“We need wards.” is probably the most spammed chat wheel option I see in matchmaking (the sarcastic “Well Played!” is a close second). There are very good, frequently linked guides that newer players don’t always find satisfying. Rather than a comprehensive guide let’s compile some conceptual tips and common mistakes, our own rookie mistakes and pet peeves, that are the most important to keep in mind. The goal is to touch upon the little things that make you better without burying them in screenshots.

Philosophical Ramblings:

Wards give you information. Sun Tzu would have liked them, probably.
Observer Wards (‘obs’), the ones that give vision, are limited; and Sentry Wards, the ones that spot annoying invisible stuff, are expensive. Both types need to be used wisely.
There is a difference between having the most vision and having the best vision. The sunspot/Illuminati decals on the map have large fields of vision but smaller portions of the map can be more interesting in certain scenarios.

In General:

Wards should be placed where you think the game will be for the next six minutes. If you’re unfamiliar with game flow or hero progressions ask your team. They will let you know if they plan to attack soon or play defensive (see proper guides for specific positions in either case).
Watch the area you warded. It’s obvious but everyone forgets once in a while.
Don’t feel obligated to maintain vision of the runes at all times if other wards will give you more powerful information.
Ask questions. Make mistakes. Get flamed. The third will happen less the more you do one and two.

Wards and Your Team:

Spread the burden. Buy some for your supports if they are having a bad game. If you find yourself buying all the wards ask your team to pitch in. Excessive altruism on the part of one player can hurt the team in the long run.
Wards, like bottles, are shared items and can be used by people other than the one that buys them. The courier, however, will only auto deliver them to the purchaser. You must drag and drop them from the courier’s inventory to your hero if someone bought them for you. The courier will not go home on its own. Send it home manually. It is an innocent in all of this and you must protect it.
Check for other wards before you place yours. Redundant wards are wasted gold. Check the mini-map for little green eyes. Someone may have already placed a ward in a spot you don’t already know and wouldn’t think to check.

Early Game:

*Note (31/5): This guide was first written in a magical era when the game started with 4 wards. 6.78 reduced the starting wards to 2. The limit may change what wards are considered the most important and may force sentry wards to be used for pull blocks. I will update if the meta changes substantially.

Placing wards near rune spawns help control runes and see ganks coming. They are well covered in proper guides.
If a skillshot hero (yes you, Pudge) is mid place a ward on the enemy high-ground. They don’t expect you to have vision here when the creeps are in the river. It will give your mid an advantage.
Wards are often placed at or around the 0:00 mark. At around 6:00 vision will be lost. This is also the time of the first night. It’s dangerous for squishy, ward buying heroes to go out to the river unaccompanied after dark. Be careful when rewarding.
‘Spawn Blocking’ is the use of specific ward placement to disrupt enemy jungle games. It is a tactic all its own and outside of the scope of this 'guide.' It is worth mentioning, however, to explain the random ward in the enemy jungle that only shows sad supports.

Mid Game:

Ward the area around Roshan if you think those sneaky guys on the other side of the river will go for the 1-up soon. The time Roshing becomes possible changes with team composition, items, and how many heroes are involved in the attempt. Rosh wards are expected so you may need to be clever.
Someone should have an extra ward in their inventory whenever you push out. A lucky foray may give you a chance to place an exciting ward you wouldn’t normally have access to.
The pinnacle wards (the sunspot decals on the thrusts of rock in the back corners of each team’s jungle) are commonly placed and offer uninterrupted vision. Unfortunately, a large portion of this vision is behind the tier two towers where attackers are less likely to gather. Place wards in the lane or jungle ahead of these towers if you plan to defend them.

Late Game:

This part of the game is very situational and hard to explain. Replacing fallen base towers (enemy and friendly), Roshan, and approach paths are all helpful. It takes experience or someone smarter than I to figure out general rules about which are more important.

Smoke of Deceit

… is an item designed to confound even experienced players. It does this primarily with a complicated tool tip. On a side note, it can make an entire team invisible as long as they stay away from enemy heroes and towers (and some other conditions). Know that even the best warding does not guarantee you’ll see enemies coming. Count the enemies you see on the minimap. If it’s only 1 or 2, you may want to seek shelter.

Counter Warding / Being Counter Warded

Sentry Wards and Gem of Truesight (but not Dust of Appearance) reveal wards in places that you have normal vision of. When used effectively they change the ward game from Solitaire to Poker.
If the enemy has killed one of your wards do not simply kill their wards and throw your own back up in the same spot. They saw you and it is the first place they’ll go once you leave.
When you want to kill an enemy ward don’t put your Sentry directly on top of where you think it is. Place it between a few common ward spots. This way, if you guessed wrong, you may catch one in a nearby position.
If you place a sentry on the low ground you can use a vision granting spell (such as SD’s Shadow Poison or Batrider’s Firefly) to check the high ground without wasting one of your own Observers. If all else fails bring a Flying Courier around.

Some some information about blocking and unblocking jungle camps shared by ellusion.

Dewarding the Pull Camps [Guide]
Spawn Boxes [Diagram]

I like to play support but I’m not an expert. Please suggest more tips or common mistakes if you have them. I’d like to keep this from becoming too dense. If there is something that isn’t important enough please suggest that too.

My Book Is My Page

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

DOTA 2 SECRET AND TIPS