How to Play Dota 2, Beginners Guide, Builds and Tips

Regarding popular esports games, Dota 2 is a well-established name and one of the most well-known titles in the gaming industry. It is interesting, fun, and challenging but also quite complicated. This makes it especially hard for newcomers to the game to grasp a sense of everything around them and understand how to play the game properly. If you belong to this category, then do not worry. This guide will make your first steps into the world of Dota 2 much smoother and more enjoyable.

Are you exhausted from losing again and again? Do not stress; you can use Dota 2 MMR Boost to rank to the desired MMR boost. From explaining the map to sharing pro tips, we are here to cover everything you must know. Do not let the steep learning curve deter you. Dota 2 is a game where hard work eventually pays off once you start playing correctly. If you are one of the fans of Dota 2 but find it challenging to understand the in-game UI and mechanics, then this guide is for you.

Now, it is time to plunge into action and discover what makes Dota 2 the favorite of many players worldwide. The key to winning is practice and patience, but being part of the Dota 2 community also offers a wealth of shared knowledge and experiences. You must stick with us to find the answer to all your queries!

Discovering the Map of Dota 2

Radiant and Dire are the two separate sides of the Dota 2 map. On the left is the Radiant side, a verdant and peaceful paradise. On the right, across the diagonal river from top left to bottom right, is the Dire side, a darker, bug-infested environment.

Top, Middle, and Bottom are the three primary lanes on the map. You will also find camps of neutral creeps in the jungle between these lanes, which can be farmed for experience and gold. Three defensive towers on each team’s side watch over each lane. Any heroes or enemy creeps within range are automatically attacked by these towers.

• Tier One Towers: Closest to the river.
• Tier Two Towers: Located further back, about halfway down the lane.
• Tier Three Towers: Positioned at each team’s base entrance.
• Tier Four Towers: Found near the Ancient, protecting it within the base.

Additionally, each team has a fountain at the top-right (Dire) or bottom-left (Radiant) corner. The fountain attacks opponents inside its radius and restores mana and health. It also houses your courier, who brings you stuff but takes a while to reappear if you kill it, and the Base Shop, where you may buy most items.

TP scrolls allow players to teleport to outposts and towers. After each death, the player obtains a new scroll, which they begin with. You can buy more scrolls from the store, enabling you to teleport strategically. Be cautious, though—teleportation takes time to channel and can be interrupted by enemies.

Understanding the Mechanics - How to Play Dota 2

We must know the basics or objectives before getting into the mechanics or playing.

The Ancient

Perhaps the most critical structure in Dota 2, the Ancient, is located inside each team's base and serves as Dota 2’s ultimate objective. It is the main focus of each team as their main goal is to destroy the enemy team’s Ancient.

Two tier 4 towers, ally creeps, and your entire team protect Your Ancient. But be careful since the enemy team’s Ancient has the same protection. It will only become vulnerable after you take down Barracks and Tier 3 towers in at least one lane. It also has a lot of HP and armor, so you must prepare.

You must go through many defenses before eventually taking down your opponent, Ancient!

Barracks

There are two types of Barracks in each lane:

• Ranged Barracks, which are weaker and do not have health regeneration,
• Melee Barracks, which are more challenging and have health regeneration.

Only when the tier three tower in their lane is destroyed are the Barracks at risk. When you destroy enemy Barracks, the strength of your Allied lane creeps increases.

Outposts

Outposts give your teammates another teleport destination. There are four on the map, two on each side. Teams initially control the outposts in their region, but only the ones in the triangle areas can be captured by the enemy after destroying at least one tier-two tower.

The Twin Gates

Twin Gates immediately lets players and units move between opposing areas by channeling them. These gates are situated on the map in the extreme northwest and southeast.

Lotus Pools

Every three minutes, Healing Lotuses emerge from Lotus Pools. In addition to restoring mana and health, these items can be combined to create more potent versions, such as the Greater Healing Lotus and the Great Healing Lotus.

Tormentors

Tormentors are unique, immovable, neutral units introduced to Dota 2. Found near each team’s base in the northeast and southwest corners of the map, they present both an opportunity and a challenge.

Unlike other neutral creeps, Tormentors cannot attack. However, they come equipped with robust shields that reflect damage to their attackers. It makes them a risky target, as their attacks can wipe out unprepared heroes.

Defeating a Tormentor is no small feat, but the reward is worth the effort. Upon defeat, they drop an Aghanim’s Shard, a valuable item that grants one of your team’s heroes an ability upgrade.

