Dota 2 basic guides gloss over

Basic shortcuts you probably don't know:

• [Alt+click] pings the map with a "!".
• [Ctrl+Alt+click] does a warning ping with an "X".
• [Ctrl+bottle hotkey] uses a charge on an allied hero when you click on them, cannot transfer runes.
• [Ctrl+ward hotkey] transfers 1 ward to the allied hero when you click on them.
• Clicking tango on a hero transfers 1 tango to that hero.
• [Alt+click] enemy hero on top bar sends a hero missing message.
• [Alt+Ctrl+click] enemy hero on top bar messages that hero has returned.
• [Alt+click] a spell sends a message whether it is currently "on cooldown", "not enough mana" to cast, or "ready" to use.
• [Alt+click] an item in your inventory also sends "on cooldown"/"not enough mana"/"ready" message, in addition to a "gather here" message for aoe items that are ready to use.
• [Alt+click] an item in the shop menu sends a message that you will buy that item.
• [Alt+enter] after picking a hero pre loads it into the game to lessen start game lag.
• [Alt+ability hotkey] toggles auto-castable skills on and off.
• [Ctrl+ability hotkey] to level up the ability.

Attack clicking on an ally resets tower targeting, so if you are being hit by tower shots, spam the attack command (not just right clicking, actually using the A key and clicking) on any ally and the tower will switch to attack the nearest target instead of you. This works on units anywhere on the map. Also if an ally has aggro and you want to take it off him, you can direct it to yourself by attack clicking any enemy hero on the map, potentially saving your team mate.

Manually casting auto cast skills allows you to attack an enemy in lane without aggroing the creeps, the creeps will ignore you and not attack while you chase/hit the enemy hero.
If you shift que a move command after right clicking a rune you will pick up the rune without your hero stopping in place for a second, probably saved my life a thousand times. Tiny can also toss units to runes.
You can also choose from many phrases to use in the Chat Wheel, a fast way to communicate without typing.

Useful Tips

Study the map itself. There are a lot of hidden juke paths and uncommon ward spots you can use to your advantage.

Remember when reading this that there is no cookie cutter skill or item build for any hero. Your item build will always change depending on the game, and the skill build often will too.

Wards and a Flying Courier can win games. If you're a support please buy them for your team, and if you don't have any... man up and buy them anyway! They will save your life many times.

Remember to always carry a Town Portal Scroll .

List of items that don't break channeling:

Phase Boots, Mask of Madness, Shadow Amulet, Shadow Blade, Shiva's Guard, and the toggles from Armlet of Mordiggian, Radiance, Ring of Basilius, and Ring of Aquila.

Power Treads do not work, they will break your channeling.

Abilities that make yourself invisible (instant cast on self only) do not break channeling. Allies using Meat Hook/Geomagnetic Grip on you and others casting Force Staff on you won't break channeling either.

Damage Types

• Physical damage is reduced by armor and damage block shields.
• Composite damage is the same as above but is also reduced by magic resistance.
• Magical damage is only reduced by magic resistance, not affected by armor. Almost every hero has base 25% magic resist.
• Pure damage is like magic damage but it cannot be reduced or amplified. (except in some very rare cases)
• Universal damage is exactly like magic damage except it goes through magic immunity, ignoring things like bkb.
• HP Removal can't be blocked or amplified by anything, and it does not trigger on damage effects (it won't break Salves for example). It "removes" hp without actually damaging if that makes sense.

Useful Mechanics

• Magic Immunity blocks magic damage and pure damage. Also prevents most single target spells from even being able to target you at all. Activating it after being affected by debuffs will dispel most of them.
• Ethereal form blocks physical and composite damage. But you take an extra 40% damage from magic and universal damage type attacks. Also you cannot autoattack in this state but may still cast spells of your own. Black King Bar dispels ethereal form so you can't be an unkillable beast unless you activate Black King Bar first and then use eblade on someone.
• Purge will dispel debuffs on yourself and remove positive buffs from enemies. You can use it to remove ethereal forms as well and purges with lingering effects can also be purged themselves.

Debuffs and Disables

Blind

Blind is a type of status effect that debuffs an enemy unit, giving them a chance to miss attacks.

Cyclone

Cyclone is a status effect that causes the afflicted units to be sent to the air, completely disabling the unit and rendering it invulnerable to most sources of damage. Cyclone effects purge, removing most negative buffs from allies and positive buffs from enemies.

Disarm

Disarm is a status effect that prevents the affected unit from attacking with basic autoattacks. Disarmed units can still cast spells.

Ensnare

Ensnare (also known as net) is a status effect that prevents afflicted units from moving and casting blink abilities. Ensnared units can still turn, attack, and cast spells.

Entangle

Entangle is a status effect that prevents enemy units from attacking, moving, and casting blink abilities. Entangled units can still turn and cast spells.

Ethereal

Ethereal is a status effect that causes a unit to be completely immune to physical and composite damage abilities, but is unable to attack and takes 40% bonus magical and universal damage. Ethereal units can still cast spells and move.

Hex

Hex is a status effect that transforms the affected unit into a harmless animal. While hexed, they cannot use items or special abilities. Hex will silence and disarm the target while reducing its movement speed to a base value such as 100 or 140.

Pause

Pause is a unique effect that completely disables its target. The only true Pausing ability is Chronosphere (Faceless Void ulti), while all other Pauses are the Banishment type.

Banish

A variant of Pause called Banish. Banish hides the unit from the map, preventing other units from interacting with it. Usually the caster of the banish is still able to use their abilities through it while no other units can.

Purge

Purge is a type of status effect that removes most negative debuffs from allies and positive buffs from enemies. Usually deals bonus damage to illusions/summons and may cause a 100% movement and attack speed slow, with a gradual speed recovery over the duration of the effect.

Silence

Silence is a status effect that prevents those affected from casting spells for the duration. Silence will also stop any channeling spells that the enemy is currently using.

Mute

Same as silence but also applies to items as well.

Sleep

Sleep is a rare status effect that completely disables the affected unit for the entire duration. However, sleep can be broken by dealing Hero damage to the affected unit.

Slow

Slows reduce enemy movement and/or attack speed. Slows can disable either one or both, depending on the ability. Slows always reduce by a percentage of speed, rather than fixed values.

Decaying Slow

Same as slow but the affected unit gradually recovers speed over the duration of the effect.

Turn Rate Slow

Slows turning rate rather than movement speed.

Stun

Stuns are the most common and most dependable kind of disable. A Hero under the effect of a stun is unable to move, attack, use items, or use abilities until it wears off. Stuns will also interrupt any channeling abilities, such as using a Town Portal Scroll. May also include knockback, including all of its variants listed below.

Mini-Stun

Mini-stuns are a shorter version of a regular stun, usually lasting a fraction of a second, that are most useful in interrupting enemy spells or preventing enemies from moving effectively.

Shackle

Shackle abilities are stuns that attach the target to the caster or a specific point, forcing them to move to the location or move with the caster, or simply being stunned while tethered to the caster. In some situations they may also disable the caster, by being channeled or by slowing the casting hero.

Bash

A stun that occurs by chance. Usually accompanied by bonus damage when it procs.

Mini-Bash

Like a bash, but lasting a fraction of a second.

Trap

A Trap is a type of disable that completely or partially surrounds a unit with immobile objects or restricts their movement in such a way that they cannot escape.

Taunt

Taunt is a status effect that forces the enemy to attack the taunting unit. They will be unable to control their hero or use any abilities during the taunt duration. Will interrupt channeling spells.