The top 5 best exclusive Battle Pass Arcana

Dota 2’s creators, Valve, has been giving out different high-end skins to players with the exclusive annual Battle Pass event. Arcanas are highly regarded as the utmost quality of aesthetics you can find in the game. 

These items are among the most expensive when players decide to sell them. They also make a specific hero appear drastically different from their original designs that make other opposing players stare with envious eyes. 

Battle Pass owners get surprises once in a while when Valve announces a new skin, and Dota 2 players everywhere can’t help but join in on the fun. So, here are the top Battle Pass exclusive Arcanas in the game since their establishment in Dota 2. 

Queen of Pain: The Eminence of Ristul 

Queen of Pain’s Arcana, The Eminence of Ristul, was released in the 2020 Battle Pass at level 445. This Arcana was provided to players as a bundle with weapons, shoulder items, and crowns that make the whole set appear incredible. 

The red and blue theme of the arcana that matches the default colours of Queen of Pain somehow looks different in her Arcana. That says a lot considering Queen of Pain’s colour scheme almost matches that of her Arcana but still manages to look different. 

Furthermore, there are custom animations for her skills like Shadow Strike and her ultimate, Sonic Wave. Other effects include her ambience and the details obviously being different.

As great as a mid hero QoP is, she deserves this beautiful Arcana attached to her every time she gets picked by the player. 

Wraith King: The One True King 

In 2020, Wraith King’s Arcana, The One True King was released for Battle Pass Owners getting past level 375. Its title is a direct reference to Dota 1’s version called Skeleton King, who monikered the title as such. 

This Arcana is released as a whole bundle as well with its default style primary colours of gold, white, red, and black. This Arcana comes with custom effects like ambience, Fire Blast, and Reincarnation. 

What makes Wraith King’s Arcana very good is the homage to Skeleton King from Dota 1 and how this Arcana looks eerily similar to the design of the once-forgotten character from the previous game. 

Io: Benevolent Companion

Io is one of the hardest Arcanas to make because it looks so simple that making one would almost look exactly like its default design. Dubbed as one of the more unique heroes of the game, Io has earned itself a Battle Pass exclusive Arcana for players past level 245. 

Being one of the first exclusive BP Arcanas released, Io looks different in a good way. In terms of cosmetics, Benevolent Companion doesn’t disappoint as it centres around the cube shape design with hearts all over its aura to make it look unique and stand out. 

This Arcana has a lot of custom animations like Tether and Overcharge where the skills are animated in unique ways that are different from the default animations. 

However, the best animation came from Io’s ultimate ability, Relocate, where it teleports Io and tethered heroes to any place on the map and marks that place with iconic blue and orange portals. 

It’s truly a unique skin for a one of a kind character. It’s also one of the best looking ones in the game due to the great design of its animations in combination with the sheer aesthetics of the Arcana. 

Earthshaker: Planetfall

2019 Battle Pass has only one Arcana, and it’s for Earthshaker achieved at level 365. It is a single item that Earthshaker wears as a headpiece. 

Valve once again went with the aura blue colour scheme that makes Earthshaker almost look like Juggernaut’s own Arcana. Like Juggernaut, Planetfall looks incredible with Earthshaker and it synergises with his other skills very well too.

Earthshaker’s special effects come with its Enchant Totem after the Agahanim’s Scepter upgrade, Aftershock, and Echo Slam. The two also come with their own animations for two other items, the Force Staff and the Blink Dagger. 

Unlike Wraith King’s random Force Staff animation, these two actually help serve Earthshaker because they are prominent items for the hero. Planetfall is one of the game’s most good-looking Arcanas, and it’s probably the most unique looking as well.

Windranger: Compass of the Rising Gale 

Windranger’s Arcana is arguably the most beautiful one out of the bunch, and it’s part of the 2020 Battle Pass achieved at a whopping level 575. This is the highest level for any Arcana to acquire marking it the most prestigious Dota 2 item in history.

While the community complained about the difficult attainment to acquire the Arcana, there’s no doubt that it is for good reason due to its sheer beauty. The headpiece is the only object in the build that glows with ambience. 