What are Creeps in Dota 2?

Creeps are neutral and player-controlled units that play a vital role in every Dota 2 match. They serve as a primary source of gold and experience, helping characters grow stronger throughout the game. You will encounter a few creeps; let’s discuss these:

Lane Creeps

These are small units that spawn in waves from each team’s base. They march down the three lanes (Top, Mid, and Bottom) to fight enemy creeps, enemies, and towers. Killing these creeps rewards you with gold. You will find four types of lane creeps: melee, Flagbearer, ranged, and siege.

Compared to ranged creeps, melee creeps have higher health, spawn more frequently, and deal less damage. Flagbearer creeps are a unique kind of melee creep that, when killed, gives more gold, has a health recovery spirit, and is more resistant to magic. Every time a melee creep spawns, the Flagbearer takes its place.

Jungle Creeps or Neutral Creeps

As the name says it all. These creeps are found in the area known as the jungle. You can gather these creeps for more gold and experience because they do not support either team. A bunch of players, like Chen or Enchantress, can even control inevitable jungle creeps or give them boosts.

Neutral creeps come in four different varieties, and each one spawns in a different location inside the jungle. Small, medium, large, and ancient creep camps are the categories into which these neutral creep camps fall.

Roshan

The strongest neutral creep in Dota 2, Roshan, the Immortal, can be found in two distinct pits: the Dire pit at night and the Radiant pit during the day. It alternates between these pits after the first kill.

Roshan differs from other neutral creeps. In most cases, he is superior to any hero in a one-on-one fight, and defeating him typically requires a whole team. Since Roshan is a deciding factor, the best way to defeat him requires the right timing and strategy.

As the match progresses, Roshan gains strength and respawns each time he is killed. He returns after a random period of eight to eleven minutes.

Understanding Roles, Team Fights, and Positions in Dota 2

In Dota 2, your team matters more than you individually. So, however efficient you are as an individual player, Dota 2 is fundamentally a team game. It is not only about shining solo; it is about contributing to the overall victory in every moment of the match. Each role in Dota 2 serves a specific purpose, and your combined strategy revolves around these aspects. Thinking and playing as a team means sticking to your assigned role and position.

The Five Key Roles

Understanding each player’s role and position is crucial for your game’s efficiency.

1. Carry (Safelane)

The Carry, who begins the game weak, becomes the strongest hero. Their main objective is to farm goods and gold in the early phase so they may take the lead in the late game. Once their strength is sufficient, the Carry can “carry” the whole army to victory.

1. Mid Core (Midlane)

The Mid Core operates in the middle lane, taking and delivering hits early. They are frequently in charge of maintaining the tempo, getting important kills, and guiding the action in the middle of the game.

1. Offlane (Offlaner)

The Offlaner’s primary goal is to slow down the opposing Carry’s progress by upsetting their farm. Because they are in the more challenging lane, the Offlaner must withstand pressure and make room for their teammates.

1. Semi-Support (Roaming or Jungle)

A flexible duty, the Semi-Support wanders across the map to offer support where it is required. They frequently obtain vision, set up ganks, and help keep control of critical regions of the map.

1. Main Support (Safelane)

The Main Support makes the Carry shine, especially at the beginning of the game. They prioritize utility, ward placement, and defending the Carry against hostile attacks.

Starting as a Beginner

The Carry and Main Support roles are often easy for beginners to understand and play. These roles provide a clear sense of purpose and allow you to concentrate on learning the game’s mechanics. Some heroes, such as Sniper and Phantom Assassin, are good if you’re just starting and don’t know which to pick.

Hero Selection Tips

Once you identify your preferred role, selecting 3 to 5 heroes you enjoy and are comfortable playing is wise. This gives you flexibility when drafting and ensures you are prepared to counter specific opponents. For example, heroes like Sniper, Juggernaut, or Phantom Assassin are great starting options if you are a Carry.

Runes

Runes are unique power-ups that provide players or teams with different bonuses and irregularly show up in specific locations in the game. There are four rune spots: one in each team’s jungle and two in the river.

• Bounty Runes spawn at all four rune spots at the game’s beginning (0:00), awarding the team with gold. Every three minutes after that, they exclusively spawn in the jungle regions.
• Water Runes appear in the river rune spots at 2:00 and 4:00 minutes, giving the player who picks them back 80 mana and 100 life.
• Power-up Runes spawn randomly at one of the two river rune spots, starting at 6:00 and every two minutes after.

