Dota 2 is a challenging game, especially for new players. While the core roles like the mid and hard carry are appealing, they don’t have to do much apart from farming resources and building their items. New players should try playing the support role because they can make an impact on the match with their spell and item usage.
The game is filled with many different factors that can affect the flow but as a support, you can control the pace. It is an often-overlooked role because the core players are usually seen as the stars but support heroes make everything happen as they open up the game for their cores.
When you watch esports tournaments, you will see that Dota has a focus on core players. This is usually due to the farm priority during the games but the supports are ready to dictate the pace. If you are looking for a guide on how to play better in the support role, this is right for you, as provided by Dota!
Know the right timing for spell usage
As a support, you are usually playing a frail hero that relies on their spell usage to be effective. You need to have good timing when playing supports because you will usually have game-changing abilities. Imagine you’re playing Lion, and you know that you have two disable abilities that can change the course of the match.
If you know the right timing to use your Earth Spike stun or Hex, you can shut down an enemy core hero. This is also true for support heroes that have huge ultimate skills. Think of Earthshaker and how timing is crucial for the hero to succeed. His ultimate is called Echo Slam where he needs the enemy units to stick together for the skill to deal more damage.
When you get the hang of timing in Dota, you will succeed in gaining more matchmaking rating points. Knowing when to use your skills to layer disables and to shut down an enemy is crucial.
Positioning is king
If you know anything about strategic games, you should always find an advantageous position that can help you win more. As a support, you will most likely avoid the frontlines because you have to throw your skills from a safe space. You should look at how far your skills’ cast ranges because that will play a factor in where you place yourself during a team fight.
The perfect heroes to use when learning more about positioning are Tusk, Earthshaker, and of course, Rubick. If you are playing one of these heroes, you will see that vanishing from enemy vision is a huge threat. If you steal a huge spell with Rubick, you should find a good vantage point to use against the enemy. This is the same for any other support hero because you can turn the tides of the fight on your own.
If you manage to lose the enemy because you entered the right position, you will most likely pull off a game-changing move.
Warding is crucial for success
Vision is one of the most important factors in Dota 2. When you know your enemy’s location on the map, you and the rest of the team have a chance to pull off ganks or surprise attacks. If you can win the team fight, you will most likely have a chance to enter their base and destroy their Ancient.
If you plant the right ward in an optimal area, you can see what the enemy is up to, what their items are, and their stats. When you do this, you will succeed further as a top-tier support player because you should know Dota’s fundamentals.
Hopefully, you can also watch some esports tournaments, so you can learn lessons on how to be a better support player. There is always room for improvement especially in Dota 2.
This is a sponsored post from Dota 2. Affinity Magazine is receiving financial compensation for the publication of this article, which utilized content provided by Dota.