While it only has that glowing, it actually comes in a set unlike Earthshaker’s single-item bundle with the Quiver, Shoulder, headpiece, and weapon. 

Furthermore, it has special animation for all her abilities, and in addition, to prominent items for her usual build like Monkey King Bar, Javelin, Eul’s Scepter, Windwaker, and Force Staff. 

The colour style here is quite unique and impacts her look significantly. The default colour scheme is blue and white with touches of bright reds on the side while its alternate style is this gorgeous shade of red and gold. 

Dota 2 has had a lot of memorable Arcanas, even if it’s not a Battle Pass exclusive. Because they are so rare, people price them online at ridiculous amounts of money and yet people still buy them. 

They may not have any in-game effects for the benefit of the player, but it has one thing that gamers will definitely take advantage of: Clout and bragging rights for opposing enemies.

Ultimate guide to playing as an off lane in Dota 2

Welcome to playing as an off laner, where hard harasses and ganks occur! While it sounds challenging to play in the off lane, there’s actually a reason for that that is dependent on your hero’s mobility and utility. 

Offlane is a vague concept that explains what a hero is capable of doing in the off lane of their respective teams. For the Radiant, the off lane is at the top lane while the Dire gets the bottom lane as its off lane. 

Basically, the lane is shorter for the off lane which means that farming is not ideal. Creep waves push too high on the tower and possibility of ganks and harasses occur. It does sound like off laners will have a tough time filling their roles for their teams.

But this isn’t really the case for Dota 2 off laners. They tend to do well against heroes on their off lane and have really great builds to sustain a lane’s hard hitting attacks. What makes a great off lane and how do you play it? 

What’s an off lane role?

An off lane is one that charges or creates space, builds aura or has aura-effective skills, and looks to be more active during team fights acting as tanks in their teams. To play this role, you’ll need special skills like patience and creativity to be effective. 

Since it’s mentioned that the lane is shorter and thus more difficult to farm, it will take a lot of patience and creativity to pull off the off lane role like a champ. Farming becomes a different experience than your typical carry gameplays. It might also take you a while to get used to it. 

Challenges of an off laner 

For beginner players, off lane is a difficult role to play. The role is for more adept players who can deal with stressful situations where the health point is almost down to zero. 

In fact, most people allude to this role as the hardest out of all the positions in Dota 2. To start, a trilane is a huge possibility. Basically, a trilane is when 3 heroes appear in a lane you are also in. This means that it’s two against one and that plays an unfair disadvantage. 

This allows the opposing team to treat you more aggressively because there’s no support by your side. However, the great benefit of being on a trilane as an off lane player is getting all the gold and experience for yourself. 

Moreover, you control the whole creep units in terms of last hits and denies. This means that you control the lane despite you being the sole player for your team representing the off lane. 

Furthermore, ganks are prevalent for off laners, especially when you have heros like Spirit Breaker, Pudge, or Mirana roaming the whole map in the early game. You’re never safe, even when the enemy team dives to your tower. 

Main goals of an off laner

An off laner is often called the position 3 in Dota 2, and here are the main objectives for an off lane r to do for their teams during the game: 

• You need to know how to play the right heroes for specific circumstances like tanks, pushers, and initiators. 
• You need to learn how to synergise and work well with your support hero. 
• You have to purchase auras for your team. 
• You need to learn when the right time to start team fights and use your long-cooldown ultimate. 

These are only a few of the many responsibilities of an off laner. The overlooked role of an off laner, however, is one that you might not be too familiar with. It’s becoming a carry if your ally carry hero wasn’t able to farm well during the early game. 

How to be good as an off laner 

To become a good off laner, you need a lot of great skills as well as a perfect understanding of the game’s mechanics and your hero of choice to get the job done. Here are the aspects to consider to get better at position 3. 

Understand your role 

Reading everything above will help you understand why an off lane is needed in the first place. When you can deal so much damage and curate fights like it’s nothing, then you know you’re stepping in the right direction. 

