Dota 2 is an upcoming action RTS video game being developed by Valve Corporation. It is the stand-alone sequel to the popular Warcraft III mod "Defense of the Ancients" (aka DotA).

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What are the Key Gameplay Differences between Valve's DOTA 2 vs League of Legends?

Valve's new game DotA 2 is a sequel to the popular Warcraft 3 map of the same name which is nearing release. The game follows the same paradigm of a similar game, League of Legends which was inspired ...
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What are some good heroes for a beginner?

I've played a bit of LOL here and there but not a lot, never any HoN or dota and was wondering if people could recommend any champions for my first few dota2 games. Its hard to set in step in to a ...
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How can I play Dota 2 Beta?

I know DotA 2 is still in its beta phase, but I see more and more streams from DotA 2 players. And I would like to play too, rather than only watching! How can I get a DotA 2 Beta key?
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How to counter Anti-Mage late game?

We just lost two times in a row because of an unstoppable Anti-Mage in the other team. Both games were very long (50-70 minutes) and even though we paid attention to not feed him or his team nor let ...
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Why are characters banned in tournament play for DotA-likes?

Why are characters banned from DotA-likes in tournament play during selection? Are there characters that are actually imbalanced; why not just balance them? If it's just for the sake of another ...
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Where does a new DotA 2 player start?

I recently received DotA 2 as a gift from a friend. It was very generous of him, but I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. It seems like it is even harder than Team Fortress 2 (which is actually ...
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How do I slow down the creep wave in Dota 2?

I watch higher level games, and I see heroes slow down the creep wave to place it more on their side of the map. When I try it, I can't get the creeps to get caught on my hero. What am I missing here? ...
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How do dota 2 bots pick their heroes?

Since the game is in beta phase and I'm a total noob at the game I find it natural to play with bots. My bot match consists of 3 hard bots on my team and 4 easy bots on the opposite team, plus me of ...
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How are the Battle Points you earn calculated?

What in game events affect how many points I earn? Is there a cap to how many I can earn in one match? Do I get points regardless of winning or losing?
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As Morphling, how do I decide when to morph?

One reason why I avoid Morphling is because I can never tell when (if at all) I should begin to use his morph ability to transfer stats between strength and agility. What are some typical situations ...
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How to Panic Buy in Dota 2?

Panic Buy means to quickly purchase an item right before death to use up gold held and therefore minimize or eliminate gold lost right before death. I often do this in HoN where I would quickly press ...
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446 views

What does killing Roshan do?

At the start of a game, I noticed that some of my team-mates were heading towards a spot on the map marked with a monster. I followed them to a monster which when I clicked was called "Roshan". I ...
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What causes the tower to target your hero?

I am playing dota2 (100h+) and I still do not get what are the circumstances which lead to be targeted by the enemy tower. What causes the tower to attack the hero instead of the creeps?
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How can I improve my last hitting skill?

Last hitting (the act of killing hostile creeps to get gold and experience) is vital in Dota 2 especially for carries. Looking at some "pro" players streaming I see that they almost get all last hits, ...
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What kind of a team setup is required to kill Roshan before the match begins?

In the latest Dota 2 update notes, I noticed this line: Fixed Roshan not respawning at the correct time if he was killed before creep spawn. So now I'm curious, which heros and what items does ...
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How does drop system work in Dota 2?

Valve has recently launched a virtual store in Dota 2 where you can buy various items for your hero. But I heard that is possible to "drop" this items also for free, in game. How does this system ...
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What are the differences between Defense of the Ancients (DotA) and DOTA 2?

Seeing that The International tournament has finished (and therefore DOTA 2 previewed) are any DOTA users able to list the differences/similarities? -- I'm sure Valve wanted to stay true, but have ...
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How much gold can you gain for a kill/assist in DotA?

As stated in the title, how much gold can you gain for a kill or an assist in DotA/Dota 2? And how much gold can you lose if you die?
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What exactly does “Safe to leave” means?

When one of your team members disconnects at the beginning of the game and doesn't come back in certain amount of time, the game is set to "Safe to leave". I did some research on that subject, and ...
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What is a “Respect-Ban”?

I was watching some replays from The International 2 and the caster used this word sometimes - especially when the teams have chosen their 4th and 5th ban. What exactly is a "respect-ban"?
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2answers
456 views

Who is the guy in the DotA 2 Trailer?

Here is a link to the trailer: DotA 2 Trailer. Does this guy have any relevance to the DotA story line or world, or is he just a character they added into the trailer to put a face to the voice? I ...
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1answer
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How should couriers be used in dota2?

I've noticed dota 2 has a courier unit which I suppose is made for delivering items from the stash/backpack to the hero on the battlefield. My question is - how should they be used & in what ...
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How to use Dota 2 courier?

I am searching the internet for hours but I can't find a step by step guide on how to use the dota 2 courier. All guides begin without showing its usage for a newcomer to the game. Any ideas or links? ...
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Is there a way to protect yourself against Naga Siren's ultimate?

Is there a way to prevent your hero from getting asleep from Song of the Siren?
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What do the settings mean?

