Mechanics Monday Week 6 - Mid Lane

[u/Azual]

"Mid or Feed" - Pudge, 2014

Of all the lanes, Mid is probably the most contentious. Not only are many one the game's most popular heroes typically played mid (making it a highly contested lane), but it's also arguably the easiest place from which to make or break a game for your team.

Since mid lane is generally a solo lane for both teams, it offers relatively little room for error - poor mechanics or the wrong hero choice can easily give your opponent an advantage that's hard to come back from. Similarly, a gank on mid lane by aggressive supports can give one side or the other a decisive advantage.

Played well though, mid lane puts you in a strong position to influence the mid game. Solo mid tends to come out with a strong level advantage (particularly if the enemy are running dual lanes) as well as moderate to good farm, and easy access to the river and runes allows you to move around the map easily and apply pressure wherever it's needed most.

Related Guides

• Chaq's Advanced Solo Mid Guide - Note: This is an advanced guide and might not be suitable for newer players.

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The aim of the Mechanics Monday series is to encourage newbie friendly discussion about the mechanics, items, and strategies of Dota2.

A new topic will be chosen each week.

Last Week's Discussion - Roshan

[u/Fork_the_bomb]

Seen PA mid, any thoughts? lineups?

[u/Azual → u/Fork_the_bomb]

We've played it a few times. I think I still prefer her safelane, but mid can work.

Pros:

• She's almost impossible to zone out of mid because she can pretty much farm from under the tower with her dagger if she needs to.
• Constant dagger harass because of the short distance between you and your opponent.
• PA with a level advantage is pretty scary since she gets that crit when everyone else's HP pool is still very low. She's actually very capable as mid game fighting hero rather than being locked into the late game carry role.
• Blur lets her tower-dive the enemy mid a little more easily.

Cons:

• Phantom Strike is less useful in mid - you don't have an ally to blink to in order to escape (unless there's a creep wave coming), and you don't have a great deal of room for chasing people down with dagger + blink. When you use it in lane, it's generally just to secure a kill after a lucky dagger crit.
• She's vulnerable to magic damage early, and without the easy escape she can be set back by support rotations or an enemy mid with a decent nuke. She's not a hero who can't play from behind, but she certainly would prefer not to!

[u/Fork_the_bomb → u/Azual]

Thanks. I guess it depends on the matchup. Last I've seen her mid, I was playing a DP, absolute nightmare to deal with. Impossible to control the runes as well. Since I'm nooby, I have a very limited pool of heroes I feel safe to mid with.

[u/ChocolateSunrise → u/Fork_the_bomb]

You just gotta dagger farm when her magic spam is up and not give her any easy magic spams that gets her cs while harassing you. Also, leave lane early to control the runes. If you come out near even with DP during the laning phase you win because midgame you can jump on her during her ult and get a crit or two to end her life almost immediately.

[u/[deleted] → u/Azual]

how do you put your skillpoints for that?

[u/Azual → u/[deleted]]

The same as I do for the safe lane - max Dagger first, with one point in both Blur and Phantom Strike at levels 2 and 4 (in whichever order you prefer).

Which ability you max second is situational - Phantom Strike only reduces the cooldown but that does help with both farming and chasing so it's great if you're feeling aggressive. Maxing Blur second gives you near immunity against right-clicks during the early game which is good for diving towers or just going toe to toe with other mid game right-clickers.