Dominating the off lane is as important as dominating the midlane. At level 7 when you have a skill or two maxed out already plus your ultimate, then it’s going to be quite easy luring enemy teams to you and start using your skills and be effective at it. 

Your dominance will dictate how well your team does during clash fights, and you spearhead every single one to take towers with ease. 

Deny creeps

Most off laners don’t deny it because they are too focused on farming for gold instead. This is a mistake, especially when you are facing a carry hero in your lane. As much as possible. Harass the opposing carry and deny as much creeps as you can to minimise their productivity and farming. 

This provides your team an advantage going into the mid game when you are farmed while the enemy hero is not. Try to disrupt their flow when laning and they’ll have a hard time getting back into the game with very little farm and items. 

Pick the best hero for the off lane 

Each patch will have a different meta for off laners to exploit. However, below are classic off laners who are always great regardless of the update: 

• Pudge
• Lion
• Ogre Magi
• Sniper 
• Wraith King 
• Nature’s Prophet 
• Beastmaster 
• Brewmaster 
• Puck 

These are only a portion of great off lane  heroes, each with unique abilities that make them incredibly effective and efficient when going to the off lane. Regardless of the patch, these heroes will be great no matter what. When playing Dota 2, the off laner is one who puts the team on their backs and makes a push for the late game by connecting skills with other ally heroes then winning team fights. This is their essence, and that’s what makes them so useful in teams.

What are the most versatile heroes in Dota 2?

Dota 2 is filled with 100+ heroes but some are stuck within a role. Versatility is still important in Dota which is why we’re looking into versatile heroes. Let’s talk about the heroes that are not restricted to playing one role because they have a diverse skill set that can make an impact.

In Dota, there are four main roles that you have to think about. The hard carry is the hero that can take over games because they have the best hero that can live up to the namesake, by carrying the team using the resources they farmed. The mid laner is usually the player who sets the tempo because they will make the aggressive moves and make ganks happen.

The offlaner is probably the most under the radar player because they usually play by themselves. However, they will make a huge impact on the game with their spell usage and initiation plays. Lastly, the two support players will live up to their namesake as the foundation of their team to support the other three core players. 

There are some heroes in Dota 2 that are restricted to roles but as two-time The International winner Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein said, ‘Everything can work’. Now, let’s talk about how some heroes can play different roles from the old standards.

Monkey King

When you look at the history of both public and professional matches, no hero has blurred the lines between roles than Monkey King. While the hero was only released in late 2016, MK has proven to be one of the most versatile heroes ever. During the early days, he was exclusively run as a mid hero because of his strong laning power highlighted by his long reach. 

However, when people recognized that he could be run in the hard carry role, people gravitate towards that as well. He had a strong run as a mix between a carry or mid but a few months after his release, he was added to Captain’s Mode which meant pro players were able to use it. 

Due to players like Jesse ‘JerAx’ Vainikka and Ye ‘BoBoKa’ Zhibiao, Monkey King was opened up to be played in the support role. Using Tree Dance, MK can jump on trees and have a ward-like vision. This meant that teams can use him as an initiator from the shadows that no hero can replicate.

These days, when MK is picked, it is hard to distinguish what role he is going to play. He is open to becoming an offlaner as well because he can be the main initiator by building items that make him more of a tank than usual. If you’re looking for a hero that can confuse enemies from the picking phase, MK is the best choice. 

Mirana 

As one of the most popular heroes in Dota, Mirana has always been seen as one of the strongest heroes because of her skill set. She is naturally a mid hero because she has strong stats for the entire game. However, in recent years, most players have gravitated towards making her a support hero.

Playing her in that role was just a unique experience before but with her Sacred Arrow maxing out as a five-second stun, it is hard to deny that playing her in that role is what’s best. Moonlight Shadow is also a strong skill to help the team because it makes the entire ally team invisible which can help them either engage or escape team fights. 

While she is mostly played in the support role nowadays, you can still have her as a core hero when needed. She can farm fast due to her stats but she also has Starstorm which she can use to flash-farm creeps. When she gets the right items, you can rely on Mirana to be a hard-hitter in the late game because of her Agility stats and the item build.

