A living support can cast again.
How to position before a fight, help in time and avoid becoming the easiest kill on the map.
In this guide
Your next round of spells matters too
You don't have to be the first one in to do useful work. Before a fight, identify the hero who can reach you and think about surviving the first contact. Everyone notices a kill. Almost nobody notices the stun you never got to cast. This is an exercise in decisions, not a rule to always stay at the back.
Who is coming for you?
Identify the ability that threatens you most. Where could its owner come from? Which ally can respond? Good positioning isn't a fixed distance behind your carry. Account for an initiator missing from the map. A tree is great cover until it blocks your only way out.
One fight, one first job
Protecting an ally, interrupting a dangerous spell and helping secure a target call for different positions. Trying to do everything at once often sends you straight into the middle of the fight. On CM, ask yourself whether that extra step forward was worth getting caught by the ability that stopped you.
Cast, then look around
You've revealed your position. While your abilities are on cooldown, consider a short move towards cover or an ally. Don't move so far away that you can no longer help. Sometimes casting again immediately matters more than moving: the situation decides.
One death. One lesson.
Pause the replay before the risky decision. Write down what was visible, who was missing from the map and whether your team could help. Suggest one alternative position. Don't use information you only learned after dying. Test that specific adjustment in your next game.
A task for your next game
Before an important fight, name your first job. Afterwards, check whether you did it and managed to use another helpful ability. Save the moment even if you lose. Check exact ranges, talents and items in the current game client.
Sources and context
This is an approach to reviewing your game unless a verified match fact is stated separately. Check exact mechanics in the current game client.
Source · Dota 2 — official game and hero reference ↗Source · Crystal Maiden — Valve ↗