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As the title itself says,hello everyone and welcome to a warding guide(the most action a support can get during a game-is warding).
However,we keep hearing:I'll buy some wards and go ward around.Wards?Warding?What is that?Well I am here to explain it to you.
Your best friend in this guide will be:
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Look at her,she is trying so hard!And she better try,if she wants to assure her team the victory.Victory cannot be sweeter if you know you contributed allot, by buying all those
 Observer Wards from that hard earned pull gold.
Now,let's get to the point: Observer Wards(or just simply put, wards) are items in DOTA 2 that provide vision in a certain AoE(Area of Effect)in the spot they are placed on the map.The price is relatively cheap,150 gold for 2 Observer Wards and 200 gold for 2  Sentry Wards.They each have a different purpose,but in the end,they also share similarities.
The main point here is that:Wards are IMPORTANT and they can make or break a game!If you still didn't know this,then go on,read further! |
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Observer Wards
Sentry Wards
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The second incarnation of the minimap.It explains all the basic warding spots,and where you should put wards in order to get the maximum benefit from each.
Bottle every 2 minutes.The wards also show you when an enemy would try to have an attempt at Roshan,or to fend off early ganks coming from the enemy middle laner.
This ward should only be used by midlaners.Supports can't afford running straying away too much from the lane ,they might get caught out by the enemy mid laner or the other supports from the enemy team.The ward itself shows the rune-spot quite well,and uncovers the entrance to Roshan's pit really well.It also shows the right middle-lane ramp,where a wild 
Pudge or 
Clockwerk might hide, waiting for the proper time to strike.
Lifestealer
Ursa
Axe
Nature's Call to cut them down, so the ward placement can be seen rather well.(trees were blocking the camera)
This ward is really good because its really cost efficient.It shows the rune,the ancient camp,it also blocks it from spawning if placed there(do not place it next to the small column,where there is a rather small place, where 
Nature's Prophet is standing),because half of the vision gets blocked by the trees.
This ward is a rather good alternative to #8, if the enemy desires to keep that spot under control with counter warding(going to get to that later).Its also a good ward to keep an eye out for the ramp,where an initiator might hide.
This ward is one of the best ward spots in the entire game thanks to the great radius that it uncovers, and it's usefulness. First of all, allows for easy pushing of the mid tier 2 Radiant, and the bottom tier 2 Radiant, uncovering the space behind it. Unfortunately, this ward spot gets dewarded more often than 
Bristleback shoots quills in a game, since it's one of the most fought over spots by supports.
#12's counterpart, this ward is set on the Dire's ubercliff. Unfortunately, it is not as useful as it's counterpart, since it only helps you push top tier 2 Dire, but it has a greater coverage of the enemy jungle, which allows for better ganks. Too bad that this ward has the same fate as it's counterpart, since it's a very common dewarding spot.
This ward is one of my favorite ward spots, because it uncovers a lot of space, and it is really useful when pushing tier 1 Dire, fending off any ambush tries from the enemy team.
This ward is really good for both Radiant and Dire. While Radiant solo player can scout for the enemy support, and attemps to harass him out of the lane, the Dire side can use this ward spot to see incoming ganks from mid lane. An effective ward. Cutting down the tree like in the picture allows for a greater range of revealing.
An alternative for Dire to #15, this helps them see the incoming ganks from mid better. Cut down the tree in the picture for even more sight.
This ward is a lane ward that is used to push the tier 1 Radiant effectively, showing you what happens close to the tower without the ward being detected by the tower's true sight.
This ward is really good for catching out heroes that can initiate from far away like : Pudge, Clockwerk, 
Earth Spirit and others. It also gives a fair amount of vision over the tier 1 Radiant tower, and a tiny bit into the Radiant jungle, without it being in the tower's true sight range.
This ward is the counterpart of #17, serving the same purpose as that one, however, this one also shows off a tiny bit of the ramp to the left side fo the ward.