Kunkka

Back in the day, Kunkka was exclusively played as a mid hero but that all changed when people started to realize that he’s actually viable in other roles as well. People mostly focused on his high damage output back in the day but with the use of X Marks the Spot, he can displace the enemy heroes all on his own.

Pairing the X skill with Torrent and Ghost Ship, Kunkka became a top-tier support hero. It also helped that he can transition into a core hero when needed because his damage with Tidebringer was still there. 

Some people have also run him as a hard carry recently because he can stack his damage with good items and as a strength hero, he can be bulky. Kunkka has proven that while his skills don’t change, people can still find out some new nuances to the hero which makes him such a good pick in both the public and pro matches.

Wraith King

Traditionally, Wraith King has always been a hard carry. This was mostly because of his kit that emphasized that he will be a hard hitter while also having the unique ability to have two lives because of his ultimate, Reincarnation.

WK is a strength hero that relies on dealing damage while also playing as a damage sponge. He can take the damage but he will only respawn after he is killed for the first time. When the Dota metagame started to shift, WK became mainly an offlaner because damage sponges became important. 

This was also the reason behind him being played as a support hero because his Wraithfire Blast was a reliable single-target stun but he could also run in by himself and mess up the enemy’s dynamics. 

While all of the mentioned heroes are the most versatile heroes in the game, you can still argue for other names. Leshrac is a good choice because he can be run as a mid and support but most of the time, mid is the only lane where he goes. Lina has the same situation as Leshrac because they should be played more of a damage-dealer rather than being stuck as a squishy support hero.Versatility is a huge part of Dota 2 and it will be a shame if people start to forget that innovation is key to growth. N0tail said it best and his words live on forever.

The top Dota 2 heroes that you should try in 2022

2022 is another big year for Dota 2 with the Dota Pro Circuit picking up steam and Dota: Dragon’s Blood pulling in players. Let’s look at the top heroes that you should try out this year to win more matchmaking rating points. 

You can have your favourite heroes in Dota 2 but you have to accept that sometimes, they are not viable in every game that you play. There will be some players who will counter-pick your favourite heroes which will cancel you out of the match. If you want to win more MMR, you should learn to diversify your hero pool. 

Dota 2 has been around for more than a decade and with that history, you have tons of resources to learn how to play X hero. With constant updates, Dota has proven to be a game that is always in flux. However, certain heroes have always remained strong despite constant nerfs. We will tackle some of the heroes that you can learn to play so you can use them in your ranked games.

Spectre

When people play the hard carry role, they tend to play the three classic heroes which are Juggernaut, Anti-Mage, and Drow Ranger. While all of these heroes are strong in their own right, they are easily counter-picked. You just need a hard disable the first two while Drow is susceptible to being ganked as she is a squishy hero that thrives playing in the shadows.

When it comes to hard carries, some players do not like using Spectre because they find her boring to use. While she is a slow hero in the early game, you will appreciate her power when she manages to farm her items and enter the late-game stage. 

Spectre’s main strength is her ability to keep herself in the fight for a long time while still maintaining a huge damage output. She thrives on absorbing most of the damage as well because she is naturally tanky. However, she shines because of her Dispersion ability which reflects the damage done to her on the enemies.

If you build a Radiance or a Blade Mail with this hero, you can expect that she will be untouchable during team fights. It also helps that her ultimate ability, Haunt, will spawn multiple Spectres across the entire map which can deal even more damage. Don’t believe the notion that Spectre is boring to use because she is an awesome hero that deserves more love.

Zeus 

In terms of the mid lane, Zeus is a hero that can give you maximum damage output all around the map. With four abilities that are centred on magical burst damage, Zeus is a perfect definition of a glass cannon. He is not a tanky hero at all but he outputs so much damage from across the map.

Zeus can eliminate most of the heroes on his own using his burst damage. It gets even better with the Aghanim’s Sceptre upgrade because he gets additional damage with his additional Nimbus skill.

If you are looking for a hero that will deal massive damage without having to engage in the heat of the team fight, Zeus is your hero. However, you should know that there are some drawbacks. You should learn how to position yourself well because when they catch you, you will have limited ways to escape. 

