[Guide] Warding and Teamplay

[Stu]

http://i49.tinypic.com/2ynfmte.png

This guide is brought to you by GK.MeatHead. Be sure to check this handy link aswell http://www.playdota.com/guides/seeing-is-beliving-or-rape


Basics – Sentinel: The support hero who lanes at bottom or mid will chick + crow. The support hero that lanes at top will ward, ward at rune spot and anti-pull ward at scourge.
Basics – Scourge: The support hero who lanes at top or mid will chick + crow. The support hero that lanes at bottom will ward, ward at rune spot and anti-pull at sentinel.

Heroes that might buy first pack of wards, but won’t ward throughout the game if the specific game does not require it:

http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/51/icon.gifPriestess of the Moon
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/14/icon.gifSandking
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/41/icon.jpgEarthshaker
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/25/icon.gifTidehunter
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/93/icon.jpgDark Seer
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/21/icon.JPGEnchantress
Other heros might as well, but it is these who are the most likely to do so.

Typical wardbitches + chick buyers:
Wardbitch is a term used for a hero that is going to handle all the warding during a game (might be more than one). A wardbitch is usually ranged, since it enables them to kill wards on cliffs when they are counterwarding. All the heroes listed here are usually the ones buying wards/chicken. Captain will usually tell who does what if you are playing –CM or –CD.

Melee wardbitches:

http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/101/icon.JPGOgre Magi
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/47/icon.gifOmniknight
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/12/icon.gifAbaddon
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/79/icon.gifNerubian Assassin (not that common though)

Ranged wardbitches:

http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/8/icon.jpgVengeful Spirit
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/106/icon.gifVenomancer
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/34/icon.JPGCrystal Maiden (max aura as soon as possible btw)
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/62/icon.JPGPuck
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/108/icon.JPGChen
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/121/icon.JPGKeeper of the Light
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/18/icon.JPGZeus
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/69/icon.JPGLina
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/103/icon.JPGFurion (Chicken/Crow)
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/77/icon.jpgDazzle
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/26/icon.jpgRhasta
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/46/icon.JPGJakiro
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/63/icon.jpgWitch Doctor
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/112/icon.jpgLion
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/92/icon.jpgLich
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/98/icon.JPGEnigma
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/58/icon.jpgWarlock

Heroes that can ward due to their skillset:

http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/107/icon.JPGTechies (Remote Mines)
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/57/icon.gifLanaya (Psionic Trap)
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/99/icon.gifRooftrellen (Forest Sentinel)
http://www.playdota.com/img/hero/79/icon.gifNerubian Assassin (Urna Swarm)


This guide is going to be updated and expanded at some point

[Phi]

Imo Lion, WL and Rhasta aren't necessarily wardbitches due to Rhastas carry potential, Warlock and especially Lion solo is just <3 (I don't know why ppl don't play them that way here). Silencer can play a supportive role too btw as can Necrolyte. :)

And YES on Nerub support, this is the ONLY way of playing him!

[Stu]

Imo Lion, WL and Rhasta aren't necessarily wardbitches due to Rhastas carry potential, Warlock and especially Lion solo is just <3 (I don't know why ppl don't play them that way here). Silencer can play a supportive role too btw as can Necrolyte. :)

And YES on Nerub support, this is the ONLY way of playing him!

Nice avatar :)

Ohm yes back to the point :) Yes, Lion WL and Rhasta can solo and carry esp wl and rhasta but way more often u will see them in a supporting role in a team

[MeatHead]

Well phi, it is just not that common u see necro or silencer as the wardbitches, but they can usually go for supportive items.

