Dota 2 is one of the most popular MOBA games out there but it is also incredibly complex. There are various elements in the game that you have to not only understand but also master to dominate and win matches. In this article, we are going to share Dota 2 map control tips and resource management.

Why are both of these important?

Resources in Dota 2 comprise gold and experience (XP). The more gold you have, the more items you can purchase. The more XP you have, the higher your level, and the higher your stats. In Dota 2, a higher level also means you unlock layers of the Talent Tree, which gives additional perks to your hero. 

Next is map control. This is a crucial element to master if you want to outmaneuver and outplay your opponents. Creeps and neutral creeps - your main source of income - are scattered across the map. The more space you conquer, the more you gain access to creeps and gold. A solid map control is when you have lanes pushed out and visions planted. 

Now that you know the importance of map control and resource management in Dota 2, let’s dive deep into the explanations and tips! We’ll break down the importance of runes, neutral camps, and lane control in the early to mid-game of a Dota 2 match.

Timings in the early game

Here we’ll highlight Dota timings and strategy in the early game. There are four main things that we’ll talk about: Rune control, lane timings, jungle control, the importance of support for the midlaner, and securing early Roshan.

Rune Control

Runes are consumable buffs that spawn every 2 minutes on a random side of the river. Here are all the runes in Dota 2 and what buff they provide:

• Bounty Rune: Grants reliable gold to each hero of the team that picked up the rune. The gold provided is based on this formula [36+9 per 5 mins / hero]
• Wisdom Rune: Grants XP to the hero that picked up the rune and additional XP to the lowest-leveled hero on their team.
• Water Rune: Instantly restores 40 HP and 80 Mana. If the hero that picked up the rune has a Bottle in their inventory, it will grant 2 Regenerate charges.
• Amplify Damage: Increases base damage by 80% and spell amplification by 15% for 45 seconds.
• Arcane: Reduces ability and item cooldowns by 25% and mana costs by 30% for 50 seconds.
• Haste: Increases movement speed to the maximum speed of 550.
• Illusion: Spawns two illusions of the hero that deal 35% of their base damage. The illusions take more damage and last for 75 seconds.
• Invisibility: Becomes invisible for 45 seconds. Attacking, casting a spell, or pressing items will break invisibility.
• Regeneration: Regenerates the hero’s health and mana to the maximum or until the regeneration duration ends. 
• Shield: Grants an all-damage barrier equivalent to 50% of your max HP for 75 seconds.

Runes all provide significant buffs to a hero that can greatly benefit the game. For example, the midlaner can easily secure creeps and potentially get a solo kill midlane with the Amplify Damage rune. 

With a Haste rune, the midlaner can quickly rotate and surprise gank other lanes. On top of the rune benefits, it also provides a full Bottle charge which helps you regenerate without returning to base.

Dota 2 rune control tactics are fairly simple, but the execution can be tough. The location of the runes is closest to the midlane, thus the midlaners often get to use the runes. It also randomly spawns top or bottom, making it a slight guessing game. 

Due to the importance of securing runes, it’s vital for the supports, especially the position 4s, to rotate near the 2-minute interval and assist the midlane. It is also important for the midlane to always have an Observer Ward on either side of the river, or both, to have vision on potential rotations.

Lane Timings

The laning phase may just be an early part of the game, but it lays the foundations of victory for a match. A great laning phase means lesser space for error and a more efficient path to snowballing. 

One of the key factors to a solid laning phase is creep management. This part mainly falls on the shoulders of the position 5. You can keep a good creep equilibrium by pulling and stacking the small camps near the creep wave.

Why does this help? Oftentimes, the creep wave will push and end up near your enemy’s tower. This is a difficult situation for the carry player to secure last hits. Going near the enemy tower can also compromise your position and expose you to potential ganks from the enemy. 

The position 5 needs to read the creep wave movement and control it by pulling the small camp. Sometimes it is better to stack the camp first before pulling. This ensures the small camp has enough damage to kill your entire creep wave. Doing this not only fixes the creep wave position but also denies the creep wave gold and XP from the enemy.Ce

The timing of creep pulling and stacking depends on the type of camps. Most would work if you pull at the 55-second mark, 5 seconds before the time enters the next minute. But for the small camp during the early game, we recommend pulling at the 56-second mark.

Jungle Control

The Dota 2 map comprises mainly the jungle, where camps of neutral creeps populate the area. While the cores are busy farming the lanes, the supports can head to their nearest camps to help stack as many camps as they can. This is a helpful and highly advantageous action for good early-game resource management in Dota 2.