However, the positives outweigh all of the factors because Zeus’ consistent burst damage will always outlast the enemy units as long as Zeus’ position isn’t compromised. If you are looking for easy MMR points playing in the mid lane, Zeus is a good choice.

Warlock

People who love to play support as their main roles have a diverse hero pool with some viable supports in the game but most people tend to go with the flashy ones. Think of heroes like Earthshaker, Rubick, or Lion. While those heroes are strong, they have some weaknesses especially with their reliance on farm but in ranked games, it is hard to come across resources while playing as the support.

Warlock has a skill set that amplifies all of his teammates. He has Shadow Word which is his healing ability that can help the allies who are in need. On the other hand, Fatal Bonds, Upheaval, and the ultimate, Chaotic Offering are all skills that help in team fights. 

Warlock is squishy support which means that you need to find the right position in fights. Aether Lens is an awesome item to buy as well because you don’t have to get close. After all, it extends your cast range.

The biggest obstacle you will face is most likely the timing with Chaotic Offering. If you want to throw the golem down, you should do it at an opportune time because if you do it too early, the fight is lost. 

Puck

Whether it’s run in the mid lane or the off lane, Puck is arguably the most elusive hero in the game. You can be a disruptor in the fights with your skills while also drawing most of the attention. Puck is effective because you can just go in and out of fights constantly with high-damage output skills.

Dream Coil is also a strong tool for team fights because it groups all of the opponents in an area of effect. Puck has a high skill ceiling but if you get the hang of it, you will play as one of the game’s hardest matchups.

Centaur Warrunner 

As one of the beefiest players in the game, Centaur Warrunner is the perfect hero for both engaging and disengaging from team fights. He will be a dominant force with his Hoof Stomp stun but he can also deal damage with Double Edge and his passive skill, Retaliate. 

However, his ultimate, Stampede, is one of the best skills in the game because it can be used for both initiating team fights and disengaging. If you want a reliable offlaner that can do everything, Centaur is a top-tier choice.These are just some of the heroes that you should try out this year. They will help you gain those MMR points that you need to rank up. Always remember that a wide hero pool will make you a better Dota 2 player.

Top 9 all around off lane Dota 2 heroes

Dota 2 is a famous role-playing multiplayer online battle arena game where you can play a variety of heroes with distinct skills and abilities. With these roles, such as carry, support, and jungler, some heroes perform well for each position. 

The off lane in DOTA 2 plays a critical role in influencing the game’s tide to your team’s favour. These heroes’ primary goal is to create turmoil to make it easier for your team’s carry hero to farm and roam around without many risks. In light of this, it is recommended that players select heroes who are more likely to succeed in their lane and take control of the map in general.  

Dota 2 off lane heroes, on the other hand, are notoriously difficult to track down because of their great mobility. In addition to avoiding enemy ganks and ambushes, these heroes can allow their carry to gather resources while hindering the opponents from getting any. 

If you want to dominate fights and have a great advantage against your opponents, here are the best off lane heroes you should consider adding to your roster.

Night Stalker

This hero is considered one of the strongest off lane heroes. Night Stalker has great damage-dealing abilities at his disposal. As his name suggests, Night Stalker gains a major attack speed bonus during the night in addition to his extra movement speed and vision gained during the day.

Throughout the season, he was not dethroned as one of the best aggressive off lane heroes in the game. One of Night Stalker’s greatest assets in DOTA 2 is the psychological toll he can inflict on the opposing team. While the sun sets, his ability to attack unsuspecting heroes during fights makes him a formidable opponent that is hard to keep track of. 

Weaver

Weaver is a versatile off lane hero capable of becoming a full-time carry if his allies perform well. He can slip through the hands of his opponents easily. Weaver does not have any trouble staying alive in the off lane. With the right items, he’s agile, mobile, undetectable, and can inflict massive damage.

What makes him more of an effective off laner? He is a challenging hero to capture making him a star in the off lane hero category.

