DOTA 2 vs LOL: The Difference and The Similarities Between Dota2 and League of Legends

The Main Gameplay Differences between League of Legends and DOTA2

League of Legend Bottom Lane

1. Laning Phase – So we just said that laning phase is a similarity then how is it a difference? Well, the lanes and the basic idea of the lanes are same but the gameplay difference is huge. In Dota you have much less skills to begin with. You have to slowly level up to get your skills and then you can engage with the enemy. Mostly at the beginning of a laning phase, very few heroes in Dota actually use or spams their skills on the enemy. Like, Sky Wraith Mage is a support hero who can spam his spells on the enemy from level 1 but current meta is ruling him out as a lane support. Most heroes of Dota use just their right clicks to harass each other in the lane and focuses more on farming and earning gold and XP. Once you level up and have your spells that’s when you try to go for a kill.

2. Denying – Denying is a mechanism that is missing from League of Legends. Now, this makes a huge difference. And that’s how complicated Dota2 is. Even a small in-game mechanism can make a huge difference. Denying is basically an act where you kill your own Creep/Minion to deny the gold and XP to your enemy. In LOL champs are only allowed to hit enemy minion wherein Dota2 Heroes can deny their own creep to deny the gold and XP and you can out level your enemy in laning phase by doing that. This makes you stronger in the lane, gives you a huge gold and XP advantage as well as keeping your enemy under-leveled and under-farmed which can have a huge consequence in the next team fights and even decide the game.

3. Couriers – Another small mechanism that makes a huge impact in the game. In Dota2 heroes can stay in their lane as Animal Courier is basically a courier that brings you your items from the base. So you don’t have to miss out on the XP and Gold in lane and go back to base to get your items. Animal courier turns into Flying Courier at the 3-minute mark and gets extra movement speed. All you need to do is buy items from the base shop and they stay in your base stash then click the courier and it will deliver your item. A courier can only carry 9 items at a time so use it smartly and even use it on a priority basis of the lanes. Killing the enemy courier will give your entire team a gold bounty and the enemies will not have their courier for next 3 minute. Any item that will be inside the courier will be gone but respawn with the courier after 3 minutes. Killing a courier can often delay the items of your enemies and in the next 3 minute, you can have a huge advantage in a team fight because of that.

4. Shops – In League of Legends, they have only one shop in the base while in Dota it’s a little more complicated again. You have your main shop in the base where you get most of your items. Plus each team has a secret shop on the uphill of their jungle and one lane shop beside the lane. In the whole map, there are 2 secret shops, 2 side shops, and 2 main shops inside the base. Any team can use any shop at any time of the game.

5. Turn rate – A big difference between LOL and DOTA2 is mechanics like turn rate. In League, a champion turns around instantly and moves instantly, however, in Dota2 every hero has a different turn rate and it takes their own sweet time to turn around or move.

6. Gold and XP – Gold and XP difference is huge between both games. They are similar to the basic idea of earning gold and spending it. But the type of Gold and XP you earn in Dota2 is way more complicated than you thought. Yes, this is why Dota2 is way more complicated. There are two different kind of gold in Dota2 – Reliable and Unreliable. Reliable gold is any bounty that you get after killing heroes, Roshan or using a Hand of Midas. Unreliable gold is anything else from creeps, neutral creeps and starting gold.