Today we will explain basic concepts that you should know while watching a game of Dota 2 or playing it. These terms are widely used by commentators, players, and teams that should be known to the spectators.

Let’s start, the map of DotA 2 is divided into 3 lines:

TOP/BOT

Top is the upper part of the map when playing as Radiant, and the Bot lane when playing as Dire. The perspective of Top or Bot depends on which side of the map you are playing on.

Safelane (BOT lane of Radiant, TOP lane of Dire)

The safelane is the most secured lane for farming it is also called easylane, since the design of the map makes the enemy creeps move towards your side. It is right next to the jungle.

Jungle

Jungle is an area map where we can find neutral creeps, and we say they are because there is one on the Dire side and another on the Radiant side, it is near to the easylane.

Hardlane (BOT lane Dire, TOP lane Radiant)

Hardlane, is also called offlane, and is characterized mainly for being a complicated lane, since the creeps move towards the enemy safelane. In this lane, you see tanky heroes of the game.

Midlane

Frequently abbreviated as mid, midlane is the center lane. It is characterized for being the lane where your hero gets the most experience and if you win this lane then you can easily win the game.

Once explained the lanes, I will explain English terminologies used generally.

Terminology

• Stun:

It means to paralyze the hero. When you stun a hero, it cannot move or cast a spell.

• Harass:

It means to disturb. Usually, it is when a hero is preventing the enemy hero from getting gold and experience, by using his abilities.

• Slow:

It means to reduce the movement speed of the enemy. It can be done by items like a Diffusal blade or playing Bristleback.

• Farm:

Farm Or farmer means the action of gaining gold and experience by killing an enemy or neutral creeps.

• Deny:

It is done by pressing the default letter “A” and clicking on the unit or tower that is to be denied. The purpose of doing so is to deny the enemy team from getting gold and experience.

• Last hit:

It is to give the last blow to an enemy unit or structure to obtain extra money.

• SS:

It means “missing”, which in turn means that the ally who wrote it has lost the vision enemy / s of his line. When you have them back in your field of vision, you usually type ” re “.

• Gank

Or “Ganker”, means to surprise jump on one or some enemies when they do not expect to be attacked. This is done in order to harass or get a kill.

• Kill:

eliminate an enemy hero for a few seconds.

• Courier:

allows us to stay in the lane and receive Dota 2 items from the store at the same time. With it, you can also buy items from the secret shop or sometimes it is called as Dota 2 market. The courier flies after the 3-minute mark of the game so you will get your items fasters.

• Warding:

Means putting wards in a certain position of the map.

• Roam:

Means to explore or try to give the vision of a certain point and provide information of enemy team. It is not the same as warding though you can collaborate with your teammate in order to get a kill on the opponent hero.

• Stack:

It means making “Stacks” or clusters of different things. It is usually done in the jungle by hitting the creeps and making new ones appear. This is done at a particular timing of the game. It can also be done by correctly casting our abilities at the neutral creeps.

• Rosh:

Roshan’s abbreviation which is hardest neutral creep to kill on the map.

• Nuke:

It means to destroy or eliminate a hero instantly. This would mean that we will all concentrate our skills on that hero to eliminate it as soon as possible. Generally, the focus always starts with the supports, because once they are dead, they will not be able to do anything to harass us and prevent us from killing their carry.

• Teamfight or tf:

It means to launch an attack as the whole team together.

• Roamer:

Very similar to ganking, roaming, is moving between the lanes. In certain team setups, there are heroes who exclusively dedicate themselves to that.

• CC:

It means ” Crowd Control” So that you understand it, cc to someone is to throw some skill that does not let him use his skills. It can be a silence, a stun, or hex.

Hexit means to transform an enemy into a harmless chicken.

• DoT:

Means damage over time. These are the skills that leave a harmful debuff that makes it go down life over time like the Venomancer ultimate.

• Buff and debuff:

Buff means “positive effect” and debuff “negative effect”. Ally Buff is an aura of precision like a HoT (healing over time). While, Debuff is Damage over time, a harmful aura.

Positions and types of hero

Offlaner:

It is the position that is played in the hardlane or offlane. It is usually done against a tri-lane configuration (1-1-3). Generally, the offlaner is a hero who can keep enemies at bay without getting too close and can tank decent damage. Eg Clockwerk, Dark Seer.

Jungler:

He is the hero who is mainly dedicated to farming the jungle. They are usually heroes with some survival skills. For example, Bloodseeker with his life regeneration. Generally, the farm in the jungle from the beginning of the game involves the purchase of Clarity, Tango, Stout Shield. They can also be heroes who avoid damage directly, for example, Enchantress, which can enrapture units. However, the change of Meta has seen the jungler role going obsolete.

Support (Support):

This type of hero is dedicated to helping the carry to farm and, despite their little damage of right clicks they are not very dependent on gold to be useful in the game. We also have semi-supports that are supported with some useful ability for the lane, e.g. the ultimates of Lina, Lich or Lion.

Lane Support (Support path):

These heroes are the same as the above mentioned, only with the special feature that they have skills that allow their partner to carry stay longer on the lane while healing and providing buffs.

Initiator:

They are heroes who have one or several skills that allow you to start a team fight favorable to your team. Ex. Tusk, Magnus, Disruptor.

Carry:

It is distributed in hardcarry and semicarry. The hard-carries are effective once they have items until then they will be not very effective. The semi-carries are not much dependent on the Dota 2 items but cannot deal as much damage as compared to the hard carry.

Ganker:

They are heroes who move between the lanes to kill the enemy or keep him under a tower by harassing them. The hero’s role is to facilitate the farm of your team and hinder it of the opposing team. They are usually heroes with some stun, slow, invisibility or nuke. Eg Bloodseeker, Clinkz, Pudge. These are also called Roamer.

Nukers:

Heroes with a large amount of explosive damage.

Tank:

Heroes with a lot of resistance. They usually have a lot of life or armor. Tanks are useful in team fights and to press under the tower.

Disabler:

Disablers are heroes who have some silence or stun that prevents the enemy hero (s) from executing their spell. They are usually the focus of the first focus in team fights.

Pusher:

They are heroes who have a great ease to pressure the enemy towers and knock them down. Eg. Nature Prophet.

Dota 2 Items

• Vision Ward:

They provide you with the vision of the map for a limited time. After then, they are expired and you have to buy new ones.

• Sentry / ies:

They are used to see invisible heroes and remove vision wards planted by your enemies.

• Dust:

Vision provider, detect invisible heroes.

• Gem:

Gem of true sight, increases your area of vision and lets you see invisible heroes as long as you have it.

• Bkb:

Black King Bar.

• Blink:

Blink Dagger or heroes with blink like Queen of Pain.

• Rapier:

Divine Rapier the most powerful item of the game but is dropped on death.

• Mek:

Mekansm for healing your team

• tp:

Scroll of teleportation. It can also mean teleporting somewhere.

Basic Tips

• Stay under your tower whenever the enemy team is pushing.
• Play as a team.
• If a tower is hitting you, you can hit an allied creep with your “A”, which will confuse the tower and will hit your creeps instead of your hero.
• Activate an in-game guide while you do not know the character well.
• The supports defend the carry and even give life for it.
• Pulled the creep camps and stack.
• Deny the towers when they have a little life.
• Always try to bring a tp with you
• Try to avoid the river as much as possible. The river is a treacherous place and therefore you can be ganked easily.