After winning a fight, it is tempting to chase down one more enemy. I get it. But while we hunt for a flashy kill, the map may be waiting for a much more useful decision.
First, a quick team check
Who is still alive on our side? How much health and mana do we have left, and which spells have we already used? Winning a fight does not reset your resources. If your allies have split up to heal, confidently pushing on will start another fight with a very different lineup.
At the same time, I check the visible enemies and nearby lanes. I need to know whether the team has the time and resources to act together. Sometimes the first useful thing to do is let your teammates get out safely.
Pick an objective you can take now
I compare the nearby options: push a lane, hit a tower, secure an area with vision or go back to replenish resources. Each has its own requirements. To apply pressure, we need creeps and teammates nearby; to move safely, we need information about the enemy.
In my episode, we take Tormentor together at 06:30. That is an example of a shared objective. In a new game, decide whether to take an objective like that based on your team’s current condition, rather than how well it worked in the video.
EXPLORE THE EXAMPLE ↗In my match, the team takes buildings after a fight. A successful push ends with the enemy losing an objective.
OOPS DOTA / Ruslan Ukrainskyi
A chase should have a purpose too
If a fleeing enemy is nearby, the route is visible and your allies can follow up, chasing can make sense. But when the target disappears into fog, I ask again: why are we going there, and what are we leaving behind?
One support can distract us from a lane and a tower. I do not want to be a tourist with a slow. Pinging an available objective and moving towards your teammates often brings the team together better than a long explanation in chat.
My next cast starts now
After a fight, I get ready to contribute to the next one: I check my mana, route and the items I need. If I stay with my team, I choose a position where I can cover an approach. If I go back, I make a quick call to say so.
Use this checklist in your next game:
- Check who is alive and what resources remain after the fight.
- Look at the lanes and an available objective.
- Pick one shared objective and call it out to your team.
- Stop going further if the conditions have changed.
Practice scenario: the enemies have retreated into fog. Your team is low on mana, a safe wave is nearby, and your creeps have not reached the tower yet. What should you suggest?
Choose an action and read the explanation.
Sources and context
This is my approach to reviewing decisions. I check game data against the current patch and distinguish practice scenarios from events in my own match.
First OOPS DOTA episode: Ruslan’s Crystal Maiden game ↗