Dota 2: The Lanes

A Lane is one of three paths connecting the two Ancients. Lane creeps will push along these lanes after spawning.

There are three lanes:

• Top lane, which runs along the left and top edges of the map.
• Middle or mid lane, where the lane creeps clash in the river.
• Bottom or bot, which runs along the bottom and right edges of the map.

The long lane

The long lane, sometimes called Easy or Safe, is so designated because it is the longest. Here the first tower is located at the farthest distance from the next tower. For Darkness, this is the upper lane, and for the forces of Light, it is the lower one.

It is safe because there is the possibility of a quick retreat under its tower while avoiding ganking enemy heroes. Ganking the enemy here is not very convenient, he needs to go behind you, while he will receive a lot of damage from the tower, or go to attack directly in the forehead along the lane. Here, enemy creeps will almost always fight near your tower. So the closer you are to the tower, the more secure you are. It is also easy because there is an opportunity to divert creeps to neutral monsters, thereby you control the pushing lane, allowing your carry to swing as close to your tower as possible.

The short lane

The first tower is situated at the shortest distance from the next tower. For the forces of darkness, this is the upper lane, for the forces of Light, it is the lower one. It is called heavy due to the fact that it lacks the advantages that the Long (light lane) has, you cannot make a withdrawal here, and the creeps will fight close to the enemy tower, if you move away from your tower, you will immediately become an easy prey for the enemy during a fight.

Heavy lane play

Standing on a heavy lane is quite different from standing on other lanes. On a hard lane, the hero takes a lot of risk when he moves away from the allied tower – so, it is easy to gank him. So here you need to think carefully about your actions first. When you go to a heavy lane, be prepared for the fact that you will be in constant tension, chase a half-dead enemy creep and enemies can quickly punish you for it.

When moving away from the tower, check the map well, and make sure that the mid lane, God forbid, did not leave the lane. For better lane standing, wards can be placed to help you avoid unexpected ganks and feel safer.