How do you get recipes or combine two items into 1 in dota 2?

Question

I've noticed people buy certain started items in dota 2 to upgrade them later on after they earn the money, I've also read about recipes but I've never found out where you can get them or how to use them.

Are they sold at a shop? Where can you find recipes for certain items or how can you combined 2 items for a better item?

Answer 1

Recipes are just the "extra piece" of an item that turn basic items into upgraded items. They don't do anything unless you have all of the other components already and should almost always be bought last. For example, a Magic Wand requires:

• Magic Stick
• 3 Iron Branches
• Magic Wand Recipe

If you have all of those, they combine into a Magic Wand. Not all upgraded items have recipes. Some items have multiple recipes, for example Necronomicon 1 with an additional recipe upgrades into Necronomicon 2, which upgrades into Necronomicon 3.

It's a very simple concept, just odd at first.