Broodmother

One of DOTA 2’s most terrifying and active heroes, Broodmother is skilled at solo-killing any enemy that comes her way. Her army of spiderlings surrounds her and can quickly deplete the health of any hero who is caught off guard. 

Despite Broodmother’s high level of complexity, the hero can be devastating in the hands of skilled players. She is also a formidable tower-melting and objective-securing hero who can achieve every goal her team needs.

Batrider

Any experienced Dota 2 player can testify that Batrider is amongst the best off laner in the game. This is because of his abilities that complement his allies and can easily destroy the enemy team’s carry hero during the laning stage. After dominating the battlefield, all you need to add to his items is a blink dagger that enhances Batrider’s full potential.

Additionally, Batrider is a favourable hero as an off laner because his Firefly ability makes him a mobile opponent. He can slow enemies and has high movement speed with attacks that are challenging to deflect.

Dark Seer

One of the best versatile heroes in the game is Dark Seer. Despite his soft nature, the hero has an arsenal of tools that can change the course of the game. Ion Shell is one of the best split-push abilities in Dota 2.

The hero has a vacuum ability that can be used to pull in enemies within a certain range. Combining multiple lethal spells with this ability can wipe the entire opposing team. 

Enigma

If you want an off laner hero with flashy abilities, a well-placed black hole by Enigma can win a team fight on its own. The rest of his skills are excellent for jungling and pushing creep waves back. 

Enigma can conjure Eidolons to attack creeps for him and can easily farm jungle camps. He is a capable off laner as he has a high base armour and Malefice ability that can eliminate support heroes with ease. 

Underlord

One of the best and capable team fight heroes in Dota 2 is Underlord. This hero can sustain damage and last longer than most heroes. Underlord gained the off lane status due to these abilities. Despite the seasons that passed, Underlord is still one of the strongest off lane role heroes. 

Underlord gets a massive boost from his Fiend’s Gate ability that can be used both in defence and offence making him one of the most versatile and capable off lane heroes.

Omniknight

Omniknight, one of Dota 2’s most powerful off lane heroes, has a wide range of abilities that allow him to withstand massive amounts of damage. He controls the pace of the game with a wide variety of offensive and defensive abilities, including Purification, Degen Aura, Heavenly Grace, and Guardian Angel.

Omniknight has a powerful dispel that the hero can use to save his allies from dangerous situations. These abilities make the hero extremely useful in various situations, such as in team fights or when an enemy ganks the hero.

Doom

Dota 2’s Doom is one of the best heroes that can disable opponents in the game. Doom can effectively stop an enemy from playing the game for a whopping 16 seconds by deactivating their spells and items. 

Doom is one of the favoured off laner because of his ability to instantly kill creeps and increased movement speed. He can inflict great damage on support heroes with his Infernal Blade and can eliminate enemy team’s carry with ease.Keep in mind that although these Dota 2 heroes on the list are capable of turning the tide of the game to your favour as the team’s off laners, these heroes’ primary responsibility is to clear the way for their carry hero without giving the enemy heroes any chance to farm. For a more versatile approach, pair them with items that enhance their skills and mobility for more engaging and efficient gameplay.

 A guide to Dota 2 consumables

When playing Dota 2, there are valuable spaces called item slots where you can store your weapons and equipment. A hero can carry up to 10 items at a time so you have to be careful with which items you have to buy. Fortunately, there are items in this game that can give you extra space after you use or share them with your allies. These items are called consumables.

Most Dota 2 players are aware of how consumables work, but they rarely use those items as they prioritize building more valuable items. Despite this, consumables still serve a purpose in-game, mostly for the laning phase. If you are interested to learn more about consumable items in Dota 2, here’s what you need to know about them:

What are consumables?

Consumables are basic items in Dota 2 that disappear from your item slot upon use. These items can heal HP or mana and grant special effects besides temporarily increasing a hero’s stats. Also, most consumables are bought by support heroes who are used to sharing such items with their teammates.

What are the different consumables in Dota 2?

