What truly makes Dota 2 superior to other MOBAs are the mechanical skills involved in the game. There are many aspects in Dota 2 which a player has to master in order to excel in the game. Every MOBA has a shop and multiple items that help your hero get stronger and win the game. However, the Courier is an aspect that’s unique to Dota 2. This article will guide you on How to Use Courier Effectively in Dota 2 and unleash its true potential.
The Courier, like its name, has a simple purpose. It delivers items from the shop to the heroes. On the surface, this may seem like a straightforward job, but there are many techniques an average player doesn’t know. Listed below is everything you will need to maximize the true potential of your Courier and enhance your gameplay.
The Courier
Patch 7.23 introduced separate Couriers for each hero. This meant that teammates would not fight for the control of the Courier any longer. This alone was a big change, but Dota 2 introduced many other techniques that completely changed the gameplay. The Courier spawns walking but eventually gains the flight ability when your hero reaches level 4. Flight allows him unobstructed movement and flying vision, which has various uses of its own.
Couriers level up with their heroes, and gain additional HP and movement speed on each level. Gold bounty and respawn time also increase per level. The Courier learns two new abilities, Speed Burst at level 10 and Shield at level 20. Speed Burst gives the Courier a speed boost, and can quickly deliver items, or escape the enemy. Shield makes the Courier invulnerable for 2 seconds, this is perfect for when your enemies try to snipe your Courier.
A lot of different aspects affect your efficiency with the Courier, and practice is the key to mastering these techniques.
Abilities of The Courier
The Courier has unique abilities which make it easier to save time and micro-manage it. This way, we can use the Courier without losing valuable Gold and XP. Farming and proper Itemization are key concepts of Dota 2, and properly handling the Courier directly affects their timings. We can set hotkeys for each ability to increase efficiency.
Retrieve Items causes the Courier to deliver items from the Stash to the hero. Go To Secret Shop makes it easy for you to buy from your team’s secret shop. Return Items will return any items the Courier is carrying to the stash. Transfer Items gives all items the Courier has to the hero, except for locked items. Spell Immunity makes the Courier spell immune to most abilities. Most heroes can still kill the Courier in 2 hits, so it’s important to be aware of the enemy’s position.
Inventory
The Courier has 6 inventory slots, and 3 backpack slots, just like every hero does. However, all items the Courier carries are muted, which means they can’t be used or their aura effects are null. The only item that can be used is Smoke of Deceit, which is useful when your inventory is full. This way, you don’t have to backpack any item, and direct use Smoke when needed. There are specific items that the Courier cannot pick, like Aegis of the Immortal and Divine Rapiers.
Couriers can carry Divine Rapiers, but only when the hero combines the items in its inventory. You can use the Courier to buy a Divine Rapier if there’s no way to reach the secret shop safely. Although it can also drop the Divine Rapier if killed while carrying. To prevent that, we can lock Sacred Relic or Demon Edge. This way, even if the enemies snipe your Courier, the Divine Rapier won’t fall into the wrong hands.
Using Hotkeys
Hotkeys can completely change the pacing of your game, and it’s essential for any skillful player to use them. There are many players that don’t use hotkeys when controlling the Courier. This causes them to lose time and can even cause you the game if not careful. Using hotkeys helps in the long run and is important if you want to learn how to Use the Courier Effectively in Dota 2. You can easily deliver or return items without manually controlling anything, which increases the efficiency of the Courier.
Heroes like Nature’s Prophet can snipe your Courier, which can be a nuisance when you don’t use hotkeys. Speed Burst or Shield can save your Courier, but only if you use them on time. Hotkeys are useful in these situations, when you don’t want to lose sight of your hero but also control your Courier.
Vision and Warding
The Courier seems to have a simple purpose, but over time players have found many innovative ways using it for more than just carrying items. After level 4, the Courier gains the ability to fly, which is useful in many cases. For example, High ground wards and hills can be scouted with Flight because it now has unobstructed movement and vision. By placing the ward in between the ward hill and adjacent areas, you can secure more vision for a greater area. This way, you do not have to purchase another ward too, making it very economical for Supports.
When the Courier moves on the ward hill, you now have Vision, and we can Deward easily. However, this is risky because the Courier is now in enemy sights and in a vulnerable spot. This is a tricky maneuver and should be used when no enemies are nearby.
Unique Tips for The Courier
The Courier can be used in unorthodox ways that an average player is not aware of. The shop has a radius outside of the fountain where the player and Courier can buy items. In the laning stage, move the Courier outside the fountain. This way, when the Courier is still walking, standing outside saves time when delivering items which are crucial when farming.
You can pick the Gem of True Sight with your Courier if all slots are full. It prevents enemies from stealing the Gem and using it against your team.
Tips and tricks like these can go a long way to help your team win the match. Therefore, the courier is a useful element in a game that is often neglected by players. Using him effectively may just win your team the match. Hopefully, this article on How to Use Courier Effectively in Dota 2 will help you become a true pro.
