DOTA 2 Walkthrough [Guide]

Defense of the Ancients, or DOTA, has achieved a worldwide following since it was released, and is even played professionally around the world. Valve now aims to capture that same enjoyment with the game’s sequel, DOTA 2. It provides much of the same gameplay without changing too much up, but with enough enhancements to keep everything fresh and interesting. Are you and your team up for the challenge? Read this guide for some of the basics on how you can excel at this intense battle arena game.

Gameplay
DOTA 2 is an action strategy game where up to ten players can distribute themselves among two teams with the purpose of destroying the opposing team’s Ancient, which is basically a statue located near their base. Players basically start at the same level, with each one earning coins and experience that they can use to improve their characters the longer the battle goes.

Aside from enemies trying to both attack your Ancient and defending theirs, players will also have to contend with creeps, creatures that spawn automatically and can either attack you or your enemies. Some creeps will also fight exclusively under you or against you. These are the best ways to earn additional coins and experience especially during the early stages of the battle. Also, towers will be guarding your respective Ancients, and these are not only powerful but tough to beat, as well.

With this, good communication and coordination between team members is a must, and they must be able to engage the enemy and towers as a cohesive unit in order to achieve victory.

Heroes
Gamers can choose from over a hundred different characters to play as. Each hero has distinctive attributes, weapons, and abilities which will add variety into the game. Heroes can often be offensive, defensive, or support in nature, and can also specialize in either melee, ranged, or magic based combat. Abilities, or skills, can be triggered in battle, although some can only be unlocked once players have reached a certain level, and all will require a cooldown period before they can be used again. Also, using abilities will require the use of mana, which is a finite resource.

Leveling Up
Players will start off at level 1, and players can then earn experience points by killing creeps and enemies. Once enough experience has been earned, players can then level up, which will boost their base attributes. Players can also purchase equipment such as armor and weapons at the store, which will further increase their stats. This can be done through the use of coins.

The player’s stash of coins increases gradually over time, although the best way to earn this is by killing enemies. Players can also use coins to purchase items that can help them regenerate their health and mana, even without having to return to base.

In addition, certain powerups will often pop up randomly on the level, and players can acquire this to help them along in battle.

Once players have been killed in battle, they would have to wait for a certain period before they will respawn, the length of which depends on their current level. They can then use this time to purchase items and equip more powerful gear in preparation for the next insertion.

Tips and Tricks
Oftentimes, discretion is the better part of valor. If you are low on health, or at a relatively low level, or if you are facing multiple enemies, it would be much more prudent to retreat and wait for backup than to attack them head on. It would also be wise to lead creeps and have enemies deal with them, with you on the side waiting for the enemy to weaken enough so that you can engage them.

It is also very important to have the proper equipment with you. Even if you are at a higher level, you can get easily defeated by enemies wearing superior armor and wielding better weapons, as some also provide buffs that are very beneficial even when facing multiple enemies. Take your time when purchasing and equipping weapons, and skip a round or two without buying anything so that you’ll have ample cash to buy better items.

Lastly, communicate with your team members. Coordinate your positions and move as a single unit, whether it be for offense or defense. Learn the DOTA lingo, as this will make it easier for you to type in commands while moving. A better army will defeat any individual player at all times, no matter how skilled they are, so make sure to work together both when attacking and defending.