What items should a beginner buy first in Dota 2?

Start with healing items such as Tango or Healing Salve, buy a Town Portal Scroll as soon as you can, then boots. After that, follow your hero’s build page.

Do I always need a Town Portal Scroll?

Almost always. It lets you return to the fight and save lanes, so most players carry at least one.

What is the best item for supports?

Observer Wards give your team vision, which is why supports usually buy them first. Then pick utility items for your hero.

Are item win rates reliable?

They show which items go with winning games, but teams that are ahead buy items sooner, so they do not prove an item causes the win. See each hero page for the details.

Guide · 8 min read · Patch 7.41f

Dota 2 Items for Beginners

Dota 2 has more than a hundred items, and the shop can feel like a wall of icons. You do not need most of them. A handful of items show up in almost every game, and learning those first makes you more useful in every role. This guide explains the items worth knowing, what they do and when to buy them. Prices are read from the current patch (7.41f).

For a hero-specific list, open any hero page: it shows the most-bought items by phase with their win rates.

Starting items: before the horn

You start with a little gold. Spend it on what keeps you in the lane and buy a Town Portal Scroll as soon as you can afford one.

Tango 90 gold
Healing
Eat a tree to heal over time. Ideal for staying in lane without going home.
Healing Salve 100 gold
Healing
Heals you over time, but taking damage from an enemy hero cancels it. Use it when no one is attacking you.
Clarity 60 gold
Mana
Restores mana over time. Good for spell-heavy heroes in the lane.
Quelling Blade 100 gold
Last hitting
Helps melee heroes deal more damage to creeps and cuts trees. Common on carries.

Town Portal Scroll: the item you always carry

Town Portal Scroll 100 gold
Everyone
Teleports you to a friendly building after a short channel. It lets you go home, buy items and return to the fight.

Always keep one in your inventory. Use it to save a lane, join a fight or escape when you are far from your base. Players who forget it often miss key fights.

Boots: the first big purchase

Almost every hero buys boots first. Boots of Speed raise your movement speed, and the upgrades add something useful:

Boots of Speed 500 gold
All heroes
The base boot. Cheap and an essential part of all later boots.
Power Treads 1,400 gold
Carries, and heroes that use attacks
Adds attack speed and can switch between strength, agility and intelligence.
Built from: Boots of Speed, Gloves of Haste, Belt of Strength
Phase Boots 1,450 gold
Melee fighters
Adds damage and gives a short burst of speed when you use its active.
Built from: Boots of Speed, Chainmail, Blades of Attack
Arcane Boots 1,500 gold
Supports
Restores mana for you and nearby allies. A support classic.
Built from: Boots of Speed

Early core items

Magic Wand 460 gold
Almost everyone
Stores charges when spells are cast nearby. Use it for an emergency heal and mana boost.
Built from: Magic Stick, Iron Branch, Iron Branch
Bottle 675 gold
Mid heroes
Refills health and mana and stores a rune. A strong buy for the middle lane.

Mid game: items that change fights

Blink Dagger 2,250 gold
Initiators, mid and offlane
Teleports a short distance. Lets you start a fight, escape or reach an enemy. It is disabled for a few seconds after you take damage.
Force Staff 2,200 gold
Supports, and saving allies
Pushes a unit forward. Use it to save an ally, escape or move an enemy away.
Built from: Staff of Wizardry
Black King Bar 4,050 gold
Carries and fighters
Makes you immune to most spells for a few seconds, so you can fight when you are being disabled.
Built from: Mithril Hammer, Ogre Axe
Aghanim's Scepter 4,200 gold
Many heroes
Gives stats and upgrades certain abilities. Its effect depends on the hero, so check the hero page.
Built from: Point Booster, Staff of Wizardry, Ogre Axe, Blade of Alacrity

Support items: vision and detection

Observer Ward free
Supports
Gives vision of an area. See the enemy coming before they see you.
Sentry Ward 50 gold
Supports
Reveals invisible units and enemy wards nearby.
Smoke of Deceit 50 gold
Supports
Makes your team invisible so you can rotate unseen. It does not work near enemy heroes or towers.

If you play support, wards are your most important purchase: read positions and roles to see why.

How to choose what to buy

Start with your hero’s page: the most-bought items by phase are listed with their win rates.
Buy boots, then an early core item for your role.
React to the game: if you are being stunned, get a way to survive. If the enemy is invisible, buy detection.
Keep a Town Portal Scroll with you.
Do not buy everything at once. Finish an item before starting the next.

Frequently asked questions

What items should a beginner buy first in Dota 2?: Start with healing items such as Tango or Healing Salve, buy a Town Portal Scroll as soon as you can, then boots. After that, follow your hero’s build page.
Do I always need a Town Portal Scroll?: Almost always. It lets you return to the fight and save lanes, so most players carry at least one.
What is the best item for supports?: Observer Wards give your team vision, which is why supports usually buy them first. Then pick utility items for your hero.
Are item win rates reliable?: They show which items go with winning games, but teams that are ahead buy items sooner, so they do not prove an item causes the win. See each hero page for the details.

Numbers in this guide are computed from 3.4M public matches (OpenDota) and refreshed with every site update. Hero data is Valve’s. Builds Forge is an unofficial fan site, not affiliated with Valve.