Day and Night Cycle

Dota 2’s unique day-and-night cycle greatly influences tactics and strategy. The preparation part of every match begins at night, creating a low-key, frightening atmosphere. The horn blows at 00:00, signaling the start of the day when heroes can see better and the map is brighter. Throughout the game, the terrain changes daily to night, every five minutes, affecting everything from map control to team fights.

There are particular difficulties at night. Most heroes’ vision fades into darkness, making it more challenging to identify opponents or dodge ambushes. For this reason, positioning becomes even more critical, as moving without proper vision increases the risk of surprise attacks. Determining your plan according to the time of day can mean victory and defeat in Dota 2!

Invisibility

In Dota 2, invisibility is a strong skill that can change the outcome of a match. Certain heroes have abilities that allow them to vanish from sight, and some items, like Shadow Blade or Glimmer Cape, grant temporary invisibility. Invisible units can move across the map covertly, create surprise ganks, and escape dangerous situations. However, there are drawbacks to this stealth mechanism because only True Sight can show invisible troops.

Specific game features, like towers, items, and abilities, enable True Sight. While Dust of Appearance is a consumable item that temporarily reveals invisible units in a particular region, Sentry Wards can be carefully positioned to detect invisible opponents. Gem of True Sight offers a permanent, mobile solution, granting its holder the ability to see invisible units in their vicinity—but losing it upon death can hand a crucial advantage to the enemy.

Different Stages of Dota 2 Game

Dota 2 gameplay has distinct phases, each with unique objectives and strategies. Understanding these stages is essential for developing effective team coordination and improving overall performance.

During the game's laning phase, players divide the map into top, mid, or bottom lanes. The principal objectives of this phase are securing resources, taking charge, and determining the game's pace.

Core Players: Last-hitting creeps are your primary goal if you want to gain experience and gold. Here, timing is crucial; hitting creeps at the ideal time will maximize your gold earnings.

Support Players: Your job is to help your main heroes by preventing the opposition from getting gold and experience by eliminating your creeps before the rival can attack them. You are also responsible for “harassing” enemy heroes, keeping them under pressure, and disrupting their farming efforts.

Objectives: Early kills are valuable but not the primary objective. Instead, aim to gain an advantage in gold and experience.

Mid Game: Rotations and Map Control

Players start to leave their lanes to move across the map at the ten to twenty-minute mark, which is usually when the midgame begins. Depending on your team’s makeup and the match’s current status, your tactics will change during this transitional phase. Identify the weaknesses of the enemy team and exploit them strategically.

Rotations: In search of chances to attack opponents or aid allies, heroes move to different lanes or into the jungle. Well-planned rotations may guarantee kills, degrade the other team, and free up room for your carry to comfortably farm.

Towers and Objectives: The map is now open because some outer tier one towers have probably been destroyed. Tower destruction is necessary because it reduces the enemy’s authority over the battlefield and allows your team greater flexibility in farming and movement.

Late Game

Once your team’s main heroes have gathered their essential supplies and are prepared to fight hard, the late game starts. Utilizing your resources in the game’s dynamic environment to ensure victory through strategic plays and well-timed goals is the main target of this phase.

Teamfights: The late game revolves around massive battles. During these battles, positioning, spell use, and coordination are crucial because one mistake can have disastrous results.

Primary Goals: The focus switches to capturing valuable targets like Roshan, whose death grants the Aegis of the Immortal, which grants an extra life to the hero who claims it.

Ultra Late Game: When Chaos Reigns

Occasionally, a Dota 2 game goes into the ultra-late stage, an uncommon and thrilling situation where the clock runs over an hour and chaos takes control. These lengthy disputes frequently occur when:

• The pushing strength of one squad needs to be improved to get past the defenses of the other.
• A “throw,” or dramatic misplay, causes momentum to change.
• The equally matched opposing sides counter every move.

Dota 2 is a complex and exciting game that combines strategy, teamwork, and individual skill. While the learning curve can feel steep, the satisfaction of mastering its mechanics through a straight and structured process and contributing to your team’s success is unmatched. More importantly, you can also start playing bot matches to find the specific heroes to practice the tournaments and improve your skills. Remember, patience is essential when learning to play Dota 2.

The game is more fun if you play it with your friends, so invite them to join when you start playing and lead them to victory!