There are 15 consumable items in Dota 2, and each of them has different effects:

• Aghanim’s Blessing is a self-affecting item that upgrades the abilities of its user. It can be obtained by killing Roshan a third or fourth time.
• Bottle restores HP and Mana for a short time. Its effect can be interrupted when the user is attacked. Fortunately, it can be refilled by going to the fountain. Bottles can also be used to store runes.
• Cheese provides an instant HP and mana healing effect. It is dropped by Roshan after his second and succeeding deaths. It is stackable in the inventory and can be shared.
• Clarity is a mana regeneration consumable item. It replenishes mana for a few seconds and can be interrupted when the user is attacked or dispelled.
• Dust of Appearance is used to disable invisibility effects among enemies in a certain area. Invisible heroes revealed by this item are also slowed for a while. This item cannot reveal wards.
• Enchanted Mango is an item that instantly restores mana among nearby allies. This item can be stacked up to three times but it cannot be sold.
• Faerie Fire is a self-affecting, non-stackable item that instantly restores HP.
• Greater Faerie Fire restores more HP than Faerie Fire and is dropped by neutral creeps upon death.
• Healing Salve is a stackable healing item that affects allied heroes. The healing effect of this item is channelled and can be disrupted by enemy attacks.
• Observer Ward is an invisible device that can be planted by the user anywhere on the map except the Roshan pit. It provides a ground vision of nearby enemies and can only be stacked up to four times.
• Refresher Shard is a self-affecting item dropped by Roshan from his third death onwards. This item can instantly reset the cooldown timers of all items and abilities of its user. This item can be shared.
• Sentry Ward also provides the same visual effect and restrictions as the Observer Ward but this item has an added effect where invisible enemies can also be seen.
• Smoke of Deceit grants invisibility and a slight movement speed boost among the user and nearby allies to the point where even its minimap icons are hidden. The invisibility wears off when approaching an enemy hero or a tower.
• Tango is made up of three spores that can heal the user’s HP upon consuming a tree, albeit at a slower rate. One spore can be shared among allies so they can also heal. Consuming a tree can also help in the laning phase of the game and revealing hidden enemies.
• Town Portal Scroll is a consumable item given to all heroes at the start of the game. It allows the user to teleport within range of a friendly structure. Teleporting to the same location will take a longer time, except when it is to the fountain.

Note: The Observer and Sentry Wards can be combined to occupy one item slot. However, only one type of ward can be activated upon use.

Strategies in using consumables

Most consumables are bought in the early stages of the game as they are cheap and provide a quick fix when something goes wrong in a skirmish. However, consumables are also available for use when recouping from Roshan’s onslaught.

Supports are often relied upon for purchasing consumables, particularly wards, instant healing items and cooldown resets, and Tangoes. These effects are highly useful in map awareness, team fights, and securing lanes.

Rules on cooldowns of shareable consumables

More than one hero can purchase the same consumable item. However, using these items one after the other would give the team an unfair advantage. To avoid this, there are certain rules as to how long each item must be consumed again after its first use:

• Receiving an unused consumable from a teammate after you use your own consumable places the newly received item on cooldown.
• An item that is on cooldown retains its timer even when it is shared with a teammate.
• Picking up a dropped used consumable from a teammate will place it on cooldown. All unused items of the same kind will also be on cooldown. However, purchasing the same kind of consumable as the one dropped by the teammate before it is picked up will not place the item on cooldown.

Consumables in Dota 2 generally act as temporary item builds for each hero before they focus on their more valuable items. Don’t underestimate the value of each consumable item as it could spell the difference between winning a team fight or losing it. No matter which stage of the game you are in, consumables will provide you with several advantages that won’t hurt your team’s economy.

Upcoming Dota 2 events and tournaments in 2022

Dota 2 fans continue to rally behind in support of their favorite game as it endures the impact of the global health crisis. Valve responds to the fans by organizing tournaments that give pro players all around the world a chance to prove themselves worthy of being called the best.

