Dota 2 can be considered an extremely challenging and complex game, from the last hitting and creep denying mechanic to the jungle pulling and stacking to the warding and vision, and more. You also need to constantly learn about new heroes and new items as the game adds more every year, changing the way the game is played.
While it can be difficult to comprehend the entire mechanics of the game even after a few rounds, Dota 2 still provides the most in-depth strategies that make the game an excellent choice for hardcore MOBA fans. Here are the top 10 tips that everyone should know before playing Dota 2.
Teamwork Wins More Games
The first and probably the most important thing that any Dota player will tell you is that teamwork is the ultimate reason why you win more games. Dota 2 is a team game. Each player will have a role in the game and all roles are equally important.
A single mistake can lead to an immediate defeat but players who can work together and correct those mistakes tend to swing the game back around. Speaking of mistakes, one of the biggest mistakes most players make, especially those who are in low ranks, is initiating fights all by themselves.
Players who start a fight without working with their team can end up costing the game. It is always best to synergize with your teammates. Many people would say that you can always carry the game for your team but that almost never happens in the game. Teamwork is still the best way to get the win.
Communication Is Key
Improving your teamwork does not happen overnight. It takes a lot of communication for a team to work perfectly. These are the many reasons why pro teams spend a lot of time in the game so they learn how to communicate with each other.
When playing the game, always talk about what you want to do, what are your cooldowns, which skills are available, where you want to go next, and so on. This will help your teammates prepare for what's coming next instead of surprising them by starting a fight.
A common scenario in low ranks is that players are more focused on talking smack to other players instead of talking about a plan. Avoid this type of conversation at all costs and shift your focus to a more constructive type of communication.
Watch Your Own Game
Progress is achieved by knowing what your mistakes are in the game. Always be critical of your mistakes and watch your own game. Look back at how you lost the game as an individual player and as a team.
You will soon notice that there are a lot of micro-mistakes that you made as an individual player that contributed to the overall loss. By learning to be self-critical and watching your own game, you get to understand your mistakes and begin to correct them.
It may not happen immediately but chances are, you are already on the right path.
Build Solid Fundamentals
Dota 2 is a very complex MOBA game. There are a lot of basic skills that you need to learn such as last hitting creeps, pulling, understanding what each hero does in the game, and many more.
These fundamentals can be learned through the tutorial or by watching other players play the game. Building a solid fundamental knowledge in the game will help you train yourself to become a better player.
These habits should be built and practiced so you can get better.
Understand Your Role
In Dota 2, there are five different roles and each role has its function in the game. Each team should have a hard carry, an active carry, utility core, semi-support, and hard support.
The hard support's job is to make the hard carry's life easier by providing vision or taking it away from the enemy. The semi-support is a mix between support and the utility core as it is his job to roam around and impact other players.
The utility core makes a lot of sacrifices for other players but also performs well in the game by providing utility and tankiness. The active carry is usually the player that excels in the mid-game, and the hard carry is where most resources are being funneled to so that the player can win the game in the later stage.
Learn to Close the Game
Now that you understand your role and you have your team communicating properly, the next step to earning more wins and getting better at Dota 2 is to know when to properly close a game.
A lot of players tend to delay the game as much as possible to satisfy their thirst for blood and assert their dominance. This would even come to a point that the dominant team would rub it in the losing team's faces.
However, this can backfire and it will most likely happen if you do not close the game as soon as the first opportunity opens up. Always make sure to end the game when there is an opening to do so. Leave no room for a comeback and you will find yourself having more wins.
Choose and Master a Few Heroes
Dota 2 has one of the most diverse casts of heroes to choose from. Each of these heroes has its own highlight abilities that can win team fights and the entire game. There are heroes that purely deal damage while others are more defensive such as healing and shielding.
Learning your role in the game also means choosing and mastering a few certain heroes. In each patch, there will always be heroes that excel in the game. Take the chance in learning and mastering these heroes during their overpowered state so that you can win more games.
It is highly recommended to choose at least three heroes to master so you don't get target banned by your opponents.
Information Is Key
Information is always key to victory. Knowing where your enemies are and knowing what your opponents can do can be a factor in winning more games. One of the most underestimated mechanics in the game is warding.
Many new players and low-ranking players often lose a lot due to the unavailability of information. One good way to get information from the enemy is through wards. Wards create vision especially on the enemy side of the map.
This lets you see where the enemy is heading which gives you the information to play it safely if the enemy is already heading your way to gank. Another key information that you should be updated with is patch notes. Patch notes contain information about the changes in the game.
The Mute Button Is Your Friend
There will come a time when you get to meet certain types of players in this game. For the most part, you'll have the best time playing the game with your friends. There will also come a time when you get to meet a certain type of player that is toxic, illogical, and unbearable.
These players are often loud and can be quite aggressive. They tend to spew hateful words towards the way you play the game or tell you how bad you are at the game. This can take a toll on your mindset and could even worsen as the game goes on.
Learn how to use the mute button at the first sign of a problematic player and then report the player at the end of the match. The community can become malicious at times and it is up to you as a player to report such behavior to avoid it from happening to other players.
Look at the Mini-Map
As mentioned before, information is key. The mini-map is the best place to look for information that you can take advantage of. If the hard support has warded an area on the map, you should be able to read the map with all the movement from both your and the enemy team.
This gives you the information you need to start strategizing with your team. However, there are still many players that forget to look at the mini-map. Make it a habit to look at the mini-map after each creep kill or two so you will always have an idea of the state of the game at a macro level.
Sometimes, a glance on the minimap and pinging your team that the enemy is missing is already good enough information to keep your lane safe from ganks.
Conclusion
With all the complexities within a single Dota 2 game, players tend to make a lot of errors. Learning the game before playing it is a good way to become better. Follow the steps given above to ensure your victory in almost all of your games.
Dota 2 is currently available for download on PC via Steam.
References
team - Find Out How to Make a Custom Team in Dream League Soccer - Game Roy
