[OG] M4's guide to All Random Deathmatch (updated for 6.84c)

Introduction

ARDM is fricking great. If you like being on your feet and want to play well with a variety of heroes, this is the mode for you.

The mode is like regular Dota, except that you spawn a new random hero when you die. New heroes retain levels, gold and items.

There are two victory conditions (push or get 45 kills), so the game's overall strategy can be different from the normal game. Teamfights happen more often, and Dagon is popular. The game can reach a point where push becomes secondary to simply getting pick-offs.

ARDM is considered a fun/party/non-serious mode, but in my opinion this is as balanced as Dota gets when you're solo-queing pubs. You're not locked in to your early choices for the whole game, and no counterpicking shenanigans apply. Unlike regular All Random, your enjoyment/suffering of 40 minutes does not depend on just one dice throw. Comeback potential is huge, and death is final.

Fine Print

• You can swap heroes at the beginning of the game. You cannot repick. No hero spawns twice.
• If you deny an ally or yourself, or go die to a neutral creep, the enemy doesn't get the XP/Gold, but you still lose one of your 45 lives.
• Players who cannot respawn anymore (when the team has run out of lives) can still buy and drop shareable items like Observer Wards, Bottle, Perseverance, and Gem of True Sight for the surviving team.
• If someone dies and abandons, you cannot sell their items.
• If someone abandons and their hero is alive, you can sell their items.
• If someone disconnects/abandons, you can use their hero, but if that hero dies, they don't respawn until they reconnect.
• Visage's Familiars die when the main hero dies, but otherwise most non-hero units and wards such as Nature's Prophet's treants, Holy Persuasion creeps, Lycan's wolves, Templar Assassin's traps survive after death.
• Legion Commander's stolen damage does not stay after death, nor does Silencer's stolen intelligence or Pudge's fatty stacks.
• Vengeful Spirit's negative aura only stays until the Venge player respawns.
• Alchemist's Aghanim's Scepter buff does not stay if Alchemist or the buff recipient dies.

Items

Items to counter

A list of items by popularity. This is so you know what to watch out for, and possibly pick:

• Dagon - Probably the most popular item in this mode, although it's very hit or miss, especially if rushed too early without enough survivability/damage items.
• Blink Dagger - when their Lich or Brewmaster teamwipes you and buys a Dagger, he is impossible to catch till the end of the game. This is probably the first big item you should get.
• Hand of Midas - A lot of people rush Midas in this mode. It's usually helpful, unless you make it after 10 minutes or miss out on teamfights because you were looking for a juicy neutral creep.
• Linken's Sphere/ Lotus Orb - Btw, medallion of courage DOES NOT break Linken's. If it's late enough in the game that all fights are 5v5 and you don't anticipate being Dagoned by surprise, Lotus Orb serves you better than Linken's.
• Shadow Blade/ Glimmer Cape - very annoying, and at worst puts a money strain on the enemy to buy detection.

Items that are likely to make you win

• Dagon
• Blink Dagger
• Orchid Malevolence
• Radiance
• Linken's Sphere
• Assault Cuirass
• Shadow Blade
• Helm of the Dominator
• Drum of Endurance
• Vladmir's Offering
• Tranquil Boots - very useful if you roam a lot (and you should)
• Arcane Boots
• Heart of Tarrasque
• Crimson Guard
• Blademail
• Bloodstone

Items that are likely to make you lose

• Mask of Madness - It's okay if you bought it when you were Faceless Void, but you have to resist the urge to turn it on when you're chasing someone as Zeus.
• Aghanim's Scepter - if farmed too early in a game that you are already losing
• Dagon - if farmed too early in a game that you are already losing
• Battle Fury - if farmed too early in a game that you are already losing
  

Troll Strategy

Many people rush Hand of Midas and Dagon with some form of boots, and if the game goes in their favour they get fat on stolen kills and win easy. It's a risky strat but worth a try.

