Competitive Play Stratigies :: The Ultimate Guide for Clan Strategies

[ThaVos]

As an ex DotA player not just a PUB player but also competitively as well (although not that great at comps) I wanted to get some of the well know strategies out in the forums and get some of the more pro players thoughts on there strategies into the community to help new clans and those wanting to get better at competitive play.

---WARDING---

Why should I buy Observer Wards?
To start off, observer wards provide you with added map control and awareness. I stress 'added' because wards will not give you total control over the map and even then, added map control will not always guarantee your victory, but it sure as hell makes you closer to it.

What is map control anyway? You can answer in with several answers, but to sum it all up, map control is vision. You cannot control what you cannot see, and you can have some added control of what you can. Why do you think some noobs even take the time to use a maphack?
Who should buy Observer Wards?
Providing wards for the team are typically done by support heroes, gankers, and also several item independent heroes. The reason being they can function with just a minimal item set as opposed to those carry heroes who need shinier items to be effective. Since these heroes can function and contribute with minimal items, providing wards for the team to increase their map control is a great investment of gold as the team with the better map control have a higher chance of winning as well (lineups and player skills are also determining factors but let's not go there)
Here is a list of heroes commonly utilized as warders. To what degree a hero wards for the team differs from hero to hero. For example, between Pryo and demented shaman, DS is more of a 'pure' warder compared to Pryo, although both of them are suited to be the team warder. Order of appearance of heroes in their Tier level are non significant.

I will convert these to HoN Pic's Soon (note not my guide was from an old DotA forum.

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Ward Spot # 1
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel
Game Phase: Early Game
Benefits:
Gives vision in scourge mid lane
Scouts bottom river path for ganks

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Ward Spot # 2
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Beneficiaries: Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game
Benefits:
Gives vision in sentinel mid lane
Scouts bottom river path for ganks

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Ward Spot # 3
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel || Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game
Benefits:
Gives vision of top rune
Scouts upper river path for ganks

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Ward Spot # 4
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel || Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game
Benefits:
Gives vision of top rune
Scouts upper river path for ganks
Gives vision of the ancient neutral camp

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Ward Spot # 5
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel || Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game/ Mid Game
Benefits:
Gives vision of bottom rune
Scouts lower river path for ganks
Height of terran gives fairly wide vision
Can spot heroes going for Roshan's Lair

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Ward Spot # 6
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel || Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game
Benefits:
Gives vision of top rune
Scouts upper river path for ganks
Height of terran gives fairly wide vision

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Ward Spot # 7
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel || Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game
Benefits:
Gives vision of scourge forest for ganks

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Ward Spot # 8
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel || Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game
Benefits:
Gives vision of bottom rune
Gives vision of sentinel forest for ganks

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Ward Spot # 9
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel
Game Phase: Early Game/Mid Game
Benefits:
Gives vision of two neutral camps
Can be used to spot a jungler in scourge

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Ward Spot # 10
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Beneficiaries: Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game/Mid Game
Benefits:
Can be used to spot heroes neutralling

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Ward Spot # 11
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel || Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game/Mid Game
Benefits:
Scouts lower terrain for ganks
Gives vision of bottom rune
Scouts sentinel jungle (for scourge)

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Ward Spot # 12
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Beneficiaries: Scourge
Game Phase: Early Game/Mid Game
Benefits:
Scouts sentinel forest for jungling heroes
Scouts sentinel forest while pushing 2nd bottom tower

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Ward Spot # 13
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel || Scourge
Game Phase: Mid Game/Late Game
Benefits:
Scouts scourge forest (sentinel)
Scouts for hunting sentinel heroes (scourge)
High terrain provides very wide vision

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Ward Spot # 14
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Beneficiaries: Scourge || Sentinel
Game Phase: Mid Game/Late Game
Benefits:
Aids while pushing sentinel 2nd mid/bottom tower (scourge)
Scouts for hiding scourge heroes while defending 2nd tower (sentinel)
High terrain provides very wide vision

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Ward Spot # 15
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel
Game Phase: Base Pushing
Benefits:
Scouts scourge 3rd middle tower

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Ward Spot # 16
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel
Game Phase: Base Pushing
Benefits:
Scouts scourge 3rd top tower

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Ward Spot # 17
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Beneficiaries: Sentinel
Game Phase: Base Pushing
Benefits:
Scouts scourge 3rd bottom tower

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Ward Spot # 18
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Beneficiaries: Scourge
Game Phase: Base Pushing
Benefits:
Scouts sentinel 3rd bottom tower

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Ward Spot # 19
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Beneficiaries: Scourge
Game Phase: Base Pushing
Benefits:
Scouts sentinel 3rd middle and top tower
Gives wide vision into sentinel base

