A Beginner’s Guide to Dota 2 Lingo and Terms

If you’re new to the world of Dota 2, you might find yourself bewildered by the jargon and lingo thrown around by experienced players. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered with this comprehensive guide to help you navigate the language of Dota 2 like a seasoned pro.

DOTA 2

DOTA is sometimes used by players as an acronym to refer to its original Warcraft 3 mod, Defense of the Ancient

But VALVe has never been clear whether dota is an acronym or just a word.

Hero

In Dota 2, you control a powerful character known as a hero. Each hero has unique abilities and plays a crucial role in the team’s strategy. there are more than 120 heroes(124 to be exact at the time of writing).

Ancient/Throne

Ancients is name of the the main building you are trying to protect and/or destroy depending on the team you are on. Destroying the enemy Ancient will win you the game.

Throne is a name used by older players to refer to the Ancients, it is a relic of the Dota: Allstars origin of the game.

Basic Skill and “Ultimate” Skill

Most Heroes have three basic skills that can be leveled up one at a time and a skill that is most commonly called “ultimate” that can only be leveled up at levels 6, 12, and 18. Some exception to this is Meepo, who gets access to his ultimate at levels 4/11/18, and Invoker, who immediately has access to his ultimate called “Invoke”.

Skill Tree

Heroes also have a talent tree where you can allot a skill point whenever your hero reaches levels 10,15, 20, and 25. You are given 2 choices that will improve a stat or a skill your hero has. These choices mostly depend on what role and situation you are in during the game. all the unchosen skill tree upgrades will be accessible at levels 27, 28, 29, and 30.

Creeps

Creeps are computer-controlled units that spawn regularly and make their way down the three lanes. They provide gold and experience when killed. If you are playing a carry killing creeps is one of your main objectives during the early phase of the game.

Neutral Creeps/Jungle Creeps

In the Jungle area of the map, there are what are called Neutral Creeps. They can be killed for extra gold and exp. They are not aligned on either side so will sometimes attack and use skills on any hero fighting within their range or heroes trying to kill them.

Last Hitting

This is a fundamental skill in Dota 2. To earn gold from killing creeps, you must land the finishing blow, called the last hit, just at the right moment.

Farming

Farming refers to the process of killing creeps and neutral monsters to accumulate gold and experience, which helps your hero become stronger.

Gank

A gank occurs when one or more enemy heroes ambush you and try to kill you. Always stay aware of your surroundings to avoid falling victim to ganks.

MIA/Missing

Short for “missing in action.” When an opponent is not visible in their lane, players often call “MIA” to alert teammates that the enemy hero might be rotating to gank another lane.

Push

Pushing means aggressively advancing toward enemy territory and taking down towers and barracks. Teamwork is vital during a push.

Roshan

Roshan is a powerful neutral monster located in his pit. Defeating him grants the Aegis of the Immortal, providing a second life to the hero holding it.

TP (Town Portal)

The Town Portal Scroll allows you to teleport to any friendly building, providing a quick escape or a way to join team fights.

Disable: Stun, Silence, Disarm, Slow, Sleep, and Root

These are different types of crowd-control effects that can disable or hinder enemy heroes during battles.

Stuns will stop your hero from moving, attacking, channeling, and casting spells and items for a set amount of time.

Silence will stop you from casting spells and channeling spells for a set amount of time.

Slow will reduce your hero’s movespeed(MS).

Disarm will remove the ability of your hero to auto-attack for a set amount of time.

Sleep will stop your hero from moving, attacking, channeling, and casting spells and items for a set amount of time or until he is attacked or take any damage.

Root would stop you from moving and using TP. This will not stop you from casting spells and attacking(but there are some exceptions to this like Crystal Maiden’s Frostbite which will root your hero and also disarm them)

Carry

Carries are heroes who, with sufficient farm, become incredibly powerful in the late game. They deal massive damage and often lead their team to victory.

