Dota – Being the only support , should I ward top and bot lanes at the same time

dota-2

I'm not sure where to ward when I end up being the only support in my team. I usually buy them at the start and every time I can after that, only putting them in my lane, both on the rune (top or bot) and the jungle, or both at the same time if I can.

After I give one ward to anyone going the opposite lane, should I roam to that lane to ward? should I get one and put one on the courier? should I tp just to ward?

I feel like most of them are making me lose time in laning, and the courier option is complicated to remember and communicate in a pub. Is it neccessary to make the effort? or should a team survive the laning phase with only 1 lane properly warded and the other warded from time to time?

Best Answer

Very early in the game is one of the most important time for wards.

  • Your mid hero should definitely benefit from a ward that allows him to see one of the two rune spawn locations.
  • Heroes in your offlane will also benefit by being able to block the enemy's pull camp.
  • In higher level play against an offlane solo hero, it's also useful and common to place an aggressive ward as close to that hero's tower as possible so you can punish him for playing greedily.

Since you can't accomplish multiple of these with just one ward, it's most common to use the initial two wards for two of these three purposes. Making up for the third aspect is part of being a competent support in the early game.

  • If you don't ward the rune, you as a support should help your mid hero by checking it every 2 minutes.
  • If you don't ward the enemy pull camp, you should roam and gank to force enemy supports to rotate out of their jungle as well.
  • If you don't ward the enemy offlaner, you should try to counterward in your jungle area so that your opponent is forced to play defensively anyway, especially if your pull camp was blocked.

When I'm the only support, I usually buy both the courier and wards, (plus 4 branches and a set of tangos). Then I give one ward to the offlane to block the pull, and use the other ward to spot the rune or the enemy offlaner, depending on what the lane we're up against looks like.