[Cookie-]

nvm didnt read the first post properly

[Silent-Assassin]

Nice guide, by showing pictures with those hero which are recommended for buying wards or/and courier you don't only improve the aesthetic but also you allow to make associations between hero name and (how do those heroes look[pictures]) for newbies. But I have one question, why the supporter hero which is playing for Sentinel and which also go at bottom/middle lane have to buy chick + crow, also for Scourge supporter hero, top/middle lane. I don't agree with those "rules". I belive that one supporter cannot buy wards + courier and to fulfill his role - to be a good support. The support heroes has to gank carry heroes to affect their "needs" to grow stronger - experience and gold by warding lane which is the carry enemy hero, deny his allied creeps so that enemy hero[es] cant gain any gold to grow stronger and also a low experience for denided creeps; he, has to be in time and always there to support his mates by disabling the enemy heroes, healing them, giving them amor, HP regen or/and MP, so he, the support hero has to always carry at least a Scroll of town portal (he needs BoT). Also, he needs movement speed and some HP which it will give to him a bigger chance to survive. He also has to die if his carry hero is threatened by enemy gankers to keep him alive. He, will be affected by those deaths by not gaining any extra gold, unless his mates push a lane to destroy a building or more, kill Roshan or taking kills by the Scourge/Sentinel creeps/towers or catapults AND not gaining any experience. To improve the ganks quality with speed, to escape himself or this mates from death OR to chase enemy heroes he has to buy Kelen's Dagger, which is very expensive item for him as a supporter.

Basics – Sentinel: The support hero who lanes at bottom or mid will chick + crow. The support hero that lanes at top will ward, ward at rune spot and anti-pull ward at scourge.
Basics – Scourge: The support hero who lanes at top or mid will chick + crow. The support hero that lanes at bottom will ward, ward at rune spot and anti-pull at sentinel.
I agree with your ideea only if is a InHouse game, tournaments matches, between friends games or high-skilled game. But think about newbies.

Steve,

[Wendek]

I disagree with Omni being wardbitch. He has a supportive skillset but he desperately needs some farm at least early game, contrary to Aba whose skills are less mana intensive. Also the fact that Aba's ult allows him to survive even without items, while Omni is quite squishy if he doesn't have decent items. Imo, Omni should aim for Soul Ring asap, then help here and there for the warding while aiming for some other support items such as vlads (if the team calls for it), shiva's or hex if he gets fat, etc.

But in a lane, you don't put Omni with an item-dependent hero, because he just can't babysit the same way WL or Dazzle can.


Btw, Huskar can make a pretty decent support, even if it's not the standard way to play him. I had a replay of that but I lost it, sadly. :(

[MeatHead]

I disagree with Omni being wardbitch. He has a supportive skillset but he desperately needs some farm at least early game, contrary to Aba whose skills are less mana intensive. Also the fact that Aba's ult allows him to survive even without items, while Omni is quite squishy if he doesn't have decent items. Imo, Omni should aim for Soul Ring asap, then help here and there for the warding while aiming for some other support items such as vlads (if the team calls for it), shiva's or hex if he gets fat, etc.

But in a lane, you don't put Omni with an item-dependent hero, because he just can't babysit the same way WL or Dazzle can.


Btw, Huskar can make a pretty decent support, even if it's not the standard way to play him. I had a replay of that but I lost it, sadly. :(

Regarding the omniknight - I've played him as a wardbitch once, worked out ok tbh, I even got my soul ring to pwn neutrals/farm :P Only prob I had, I couldn't kill wards on cliffs =) But what I also meant is, he can buy the wards and a ranged hero can put them. Once he gets soul ring he farms quite easy. The guide can get editted/changed so it fits - I scratched it down within 10 minutes so :D

---------- Post added at 05:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------


But I have one question, why the supporter hero which is playing for Sentinel and which also go at bottom/middle lane have to buy chick + crow, also for Sentinel supporter hero, top/middle lane. I don't agree with those "rules". I belive that one supporter cannot buy wards + courier and to fulfill his role - to be a good support.

I agree with your ideea only if is a InHouse game, tournaments matches, between friends games or high-skilled game. But think about newbies.

