DotA 2 Barracks, Which is better to focus and why?

Question

When attacking the barracks on DotA2, which is the better to focus/destroy first, Melee or Ranged, and why?

I ask as during games I get conflicting views with people I am playing with.

Answer 1

Here are the stats and bonuses provided by each barracks:

Melee Barracks:

• 1500 HP
• 2.5 HP/sec regen
• 15 armor
• 352-370 Gold

When destroyed (boosts opposing creep in that lane by):

• Increases Melee Creep damage by 21 points and growth by +1
• Increases Melee Creep armor by 1 point
• Increases Melee Creep health by 150 points and growth by +9
• Reduces gold and experience for your Melee Creeps (unknown amount).

Ranged Barracks:

• 1500 HP
• 2.5 HP/sec regen
• 5 armor
• 352-370 Gold

When Destroyed:

• Increases Ranged Creep damage by 20 points and growth by +2
• Increases Ranged Creep armor by 1 point
• Increases Ranged Creep health by 175 points and growth by +8
• Reduces gold and experience for your Ranged Creeps (unknown amount).

At face value, since you typically have way more melee than ranged creeps per lane, killing the melee building provides more benefit for future pushes. However, the ranged barracks has 10 less armor and will die faster.

When push comes to shove, often you don't really have a choice in which one to take down if most of your creeps are focused on one building over the other you will want to focus fire to take it down faster before the opposing heroes rush to defend. If you do have a choice, you should take out the melee barracks first to put more pressure on that lane with your creeps.

Answer 2

Reducing the bounty you provide for enemies is the most important task, and since there are more melee creeps per wave than ranged creeps, you'll want to focus the Melee Barracks.

It's pretty much impossible to judge a situation accurately enough to know that you'll have time to safely kill the Ranged Barracks (which has less armor) but not the Melee Barracks. If you can do that, you definitely don't need my help. Until that point: ALWAYS focus the melee barracks and ping/VOIP to make your allies do the same.

Answer 3

I've played dota for many years. Rule of thumb : go for the barrack you already have an ally focusing on.

In case no barrack are targeted, go for the melee barrack, because of the amount of melee creeps per wave.

Later on in the game, you'll spawn 2 ranged units per wave, from this point on, the ranged barrack starts making sense, but not before that

Answer 4

If you don't have time (i.e. the enemy team is respawning soon or something) go for the ranged barracks. Otherwise go for the melee one.