Dota 2 match rules: everything you wanted to ask but were hesitated
Yuriy SheremetDota 2 matches are a fundamental part of the game. They are a basic feature that is a whole game.
Every Dota match has its basics and rules, some of which are mandatory to meet and others are situational but if you meet them, you will succeed. Today, we will talk about canonical Dota 2 match rules in the professional segment of the game.
How a map starts
A match starts with the choice of heroes in competitive Dota 2. It is divided into three parts, after which each side has a set of 5 heroes.
It looks simple but when you start practicing, there might be questions. We will answer all of them:
- Each team picks 5 heroes.
- The choice of heroes is carried out alternately, according to the formula.
- Each team bans 7 characters.
- Blocking of characters is carried out alternately, according to the formula.
Having looked at the tip of the iceberg, we offer to plunge into the depths and talk in more detail about the process of picks and bans. In Dota 2 matches, the picking and banning of characters are done, according to the formula. This was done to maintain the balance of the sides, and as a result, it affects the strategies of the teams.
The process of picks and bans
Initially, Radiants starts the draft stage with a ban of a character, the same is done by an opponent later. Then, the procedure repeats one more time.
Having done two bans, teams go to picking characters. The side to do the first ban, in our case it is Radiant, will choose a character first. The opponent will answer by picking two heroes at once and the pick of the second character by Radiant will close the stage.
The second stage of picks and bans starts in the same way: the Radiant ban, the Dire ban, the Radiant ban, and the Dire ban. After that, the sides exchange bans in the same order and then move to the character picking. Dire begins this time, choosing the first hero, and then it is time for Radiant to pick who chooses 2 characters. The stage is closed by the Dire pick.
The shortest stage is the final one. The sides do two bans alternately Radiant – Dire – Radiant – Dire, and then we have Radiant pick and Dire pick.
It is important to understand the sequence of picks and bans in Dota 2 matches is valuable. This is not the process of choosing heroes. The general game strategy starts working with it.
For example, the team with the first pick can receive a meta character or a hero it is used to play, just like the team with the last pick can choose a broken character. It is worth noting the cycle of double picks, during which teams will try to find a counter-pick to the previously revealed characters.
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The main locations, characters on the map, roles
After the heroes are picked, another equally important stage of a Dota 2 match begins – the distribution of roles and the placement of heroes on the map. There is room for imagination and to consider all aspects, a standalone material would be necessary. In this manual, we will cover the topic superficially but enough to understand the situation in general.
5 main roles in Dota 2
- The first position – carry. He stands on the lane with the minimum distance to the tower (it is the bottom lane for Radiant, the top lane for Dire)
- The second position – midder. He stands in the middle lane
- The third position – offlaner. He stands on the lane with the maximum distance to the tower (it is the top tale for Radiant, the bottom lane for Dire)
- The fourth position – support. He stands on the lane with an offlaner
- The fifth position – full support. He stands on the lane with a carry
The essence of drafts is to pick a hero for every position. Since there are 124 characters in Dota and the game encourages their creative use, it is not that simple to determine a particular place for any of them on the map.
With the release of patches, the belonging of the heroes to a specific position changes and is modified. For example, Shadow Fiend who had been considered to be a canonical midder since the first DotA has received a new way of development on the easy lane, and there are many similar examples.
By default, the main striking power is a carry who has to win a match during the late stages of the match and other heroes help him to do this. Canonical carries are considered to be the scaling agility characters: Spectra, Anti-Mage, Faceless Void, and other heavyweights but it is important to look at these heroes, keeping in mind the relevant patch.
The cyclical nature of Dota is manifested in the teams' preferences for choosing characters. Actually, the playstyle of a particular team always plays a key role. There are examples when teams focus on the central lane or even offlane. The last option was used by OG in 2022 when they allowed ATF to perform as “the second carry”, showing his best.
The terms of positions and characters at these positions are pretty blurred in Dota 2 matches, especially in modern competitive Dota. You can decide who wins a Dota 2 match considering only picks but it is risky.
Sides in Dota 2
Another parameter that influences the game directly is the sides on the Dota 2 map. The Dota map is not symmetrical, depending on the teams’ ancients on the gaming field, their play differs.
Dire and Radiant are different not just visually but in terms of structure. Sides have different forest camp locations, the distance between towers and this forest, the drastically different locations of shrines, etc.
All these little details impact the game. Dire is considered to be a dominating side in Dota 2 matches. It is easier for Dire players to contest Roshan – the main object of the map. Because the distance from the shrine located in the little Dire forest is way smaller than from the Radiant towers. Having destroyed the last one’s towers at the top lane and middle, the Roshan Lair will become easily accessible for Dire and you can’t do the same actions while playing as Radiant: the fateful shrine can’t be captured till the destruction of the second tower.
Besides, sides affect the order of picks in Dota 2 matches. Everything is similar to chess here – white going first and in our case, the first choice goes to Radiant. In such a way, the developers try to regulate the in-game balance because it is generally accepted that the first pick is stronger.
Who wins a map in Dota 2 matches?
So we are coming to the most interesting thing: who wins a map in Dota 2 matches? Answering this question briefly, the victory is achieved by the one who has a stronger draft. However, even this primitive conclusion can be easily criticized.
When deciding the winner of a Dota 2 match, many aspects should be considered and the draft is only one of them. For the most accurate evaluation, you need to take into account other indicators: the shape of the teams, the current meta, and the performance of the players. We have written about it in a standalone article.
However, no one cancels a shorter answer to the relevant question. The strongest one wins and the strongest in Dota 2 is the one who is the best in the above-mentioned aspects.
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Yuriy Sheremet – Expert in mobile gaming and esports among shooters and MOBA games.
At EGamersWorld, Yuriy, as in 2020 when he joined the portal, works with content, albeit with adjustments to his area of responsibility.