Recommended items:

• Boots of Speed
• Headdress
• Stout Shield
• Magic Stick
• Urn of Shadows
• Bottle
• Ring of Health
• Morbid Mask
• Helm of the Dominator
• Vitality Booster
• Blink Dagger
• Yasha
• Sange and Yasha
• Drum of Endurance
• Assault Cuirass
• Mekansm
• Heart of Tarrasque
• Heaven's Halberd
• Vanguard
• Rod of Atos
• Shiva's Guard

Generally a good idea to pick good starting items specific to your hero, and to build the best core item for your hero that works on everyone. If you get a sudden windfall of gold, buy a Blink Dagger or Dagon. For example, if you get Phantom Assassin, build a Helm of the Dominator instead of Battlefury. Get an Aghanim's Scepter only if you're confident you won't die and are getting good farm. Don't rush it without getting another big item or proper boots first.

Heroes

Skill Builds (these suggestions are very situational)

• Skill your defensive spells faster than your offensive spells and passives. e.g. There's no shame in getting more than one early level of Dopplewalk in this mode because it'll pay off later.
• Skill your disables faster than your passives. e.g. Maxing Open Wounds first with only one level of Feast is a viable strategy on Lifestealer in this mode because it'll let you stay alive longer from kills.
• Skill your global spells and ultimates as soon as you respawn and be ready to use them. This is especially important if you spawn someone like Zeus or Ancient Apparition.
• If you're not sure if you're gonna survive your lane and really want to hold on to your hero, get some levels in your stats after you get a level in each of your abilities.
• Buy a Town Portal Scroll while you are dead if there's an intense teamfight going on near a tower. Teleport as soon as you respawn, and pick your skills while the TP scroll is channeling.

Laning strategy

• If you can afford sticking to your lane/jungle and everything seems hunky dory for the rest of your team, by all means do it as long as you want or until you make at least one big item.
• Ganks usually start somewhat early in ARDM, especially with the 6.84c meta, so keep an eye on the minimap at all times, especially after minute 4 or so. Sometimes people will gank a lane with the whole team right at the start of the game for First Blood - if this happens, try to take advantage of the situation by either: a) sticking to your lane and out-leveling the absent enemy, or 2) by teleporting/running to the 5 hapless noobs taking heavy tower damage while not managing to get the kill. If you die to this early 5-man gank, return to your lane with caution, and don't touch the creeps by yourself until you're sure that all but two of them have left.
• After minute 4, stay especially alert to what's happening in the middle lane. If their mid is missing for a while, or if your mid is out ganking somewhere, chances are you might get ganked.
• If you're laning in mid, try to alert your teammates in advance before you leave your lane, and once you're near their lane. Try to pick up a rune on the way if there is one. If you have a mic, use it. If you've been gone from mid for 30 seconds or so, warn your team that the enemy mid might be missing.
• Invariably, at some point the whole enemy team will converge to one tower to push it down. If you see more than 2 enemy heroes in any lane, it's time to get ready to teleport there. If you have enough HP and mana, teleport to the lane right away, or run to your fountain and do it. There's no point in two of you babysitting the enemy solo laner while your allies are getting ****ed in other lane by 3 or 4 heroes.
• While this may be a 'fun' mode, don't underestimate the importance of well-placed wards. You ideally always want the bottom and top rune spots warded at minute 4 or so. Be proactive in warding and if the people with support heroes can't or won't buy them even after your asking them, do it yourself.
• If you've taken down the enemy's tier 3 towers, its time to be more cautious with your pushing. Resist the urge to push their tier 2 towers by yourself if most of their team is missing - you are not AdmiralBulldog, and even his escapes are imperfect sometimes. When you do push a tier 2 tower down, it's time to get back and heal before you push to high ground.
• Keep an eye on the enemy's hero spawns, and be especially wary of natural Roshan hunters like Ursa and Lycanthrope. If they have Ursa and he hasn't been seen in a while, chances are that they are roshing. Conversely, if you do get Ursa, try to rosh quickly using a Morbid Mask, Smoke of Deceit, and a teammate or two to help (depends on teammates and your level). With the Aegis in hand, try to kill the most unkillable hero on the other team first.
• If you lose two teamfights in a row, do either of these 3: 1) try to get your team to go in super-defensive mode and engage the enemy under your tower 2) put up wards and do a smoke gank or 3) put up wards and farm the jungle or any lanes that may be pushed into your base while avoiding any engagement. For ****'s sake don't repeat the same badly positioned teamfight over and over against the same enemy lineup that has wiped your team out twice.
• Don't feed needlessly for runes at the beginning of the game. Dont show yourself at the rune spot until it says there are 10 seconds left till game start. From the nearest hiding spot to the rune is a 6-7 second distance.