Support

Supports are heroes who assist the team by providing healing, crowd control, and vision. They often ensure the carry’s safety during the early stages of the game.

Courier

A courier is a handy unit that delivers items purchased from the shop to your hero on the battlefield, saving you a trip back to the base.

BKB (Black King Bar)

The Black King Bar is an item that grants temporary magic immunity, protecting your hero from most spells during its duration.

Draft

The draft phase occurs before the game starts, where each team takes turns selecting heroes for their lineup. A good draft can set the tone for the entire match.

Ranged and Melee

Heroes are categorized as either ranged (attack from a distance) or melee (close combat). Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.

Jungle

The jungle refers to the areas of the map filled with neutral creeps. Certain heroes can farm here to gain experience and gold.

Stacking

Stacking involves pulling neutral creeps at the right time to create a new spawn of them. This tactic maximizes farming efficiency for both carry and support heroes.

Pulling

Pulling is a technique used by supports to lure neutral creeps away from their lane’s equilibrium. This helps control the lane and deny experience to the enemy.

Warding

Supports often buy wards to place them around the map, granting vision and map control. Vision is crucial for avoiding ganks and planning strategies.

Deny

When a player lands the last hit on their allied creep or tower, it’s called a deny. Denying denies the enemy experience and gold, reducing their overall power.

Courier Snipe

This refers to taking down the enemy’s courier, hindering their item deliveries and potentially causing gold loss.

Dust/Dust of Appearance

It is a powerful item that reveals invisible units and heroes. It will not reveal invisible wards and sentry

Smoke/Smoke of Deceit

It is an item used to give your hero and any ally unit temporary invisibility to be hidden on your enemies’ vision and observer wards. This invisibility will break once an enemy hero gets close enough to you or your ally.

Rax (Barracks)

Each lane has a set of barracks, which, when destroyed, weaken the opposing team’s creeps and give your team an advantage by making your creeps stronger(Super Creeps). If all barracks are destroyed, Mega Creeps will now spawn on the base of the team that successfully destroyed their enemies barracks

Split Push

Split pushing is a strategy where one or more heroes push a lane while the rest of the team distracts the enemy elsewhere. It puts pressure on the enemy and can lead to multiple objectives being taken.

Disengage/Backing

To disengage means to retreat from a fight or back off from a dangerous situation.

Initiation

The act of starting a fight or engaging in the enemy team. Initiators often have abilities that can catch opponents off guard and turn the tides of battles.

Farm Priority

Determines which hero gets the most farm in a team. The carry usually has the highest farm priority.

Hex

A hex refers to abilities or items that transform an enemy hero into a defenseless critter (like a sheep) for a short duration.

Stacking and Pulling Camps

Supports can manipulate neutral camps to control lane equilibrium and gain experience for their team.

High Ground Warding

Placing wards on elevated areas to gain vision of enemy movements and objectives.

BKB-Piercing Abilities

Some spells and abilities can affect heroes even when they are under the effects of Black King Bar (BKB).

Camp

This is where the Neutral Creeps Spawns. Its boundaries can be seen when pressing ALT button.

Camp Blocking

It is a tactic to block any empty jungle camps to temporarily stop that camp from spawning jungle/neutral creeps. It is done by planting a ward within the camp area or simply stepping on the empty camp before X:00.

A-click (Attack-Move)

A command that makes your hero automatically attack the nearest enemy while moving toward the specified location.

Neutral Items

Items that drop from neutral creeps as the game progresses, offering unique bonuses to heroes.

Buyback

The ability to spend gold and respawn immediately after dying, allows you to rejoin the battle swiftly.

Fountain Regen

When you are inside your fountain area, your health and mana regenerate rapidly.

Tilt

To become emotionally frustrated or lose focus due to repeated setbacks or unfavorable situations.

Creep Block

Manipulating your hero’s movement to slow down the creep wave at the beginning of the game.