This will help maximize the cores’ farm. If you have cores that can clear up camps quickly - like Sven, Templar Assassin, and Bristleback - you can prioritize stacking the ancient camp. It is also best to stack if your carry is queueing a Battle Fury.

Supporting the Mid Hero

Despite massive patch changes and map enlargement, the midlane has remained a key role in Dota 2. This is because the midlane has access to solo lane XP and can single-handedly bring advantage to the team with a great laning phase.

But sometimes, the midlane may need help either to solo kill the enemy mid or secure runes. Supports or occasionally even the cores will often assist. A couple of ways a support can help the midlaner are:

• If you died during laning, teleport to the midlane and help refill Bottle.
• Rotate to the river to help secure runes every 2 minutes.
• Plant Observer and Sentry Wards around the midlane to provide vision for the team and remove vision from the enemy.
• Rotate and gank when possible, especially when the midlane hits a certain power spike.

The cores are not encouraged to gank if it can jeopardize farming, but they usually do if there are kill potentials or a big teamfight.

Roshan’s Early Appearance

Roshan is a powerful neutral creep located at the edge of the map. During the day, he resides in the bottom lane, and during nighttime, he moves to the top lane. Roshan gives valuable drops, with the main prize being the Aegis of the Immortals. Any hero that picks up the Aegis, gets a second life.

Now the early game doesn’t involve Roshan a lot. Mainly because teams don’t have the damage or the time to take down the monster creep. The early game is also a time for laning, so Roshan is generally undisturbed. 

However, certain heroes are GREAT for taking Roshan, and they can do so in the early game. These heroes include Ursa, Troll Warlord, and Huskar. 

If the enemy has a great Roshan lineup, make sure to secure some early vision near the Roshan pit so you can contest. If your team wants to take an early Roshan instead, make sure to also secure the area to avoid unwanted ganks or contests.

That sums up the Dota 2 early game map strategy and resource management! Let’s move on to the mid-game phase. This is where it gets a bit more complicated.

Timings in the Mid-Game

The mid game, which roughly begins around the 15-minute mark, brings a lot more factors and is prone to more different scenarios. Heroes start getting their items, towers start falling, and Roshan now plays a key part in the game. We break down all of it below.

Core Heroes’ Item Timing

In the mid-game, a lot of heroes come online, especially after they purchase certain items. A newly-purchased Blink Dagger or Black King Bar can easily lead to a successful teamfight or pick-off. 

Once your initiator picks up a Blink Dagger, the midlane purchases an Orchid, or other significant items - it is crucial to quickly find valuable kills. Utilize the Smoke of Deceit and locate your opponents for an advantageous fight.

Shifting to Aggressive Map Control

Dota 2 mid-game map control is incredibly important. In the early game, map control goes mostly near the lanes. But in the mid-game, you’ll need to start planting vision in the jungles and deep into the enemy’s zones. As the game unfolds, your creep waves will begin pushing further away and that’s a good opening to begin planting aggressive wards.

The triangle, the smaller jungle, is a strategic location for control. Not only does it host the valuable ancient camp, but it also has quick pathways to two lanes.

Another spot for aggressive map control is also the outer jungle on the same side as Roshan’s pit. That jungle is often occupied by the carry hero, thus planting solid vision around the area can turn into a high-reward pick-off.

As you assert aggression, the enemy will feel restricted from stepping into your controlled area. This is important for resource control, as it maximizes your farming area and limits the enemy’s.

Pushing Towers and Map Control

The next way to secure more map control is by taking objectives. This includes pushing towers and claiming outposts. Read the enemy’s movement, push the waves, and try to capture as many objectives as possible: the fewer the towers, the weaker the defense.

Roshan Timings and Control

Roshan’s importance increases as the minute goes by thus it is important to learn Dota 2 Roshan timings. During the mid-game, both sides of the map will attempt to take Roshan. If your team has a good Roshan lineup, either having attack stacks, damage stacks, or armor reduction, your team can look forward to an early Roshan.

It is also best to initiate a Roshan attempt before the enemy does, but be aware of potential contests. Avoid ganks and surprise attacks by planting vision. Another way to be safe is to have a hero stand on guard outside the Roshan pit to break any potential Smoke.

Once Roshan falls, it will respawn at a random time between 8 to 11 minutes. During this period, you need to focus on the Roshan pit area and prepare for a big teamfight.

