5 Ways To Win At DotA

I’m going to continue our MOBA/DotA/Action-RTS themed week by offering a few hints and tips on how to win in a genre that is so, so dedicated to winning. If you’re new to playing something like League of Legends, Defence of the Ancients or Heroes of Newerth, you’d be forgiven for thinking that all MOBA players hate you and want you to leave. That’s certainly the case for some people who are quite keen to keep the genre a secret, but for the most part they just want to help you become the best player you can. Over the past few weeks, I’ve played an awful lot of this sort of game and I now feel like I’m in a position to offer a little bit of advice. This is not a DotA Guide but hopefully some of it will help you to become someone not afraid of random insults, although I wouldn’t dream of guaranteeing anything.

#1 – Know your Character

This is the number one most important part of DotA. If you choose a character randomly without understanding the various attributes that particular hero has, you’re probably going to lose. At a very basic level this means getting too close to the enemy when you’re a support type hero, but it also means buying too much early on for a character that’s going to need financial support at the latter half of the game.

Read the History of MOBA games here->

It isn’t always possible to get your favourite character and nobody is expecting you to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of everything in the game. The only thing you can do is pick a character that matches your play style and not, as I’m sure plenty of people do, based upon their looks, boob size or awesome big weapon (not a euphemism). DotA is a tactical game, so use tactics.

#2 – Do your Research

To be a champion of DotA you need to know the game. This goes further than knowing your character, but knowing the various systems involved as well. Know when you equip items, know when to back off and recover your health, and know when to use a potion. All of this information is available in guides on the internet and there have been constant debates over the last ten years as to which sorts of characters are the best for doing what.

Read our Heroes of Newerth Review here->

I’m not usually the sort of person who would suggest using a guide, especially in an online game, but if you’re absolutely dedicated to becoming a great DotA player as quickly as possible, you’re going to need to read the notes of the people who came before you. When you know the game inside out, you can start to play in your own way.

#3 – Communicate

The MOBA genre is based upon the idea of teamwork. You utterly rely on the people around you and there continued defence of the area you’re not in. It’s for that reason that a single person can’t turn around a game by themselves and it’s for that reason that it’s hugely important to communicate with your team.

Even if all you want is to let them know where you’re going or that there’s danger ahead, a two second message to your teammates can make or break what you’re doing as a team and it’s important to remember that they rely on you as much as you rely on them.

Graves LoL

And, as a side note in communication, it’s really important to remember that you’re not the only person playing and to be polite as much as you possibly can be. This genre is full of people for whom winning is the only goal, and they’re always happy to complain, insult and bitch if they lose, usually at the expense of the other people on the team. Don’t be that guy, help others where you can.

#4 – Buy Carefully

I have a nasty habit of either spending too much money at the beginning of the game or of saving for too long for a particular item. Buying the right item at the right time can change your character from a weak beginner to an absolute powerhouse and knowing what’s available, how to use the show and how to find the hidden shops is absolutely one of the most important things to learn when starting out. Remember, it isn’t enough that your character is powerful, but that you’ve boosted them in the right areas as well.

LoL Pix

Adding to this, don’t be tempted to pay to return your character to life after dying. It’s a waste of money that could be going into character boosters, but on top of that you’ll be unable to buy your way back into the game for a set amount of time. Only buy your way back if you have money to waste (at the end of a game, for instance) or if you’re desperately needed by your teammates. Other than that, just be patient and wait it out.

#5 – Be ready to lose

Sometimes you’re going to lose; sometimes it won’t be your fault. Frankly though, I don’t see this as a genre about winning and losing (perhaps that’s why I’m always so surprised by people’s reaction to a negative endgame), but as a genre about taking part. Playing a game can be intense, fun, confusing, inspiring and a whole lot more, and it can be those things whether you can a little mark in the win column of your profile or not.

Find more on Dota 2 in our Video Review here->

Try to enjoy the game; don’t take it too seriously, and with time you’ll find yourself getting better and better.

Conclusion - DotA Strategy 

It’s easy to become a DotA champ, it really is. The only difference between the people at the bottom of the leaderboard and the people at the top is that those at the top took time out to really experience the game, to get to grips with everything it offers and to learn how to control the characters. With some time and energy, you could easily join them, so long as you’re not discouraged in the early moments of the game. These are basic guidelines, as I’ve seen it over the past few weeks, and there are more in-depth guides available. I suggest you read those if you want to take this whole thing seriously and, of course, good luck. Not that you’ll need it.