Professional Dota 2 player Anton “dyrachyo” Shkredov, known for his role as the carry for Tundra Esports, recently provided an intriguing anecdote from his time playing alongside former teammate Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov. The story offers a fascinating glimpse into the coaching and learning dynamics that occur even at the highest echelons of competitive play, touching upon fundamental game mechanics that might seem obvious to some, but require explicit instruction for others.
Dyrachyo recounted a specific instance where he felt it necessary to educate bzm on what many might consider a basic, yet critically important, principle in Dota 2: managing the creep wave before initiating a “gank.” A gank is a surprise attack, typically involving multiple heroes from one team converging on an unsuspecting enemy hero in a different lane. Successful ganks are pivotal for securing kills, gaining map control, and building momentum, but they require careful setup.
“I told him: `Bzm, my brother, if you`re going to gank on your messed-up Invoker, you are obligated to push out the wave, even if you have Quas-Wex Invoker. You are obligated to push it out and then go gank`,” dyrachyo explained, recalling his straightforward advice. The slight dig at bzm`s Invoker (“messed-up”) adds a touch of the casual, often ironic, banter common among professional teammates, while underscoring the serious strategic point.
The Tundra Esports carry player expressed a degree of surprise regarding bzm`s initial lack of awareness concerning this fundamental tactic. “Imagine, his creeps are hitting the tower, and he goes to gank, finds no one, and then, you know, he`s in shock, on tilt,” dyrachyo described the frustrating outcome for bzm. “It`s natural that you won`t find anyone [in that situation].”
Dyrachyo`s observation highlights a critical strategic error. Allowing your own creep wave to reach and attack an enemy tower while you are absent from the lane attempting a gank is detrimental. The tower provides vision, making the gank attempt less likely to be a surprise. More importantly, the tower quickly eliminates your creeps, denying your team valuable experience and gold that could have been gained. Furthermore, it creates an opportunity for the enemy team to pressure your own tower in return, potentially leading to objectives lost. By contrast, “pushing out” the wave (clearing the enemy creeps quickly) ensures that your creeps advance, creating pressure on the enemy tower, potentially forcing enemy heroes into less safe positions, and buying time for the gank without sacrificing lane equilibrium or tower integrity.
This anecdote from dyrachyo serves as a reminder that even players performing at the pinnacle of Dota 2 competition are constantly learning and refining their understanding of the game`s deep strategic layers. It underscores the fact that mastery of fundamental principles is paramount and sometimes requires explicit instruction, regardless of a player`s mechanical skill or hero mastery. The image of a highly talented midlaner initially overlooking such a seemingly basic detail, coupled with dyrachyo`s pragmatic coaching, offers a refreshingly honest, perhaps slightly ironic, look into the ongoing strategic development within top professional esports teams.
Finley Holt