A Beginner’s Guide to Dota 2 – Part Five: Playing Support 2

That additionally sounds unbelievably straightforward.

It’s not. Supports have lots to fret concerning and lots to target, and tally down the time till there’s another set of Wards within the store isn’t one thing most extremely do. Ideally, they will, however additional usually than not – unless they themselves really want Wards, or somebody reminds them – they’ll check each currently then, and go warding.

What concerning picket Wards?

These aren’t as essential. In higher level games, sure, you’ll drop Sentries so you'll be able to notice and destroy the enemy team’s Wards and cut back their vision, however this doesn’t happen such a lot in lower level games and isn’t one thing you would like to fret an excessive amount of concerning.

So supports will wholly ignore picket Wards whereas they’re still learning the ropes?

No. like something, there area unit exceptions to the rule, and with picket Wards it’s usually either “if you’re losing badly” or “if either team has heroes which will flip invisible.”

If either team has heroes which will flip invisible? for certain it’s as long as the enemy team has those heroes? No, wait: justify the opposite one 1st. Why area unit Sentries vital if you’re losing?

For precisely the reason I gave earlier on why Observer Wards area unit vital if you’re losing – they let your carries keep safe. Stick a picket Ward down on the additional common ward spots, and you'll be able to notice and destroy the enemy Observer Wards in your jungle. Do this, and your enemy has no vision in your jungle, which implies they can’t see your carries farming their very little hearts out. mix this with Observer Wards and that they haven't any vision, whereas you are doing. You’ve suddenly got safe farming territory, and you'll be able to begin redressing the balance and perhaps obtaining yourself into a foothold wherever you'll be able to win teamfights.

I will guess why you would like picket Wards if the enemy team has stealing heroes – so you'll be able to see them, right?

Right. typically an honest plan to place them down in any space wherever you’re designing on fighting, or projecting around for for a while.

So why does one wish them if your team has stealing heroes?

Counter-warding. you would like to be ready to destroy their picket Wards. Let’s say you’re supporting Bounty Hunter or Broodmother or Riki in lane – somebody World Health Organization can, at some purpose, begin looking forward to stealing before the laning section is actually over. If the enemy’s good, they’ll have picket Wards prepared for that time so they will stay safe and keep harassing your hidden hero… or expect him to over-extend, thinking he’s safe, then stun and kill him. mud of look isn’t quite as effective in an exceedingly laning scenario, really.

If you've got picket Wards, though, then you'll be able to use them to identify and destroy theirs. It’s valuable, however worthy. This additionally applies soon at sure times, too, though the prospect that somebody on the opposite team can acquire a Gem of True Sight will mean that this’ll be alittle less effective within the terribly late game.

Are you done talking concerning Wards yet?

It’s additionally acceptable for your traveler to appear like this.

So you would like to inform ME concerning keeping your team alive, and why that’s one thing specific to supports instead of simply a general goal for everybody? as a result of I figure that just about everyone desires their team to remain alive. You idiot.

Obviously everybody desires their team to remain alive –

You idiot.

Shut up. everybody desires their team to remain alive, however supports area unit additional expendable than everybody else. They don’t would like cash an excessive amount of in order that they won’t lose an excessive amount of from death, they in all probability don’t have several kills, and they’re probably a lower level than the remainder of the team (the latter is frequently untrue, but again, generalising). As such, sacrificing a support to avoid wasting a carry may be a worthy trade. If you die and your carry lives and gets away attributable to your sacrifice, likelihood is that it absolutely was an honest move. Your carry has to gain levels. Your carry has to farm. Your carry cannot afford to lose gold by dying, or to lose time by dying.

Obviously, though, this is often a seriously risky judgment decision. If you get wise wrong, then you would possibly finish up dying in addition, and I’ve warned you before concerning however dying are some things you are doing not wish to try to to. If your carry is that the only 1 apart from you continue to alive, and he’s being hunted person by the complete enemy team, it'd be additional smart to only defend no matter gets attacked instead – significantly if you’re somebody like Shadow priest-doctor or Disruptor, World Health Organization will build it terribly, terribly troublesome for folks to attack towers. (The flipside being that Disruptor would possibly truly be ready to save the carry alittle additional simply due to the amount of tools he has for protection down or pushing back multiple enemies).

