Dota is the granddaddy of all MOBA games. Having started the genre as a mod for Warcraft III in the 2000s, the game has evolved since then as Dota 2, which attracts millions of players around the globe. With exciting tournaments surrounding it, such as the annual World Championship - The International, it’s more than just a video game.

The heart of Dota 2 lies two teams, each consisting of five players representing the forces of light and darkness. The goal? To battle for the destruction of the opponent’s throne. One could say that the variability and uniqueness of the hero selection can be overwhelming, besides having to implement strategies. It goes without saying that Dota has a steep learning curve. Worry not; we’ll try to walk you through everything you need to know about the MOBA.

Getting Familiar With the Mechanics

The first thing you need to familiarize yourself with is Dota 2’s map; it’s the field where battles between you and the opposing team occur. Having a symmetrical structure, it’s divided into three main lanes: top, middle, and bottom. Meanwhile, the areas between these lanes are known as the jungle.

The next topic is creeps, of which there are various types. Lane creeps are units that automatically spawn on lanes and move along them as the match goes. They attack enemy creeps and towers. They consist of melee creeps and ranged (more vulnerable) creeps. Then, there are neutral creeps located in the jungle area between lanes. These belong to neither team and can be killed by any player to gain XP. Neutral creeps are divided into camps containing different types of creeps with unique difficulty levels and abilities.

Killing creeps lets you gain experience points and gold needed to level up abilities and purchase powerful items in the base’s shop. The most powerful “creep” is Roshan, a mythical creature that drops legendary items, gold, and XP upon defeat. If your team manages to kill Roshan, you’ll likely gain an advantage in battle. However, note that he gets stronger the longer the game goes on.

Another neutral albeit immovable “creeps” are Tormentors. Located near each of a respective side’s bases, they cannot attack. Instead, they’re equipped with shields reflecting any damage to their attacker. Upon defeat, Tormentors drop an Aghanim’s Shard.

The Ultimate Goal is to Destroy Your Enemy’s Ancient

The Ancient is the primary objective of Dota 2; whichever team destroys the enemy’s Ancient wins the match. While these structures can’t defend themselves, they’re protected by two of the strongest tier’s towers, plus an army of creeps and heroes. Taking down the opposing team’s Ancient is no easy feat, and your team should also be able to coordinate an effective defense for your own Ancient if you want to win the game. Here are some of the structures you’ll see around the map.

  • Towers: Every lane for each side of the map is fortified with three tiers of towers that get stronger the closer they are to a team’s Ancient. Tier one towers can be located at the end of each lane where the creep waves meet. Meanwhile, the tier two towers are at the halfway point. Then, the tier three towers are on each ramp, leading to the team’s base. There’s also a fourth tier of towers that protect the Ancient. Towers grant bonus health regeneration and armor to nearby heroes and detect any invisible units nearby.
  • Barracks: Buildings that, when destroyed, make the creeps in that opposing lane stronger. There are melee and ranged barracks, corresponding to the two types of lane creeps. Barracks are invulnerable to any damage unless the tier three tower guarding them is destroyed.
  • Outposts: An auxiliary objective that grants both teams an additional destination point for Town Portal Scrolls. Four Outposts are located on the team, with two on each side. At the start of the game, both sides have control of the Outposts in their area, with only the ones in the triangles available for capture. If you want to capture an enemy’s Outpost, you must have destroyed at least one tier two tower.
  • Lotus Pools: Containing Healing Lotuses that spawn every three minutes, Lotus Pools boost your health and mana. Healing Lotuses can be stacked; three Healing Lotuses create a Great Healing Lotus, and two Great Healing Lotuses make a Greater Healing Lotus.
  • Twin Gates: Allows players and their units to go on the opposite gate. Both gates are located at the map's extreme southeast and northwest sides.

Dota 2 Heroes Guide

Heroes are classified into four types: Strength, Intelligence, Agility, and Universals. Heroes that belong in the Strength category usually have copious amounts of HP and deal substantial damage, but they move more slowly than other types. Intelligence-based heroes typically play the support role or depend on their mana pool, while Agility heroes feature high attack speed and mobility. Finally, Universal heroes have an even distribution in all attributes.

What Are the Roles in Dota 2?