I want to tweak my settings for DOTA2 but some of them are not clear to me. Others - such as "Animate Portrait" - are fairly obvious. What effects do each of these settings have on the game ...
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Why are items automatically purchased for me?

In every game items are automatically purchased for me throughout the game without me adding them to the quick buy area. The behavior is as follows: Game starts. Items are automatically bought. ...
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Similar heroes/champions to Kennen (from League of Legends) in DOTA2?

The character Kennen really agreed with me in League of Legends. Now that I'm starting to play DOTA2, are there any equivalents? Edit I play him usually as AP but very aggressively (harassing)...
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3answers
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How do I ward properly in DotA 2?

I finally got my DotA 2 Beta invite. Now to learn the game I read it's a good start to play support heros (like I already loved to do in League of Legends). Even though I'm still pretty new to the ...
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2answers
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Where can I check which difficulty bracket I'm in?

Supposedly DOTA 2 matchmaking is divided into brackets. I want to know which difficulty bracket I'm in. How can I find this information?
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How to bring back the game in Dota 2?

In League of Legends if the early game is messed up and the enemy heroes are fed up, every additional kill costs less for them. Also killed heroes does not lose gold. This allows them to buy equipment ...
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Are there hidden costs to buying Dota 2?

I ask because I'm looking to get Dota 2, but I don't want to pay more than the upfront cost through micro-transactions in-game. Is the game fully released yet? Is it possible to get for free?
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What items provide quick heals in dota 2?

I'm quite a beginner in dota 2, have gotten used to the game and I understand some basics of healing,I used to buy a bottle in every game because I always run out of mana/health or both very quickly ...
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Is there an easy way to remember Invoker's spells?

I've begun to play Invoker more since he's fun to play (I'd probs get a bite to eat with him also). However, it takes some time to learn the combinations for his spells. I believe I will learn them ...
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Is there a way to reset my battle points?

This may seem like an odd question, but after almost 300 hours of playing, I still suck horribly and find myself getting matched up with/against people who are way above my head. Both sides will ...
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2answers
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What determines my respawn time?

As the match goes on, I notice the respawn time increases significantly. Why is that? Is it number of deaths, length of the match, character level, or something else entirely?
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How can you hotkey items in DotA 2?

I'd like to be able to activate items (ideally) with the keyboard numbers, but 1-6 are reserved for unit groups, correct? I assume those cannot be assigned to items.
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What are “Reliable Gold” and “Unreliable Gold” in Dota 2?

I noticed that when i hover my mouse over gold a pop-up comes up and in it there are: "Reliable Gold", "Unreliable Gold" and of course the amount of gold it takes to revive if you're dead at that ...
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How do you counter Tiny?

I have been in two games now — one with Tiny on my team and one on the opposing team — where he has taken over the game. In both games, he was the sole person in the middle lane and proceeded to gank ...
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1answer
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Which heroes can backdoor easily?

Dota 2 has backdooring protection which makes it very hard to backdoor sometimes, unless you bring your whole team or best carries. I did however see that some heroes can backdoor very easily, Meepo ...
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Why do some heroes fit some lanes better than others?

What makes some heroes work better in a certain lane than any other? I've heard in some casts where the commentator predicts which lanes which heroes will pick even before the game has started. I'm ...
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Do items in Dota 2 have individual cooldowns?

If I buy 2 Quelling Blades, does that I mean I can hack down trees twice as fast? Similarly, if I buy two Linken's Spheres, can I block two spells?
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Abilities/Items that grant vision

Referring to my previous question and its comments, I want to know which abilities/spells/items supplement hero vision at night, day and both combined?
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When does my hero get experience and when he does not?

Could you explain in detail when does my hero get experience and when not? killing I assume I get experience for everything I kill with my bare hands. Including global skills (like natures prophet) ...
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4answers
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How do you zoom out?

Is there any way to zoom out the camera in DotA 2? I've found my ideal aspect ratio - and holy crap, is the resolution terrible if you're not on the right one! Even with the right ratio, I feel like ...
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1answer
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How big is the area/radius that prevents neutral creep spawns?

It is a known fact that putting wards inside the neutral spawn camps prevents them from spawning but recently, I see our neutrals camps not spawning any creeps. I checked the replay and saw that the ...
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2answers
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What item's effects or heroes' skills goes through Black King Bar?

Someone told me that Bane's ulti goes through Black King Bar. Are there other item effects or hero skills that goes thorough it and that can be use to counter heroes that heavily relies on this item?
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How does the courier work?

I've just gotten into DOTA-2, and never played any similar game before. I realize the courier will bring items out to me, but does every player on my team have their own courier, or is it one per ...
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Is it possible to move the minimap?

As title says, been trying to ask on the Dota-2 ingame chats with no success. Can this be done? For long time League of Legends players like me, one gets used to have the minimap on the lower right ...
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If I get a Dota 2 beta key, will I get to keep the game after it's released?

Since the recent christmas event, it's become rather easy to find a Dota 2 beta key, if you've got the right things to trade. But, it's somewhat expensive, and it doesn't seem worth it to me if you ...
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How does performance index work?

In one of Dota 2 recent patches Valve added a new feature called "Performance Index" visible in your own in-game profile. For me is not really clear how does it work. Do you have any info on which ...

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