, he drops an item called Aegis of Immortal. Heroes who pick up this item will respawn after a short delay if they die. The Aegis expires after five minutes. Roshan also drops additional items depending on how many times he was killed in that game.
Items:
In Dota 2, each hero has different item sets that are shaped according to your playstyle. If the item sets confuse you, you can choose the item sets that suit your hero in-game.
Dota 2: Roles
Now that we have information about the map, heroes and other details, we can take a look at the roles part of the game.
There are five heroes on each team, and each team’s heroes must fit five different roles: two supports (also called pos 4 and 5), offlaner (pos 3), midlaner (pos 2), and carry (carry, pos 1).
The support player of pos 5 plays in the safe lane (bottom for Radiant, top for Dire) with the carry player of the game pos 1. Another known name for the safe lane is “safelane”. The support player of pos 4 and the offlaner hang out together in the offlane (bottom for Dire, top for Radiant). The hero of pos 2, who is a mid laner, also goes to the mid lane.
- The carry hero is the hero who will spend his time killing neutrals and minions on the map to earn gold to get powerful items. As the carries get closer to finishing the item build, the power of your team increases. Because one of the main damage sources of the team is the champions in the carry role. When your carry gets stronger, you know it’s the right time for you to fight.
- Midlaner hero is the hero who can reach the most experience in the early game since he will play alone in the lane. Midlaners are generally one of the most effective damage sources of the team after carries. Due to their position in the early game, they are very effective in putting pressure on the enemy team on the map and helping other lanes.
- Offlaner is usually a tank hero with abilities and items that benefit the team by initiating fights and providing sustain. In lane, he tries to prevent the enemy carry from completing their item build as much as possible by harassing them in front of him.
- The Pos 4 support role is a very adaptable role; they try to secure runes by roaming around the map with the offlaner to harass the enemy carry. Players in this role also stack (accumulate) creep camps and use their abilities to help their teammates or start fights.
- The Pos 5 support role is responsible for protecting the carry in the safelane lane and ensuring the team has a good view across the map.
How to play Dota 2?
Now that we have covered all the details, we can move on to the gameplay. The way to win a match for Dota 2 is through the hero selection/ban screen. It is very important to decide which heroes you will play and ban with your teammates on this screen. Banning the natural anti of the hero you want to play can make it easier for you throughout the game.
When the match starts, make sure you are in the right position to get the first gold runes. Earning gold is one of the key goals of the game as it will make it easier for you to finish the items.
The totems on the map are generally carried out by the support role pos 4 and pos 5 players. However, it is not necessary to put all this burden on the support players. Sometimes having a vision in the mid lane can increase your map control, so other roles such as pos 2 can place totems.
The task of the pos 4 and pos 5 players is to protect the offlaner and the carry so that they can easily kill the creatures and to get vision on the map. Although it may seem unimportant, these support roles are vital in the game in terms of starting a fight and protecting the carry. As you complete your carry (pos 1) and midlaner (pos 2) items, you should gradually focus on destroying towers and getting closer to your opponent’s home base. In games where you fall behind, it will be up to you to use the right strategy to capitalize on your opponent’s mistakes and take advantage.