Steve,

True, but as I wrote it is just the basics :P It can be changed if needed. And quite often I've experienced being the only support hero on team - I had to buy chick+crow and wards all game long, it was a bitch beyond imagination, but if team knows how to play/not outpicked, it isn't that hard. If you are unable to buy wards, ask a teammate to do so. In 90% of the cases there is another hero on team who can spare those 200 gold.

Stu and I agreed to post it here, so that YOU people can come with your ideas/suggestions on what to be changed :) So far I appreciate what you've written, both positive and negative, the basic goal is to create a guide for the newcomers/newbies on how to ward and who is supposed to do so.

[pqp]

usefull warding guide by Podity_Joe from www.dota.pl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVzO336ubFI

[Phi]

Well phi, it is just not that common u see necro or silencer as the wardbitches, but they can usually go for supportive items.

I know its not common, but it would be nice to bring in some "new" strategies into Arank. The fun thing with Silencer: try putting him on a trilane as support and ofc maxing Curse and Last Word. Your opponents will literally have no farm at all, also ganks are very hard to pull off because what can they do without mana or combos (muahahaha, last word broken skill)?

Last time I saw a Dagger/Hex/Aghanims Lion here was when getting owned by Tyr) a long long time ago. :O

I'd put WR on semi-support/carry too btw. I know he's played as hardcarry on most US servers nowadays, but I think his skillset in midgame is just too good to be afk farming for 40 min.

[Cnacnel]

zeus is a very bad wardbitch due to his attack's range - he simply can't kill some wards on cliffs.

[MeatHead]

Well, he can still be the one buying + static field = sentry ward ;P

[Wendek]

You mean Lightning Bolt? :p

[MeatHead]

You mean Lightning Bolt? :p

Yeh along with static xD w/e :D

[Cnacnel]

Well, he can still be the one buying + static field = sentry ward ;P

You got the point there, bro.

[Phi]

Topic started nicely but retards destroyed it. I suggest you delete all unnecessary replies stu&meaty, including this one. xD Idk what Cnac is thinking with his 1 word "fail" reply and everybody knows orcleys mental stability dropped since the Freshwatergate incident.

[Awsm]

He's just trying to help, this just might save me trouble of explaining basic things to clueless player or avoid situations where you have to argue with douchebags who demonstrate (and ruin your game while they're at it) their self-crafted strategies and refuse to take a minute to think about their effectiveness.

Unfortunately, the latter kind of player will probably never bother reading this..

[MYHEARTISUNDEAD]

Ignorant people remain ignorant whether they've read this pointless guide or not. You should have wrote a guide explaining why warding is so important, not what hero is "expected" to get them.

When I play a game, I buy wards for myself, my own benefit, because I know how useful extra vision can be when I am planning a gank behind a tower, or when I am watching out for the arbitrary 4 heroes wheeling it towards my lane. The people reading this guide and playing DotaRank this very moment dont understand this fact. They buy wards because they think they have to, out of retarded pressure from terrible players. Without understanding why, there is no point to doing it at all.

People need to learn for themselves, it's the only way to create a worthy player base that actually values the game and the players in the game. Peer pressure does nothing. It creates a swelling of ignorance, bad feeling and shitty gameplay, which results in flaming, leaving, pulling, and all the problems I now associate with DotaRank.

[Phi]

MYHEARTISUNDEAD, lol, you're a funny dude, but tell me, what got you so aroused? Me calling you a retard due to your retarded comments (not getting better throughout the topic btw :( ) or my observation about your mental state?

@topic: Only post worth staying is Awsms as far as I see.

[Stu]

Please stop your useless spam posts

[MeatHead]

@ MyHeartIsUndead - you got a point there tbh concerning why you should ward etc.
I spoke with Stu about making a warding guide, since the game mode here is most often CM/CD, and if players come in here and don't know how to ward (I've encountered this several times, and I'm sure other have as well) or wants to play carry crystal maiden, I thought this guide would be useful for those people. This guide is simply just a guideline if they need to learn who usually wards and where to put wards for good vision etc. It isn't mandatory read, it is here to boost their knowledge or help them, which I hope it will do.