---HERO LINE UPS---

AOE LINE UP

Purpose:If the team fights together 5 vs 5, the AoE wave will win. This is not complicated but very simple. With a touch of one button from each hero all 5 enemies will die almost instantly. But all 5 of the AoE wave hereos do not need to used there ultiamates at the same time.
General Strategy:
Pro's: Hard to counter in Ganks,
Con's: Can be slow at raxing, If unable to cripple team early and push effectiveness lessens as game goes on.
Suggested Bans: Jeriziah
Weak against what LINEUPS:

Possible Lineups: Pryo, Soul stealer, Toucher, Tempest, Magmus, Pebbles, Defiler

PUSHING LINE UP

Purpose: The idea here is to push the base hard. And get an early rax.
General Strategy: One painful strategy i have seen was a lvl 2-3 push on the mid tower that totally crippled there solo. (u need Ophelia, tempest, wild soul and accursed for this.) Another is to wait till lvl 6 for the important heroes then push a lane and push it hard.
Pro's: Possiable to finish the game very early. Forces carries to stop farming and defend base.
Con's: If unable to push early or stopped by few heroes team can be under leveled and under farmed.
Suggested Bans:
Weak against what LINEUPS: AOE

Possible Lineups: Warbeast, Ophelia, Tempest, Pebbles, Accursed, Defiler, Hellbringer, Polywog, Wild soul

TANK LINE UP

Purpose: To be unkilleable to the enemy.
General Strategy: Tank up and don't die.
Pro's: Early game nukers have less effectiveness due to high hp, Can go late game.
Con's: Most are melee, Vulnerable to ranged damage and AOE, requires good teamwork to pull off.
Suggested Bans:
Weak against what LINEUPS: DPS ranged.

Possible Lineups: Jeraziah, Accursed, Armadon, Demented shaman, Electrician, Zephyr, Predator,

PLEASE POST YOUR THOUGHTS/STRATEGIES IN THIS FORMAT AND ILL ADD THEM

I am not a pro these are just strategies i have seen, have been used by me or mostly against me that i have observed. Please post your thoughts (want seasoned players ideas) and correct my post where necessary.

---Basic Jungling Step-by-Step---

What I have here is a very generic jungling strategy which can be used for almost every possible jungle hero.

Step 1: Buy a stout shield, if your hero doesn't use summons (eg Legionair, Zephyr, Predator). Get some Blights (and Mana pots if you use summons).
Step 2: Head to the pullable camp (Camp close to the lane (the one used to pull your creeps)), and pull them (not pull your creeps) at 2:53 to stack the camp. Before that, you can leech some xp from the lane nearby.
Step 3: Pull again at 3:15 and have the lane creeps assist you in the killing. (Pull and then pull your creeps to kill 3 waves of neutrals)
Step 4: Kill the small camp. You should reach lvl 3 now.
Step 5: At lvl 3, most jungle heroes are strong enough to solo the camps.

Alternatively,
certain heroes like Legion/Warbeast/Tempest can kill the small camp really fast at 2:30 and immediately head to the pullable camp to stack at x:53. If you can, do so.

[Genjuro]

I like your warding section, that's worth looking at.

The rest was pure waste of time, and you've forgotten too many aspects of the match.

Would be great if you'd rename the threat to: "Guide: How to use wards"

- Yet, Sentry Wards would still be lovely to see spots on.
If you wish to complete your guide, add things like:

1. How to pick lanes
2. How to pick / counterpick
3. How to theorycraft your way to early, mid and lategame
4. How to strategize a match
5. A runthrough of what role initiator, support, carry, semicarry, roamer and babysitter plays.
6. How to build your hero versus what

[[VVG]Typhusux]

Well I guess it's not finished, because it's currently far from being Ultimate. Warding part is good though, but while I already knew most of those spots, I always find game ingame to choose the right spot at the right time. Wards are costly on the long run, you want them to be the most effective. Warding runes area is a no minder, but there is 4-5 spots for each rune, so how the choose the right place?

[ThaVos]

Sorry not yet finished was bored at work and started this. Will be adding alot more content in the next week.

[Tomed]

Ward 10 doesn't actually stop anything from spawning in HoN. You need to place the ward directly on top of the camp to stop it from spawning in this game.

[HerBz]

Good ward guide for the newer players to the competitive scene - went to alot of effort with screenies etc.

I would probably suggest going more in depth with the hero strat's (item guide for heros). Also as some of the other people suggested more with regards drafting process etc (Also "tank" lineup doesn't really work only 1 ranged hero makes for REALLLLLLLLY hard work in the lane.)