If you’ve been playing Dota 2 successfully for years, you’ll know how crucial the drafting phase is. With so many heroes, selecting five that work well together is a tall order. Beginners often struggle to select a winning combo, but even die-hard Dota 2 players find it challenging to draft a team that will provide an effective counter. Some players turn to most-picked statistics to make their choice, while lower-ranked gamers choose to ban heroes to level the playing field. The more experience you get and the higher you climb, the more you must start thinking about drafting. Need some tips? We’ve got you covered.
1. Decide Your Strategy
You probably don’t have a solid strategy if you’re brand new to Dota 2. If you’ve been watching professional teams playing in tournaments or following your favorite Twitch streamers, you’ll already know there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to a Dota 2 match. However, most playing strategies fall into a few main categories. Pushing is a good option if you prefer a more aggressive style of play, although you’ll need to have picked suitably souped-up heroes to gain that early advantage. Turtling is another option. This strategy revolves around farming and a heavy line of defense. It can seem monotonous, but this slow-and-steady approach pays off in the final stages of a game. Naturally, you’ll want a well-drafted team of heroes fit for the task.
2. Make Sure All Team Roles Are Covered
Have you been glued to the latest esports action at www.1337pro.com/en/dota2/tournament-schedule? A typical Dota team playing professionally features a pretty balanced roster of heroes. While there are some outliers, most Dota 2 drafts cover all the main roles. There’s no list of essential roles that must be filled, with requirements varying depending on your strategy. However, every team will need a hero fulfilling the carry role. Having at least two heroes in support roles is also a good idea. You can have fun with the rest of the roster, although it’s always worth throwing an initiator into the mix.
3. Pick From the Top of the Hero Tier List
There’s no shame in picking the strongest heroes available. If heroes at the top of the tier list haven’t been banned, don’t be afraid to draft them. It’s tempting to try and save face in front of the competition, but if you don’t snap those powerful heroes up, your rivals will. However, the hero tier list isn’t static. Patch updates change the hero meta all the time. Stats like base damage and movement speed are just a couple of the things that can be affected by an update.
4. Know Your Counters
Every team needs to look at the heroes the opponent picks as they draft their own line-up of heroes. It’s more of a concern if you’re playing in Captain’s Mode. Looking for effective counters to hold back heroes from the pusher class? Think about picking heroes like Tinker or Alchemist. Need heroes that can meet the might of initiators? Choose heroes like Naga and Nyx.
5. Be Proactive With Banning
Banning heroes can make a typical Dota 2 game a lot fairer. However, you can use the banning feature to your advantage. Try to anticipate the counters your rivals will pick to toe-to-toe with your heroes. Adding these potential counters to the ban list is an easy way of giving your team a winning edge.
6. Don’t Be Predictable
Do you regularly face off against the same Dota 2 players and amateur teams? A little friendly competition is great, but you risk giving away your gameplay strategy when you play against the same people. The more predictable your playing style, the more likely your opponents will fine-tune their strategy to outdo you. As such, it’s best to take a more agile approach to drafting. Every draft should throw at least one curveball to keep your rivals on their toes.