In the event you’ve performed Dota at a excessive sufficient degree, you’ve most likely seen apparent account patrons. Questionable match historical past, excessive win fee, suspicious hero choice on the account and absolute cluelessness throughout the match. These days, it’s a lot rarer than it was, however every such encounter left me with a single, lingering thought: “what precisely are you attempting to attain right here?”.
Successful a sport as somebody far under the foyer’s common is basically out of the query. There isn’t a variety of enjoyable in dying repeatedly both. The one pseudo-positive I can personally consider is that larger degree lobbies expedite the educational course of. Although, to be trustworthy, there isn’t an entire lot of studying occurring for the account purchaser, for my part. Often, the distinction within the understanding of Dota is large enough to make studying any form of classes just about unattainable.
That is the basic situation with studying Dota usually: as it’s an extremely advanced and deep sport, there are such a lot of shifting components to maintain monitor and concentrate on, that the majority people shall be overwhelmed if they struggle to absorb all of it on the similar time.
That is the explanation stats web sites like Dotabuff exist. They combination data from tons of assorted matches to present a fast overview of what we find yourself calling “the meta”. Nevertheless, utilizing this data properly and really bettering via it’s a studying course of by itself.
One of many massive, current occasions within the Dota-world was that stats web sites misplaced entry to the very best degree knowledge. The knowledge from the highest 0.5% participant lobbies is now not obtainable to us and irrespective of the way you spin it, it’s an data loss.
Whether or not this data was in any manner related to the overwhelming majority of the playerbase is a distinct query altogether. For my part, copying the highest degree builds and hero picks was not essentially useful when it got here to studying Dota and generally even detrimental to the method.
When a mean participant takes a shortcut by copying a ability or merchandise construct from the skilled scene, there’s a excessive likelihood they inadvertently exhibit the identical behaviour, because the aforementioned account purchaser. They don’t totally perceive why it really works, and why it may be obligatory for the gamers within the excessive degree lobbies to make decisions they make, they merely copy the builds, anticipating constructive outcomes.
Typically it really works, reinforcing their perception within the energy of this method. And when it doesn’t, there are at all times teammates in charge: in spite of everything, you’re enjoying a top-level construct that wins 55% of the sport in 10k lobbies, absolutely you’ll be able to’t be the issue in a 3k common sport, proper?
Right here lies the issue: 1k common, 3k common, 5k common and 10k common gamers are enjoying essentially completely different video games. As a broad stroke instance: a 
Magnus in 1k must be preoccupied with merely executing an honest Blink + Reverse Polarity combo onto a number of targets. A 3k one can begin studying the 
Harpoon + Skewer combo. At 5k they need to concentrate on prompt hexes or silences on the enemy staff and preemptively begin utilizing 
Black King Bar if obligatory, earlier than leaping in, for the reason that enemies are prone to react in time or pre-cast their disables if Magnus is in imaginative and prescient.
In 10k+ this could all mix into an exquisite package deal the place a Magnus can soar into one group of enemies, Horn Toss and Skewer them into one other group of enemies for an enormous RP, beginning off with 
Shadow Blade off-screen to stop pre-casting hex potential and utilizing BKB throughout the Horn Toss animation on the enemy CC heroes, whereas they’re nonetheless within the air, to maximise BKB effectiveness with out getting disabled. Then do the identical factor once more after utilizing 
Refresher Orb.
Striving to do this in 1k common foyer can be admirable, however there’s a excessive likelihood executing this complete sequence is already going to be overwhelming to a brand new participant. Furthermore, there are going to be a variety of redundancies when it comes to construct as properly: this Magnus in 1k doesn’t want Shadow Blade, since it’s unlikely the enemy goes to pre-hex them and even have imaginative and prescient. They received’t have to press BKB earlier than leaping in, as enemies are unlikely to react throughout the Reverse Polarity forged level. They most likely received’t want a second spherical of spells, for the reason that enemies are going to be clumped up regardless. And there are a lot of, many extra such small intricacies I’m personally not conscious of, since I’m not a 10k Magnus participant myself.
The primary level nonetheless stands, although: merely copying a excessive degree construct in your common sport will lead to pointless, expensive inefficiencies. And they’re going to value you video games consequently. what works finest at your specific degree, understanding why it really works and what the potential counterplays are, is what is going to make you a greater, extra educated participant. Once you begin gaining MMR, utilizing this information to adapt to more and more harder circumstances shall be a lot simpler as properly.
Copying builds is, by definition, a really inflexible method. There are undoubtedly key objects on sure heroes which might be just too good of a match, however even they don’t seem to be necessary, if the a bizarre sport you end up in is looking for one thing completely different.
People are additionally extremely numerous and in a multi-faceted sport of Dota, this implies there are a lot of completely different, profitable methods of self-expression. Forcing your self to repeat particular playstyles goes to stifle your individual progress, whereas doubtlessly lowering your enjoyment of the sport.
On the highest degree of play the decision-space is actually extra restricted, as some small construct inefficiencies and excessive ranges of greed are very punishable, however even then, there may be room for creativity. Most of us will keep in mind Topson constructing 
Diffusal Blade on 
Gyrocopter in TI Grand Finals and this form of resolution isn’t made by statistics and copying the most well-liked builds, it’s made by having a really stable, deep understanding of Dota.
Most of us don’t have time to sit down and experiment for the entire day, however all of us need to win and have our MMR go up. Statistics may help us determine tendencies and provides a fast overview of what usually works within the present meta, however it might’t win you video games. Bettering as a participant is the one option to get a better score. And bettering as a participant means analysing your individual errors, being lifelike concerning the degree you’re enjoying at and figuring out what will be carried out to win extra video games in your specific circumstances; not by copying what works for gamers who’re enjoying a really completely different sport.
Copying “what works” is not the identical as understanding “why it really works”. That does not imply it’s best to go fully off-meta: every patch will certainly have its share of stronger than common heroes and objects, however even when selecting a “sturdy meta hero” be sure to are actively analysing why they’re sturdy in your bracket and what limitations they could have if you end up in a better one. You shouldn’t use statistics to seek out definitive solutions. It is best to use statistics to ask the right questions.