Team Fights and Warding

A massive factor for a winning teamfight is vision. Avoid dark areas and take fights where you have planted vision. If your team is ambushed, plant an urgent vision instead. Put an Observer Ward on a nearby cliff or where it gets you the best vision. Always carry Sentries if the enemy lineup has invisibility.

Maximizing Resources on the Map

Resources are all over the map but how do you maximize results? We break down the three key actions to maximizing resources on the map below.

Efficient Map Usage

There are tons of neutral camps on the map, but how do you maximize farming? The priority of farm falls to the carry and then the rest of the cores. 

But there are occasions when a hero is close to reaching the gold needed for an item, and they require to farm for themselves. Another instance is when a hero needs extra gold for buyback, then the priority also falls on the hero.This is especially important before a Roshan attempt and if your defenses are breached.

Capturing Objectives and Their Significance

If you’re wondering how to control map in Dota 2, objectives are one of the ways. The Ancient and the towers are the main objectives of the game. But other objectives like the Outposts and Tormentors also play a part. 

Taking down towers not only gives you the pushing advantage but also provides a bunch of gold. The absence of towers also means a clearer path for creep waves to march. The creep waves will push into the enemy territory, providing plenty of vision on the map.

Taking the Tormentor brings an advantage to your team as it provides a free Aghanim’s Shard to a random hero in the team lineup, an item that costs 1,400 gold. If every team member already owns a Shard, the team will receive bonus gold.

Managing Map Space

Observer Wards and Sentries are limited so you’ll need to utilize them well. Ward spots that will be your carry’s farming area and pathways that are potentially used by the enemy to gank. If you have a large camp stack in the jungle, ward that area to avoid sneaky steals.

Warded areas are often the safe zones. But to be even safer, always position your hero in a place that’s easy to run and escape. If the enemy team is spotted roaming at the bottom side of the map, you can search for farm on the top side. Always be alert to the whereabouts of the enemy and understand your Dota 2 jungle farming timings.

Mistakes and Risks in Resource Management

Here we’ll break down scenarios where your team makes mistakes and how a losing team can find their comeback opening. This section will highlight the importance of discipline and the dangers of underestimation.

Over-Aggression and Loss of Map Control

Playing aggressively can be a double-edged sword, especially if you’re not careful enough. There is such a thing as over-aggression, and it happens even among the professional players. 

When your team is dominant, you can continuously roam for pick-offs and initiate fights. But the enemy will play defensively and attempt to spot your mistakes to counter-attack. Assess calmly if your team needs to keep pursuit or retreat, sometimes the latter is better. 

Here are some examples of an over-aggression that can lead to loss of map control:

• Diving under tower to secure a kill, exposing yourself to multiple enemy Teleports and an inevitable counter-attack. 
• Pushing deep into enemy territory when all of the enemy lineup is dead, not anticipating a surprise buyback that can turn the tides of the game.
• Taking the enemy’s Tormentor without having vision on their side of the jungle and high ground, putting you in a dangerous position.

Under-Estimating the Enemy’s Timing

Even if you’re in a winning game, the enemy team will still have their power spike moments. Be alert to their timings and don’t underestimate the power of an upgraded ability or item in teamfights. Here are some scenario examples:

• The enemy team has an Enigma and it has just reached level 6. The hero will potentially Smoke and find a clutch Black Hole to turn the game. 
• The enemy’s carry is close to purchasing a Black King Bar, and it might be a problem for your team if your lineup relies on stuns and magical damage.
• The enemy’s Huskar disappeared from the map for a couple of minutes, potentially taking down Roshan in the early game.

Lack of Map Control and Its Consequence

It is much easier to ward the map and obtain vision in a winning game, especially if you have a lot of objectives taken. But don’t lose control of the key areas. 

The enemy team can stick together and pick off a valuable kill if they even have slight control over a certain area. A pick-off leads to a 5 vs 4 situation and they can easily snowball back and find their comeback opportunity.

Conclusion

Dota 2 teamfight and map control is a tough concept to understand and master. But if you grasp the dos and don'ts that we have broken down in this guide, you are already there!

Keep in mind the importance of timings, rune control, and good execution of map control. It is also highly recommended that you improve your macro play, including the ability to last hits and deny creeps during the laning stage. 

Plus, Dota 2 is a team game. So make sure to consistently communicate and coordinate with your team for successful resource management.