Dota 2 – How to Improve Your Gameplay

This guide aims to enhance your gameplay by teaching; doing specific things faster, keeping your focus on important things and other general tips.

Hotkeys

All credit goes to Maxibir!

Hotkeys are important, you should use keyboard to use anything. Dont use combined hotkeys like ctrl+1 for skills and items, its lose of time and effort.

Skill Hotkeys

Default q w e d f r. Dont use quickcast, you cant be sure what quickcast gonna do and it requires to use your mouse to selfcast skills (you need to aim yourself to selfcast heal, mjollnir etc. lose time).

Item Hotkeys

1 2 3 4 5 6. TP space. Dont use quickcast on this either.

Movement Hotkeys

• Attack move/force attack: “A”. You can easily push using this, press “A” to a near enemy tower on minimap, easy.
• Cancel current action: “s” pretty important hotkey. you should ready to use this anytime. Cancelling skills or dodging something.

Unit Selection Hotkeys

• f1 hero, f2 all, f3 all except hero, f4 courier.
• Next unit: “tab”. Very useful when playing with hero-creeps like lone druid’s bear.
• Tip for meepo; f2 -> w -> left click to front in order to jump frontier meepo -> spam “tab w leftclick”. Dont forget to use q to catch enemies.

Courier and Shop Hotkeys

• Open shop: “b”
• Courier deliver: “<” (at left of z). Courier shield: “z”. When you use courier it takes all items on your stash you dont have to manually take them. You dont need to select courier. While courier selected: “e” to send all items to their owner’s stashes.
• Quickbuy: “x”. Buys items at where you pin items from shop. “shift click” to pin items dont drag them! And add more items (not much) “ctrl shift click”.
• Buy TP: “c”. Actually this is sticky item (default tp, should be tp).
• Take items from stash: “v” useful at base (or sometimes enemy base?).

Chat Hotkeys

• Team voice chat: “t”
• Party voice chat: “g” use this if you are on party!
• Chat wheel: “u” essential

Phrases

Only:

• Get back: “keypad -“
• Push: “keypad +”
• Well played: “keypad 0”

(Keypad=numpad)

Interface Hotkeys

Camera grip: “mouse3” (mouse wheel) i dont use this.
Scoreboard: ” (console key)
Pause: f9 default

(Get this “hotkeys options” checks).

• Learn ability: use ctrl + “skill key”
• Talent: You shouldnt use hotkey because you cant have mistake on this.
• Glyph: “h” use fast while enemy is pushing. Dont forget; every t1 tower refreshes glyph when gets destroyed.
• Scan: “y” besides roshan check you should use it if you are support and going dark places to ward.

Options

• Auto attack: standard. set never if you know what you are doing.
• You need to uncheck channeled abilities require stop because you need to be quick about acting. While tp’ing it doesnt matter much.
• Dont use center camera on respawn.
• You should check minimap constantly. It should be just like that (above pic). You see directly which enemy is there. Direction doesnt matter this isnt tank wars.

• Summoned unit auto attack should be “always” because their job is to attack.
• Auto-repeat right mouse: get used to it, dont click with your mouse too much.
• Disable screen shake of course. 

Gameplay

Every player has 1 objective in this game. If its ranked you are playing for winning the game. If its not ranked you are playing for fun. In order to win you must be powerful, you cant win this game when weak (as team).

Early Game – Laning Phase

You need to get exp and gold. This is becomes easy when you control your lane. Best outcome is push your enemies out of your lane and take all the farm. If others in your team losing their lanes you SHOULD help them. If they dont need help then dont. You need to improve your last hit skill. Dont buy quelling blade as starting item. You need to survive your lane and push your enemy. Buy hp mp items and stout shield.

Mid Game – Teamplay Phase

In this phase there should be no laning. Core heroes should’ve essential items. Teams regroup and push together, initiate fights and go for the win. If core heroes doesnt have essential items like blink, shadow blade or maybe blade mail they need to get them fast by keep farming lane, pushing a bit (careful about ganks), dont push the lane too much, if you dont see your enemy get back and go jungle.

End Game

Everyone has their items. You just fight for the win. Do not ever play solo. Go as five player and doesnt go for the kills. I saw too many games that everyone goes for kills (that no one cares) and enemy team comeback and wins.

General

• Pushing is important, you cant win if you dont push. Enemy team eventually comeback.
• Stacking can be a game changer.
• Pull creeps to control the lane. Keep creeps at safe distance so core hero could safely farm.
• Think about your build from start of the game. Get counter items. Play accordingly. If enemies have nukes get bkb or pipe, if enemies have huskar, troll then get halberd. If you are nature’s prophet and enemies have spirit breaker then dont stay visible in lane too much. If no one in team has pushing skills then get push items like meteor, necronomicon.
• Supports could take some last hits. They need money too.
• Use smokes, dusts, every consumable item. (not only supports)