Dota 2 Beginner Guide: Positions, Last Hitting and Winning Games

The five positions

Teams usually split into five roles:

• Position 1 (carry): farms safely early and dominates late game.
• Position 2 (mid): gains levels quickly and makes plays around the map.
• Position 3 (offlane): tanky initiator who disrupts the enemy carry.
• Position 4 (soft support): roams, ganks and helps other lanes.
• Position 5 (hard support): protects the carry, wards and stacks camps.

Last hitting and denying

Gold comes mainly from getting the last hit on creeps. Practise it in a demo match until you can hit most creeps in lane, and deny your own creeps to slow the enemy. For cores, good farming is the single biggest skill early on.

Start with simple heroes

Some heroes are much easier to learn: durable heroes with straightforward abilities are forgiving while you learn the game. Stick to a few heroes in one or two positions so you can focus on decisions instead of mechanics.

Vision and map awareness

Wards win games. Supports should keep vision around important areas such as Roshan, jungle entrances and high ground, and everyone should check the minimap often. When enemies disappear, they may be coming for you.

Items and timing

Build items that solve problems in the current game — for example, magic resistance against heavy spell damage, or items that dispel or stop disables. The in-game item suggestions are a decent start, but adapt them to the enemy team.

Climbing MMR

Rank changes over many games. Focus on your own mistakes, watch replays of your losses and play when you're rested. Muting toxic players keeps your focus on the match.

Frequently asked questions