How To Play Carry Role In Dota 2? A Complete Guide By Pro

This guide follows the leading guide, How To Become Better In Dota 2? A Complete Guide By Pro. Here, you'll find all the necessary information about one of the leading roles in the game - Carry.

The Blix team, in collaboration with professional players, has compiled comprehensive information on the fundamental aspects of playing the Carry role, including item builds, farming patterns, teamfights, and strategies for different game phases.

How to Play Carry Role in Dota 2?

Carry role is the team's backbone, and such a player should lead his team to victory.

Typically, these heroes can farm creeps efficiently and are great at the Late Stage of the game.

They often rely on their Support in the game's Early Stages, and their full potential is revealed closer to the Late Stage. There are a few main aspects of Carry Heroes:

Carry heroes are entirely dependent on farming. One of their main tasks is to farm gold and experience quickly. The player must know the most efficient farming routes and consider the game's situation.
The Carry relies on items. Farming creeps effectively is half the success. Carry players must understand their hero's strengths and weaknesses. They must know which items to purchase in a given situation.
Carry is weak early in the game but dominant late in the game. The current role usually starts the game relatively weakly and vulnerablely in the Early Game. During the Laning Phase, Carry relies heavily on the efficient use of resources and the help of allied Support.

Which Items to Buy When Playing Carry in Dota 2?

Knowing proper Item Build is one of the most important aspects of playing a Carry. To select items early in the game, you need to evaluate your laning. Will you be able to successfully lane up against your opponents, or will you need to farm the jungle early? If necessary, bring extra items for resource recovery.

Buy items that speed up farming. There are three main items you can buy:

Battle Fury is the most crucial item for farming in Dota 2. It allows you to kill packs of creeps much faster, increasing your gold and experience farm.
The Hand of Midas is a versatile item. It can be purchased early to maximize your farming efficiency or after a lost lane to give yourself a chance to return to the game.
Maelstrom - This item is practical on both melee and ranged heroes. The advantage of this item is that it gives you multiple playstyle options. For example:

You can upgrade it into Mjolnir and speed up your farming even more.
You can collect Gleipnir to root enemy heroes.
You can begin to assemble other items, such as the Black King Bar, to participate in battles actively.

How to Play Carry on Different Gaming Phases in Dota 2?

The game can be divided into three main phases:

The Laning or Early Game phase. This is from 0 to 12:00 minutes. We focus on laning and killing as many creeps as possible in the Early Game.
Mid-game, or the Mid Stage of the game, lasts 12:00 - 26:00 minutes. In this stage, we move around the map as efficiently as possible and maximize our farming.
The Late Stage of the game starts after 26:00 minutes. It is the most critical phase for playing as a Carry, where we must take the initiative.

Now, we will look at the necessary actions to play Carry during each game stage.

Laning Phase

In the Laning Phase, we have two main goals:

Kill as many creeps as possible
Try not to lose the lane

There are a few basic "chips" to farm effectively.

Keep the lane as close to the allied Tower as possible but not so close that it attacks the creeps. This will keep you in a safe position. To keep the lane like this, you must effectively deny allied creeps. This action will keep the lane in one place. If you pushed the lane badly, you can ask your Support to pull Neutrals. This action will return the lane to a more favorable position.

Re-aggro the creeps by pressing the "Attack" command on the enemy hero and make a strafe backward. This simple action will allow you to hold the lane in one position.

If necessary, bring items to recover resources like Tango or Healing Salve. Many players, especially those in the lower ranks, neglect this. However, efficient resource usage is vital to defending your lane well.

Be sure to tell your Supports to remember to stack Neutral Creeps. In a "good game", you should have a good number of Ancient stacks by Mid-game.

Mid-game

In the Mid-game, Carry players need to farm their key items. It doesn't mean you have to leave your team and focus solely on farming creeps completely.

Always try to read the game and pick the best moment to engage in combat. Try actively but safely push the lanes and put pressure on enemy Towers.

If your team has succeeded in the fight, use this advantage to kill the Roshan.

Remember about the Tormentors. After the Tormentor respawns, ask your allies to come and take out the Aghanim's Shard.

Late-game

Take charge of the game in the final stages and seek perfect opportunities to engage in combat independently.

Avoid unnecessary fights. Every action should have a specific purpose. After every successful gank or fight, consolidate your advantage.

Destroy enemy Buildings, kill Roshan, and occupy the enemy part of the map.

Farming Patterns When Playing Carry

There are several variations of how a Carry player should move around the map and what spots to farm. In practice, however, it depends on many different things:

What the current stage of the game is. If your team is winning or losing.
Whether enemy Tier-1 or Tier-2 Towers are destroyed. This directly affects how much space you have to farm.
How greedy allied Core heroes are.

To start farming effectively, you must increase your hero's "farming potential". Items such as Battle Fury, Maelstrom, and Radiance solve this easily.

After purchasing the necessary items, your farm will get a massive increase in speed.

Go to the Ancient Creeps and play on this part of the map. Clear the "Double", kill the neighboring Ancients, and then push the lane. Then go back and repeat this process over and over again until you reach your "Peak of Strength". This is usually the purchase of a Black King Bar or other key item.

After purchasing key items, you need to start moving with your team and actively participate in fights to destroy enemy Towers and kill Roshan.

What to do in Dota 2 Teamfights as Carry?

What is the right way to act in a fight when playing Carry? Two things are most important in a team fight:

Choosing your position in the fight. You need to have a good understanding of your hero's strength. You need to sense when you can get ahead of your team or when to stay behind and wait for the right moment to attack.
Pick your primary targets in the fight. If the enemy team has heroes like Dazzle, Io, Oracle, Omniknight, Lich, and Winter Wyvern that can save allies, try to focus on them first. If there are no rescuing Heroes, you usually need to kill enemy Support or a Hero that deals a lot of damage.

How to Communicate?

Communicating with your allies at all stages of the game is very important.

During the Laning Phase, tell your teammate when you want to attack your opponents or when you want to play less aggressively. Don't hesitate to ask your teammate for "Tango" or "Healing Salve" to help you defend the lane more effectively. Tell your teammate when to pull Neutral Creeps to get your lane back into a more favorable position if necessary.

In the middle of the game, let your allies know which part of the map you will be farming. Also, remember to let them know when you want to join a fight.

Late in the game, you need to take the initiative. Lead your allies, ask your Supports to be with you. Say it when you feel most comfortable to initiate a fight.

Tips by Pro

If you have a tough lane and your opponents are constantly pressuring you, go to the nearest neutral spot and farm it. This action will allow you to earn some extra gold and experience.
Suppose the enemy team does not have a very mobile Midlaner like Shadow Fiend or Templar Assassin, Alchemist, Arc Warden, Necrophos, Outworld Destroyer, Lone Druid, Dragon Knight, Broodmother, or Death Prophet. In that case, you can afford to play more aggressively. Push the lane actively and farm the neighboring camps of Neutral Creeps.
If necessary, ask your Supports to stack Neutrals. Ideally, you should already have a few stacks of Ancients when you come there.
While farming, watch the game timer and make stacks. This action will speed up your farming as you get more gold.
You should only enter fights at the "peak power" of your hero, usually when you have the key items.

Summary

Carry is the most crucial role in the game. It is often the key to a team's victory. Many Carries are weak at the beginning of the game but have excellent farming potential and only show their full potential later. When playing as a Carry, farming effectively and picking the right moments to fight is essential. Stay in contact with your allies throughout the game to make your teamwork more cohesive.