Nonetheless, as a support, that’s sorta your role. If you’re laning and one in every of your different lanes gets pushed arduous by the enemy, it’s presumably you World Health Organization ought to in all probability city Portal over there to assist defend, so your lane partner will keep his farm going. You’re the one who’s meant to stay the team alive and keep the sport safe till your carry will truly begin carrying you.

Why the hell would I sacrifice myself for somebody else?

That angle indicates that you just would be a terrible support.

So that’s all a support ought to do, then?

No, however that’s concerning all that each one supports ought to do. the matter is strictly a similar that I’ve mentioned before – Dota 2‘s organisation may be a bit nebulous, and just about each hero fits into multiple classes. Lina, World Health Organization is presently my go-to hero, works well as a support as a result of within the early game she will lay out a silly quantity of harm terribly, terribly quickly, even with none cash, and she’s got stuns which will either save folks from death or facilitate to line up kills. Conversely, if she gets cash then she will build up harm and health things which will flip her into a awfully viable semi-carry – or perhaps carry. and since of the convenience with that she will kill folks at level vi, she will terribly simply begin wrenching up the money she desires for this stuff though she’s spent the primary 10 minutes supporting some other person.

Sand King may be a solid support as a result of, again, he’s got a superb stun and also the suggests that to guard others within the early game, even while not cash. On the opposite hand, he simply transitions into a teamfight role once he’s got a Blink Dagger and his incredibly powerful final. Lion may be a solid support/babysitter World Health Organization will develop into a roaming ganker once he gets his final. Dazzle may be a solid support and lane baby-sitter along with his healing and invulnerability powers, but… okay, no, he’s just about a support right the means through the sport, despite my terrible habit of shopping for Desolator on him if a game goes well.

Sorry. you purchase Desolator on Dazzle?

As a joke, usually, if the sport goes therefore well that I can’t probably lose! however, uh, yeah. You don’t wish to try to to that.

Fantastic. You’re associate simple.

Look, it truly synergises quite well along with his final, and if –

No no no, it’s quite alright. You’re associate simple. area unit you done however, by the way? I even have a massage in [*fr1] associate hour.

One final thing.

Ugh.

It’s fine. you'll be able to choose your massage, or no matter {that truly|that really|that truly} suggests that considering you’re actually simply ME having a stress-related breakdown. I solely wish to travel over ward locations.

This is a fast and dirty guide – there area unit some far more in-depth guides to wherever and once you ought to ward on-line, however i would like to present a fast summary. per se lots of those locations area unit keen about the state and time of the sport, however I’ve colour-coded them and given somewhat description on what that individual ward offers you.

White: These offer vision of your enemy’s middle Tier one, and – if placed right – aren’t detected by that tower.
Red: These supply vision of 1 of the grapheme spots, with every location additionally granting alittle of additional vision which will assist you either keep a watch on enemy lanes, the Roshan pit, incoming ganks, etc.
Blue: These supply vision of the position between the Tier one and Tier two towers, and usually helpful for creating certain you won’t be ambushed if you’re assaultive or defensive the Tier 2s.
Yellow: These supply solid vision of the enemy’s jungle, and frequently some lane vision. Note that some of the red ward locations try this, too.
Pink: These block one or additional jungle camps (including the pull camp) and supply alittle of vision. For the effulgent aspect one, Google “magic bush.” Don’t worry; it in all probability won’t return up with creative activity.

There are, obviously, {far additional|much more|way more} sensible ward locations than this; there area unit guides on-line listing the more common ward spots and why you’d place a ward there, that have upwards of seventy locations. I haven’t lined push wards, or defensive Roshan wards, or lane wards, or… well, lots. however these area unit a number of the additional common ones. In general, if you’re enjoying a support and you've got some wards spare, these area unit cheap locations to drop them.

Note that that wards area unit most helpful depends on the state of the sport – if you’re pushed right the means back to your base, then warding the enemy jungle isn’t planning to do abundant for you. Likewise, warding the pull camps is fairly pointless once the laning section is over.

That’s concerning it for on, I think. i'll in all probability come back at some purpose with additional mistily useful Dota two bits and items, as presently as i feel of another topic value discussing. Hurrah!