How to Lane as a Position 4 - BEST Tips and Tricks (Roaming Supports) - Dota 2 Guide

Introduction

This tutorial provides essential tips and tricks for playing Position 4 support in Dota 2, focusing on roaming strategies and effective lane management. Whether you're new to this role or looking to sharpen your skills, these steps will help you become a more impactful player in your matches.

Step 1: Understand Your Role as a Position 4 Support

• Position 4 supports are often roamers, meaning they leave their lane to assist teammates, secure kills, or create map pressure.
• Your primary objective is to create space for your carry and other cores, while also providing vision and control of the map.

Step 2: Master Your Laning Phase

• Secure Early Experience: Position 4 supports need to gain early levels quickly. Consider these tips:
  • Pull creeps to deny experience from the enemy offlaner.
  • Harass the enemy hero to zone them out and create opportunities for your carry.
• Communicate with Your Carry: Inform your carry when you plan to roam, so they can adjust their positioning and playstyle accordingly.

Step 3: Optimize Your Roaming

• Identify Targets: Look for opportunities to gank:
  • Prioritize heroes who are overextended or isolated.
  • Coordinate with your mid-laner or other allies for effective ganks.
• Use Smoke of Deceit: This item helps you initiate ganks without being seen. Remember to:
  • Use it strategically to surprise enemies.
  • Ensure that your allies are ready to follow up on your initiation.

Step 4: Control Vision

• Warding: Place wards in key areas to secure map control and provide vision for your team. Focus on:
  • High ground areas to spot enemy movements.
  • Enemy jungle to anticipate gank opportunities.
• Dewarding: Carry sentry wards to remove enemy vision, especially around objectives like Roshan or key lanes.

Step 5: Adapt Your Item Build

• Tailor your itemization based on the game state and your team's needs. Common items for Position 4 include:
  • Arcane Boots: For mana regeneration and team sustain.
  • Aether Lens: To increase your spell range.
  • Glimmer Cape: For initiation and escape.

Step 6: Utilize Your Abilities Wisely

• Timing and Positioning: Use your abilities to maximize their effectiveness:
  • Position yourself to initiate fights or save teammates.
  • Be aware of cooldowns and use them strategically in engagements.
• Learn from Experience: Pay attention to how your abilities interact with enemies and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Conclusion

By mastering the nuances of playing Position 4 support, you can significantly impact the outcome of your games. Focus on effective roaming, vision control, and adapting your item build to enhance your team's performance. As you practice these strategies, you'll find yourself becoming a more valuable asset to your team, leading to improved results in your matches.