This ward is the counterpart of #18, serving the same purpose as that one, however, this one also allows you to spot a tiny bit of movement on the ramp next to Roshan's pit.
One of the least used ward spots in my experience, this ward is really effective. As the Dire, it allows you to watch for incoming ganks / smoke ganks from that area. As the Radiant, it offers sight both on the secret shop and a tiny bit behind the Dire tier 2 mid, for pushes.
This ward is only being used by the Radiant's supports, to keep an eye out on the Dire offlaner, and to harass him out of the lane. It also keeps an eye out on the ramp adjacent to the lane.
We loop back around the map for the counterpart to #22.
An alternative to #16, this ward has an emphasis on watching the ramp and blocking the hard camp. It also spots chain pulls (in case you placed it after the camp spawned) and possible ganks coming from mid.
An extremly unorthodox ward, it is a decent choice if supports aggressively deward #16 and #24, if you still want to keep your eyes peeled on that side. While it may appear that it is also good to show off the rune, vision does not actually get that far.
This ward is extermly useful for the offlaner. It blocks the small camp and it also shows a part of the lane, and part of the jungle, checking on supports if they are going to use 
Smoke of Deceit.
This ward is really good to set up ganks in the Dire jungle, because not many people actually deward this spot or suspect that it is even warded, since everyone prefers the ubercliff ward. The ward spots both medium camps connected by the staircase.
This ward is the counterpart to #13, if that spot gets dewarded very often (which it will), however, this ward does not show you anything behind the top tier 2 Dire tower, but is slightly better for setting up ganks.
Another ward spot that is not used to often, this ward is decent at best in the early game, when junglers rotate around from camp to camp. Easy to spot them, and try to gank, especially when they come from the medium camp to the hard one down in the right.
A ward used really often, this ward spot can be used by both teams, but with diferent purposes. For the Dire, it helps to gank the Radiant's jungle. For the Radiant, it can fend off some ganks or show if the Dire team is getting ready to push the bottom tier 2 tower.
Called this way because it is really magical, it helps you block 2 camps with a single ward. Very efficient, it blocks the small camp and the hard camp in the upper left by placing it excactly on that little bush.
This ward is meant to block the Radiant's pull camp and show activity around it, for some easy ganks on the supports.
An extremly aggressive ward for pushing down the tier 1 tower, you can coordinate based on the vision it provides. You can see incoming teleports thanks to it and attemps to be flanked by the enemy through the jungle.
Another aggressive ward for pushing down the tier 1 tower, however, this one is much more inaccessable to the Dire side, since they would have to croos the Radiant secret shop area, easily getting caught out.
This time, we go to the bottom lane. A relatively easy to access ward spot by the Dire, this ward spot is amasing for pushing down the bottom tier 1 Radiant tower, spotting out incoming teleports and people who might try to hide in the wooded area below the tower.
This ward has to be specificaly placed next to the tree, so the tier 1 nor the tier 2 tower can detect it. Furthermore, it is useful if you want to spot out someone farming the ancients, going to the secret shop, or teleporting to the tier 2 tower. A multipurpose ward, remember, you have to be efficient!
Both teams can use this ward, Dire for defensive purposes and Radiant for offensive ones. Tower vision is extremly important, and your towers are the tools that help you maintain map control over the entire course of the game.
Counterpart to #37, this ward has the same purpose, but servers one extra : checking if the enemy will go and farm the jungle, enabling your team to try and catch out said enemy.
This ward is one of the sneakyest ward possitions in the entire game, since it is very hard to place (you have to possition your hero close to the middle of that archway to place it right there, otherwise, the trees will block the vision if you place it behind that fountain structure) but extremly useful in pushing "high ground". Be very careful while using it though, enemies might try to 
Force Staff you up or an enemy Pudge might try to hook you up!
Same thing as #39, however, this does not have to have a very specific possition to place, it goes in front of the fountain structure too, again, undetectable by both towers.
