Vision and wards

Information wins fights: whoever sees the enemy first chooses whether to fight or leave.

Tools

• Observer Ward — an invisible ward that gives vision around it. The shop has a limited stock.
• Sentry Ward — reveals invisible things nearby: enemy wards, mines, invisible heroes.
• Smoke of Deceit hides a group from the minimap and from wards until you get close to an enemy.
• Dust of Appearance briefly reveals invisible heroes nearby.

Where to ward

• Ahead in gold — place offensive wards in the enemy jungle and at their base exits to catch farming heroes.
• Behind — place defensive wards by your towers and in your jungle to farm safely and see incoming ganks.
• Before Roshan and Tormentors — vision around the pit and its approaches.
• Before a high-ground siege — vision inside the enemy base, or you will not see who bought back.

Dewarding

• Removing enemy wards matters as much as placing your own: you get gold and the enemy loses information. Put Sentry Wards where you would place an Observer yourself — the enemy thinks the same way.