Offlaners or utility heroes inDota 2are responsible for defending the offlane, or the hard lane. This is the lane that is furthest away from the team’s safe lane and is the direct opposite of the enemy safe lane. Heroes in the offlane have a very specific role to do in the early game — gain experience and farm while preventing the enemy carry from doing the same.
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Utility heroes are usually defensive and tanky heroes that can withstand enemy aggression and lane harassment. Proper early game itemization will help you create space and therefore prevent your enemy carry from having a good laning phase.
10Urn Of Shadows
The Urn Of Shadows is a perfect item for any offlane hero who is looking for utility during the early game phase. It provides health and mana regeneration, along with armor and stats for only 880 gold. It’s a basic item that can be upgraded into a Spirit Vessel in the later stages of the game.
It gains a charge whenever an enemy dies within a 1400 range. you may use these charges to heal yourself or use them against the enemy to control the lane. With its active ability called Soul Release, you will be able to put more pressure on your enemy’s safe lane. You can also finish off fleeing enemies with low health using its debuff.
9Arcane Boots
For only 1300 gold, Arcane Boots is one of the best things you may get as a utility hero who favors more spell usage. It allows you to be more involved in team fights as it instantly restores 175 mana, which can turn the tide should your allies need more mana to cast one last spell.
For utility heroes who favor survivability and defense, the Arcane Boots, along with a Mekansm, can be upgraded into Guardian Greaves.
8Medallion Of Courage
Medallion Of Courage is a great early game item for utility heroes who aim to harass enemy heroes by reducing their armor, therefore making them easier to kill. You can also help your allies by giving them armor in exchange for yours.
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It provides an excellent killing potential for heroes who specialize in rotating throughout the map by providing additional physical damage through the armor reduction debuff. A Medallion Of Courage can be upgraded into a Solar Crest should you need the additional movement speed and attack speed buffs/debuffs.
7Phase Boots
Arguably one of the best Boots Of Speed upgrades in the game, Phase Boots don’t just provide you extra movement speed, but its active ability lets you phase through units and chase fleeing enemy supports with ease. It also improves your turn rate should you need to escape a fight immediately.
Providing an additional 4 armor and attack damage based on whether you are using a melee hero or a ranged hero, Phase Boots is a reliable item in team fights and allows you to quickly maneuver on the battlefield. Getting an early Phase Boots will let you initiate ganks better — or escape unwinnable fights.
6Ring Of Basilius
A popular item for utility heroes, the Ring of Basilius provides several useful benefits for those who consume a lot of mana during the early game such as Bristleback and Enigma. When equipped, it grants a total of 1.5 mana regeneration to the user and nearby allies within a 1200 radius.
As an offlaner, you can use the Ring of Basilius to help sustain your mana pool and enable you to use your abilities more frequently. This is particularly useful in the early game when mana regeneration is low, and heroes have a limited mana pool.
Utility heroes are usually heroes who prefer to initiate team fights while being able to soak up huge amounts of damage. Heroes such as Axe, Mars, and Bristleback benefit from Vanguard’s additional health bonus as well as the buffed-up health regeneration rate.
Its passive ability provides a 60% chance to block incoming damage. The damage varies depending on the equipped hero, but it blocks a substantial amount of damage in the early game. Being able to survive a team fight right after a successful initiation is what all offlaners want, and Vanguard provides just that. It can be disassembled in the late game to make way for a Heart Of Tarrasque or Lotus Orb.
4Soul Ring
The primary function of the Soul Ring is to give you a temporary mana boost at the cost of health. When activated, it instantly grants the user 150 mana, but it also costs the user 170 health. The item also provides the user with additional 2 armor and 6 bonus stats to Strength.
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As an offlaner, you can use Soul Ring to help sustain your mana pool and enable you to use your abilities more frequently. This is particularly useful in the early game when mana regeneration is low, and heroes have a limited mana pool. The additional mana boost provided by the Soul Ring can help you use your abilities more frequently, which can be essential for farming and initiating fights.
3Headdress
You can use Headdress to help sustain your health pool and enable you to stay in the lane longer. This is particularly useful in the early game when heroes have low health regeneration and need to stay in lane to farm and gain experience. The additional health regeneration provided by this item can also help you recover quickly from fights and avoid getting forced out of the lane by the enemy team.
Providing an additional 2.5 health regeneration to the equipped hero, the Headdress can regenerate 120 health in one minute. Utility heroes who are aiming to build into a Pipe Of Insight or a Mekansm should get an early Headdress.
2Magic Wand
Offlane heroes who rely on their big team fight abilities may choose to get an early Magic Wand to quickly refill their mana. When fully charged with 20 charges, a Magic Wand instantly restores 300 health and mana.
You can use Magic Wand to help sustain your health and mana in the laning phase. This is particularly useful when you are facing off against enemy heroes who spam their abilities to deal damage and harass in the lane, as it can help you stay in the lane longer and avoid being forced back to the fountain. Going into a team fight with a Magic Wand equipped means that you will have enough health and mana to cast your abilities and survive the fight.
1Observer Wards/Sentry Wards
Vision is key in Dota 2, and having a good vision of the enemy team’s movements and intentions can be critical for an offlaner’s survival and success in the early game. Observer Wards are free, while Sentry Wards cost 50 gold, and yet these two items are the most underrated items regardless of your role.
As an offlaner, there will be times within the early game that you’ll have to go around the map and set up ganks. Having good vision will increase the success rate of your attempted ganks, while also preventing the enemy to do the same. It’s important to prioritize buying and placing wards, as you often have more freedom to move around the map compared to other roles. By investing in observer and sentry wards and using them effectively, you’re able to help your team gain vision and control of the map — and potentially gain an advantage in the early game.