Depending on the hero you choose and the lane you go, there are certain roles you can pick in the game.

Carry

The Carry heavily relies on items and gold, allowing them to become the main attacking force for the team towards late game.

Midlaner

The Midlaner automatically goes to the middle lane and must aim to gain XP and gold quickly; their goal is to overpower enemy heroes and assist their team in other lanes later on.

Hard Support

Heroes in the Hard Support role usually have powerful spells, making their playstyle reliant on their abilities. This makes them less priority to farm creeps for gold and get items. As a result, they’d often get cheap items for survivability (Boots of Speed, Magic Wand, and Fluffy Hat). Later in the game, they’ll focus on buying utility items like Smoke of Deceit, Observer, and Sentry Wards.

Soft Support

Similar to Hard Supports, Soft Supports usually have better survivability and mobility. Their goal is to roam the map, requiring more items. While Hard Supports provide a safe space for the team, Soft Supports focus on pressuring the enemy team by rotating to secure Power Runes in the mid-lane or set up ganks. They’re like the junglers in League of Legends because their primary purpose is to disrupt the enemy’s flow.

Offlaner

Usually team fight-oriented and tanky, offlaners play as an independent core since they usually survive on their own while trying to make space for the Carry and Midlaner by pressuring the enemy. This is arguably the most challenging role to master, as it requires a lot of patience due to their lane partners (Soft Supports) having to roam and leave them constantly. With this in mind, Offlaners are usually left to their own devices and survive in a lane with a handicap.

The Different Phases in Dota 2

Most matches can last between 30-40 minutes, but in some cases, they can vary from under 10 minutes to over an hour. Like other MOBAs, in certain circumstances, Dota 2’s phases are divided into three, sometimes four. Each phase relates to a specific period in the match and corresponds to a team’s objective and focus. Let’s take a look at how each phase goes down.

Early Game

Refers to the first 10-15 minutes of the game. It’s also called the laning phase since both teams spend most of their time securing as much experience and gold as possible. There are some exceptions to this, though, like when teams can start taking down towers provided they have the right heroes for it, but for the most part, both teams will just trade the occasional kills while gearing up for the later portions of the match.

Midgame

The midgame is in the 15-30 minute mark, particularly when the action starts to pick up. At this point, both teams should be strong enough to go for objectives and start fights, such as taking towers or Roshan.

Late Game

Corresponds to the 30-minute mark and onwards. Since there’s a struggle to control the map, resources and objectives become more valuable here. Lane creeps and Roshan gets stronger to help speed up the game towards the end. Both teams should be strong enough to do 5v5 clashes, often resulting in one team winning the entire game. Some things players do in the game late are fishing for pickoffs and camping around objectives like tier three towers to get as much advantage as possible.

Ultra Late Game

Whether it’s because both teams are evenly matched every step of the way or one team’s pushing power isn’t strong enough to overcome an enemy’s defenses, there are some moments where the game continues to drag on. We refer to this as the ultra-late game. These situations are less about the formula and more about embracing the chaos ensuing. It can open up new avenues that you might’ve never seen before, even for seasoned players. Granted, being stuck in a match for an hour might be like torture, but prolonged games like these have led to some of the most memorable games in Dota 2.

General Tips When Playing Dota 2

The tips here don’t necessarily explain how the game works but show more of the path to developing the necessary skills to become a good player.

Watch and Learn

Observing the actions of your opponent is part of the learning experience. You’re playing against real people, so you should know what they plan and do. To do that, place wards in specific places on the map to grant you and your team vision. Placing wards is mainly done by support players, but other roles also do it. More often than not, Midlaners tend to place wards at the start of the game.

Don’t Ignore Your Defenses

Dota means Defense of the Ancient, but many people tend to rush into offense and forget about the vulnerability of their base. Defending the structures of your team is an important aspect of gaining victory; make them a priority over getting kills.

Get to Know the Match Cycles of Your Hero

So you’ve already chosen your pick, what’s next? Every hero grows differently; some are strong in the early game, while some scale to the late game. It’s best to learn how your character works by checking out tips on using their abilities, which lane you should stay in, and what items to buy. Understanding the cycles of the hero you play is the key to mastering them.