Picking which one of the Dota 2 roles fits you and your playstyle is an important step in how you can advance in the game.
To climb the Dota 2 ranks efficiently, you must pick and practice with the best Dota 2 roles that suit your playstyle, then expand your horizon as your skill increases. While being a jack-of-all-trades is possible, we suggest those new to Valve’s Multiplayer Battle Online Arena (MOBA) become proficient in two roles.
Join us as we discuss the five main Dota 2 roles based on lanes, farm priority, and the niche Jungle position. We’ll help you understand what each role entails for both the Radiant and Dire side, and what is expected of players in their respective positions.
Dota 2 Roles Table of Contents
Carry (Position 1)
Playing in the Carry (Position 1) role is about farming as much gold as possible while under the protection of either one or two support players. If you love last-hitting creeps for nearly half the game, then a hard carry role is for you!
You’ll often see carry players in the late-game, fully stacked with the best items and wrecking enemy heroes in a teamfight. Getting there is not always easy. The enemy team often targets a carry player, because delaying a PO1’s item acquisition or interrupting their farming route is advantageous.
Carry heroes to consider are Spectre, Juggernaut, Phantom Assassin, Medusa, Sven, and Lifestealer.
Midlaner (Position 2)
Some of the flashiest Dota 2 pro players are midlaners. In the Position 2 role, you face off against the enemy team’s solo middle-lane hero. There’s a lot of pressure on the midlaner, because losing the battle in this lane puts your team at a distinct disadvantage.
If you love facing one opponent and putting your 1v1 skills to the test, then the midlaner PO2 role is a great fit. Those in the middle lane often study hero matchups and counters while keeping an eye on Rune spawns and rotating to either the top or bottom lane for ganks. Last-hitting creeps for kills and denies is a vital skill to practice for this Dota 2 role.
Some of the best middle-lane heroes are Queen of Pain, Storm Spirit, Shadow Fiend, Invoker, Lina, and Templar Assassin.
Offlaner (Position 3)
Do you thrive under pressure? Then, the Position 3 role won’t disappoint. Depending on the enemy team setup, you’ll have to face the enemy carry alongside either one or two support heroes. An offlane player’s primary goal is to stay alive, soak up XP, and get as much out of a lane as possible.
You’ll focus on survivability in the early game and, most of the time, become the initiator of teamfights in the mid game. At the biggest tournaments, including The International, the offlane players shine as they pull off incredible feats and turn teamfights on their heads.
Some of the best offlane heroes to play include Spirit Breaker, Tidehunter, Brewmaster, Bristleback, and Underlord.
Soft Support (Position 4)
The soft support role isn’t entirely selfless. You’ll either help in the jungle, get some gold from neutral creeps, or support the offlane player and poke at the enemy carry during the laning phase. If your team decides to run a trilane setup, you’ll focus on safeguarding your carry player while rotating for teamfights.
An alternative avenue for PO4 soft support is that of a roamer. In this sub-role, you’ll move from lane to lane to support anyone who needs help, secure vision for your team, and place wards in the enemy jungle. You’re essentially an all-around nuisance for the opposing team.
Great soft support heroes to try are Chen, Underlord, Enchantress, Earth Spirit, and Witch Doctor.
Hard Support (Position 5)
Hard support is the most selfless position in Dota 2, sacrificing everything for their team and PO1 carry. If you love seeing others thrive and don’t mind taking the scraps, consider playing PO5. The hard support role is about helping the carry farm in the safelane. You’ll harass the enemy offlane, pull and cut creep waves, and teleport when anyone needs assistance.
Those with excellent map awareness are perfect for the hard support role since these players must purchase and place sentry wards for team vision and destroy enemy wards. As the sacrificial role, you’ll protect your PO1 to PO3 players with your life, often offering yourself up so a carry player can get out of dodge.
Hard support heroes we recommend starting with are Witch Doctor, Dazzle, Lion, and Crystal Maiden.
Jungle Role (PO1 or PO4)
Not every Dota 2 match has someone in a dedicated jungle role, unlike in League of Legends. The role is for heroes who can farm the neutral creep camps, including Ancient creeps, without help.
The role’s primary goal in the early game is to control their team’s jungle. You’ll earn solo XP and gold to get ahead of the competition while supporting the safe lane if or when the enemy team puts too much pressure on your PO1 player. Once a specific hero level or item goal is reached, the jungle player rotates between teamfights and tower pushes, returning to the neutral creep farm periodically.
The jungle heroes we suggest playing are Enigma, Nature’s Prophet, Axe, Legion Commander, Chen, or Enchantress.
FAQs About Dota 2 Roles
We’ve compiled a short list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that new players may have about the different Dota 2 roles/positions.
What Is The Easiest Dota 2 Hero To Use?
Valve consistently deploys balance changes, so there’s not one single hero that remains the easiest or best to play. With this in mind, heroes such as Bristleback are considered easier to play for the average player. In contrast, heroes such as Mirana, who have abilities that require aiming and predicting enemy movement, are considered more challenging.
Can I Play Ranked Matches With A New Dota 2 Role?
While you can switch roles and jump straight into Ranked matches, we recommend practicing a new role in unranked matches until you feel comfortable.
Someone Already Called My Role. What Should I Do?
It happens often in public Dota 2 matches where multiple players want to take on the PO1 or PO2 roles. That’s why we suggest practicing two roles so you always remain flexible.
Should I Buy Sentry Wards As PO4?
It depends on what your team needs. As a PO4 player, you are the soft support. This means if your team needs vision and your PO5 teammate can’t keep up, go and purchase some wards!
What’s The Best Dota 2 Role?
There is no “best” Dota 2 role. It all depends on your playstyle, so you should find the position that suits you best using the information we’ve provided.
Finding The Right Dota 2 Role For You
With our layout of all the Dota 2 roles, you should have a better idea of where to focus on based on your strengths and weaknesses as a player. You’ll also find a deeper understanding of each Dota 2 role advantageous when placing wagers, as knowledge of roles and heroes after the drafting phase can help you during live betting.
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