Dota 2 offers a complex gaming experience with a steep learning curve. Building a solid hero pool is one of the most crucial steps in becoming a better player. A hero pool is a selection of heroes you are comfortable playing in various roles. This article will provide beginners tips and strategies for building a strong and versatile cllection.
Understanding Hero Roles
Before diving into building your hero pool, it's essential to understand the five primary roles in Dota 2. Each of them has specific responsibilities and playstyles:
- Carry The carry hero deals most of the damage in the late game. They need to farm efficiently and become powerful as the game progresses. Examples: Anti-Mage, Sven, and Phantom Assassin.
- Mid: The mid-laner often has a significant impact on the game. They need good mechanics and map awareness. Examples: Shadow Fiend, Storm Spirit, and Templar Assassin.
- Offlane: The offlaner typically plays in the hard lane, often against multiple opponents. They need to survive and disrupt the enemy's farm. Examples: Tidehunter, Centaur Warrunner, and Dark Seer.
- Support: Supports help the team by providing vision, healing, and crowd control. They usually don't require much farming. Examples: Crystal Maiden, Lion, and Witch Doctor.
- Hard Support: The hard support focuses on warding, dewarding, and protecting the carry. They usually sacrifice their farm for the team's benefit. Examples: Treant Protector, Lich, and Bane.
Selecting Your First Heroes
As a beginner, it's best to start with heroes that are easy to understand and play. Here are some beginner-friendly heroes for each role:
Carry: Wraith King
Wraith King is a straightforward carry with a simple skill set. His ultimate ability, Reincarnation, gives you a second chance if you die. This makes him forgiving for new players.
Mid: Dragon Knight
Dragon Knight is durable and has a straightforward skill set. He can push towers effectively with his Dragon Form and is tough to kill, making him an excellent choice for beginners.
Offlane: Bristleback
Bristleback is tanky and deals significant damage over time with his Quill Spray. His passive ability reduces damage from the back, making him a durable offlaner.
Support: Crystal Maiden
Crystal Maiden has a reliable stun and provides mana regeneration for her team with her Arcane Aura. She's an excellent support for beginners due to her straightforward abilities.
Hard Support: Lion
Lion has two reliable disables and a high-damage ultimate. His skill set is easy to understand, making him a good choice for new hard support players.
Expanding Your Hero Pool
Once you're comfortable with your initial heroes, expanding your hero pool is time. Here are some tips to help you do that:
Focus on One Role
It's beneficial to focus on one role initially. This allows you to master the mechanics and responsibilities of that role. Once you're confident, you can start learning other roles.
Learn Two Heroes Per Role
Having at least two heroes per role ensures you have options if your preferred hero is banned or picked by the enemy. It also gives you flexibility in adapting to different team compositions.
Play Different Types of Heroes
Within each role, there are different types of heroes. For example, in the carry role, you can have a hard carry like Spectre or a semi-carry like Vengeful Spirit. Playing various types of heroes will help you understand the game's dynamics better.
Watch Professional Players
Watching professional players and streamers can provide valuable insights into hero mechanics and strategies. Please pay attention to their item builds, skill usage, and positioning.
Practice and Patience
Building a hero pool takes time and practice. Don't get discouraged if you struggle with a new hero. Keep practising and learning from your mistakes.
Developing Game Sense
Game sense is an intuitive understanding of the game, including when to engage, retreat, or take objectives. Here are some tips to develop your game sense:
Map Awareness
Always keep an eye on the minimap. Knowing the positions of enemy heroes can prevent ganks and help you make better decisions.
Positioning
Good positioning is crucial in Dota 2. Stay safe while farming and be in the right place during team fights. Supports should stay behind their cores, while carries should position themselves to maximise damage output.
Itemisation
Understanding when to build specific items is vital. For example, if you're playing against a team with much magical damage, consider buying a Black King Bar (BKB) to make yourself immune to spells.
Communication
Effective communication with your team can change the outcome of the game. In-game chat and voice commands to share important information, like enemy movements or cooldowns.
Advanced Tips for Building Your Hero Pool
As you gain more experience, you can incorporate more advanced strategies into your hero pool development.
Counter-Picking
Understanding hero matchups is crucial. Learn which heroes counter your chosen heroes and which heroes your chosen heroes counter. This knowledge will help you make better picks during the drafting phase.
Versatility
Try to include versatile heroes in your pool. Heroes like Mirana and Vengeful Spirit can be played in multiple roles, giving your team more flexibility during the draft.
Situational Picks
Some heroes are situational and excel in specific scenarios. For example, Silencer is excellent against spell-heavy lineups. Having a few situational heroes in your pool can give you an edge in certain games.
Adapting to the Meta
The meta in Dota 2 constantly evolves with patches and updates. Staying updated with the current meta and understanding which heroes are strong can give you a competitive advantage.
Tips for Specific Roles
Here are additional tips for each role to help you build a more effective hero pool.
Carry
- Farm Efficiency: Practice last-hitting and denying to maximise your gold income. Learn to farm safely and effectively.
- Timing: Understand the power spikes of your hero. For example, Anti-Mage becomes strong after getting his Battle Fury and Manta Style.
- Team Fights: Position yourself to deal maximum damage while staying safe. Don't initiate fights unless you're confident you can secure a kill without dying.
Mid
- Lantern Control: Master the art of last-hitting and denying in the mid lane. Controlling the lane equilibrium is crucial.
- Rune Control: Controlling the runes can give you a significant advantage. Always check the rune spots and try to secure them.
- Ganking: Utilise your mid position to gank other lanes. Effective ganks can turn the tide in favor of your team.
Offlane
- Survival: Your primary goal in the offlane is to survive and get experience. Don't overextend and risk dying.
- Disruption: Disrupt the enemy carry's farm by harassing and using abilities effectively.
- Team Fights: Initiate fights and soak up damage for your team. Heroes like Tidehunter and Centaur Warrunner excel in this role.
Support
- Warding: Place and maintain wards to provide vision for your team. Vision can prevent ganks and set up kills.
- Babysitting: Protect your carry during the laning phase. Harass the enemy and ensure your carry gets farm.
- Utility: Build utility items like Mekansm, Glimmer Cape, and Force Staff to aid your team during fights.
Hard Support
- Sacrifice: Be prepared to sacrifice your farm and experience for the team's benefit. Your primary role is to support your team.
- Vision Control: Focus on warding and dewarding. Vision is crucial for map control and preventing enemy ganks.
- Crowd Control: Use your abilities to disable and control enemy heroes during fights. Heroes like Lion and Bane excel at this.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced players make mistakes. Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for when building and playing your hero pool:
Overcommitting to One Hero
While having a favourite hero is good, relying too heavily on one can make you predictable and easy to counter. Diversify your hero pool to stay versatile.
Ignoring the Meta
The meta can influence hero effectiveness. Stay updated with patch notes and understand how changes affect your hero pool.
Poor Communication
Lack of communication can lead to misplays and lost games. Always keep your team informed about your plans and status.
Tunnel Vision
Focusing too much on farming or killing can make you miss crucial objectives like towers and Roshan. Balance your priorities based on the game's state.
Building a hero pool is an ongoing process. As you gain experience, your preferences and strategies will evolve. Keep practising, stay adaptable, and, most importantly, have fun. Dota 2 is a game of constant learning and improvement. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to becoming a better player and contributing to your team's success.