The tournaments facilitated by Valve are spread in different regions and are held in the grandest stage of Dota 2 esports, The International (TI). Each region has already started their respective tournaments before 2021 ended, but here are the remaining events to look forward to in 2022:

DPC SEA Tours 2 and 3

The Dota Pro Circuit is the first stage for teams who want a shot at being in The International. Winners of this tournament gain points that will help them get closer to their goal. The first entry on this list focuses on Southeast Asia where most of the players are from Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Tour 1 ended on January 20, 2022 with division winners BOOM Esports and Polaris Esports. Tour 2 will take place on March 14 with 8 out of 12 teams already revealed. Meanwhile, Tour 3 will be on June 6. The prize pool for each tour is $280,000.

DPC SA Tours 2 and 3

DPC SA is the South American leg of the tournament with most of its players coming from Brazil and Peru. Tour 1 ended on January 21, 2022 but with second division winners Thunder Predator, Infinity, and Balrogs.

Tour 2 will begin on March 14 with eight out of 16 teams already revealed. Meanwhile, Tour 3 will begin on June 6. The prize pool for each tour is $280,000.

DPC CN Tours 1, 2, and 3

China has its own regional tournament but some of its teams have imported players from Malaysia. Tour 1 already took place on January 23 and already had second division winners: Xtreme Gaming and Team MagMa.

Meanwhile, Tour 2 will begin on March 14 with 15 teams already revealed. Tour 3 will begin on June 6. The prize pool for each tour is $280,000.

DPC EU Tours 2 and 3

The European leg of the Dota Pro Circuit is divided into the West and East Europe tournaments. Most of the players in this tournament are from the northern parts of the continent. Tour 1 of the WEU ended on January 21 with first division winners Team Liquid and Team Tickles.

On the other hand, the DPC EU Tour 2 will begin on March 14 with 15 teams already revealed. Tour 3 will begin on June 6. The prize pool for each tour is $280,000. 

Note: Only the WEU teams will participate in the DPC EU Tours since the EEU teams will compete in the CIS Tours instead.

DPC CIS Tours 2 and 3

As previously mentioned, there is no Tour 1 named after the Commonwealth of Independent States region as it is labelled as the Eastern Europe leg of the DPC. Most of the players from this tournament are from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. Tour 1 of the EEU ended on January 21 with first division winners Team Spirit and PuckChamp.

Tour 2 will begin on March 14 with eight out of 16 teams already revealed. Meanwhile, Tour 3 will begin on June 6. The prize pool for each tour is $280,000.

DPC NA Tours 2 and 3

The North American leg of the DPC has players coming mostly from the US and Canada. Its Tour 1 ended on January 20 with division winners Quincy Crew, Team Undying, Evil Geniuses, 4 Zoomers, and The Cut.

Tour 2 will begin on March 14 with 11 out of 16 teams already revealed. Meanwhile, Tour 3 will begin on June 6. The prize pool for each tour is $280,000.

DPC 2022 Majors 2 and 3

The Majors are the penultimate stage to becoming the best Dota 2 team in the world. Qualifying teams from all DPC tournaments will duke it out in this event. DPC points will still be awarded in these tournaments with the teams having the highest number of points qualifying for The International.

Tour 1 of the DPC Majors has been cancelled due to the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant. The points to be won from the cancelled event will be redistributed to the winners of the next two majors.

DPC Major 2 will start on May 11 while Major 3 will begin on August 4. Each Major will have a prize pool of $500,000.

The 2022 Asian Games

The 2022 Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, China on September 10. Dota 2 is one of the games included in its esports category. However, it is still not known which or how many teams will participate in the event.

The International XI

This is the biggest stage of Dota 2 esports. In fact, this year marks the eleventh edition of The International where 18 of the best teams in the world battle it out for global supremacy.

The 18 teams participating in The International (TI) are determined by the 12 teams with the highest number of DPC points plus one team from each of the six DPC regions: North America, South America, Europe, CIS, China, and Southeast Asia.

The International XI will begin on October 7 and has a prize pool of $1.6 million.
Dota 2 fans are jam-packed every year with upcoming events. With this, pro players are on the run to shake up their respective regional tournaments by introducing new meta-defining plays and presenting a real challenge for veterans who are also looking to further their legacy in the Dota 2 scene.