What is this you might ask? Well, have you ever played against a heavy push strat? Well this ward allows you to see when the push and ganks when your lane is pushed up coming, especially from a 
Mirana or Pudge, that might hide in the tree like at the secret shop.
Do the enemy supports figure out too often the ward you placed to block the pull camp? Well do I have a ward spot for you! This ward spot is so obnoxious, that nobody will figure out that it's even there, and it is doable with a sentry, so you don't have to waste vision from an observer ward.
This ward is useful when the Radiant is sieging the Dire, but the supports cannot get close enough to the ubercliff to place that one, since they might get caught out. Besically, this scouts the Radiant pushing attemps out so you can call in extra defense in for said tower.
This ward has the same thought proces behind it as ward #43.
Well sir, have the tides turned? No problem, we have the same situatinal but useful ward here too! Here again to spot those pushes or the split pushers coming in (looking at you, Nature's Prophet).
Kind of a multi purpose ward, but one not used that often, it is good if you are trying to push Radiant top and middle tier 2, since it watches beind the middle tower and the other half of the ramp next to the top tower.
This ward has the same purpose as #44, nothing changes.
Easily one of the best wards in the entire game, however, I never see it being used, this ward has many uses, like : blocking the hard camp, showing the rune spot and showing the area next to it, while also taking a small peek into the jungle. This ward is very effective and efficient at the same time, but the reason it is on this part of the list is because it is NEVER being used despite being so good. (and I have no idea why either)
As obnoxious as #42, this is the go to ward when you can't seem to block the small camp pull camp in the Radiant jungle.
We loop around just like Magellan did for the counterpart of $41.
This ward is as secretive as it looks, and it is very hard to find and deward, since it is placed inbetwen the trees. So, you'll have to go through an elimination process to find it. Ask yourself these quetions :
This ward is even harder to find, and you most likely will not find it in using only 2 sentry wards, in which case, you will have to overspend.
Remember all that talk about being effective and efficient? Well I won't repeat it, but these are a couple of examples that shows efficiency with Sentry Wards. Since they are a bit more expensive than Obeserver Wards (50 gold extra), you need to be extra effective at using them.
Here are 2 examples of being effective with your sentry placement (and the most common ones too) :
Bottom rune: Well this is one of the two most common spots in the game where you will need to be efficient with your sentry wards to detect more observer / sentry wards that your enemies can place.
And, thanks to that sentry, we can see that with a single observer and a single sentry, you caught both observer wards that the enemy placed, however, that sentry ward can also detect invisible heroes that can pass through there.
Radiant ancients : This is the second of the most common spots where you have to be efficient with your ward placing. You place your own ward on that spot close to the ancients, and the sentry ward on the lower ground. This allows you to spot the other observer ward, on the other side of the river, on the edge of the dire staircase.Well we talked long enough about wards, how to ward and how to deward properly, but now comes the sneaky stuff, the secrecy, the Smoke of Deceit.
Smoke of Deceit? The answer is yes : you and any allied hero near you become invisible on the mini-map and on the screen for a full 40 seconds.
Shadow Blade then, if Smoke of Deceit is better and cheaper? Well, it only has 3 charges in the shop, and each charge replenishes once every 10 minutes. Smoke of Deceit invisibility disipates if you step into 1025 AoE of a tower or an enemy hero. Smoke of Deceit at all, if it has so many disadvantages? Well, it is extremly cheap, only 100 gold, and it allows you to slip by undetected by enemy wards to get in possition. Smoke of Deceit? You want to buy Smoke of Deceit when you want to gank with your entire team an enemy hero and you have to traverse a lot of terrain, so you can slip undetected by all the wards.
Not going to think a lot about the ending message, I don't want to stage anything. I really hope this guide has improved your level of understanding about wards, ward spots, dewarding and the sneaky way.
I'd like to adress thanks to Hades for helping me with a couple of pictures, namely the ones over at chapter 13.
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