Roshan & Neutral Objectives
Roshan, the immortal guardian of the Aegis of the Immortal, is the most sificant neutral objective in Dota 2. Defeating him provides a substantial advantage, making coordinated Roshan attempts a critical part of many games. Beyond Roshan, other neutral camps offer valuable resources.
Understanding the mechanics of Roshan, the Aegis, and the benefits of controlling neutral camps is essential for strategic play. This section details how to approach Roshan, the importance of the Aegis, and the role of neutral objectives in securing map control and gaining an edge over the enemy.
Roshan and the Aegis of the Immortal:
Roshan is a powerful neutral creep located in a pit in the river. He has a very large health pool and deals sificant damage, requiring multiple heroes to take down efficiently. Upon defeat, Roshan drops the Aegis of the Immortal, a consumable item that grants the carrier a second life upon death.
- Aegis Mechanics: When a hero carrying the Aegis dies, they will respawn at the location of their death after a short delay, with a portion of their health and mana restored. The Aegis is then consumed. If the hero dies again before the Aegis respawns (which takes 5 minutes after being consumed), they will not respawn with it.
- Roshan Respawn Timer: After Roshan is killed, he will respawn randomly between 8 and 11 minutes later. This unpredictability makes it difficult for the enemy to track his respawn precisely.
- Cheese: In addition to the Aegis, Roshan also drops a Cheese, which is a consumable item that restores a sificant amount of health and mana.
Strategic Roshan Attempts:
- Timing is Key: Roshan attempts are best made when the enemy team is occupied elsewhere on the map, has just respawned, or has lost a major teamfight.
- Vision Control: Securing vision around the Roshan pit is paramount. Use Observer Wards to spot enemy movements and Sentry Wards to deny enemy vision or detect invisible heroes.
- Team Coordination: Roshan requires a coordinated effort. Heroes with high single-target damage, armor reduction, or the ability to quickly clear creep waves (to prevent enemy creeps from interfering) are ideal.
- Counter-Roshan: Be aware that the enemy team might also attempt Roshan. Having vision and being ready to contest or steal the Aegis is crucial.
- Post-Roshan Push: The Aegis provides a sificant advantage. Teams often use the Aegis carrier to initiate a push on an enemy tower or barracks immediately after securing it.
Neutral Camps and Resources:
Beyond Roshan, the jungle is filled with neutral creep camps that provide gold and experience. Efficiently farming these camps is a vital part of a hero's progression.
- Camp Stacking: You can 'stack' neutral camps by pulling the creeps out of their spawn box just before the minute mark. This causes a new wave of creeps to spawn in the same location, allowing for a larger bounty when cleared later. This is particularly useful for heroes with AoE damage.
- Camp Pulling: Supports can pull neutral creeps from their lane towards their own jungle. This denies experience and gold to the enemy laner and can be used to control creep equilibrium.
- Ancient Camps: The Ancient camps (located near the Radiant and Dire bases) are the most rewarding neutral camps, offering higher gold and experience. They are often contested by heroes with high damage output.
- Runes: Power Runes spawn in the river every two minutes, providing temporary buffs like Haste, Double Damage, Illusion, Invisibility, Arcane, and Regeneration. Controlling these runes is important for securing kills and objectives.
Mastering the control of Roshan and the efficient utilization of neutral camps are fundamental to gaining a sificant advantage in Dota 2, influencing everything from lane dominance to late-game teamfights.