Dota 2 Role Mastery 2024: Support

Our next Dota 2 Role Mastery article is about a role we all love – Support. The Dota 2 Support role is key, so let’s learn more about it.

Even though a lot of people do not appreciate the Dota 2 support heroes, they have a crucial role in our favorite game. Without supports, teams will not be able to win any games because these are the players and heroes that have to carry the early game. There are many things we need to include when talking about the Dota 2 support role, so let's reveal a few things.

Dota 2 Support Guide – Introduction and Types of Supports

Regardless of the Dota 2 support meta, these heroes’ job is to make sure that the rest of the team is having a good game. To achieve their goal, they need to protect them, buy vision (and other utilities), stack camps, gank, and more. There is no step-by-step guide because every Dota 2 game is different, and players have to be able to adapt.

Something important to note in this Dota 2 support guide is that there are two main types of supports:

• Soft Support (position 4)
• Hard Support (position 5)

The role of the position 4 supports is to be more active around the map and try to make things happen. These heroes usually gank and stack and try to help other lanes when needed. 

On the other hand, we have the position 5 supports. Their job is usually related to the team’s safelane carry because they have to make sure he is having a good game. Depending on the carry, the position 5 Dota 2 support heroes may have to babysit the mid-lane as well. Also, they are usually responsible for buying the majority of the utilities, such as wards, smokes, and others.

Dota 2 Supports – How to Pick Them & Tips

Before taking a look at things, such as the Dota 2 support tier list, you need to know how to pick the right heroes. Assuming you and your team are not following a specific tactic, you should pick the support hero you are most comfortable with. Since support players usually pick before others, they have the freedom to get what they like.

In situations where you know your teams’ cores, you should get something that works well with them. The same is true if you are aware of your opponents.  Supports can often hard-counter some of the cores from opposing teams.

If you are unsure which are the names on the support Dota 2 tier list, feel free to check our articles. We always feature the best heroes for every patch, allowing you to focus on the names that are worth it. 

Dota 2 Role Mastery Support – Items

Once you check some of the Dota 2 support heroes for beginners, the next important thing to do is focus on getting the right items. Unlike other roles, such as offlane, supports usually buy standard items, at least in the majority of their games. Also, considering supports do not have access to the same gold as other roles, they can’t really get that many items.

Most support players will need to get some sort of movement speed item and items that provide utility. The latter depends on the support Dota 2 meta but can include options like Force Staff, Blink Dagger, Eul’s Scepter of Divinity, Glimmer Cape, and more.

If the Dota 2 match reaches the late game, supports can afford to get some kind of luxury items, such as Scythe of Vyse. However, it all depends on the specific game.

Something to keep in mind about itemization as support is that your goal is to make sure you get items that help your team before purchasing something to counter your opponents. This is a widespread mistake in PUBs, and people usually regret their decision.

Dota 2 Supports in Team Fights

Whether you are a soft support Dota 2 or a hard support Dota 2, your role in team fights is incredibly important. In fact, some heroes have among the best team-fight ultimates in the game, and not using them on time can be the difference between winning and losing.

Something that you need to be prepared for in team fights is that you will almost always be the go-to target. This is especially true if you are using a Dota 2 support, such as Disruptor, whose ultimate can change the course of a team fight.

Knowing this information, your job in team fights should be to try and use your abilities as early as possible. Dying without being able to cast anything is one of the worst things that can happen to a Dota 2 support player. So, don’t wait for the right moment – use your abilities. Even if you die after that, it would not make that much of a difference. 

Of course, there are always exceptions in Dota 2, which is why some people want to get support Dota 2 coaching. Certain supports are extremely important, and they should do everything they can to stay alive for as long as possible. Lion, for example, has some of the best CC abilities in the game. This allows him to jump into the fight once it starts and control the enemy team.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know the basics of the Dota 2 support role, it is time to pick your favorite hero and start playing. Something that we want to say is that playing support can be extremely fun, especially if you have good teammates. Many people always pick core roles because they believe they have more control over the game, but this is not always the case.

Being a good support can make a huge difference and it will allow your team to perform better. So, if you decide to choose this role, make sure you do everything you can to win.