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DOTA Deathmatch Guide
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DOTA Deathmatch Guide
The_Question has been playing Defense of the Ancients : Allstars since version 6.0. He now shares his insights on DOTA's Deathmatch mode with us. |
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Introduction
Deathmatch stands apart from other gameplay modes by a single additional win criterion. Each time a player dies, the character that player was controlling is removed from play, and on respawn, the player is granted a new character. This process continues until either 1) an ancient is destroyed, or 2) a team reaches 38 kills.
Though it may seem a subtle difference, this serves to substantially change gameplay.
Gameplay Strategy
The -dm option might tempt players into being more aggressive than usual, in order to knock the other team out on kills. After all, first to 38 kills wins. On the other hand, first to 38 deaths loses -- perhaps it's better to play conservatively. In fact, experience shows that -dm games tend to end in the usual way: with the destruction of the opposing team's Ancient. 38 kills is quite a large number in practice. The focus of the game should therefore be to not die first, and to kill second. More than any other mode, -dm rewards patient, consistent play. -dm play can be compared to solo ladder play in that there is a very strong emphasis on personal responsibility.
It is pretty much a guarantee that the player will end up with an unfamiliar character at some point over the course of the game. This is another way that -dm can be tricky, and serves to reinforce to notion of putting not dying above killing -- no sense in losing a familiar character.
The key to being successful in -dm is adaptability, and that means a character-neutral item build. We want to be at peak effectiveness regardless of the character we draw. While Slardar might find Satanic a great buy, it is nowhere near as attractive to Magina. Similarly, Lothar's Edge is an excellent item for the Sniper, but of questionable value to Rikimaru.
The ideal situation for -dm games, then, is to follow an item build which provides useful bonuses and abilities to any character.
One way to start the game is with a Ring of Regeneration and a Ring of Basilius. This gives us:
 
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Ring of Regeneration and Ring of Basilius -- 875 gold
+6 damage
65% brilliance aura
+3 devotion aura
+2 hp/sec regen
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These are examples of abilities that are useful to any character, and address early game weaknesses well. The HP and mana regen keep the character healthy and thereby eliminate costly trips to the fountain, while (depending on starting armor) the devotion aura will provide roughly 10\% damage reduction. Our early game goal is to complete Mekansm, which will give us
+5 all stats
+5 armor
+3 hp/sec regen aura
+250 hp / +2 armor in 300 AOE, 150 mana
Combining with the Ring of Basilius purchased at the outset of the game, the character now has
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Mekansm and Ring of Basilius -- 2934 gold
+6 dmg
+5 all stats
+5 armor
+3 hp/sec regen aura
65% brilliance aura
+3 devotion aura
+250 hp / +2 armor in 300 AOE, 150 mana
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It may not seem like much, but this combination can easily power the player through midgame. Although Boots of Speed may seem a glaring omission, consider the following. The Boots of Speed item is good for two things: fleeing, and chasing. We'd really prefer not to be doing either in a -dm game. Again, -dm rewards patience and consistency.
From here, there are a handful of items that the experienced -dm player might choose: Guinsoo's Scythe of Vyse, Linken's Sphere, Heart of Tarrasque, Necronomicon, and Dagon. Also seen on occasion are: Buriza Do Kyanon and Cranium Basher. Note the recent removal of Aegis of the Immortal from -dm play, emphasizing the importance of not dying.
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Guinsoo's Scythe of Vyse -- 5175 gold
+25 int
+35 dmg
+150% mana regen
Active: hex (100 mana, range 600, duration 3 sec, cooldown 23 sec)
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The damage and mana regen alone would make Guinsoo a formidable item in -dm play -- the active ability is really just icing on the cake, especially for disabling that marauding character on the other team who has managed to carry 6-0 into late midgame. Be sure to make full use of the charges on Eul's before completing Guinsoo. Because of the nature of -dm, players may find themselves using this item more defensively than in conventional games.
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Linken's Sphere -- 5500 gold
+15 all stats
+6 hp/sec regen
+150% mana regen
Passive: negates targeted spell (cooldown 60sec)
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Linken's Sphere is another item that would be excellent for -dm play even without its passive ability. A charged Linken's Sphere will allow the player to be a bit more bold than would otherwise be reasonable. Linken's Sphere is also useful in avoiding ganks.
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Heart of Tarrasque -- 5500 gold
+35 str
+300 hp
+11 hp/sec regen
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Staying alive is the name of the game, and Heart of Tarrasque allows the player to make an additional 965 small mistakes. The huge HP regen just about eliminates trips to the fountain. A great item.
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Necronomicon -- 2750 (+1300/level) gold
+6/10/14 str
+15/21/24 int
Active: summons (50 mana, duration 35 sec, cooldown 90 sec)
Warrior
400/600/800 hp
21/41/61 dmg avg
6/8/10 armor
Mage
400/600/800 hp
31/61/91 dmg avg
350/450/550 range
6/8/10 armor
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Recently the victim of a nerf, Necronomicon remains an excellent (and perhaps still overpowered) item. At level 3, the warrior summon gains truesight, and the mage summon can cast mana burn for more damage than the Nerubian Assassin. The truesight ability is especially useful in a game where it is entirely possible that the other team will draw every windwalking-or-otherwise-invisible unit.
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Dagon -- 3000 (+1350/level) gold
+3 all stats
+12/14/16/18/20 int
+9 dmg
Active: nuke for 400/500/600/700/800 dmg (245/265/285/305/325 mana, range 600, 40 sec cooldown)
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Because it can often be too dangerous to chase outright in a -dm game, and because kills are so much more important than in conventional play, Dagon is an excellent choice in that it minimizes the risk of chasing a low-hp hero. The cooldown is short enough that the player needn't wait for the opportune moment to nuke -- he can make his own.
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Buriza-Do-Kyanon -- 6200 gold
+75 dmg
Passive: critical strike (20%, 2.2x)
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There isn't much to say about the Buriza-Do-Kyanon other than that it fits some people's style of play and that, strictly speaking, nothing about the item makes it a bad choice for -dm.
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Cranium Basher -- 3220 gold
+3 str
+30 dmg
Passive: +25 dmg, bash (15% 1.1 sec stun with melee, 10% 1 sec stun with ranged)
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Because Cranium Basher bash stacks with hero bash abilities, and because it works for both melee and ranged heros without exception, it is reasonable to grab a Basher or two in an -dm game.
Conclusion
Players can expect to complete two of the items in the list above over the course of the game, so it's still possible to take item synergy into consideration. For example, Linken's Sphere and Heart of Tarrasque combine for great tanking ability. On the other hand, Dagon and Necronomicon can strike for up to 1,100 direct damage together. Still other possibilities might be Guinsoo and a Basher for disabling, or Guinsoo and Linken's Sphere for playing point. Synergy can be achieved with just about every combination of these items, allowing the player to choose the configuration that best suits his style. With the right items and a little bit of patience, -dm can be the most rewarding gameplay mode in DotA.
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