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How to Play Mid (Position 2) in Dota 2
Mid is the solo lane in the center of the map: levels come fastest here and runes spawn right next to you. The mid player is the first who can influence the map — with ganks, rune control and tower pressure. A good mid farms and makes life easier for the other lanes at the same time.
Position 2 norms by rank
median across real matches| Rank | Net worth @10 | Last hits @10 | XPM | GPM | Fight participation, % | Deaths | Time dead, % | players |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All ranks | 3922 | 49 | 837 | 594 | 58 | 7 | 14 | 634 |
| Guardian | 3459 | 41 | 879 | 494 | 50 | 8 | 14 | 27 |
| Crusader | 3786 | 43 | 731 | 549 | 54 | 6 | 13 | 55 |
| Archon | 3712 | 47 | 852 | 585 | 58 | 7.5 | 14 | 82 |
| Legend | 3896 | 46 | 852 | 578 | 58 | 8 | 15 | 152 |
| Ancient | 4008 | 52 | 866 | 612 | 58 | 7 | 14 | 162 |
| Divine | 3960 | 52 | 825 | 616 | 61 | 7 | 14 | 59 |
| Immortal | 4094 | 53 | 789 | 610 | 64 | 6 | 12 | 88 |
Medians across matches analyzed on DotaLeak. Missing ranks — not enough data yet.
What to do at each stage
Laning · 0–10 min
Win the mid lane, or at least hold it, and set up your first rotation.
- Block the first creep wave — it gives you a better lane position for the first minutes.
- Last-hit and deny: in mid, denies hurt your opponent's level more than anywhere else.
- Water runes at 2:00 and 4:00 are yours: regen and bottle charges without a trip home.
- Power runes spawn from 6:00 every 2 minutes at one of the two river spots. Know where the rune is 10–15 seconds before it spawns and decide in advance which lane you'll gank.
- Mistake: rotating while you're already losing mid. You lose waves and XP and most likely achieve nothing.
Mid game · 10–25 min
Turn levels and runes into kills, towers and tempo for the whole team.
- Gank a lane where the enemy stands far from their tower, with no escape and no wards. A good rotation means a kill or a tower, and mid lost at most one wave.
- Haste, Invisibility, Amplify Damage and Illusion are gank runes. Taking one of those to the jungle to farm is a chance handed to the enemy.
- Between rotations farm the jungle near mid and the stacks your supports made, but don't take the carry's jungle while they're farming it.
- Get your key item on time: a mid with a late item stops being a threat, and the enemy starts walking the map freely.
- If your draft is strong mid-game, group up for towers and the 20:00 Tormentor instead of farming for the late game.
Late game · 25+ min
Be the team's second pillar: damage or control in fights and lane pressure between them.
- Keep buyback gold before big fights and Roshan.
- Know your job in fights: some heroes catch supports on the edge, others deal damage after the disables land. Don't initiate for the team if your hero isn't built for it.
- If your hero clears waves fast, push out the far lanes before every objective.
- Don't farm the enemy jungle alone without vision: a mid death late often hands the enemy Roshan.
- Mistake: taking the carry's waves while they're right there. Late game you split the map, not one lane.
Game plan: from easy to hard games
You won the lane
What to buy
- Don't sit in mid for a few extra creeps — go gank with a rune before the enemy catches up in levels.
- Take the enemy mid T1: it opens up the runes and the center of the map.
- Help whichever lane is losing hardest — that's the most valuable gank.
- Use the lead to get your key item before the enemy mid gets theirs.
The lane is even
What to buy
- Control runes together with your 4: a ward on the river spot or the support sitting on the other one.
- Rotate only with a clear target; no target — farm the jungle near mid and stacks.
- Push the wave before you leave so it doesn't die under your tower.
- Ping when the enemy mid goes missing — it saves your teammates from ganks.
You lost the lane and got crushed
What to buy
- Don't trade HP for creeps: ask your 4 to come, use water runes and your bottle.
- Soak XP: stay in experience range even when you can't contest last hits.
- Don't give runes away for free — if you can't take them, let your 4 grab them.
- While the wave sits at your tower, farm the nearby jungle; don't go on hopeless rotations.
Your team is 10k+ behind at 20 minutes
What to buy
- Clear waves and hold towers — the mid hero often has the best waveclear on the team.
- Look for a smoke pick-off with your supports on a farming enemy core.
- Don't go to the enemy half of the map alone.
- Keep buyback and stay near high ground when the enemy comes for your barracks.
Common mistakes — we catch these in match analysis
- Gank rune spent on farmingA Haste or Invisibility rune used to farm the jungle is a gank you gifted to the enemy.
- Rotation with no resultYou left mid, killed nobody, and your waves died under your tower — lost gold and XP with nothing gained for the team.
- Dying without vision on the enemy halfThe mid hero is the main mid-game threat: their death gives the enemy tempo, runes and often a tower.
- Late key itemWithout the item your ganks stop working, and the window where mid is the strongest hero closes unused.
- Farming while the team foughtWhile you're in the jungle, your team fights outnumbered — exactly when you should be the strongest hero on the map.
FAQ
How many last hits at 10 minutes is good for mid?
Compare yourself with your rank’s median in the norms table above — it’s calculated from real matches. On mid, denies, levels and runes matter too: a mid lost on creeps but won on runes and rotations can be worth more.
When should mid rotate?
Usually with the first power rune at 6:00 and then with the runes every 2 minutes — when another lane has a target: an enemy far from their tower, with no escape and no wards. Get back to mid for the next wave or rune.
What do I do if I'm losing mid?
Don't trade HP for creeps, stay in XP range, take the water runes and ask your 4 for help. When the wave is at your tower, farm the nearby jungle. Above all, don't die again and don't give the enemy free runes.
Which runes should the mid player take?
Water runes at 2:00 and 4:00 for regen. Power runes from 6:00: Haste, Invisibility, Amplify Damage and Illusion for ganks; Arcane, Regeneration and Shield for laning and farming. Bounty runes spawn every 4 minutes and give gold to the whole team — whoever is closest takes them.