You can stack camps in Dota 2 to provide more gold when you farm. After all, the economy is an important aspect of MOBA esports. Having a grasp on how where to get gold in the game is essential for top players. Be it eliminating objectives, or taking down other players, the economy is integral to game design. It is this economy that dictates a game’s ending even before it concludes.
Dota 2 is no stranger to this economy game design. In addition, its developer, Icefrog, is meticulous in the design of how gold moves in the game. There are calculations to taking kill streaks, bounty rune gold, and even the periodic gold received per minute. It is this level of care that elevated Dota to a refined game state, a thing players obsess about. So let us discuss the most fun way to generate a gold advantage—stacking.
How Stacking Camps Came to Be
Stacking is the act of pulling neutral creeps out of their camp to make new neutrals spawn. Players are certain that this mechanic came as an unresolved mechanic from DotA. Pulling the creeps out of the spawn box tricks the system into thinking the camp is cleared. However, players know that Icefrog left this intentionally since it’s seen as a show of skill. Icefrog could have easily made the presence of the creeps determine it and not the spawn box.
Over the years of Dota 2, players have pushed the boundaries of how much you can stack. Spells like Kunkka’s Torrent and Invoker’s Tornado saw notoriety for being able to trick the system. Launching creeps into the air at the right moment makes them “leave” the spawn box. Some heroes’ play styles depend on stacking to boost their farm, and thus it is an indispensable skill to learn. Icefrog knew that clearing massive crowds of creeps leaves a degree of satisfaction.
What to Consider to Stack Camps in Dota 2
Please do not be discouraged if you somehow fumble the pull, it happens from time to time. The spawn box checks if there are units within itself, this includes wards. Thus, it is a good idea to place wards in enemy jungles to “Block” their camps. Nature’s Prophet players are wise to send their summons to block neutral camps. Some heroes are better suited at stacking than others, one of these heroes is Shadow Demon. Consider KOTL as well, they both have a line spell.
But perhaps what is important is knowing the time to pull the creeps from the spawn box. Spawn boxes check for creeps every minute, meaning all pulls occur beyond 50 seconds. Most camps pull at 55 seconds, but a few camps have it at 53 seconds. Early pulls involve the ancients and some hard camps, while later pulls are the medium and easy camps. Be reminded that neutrals are aggroed to the recent attacker, which means pulling can be disrupted by enemies.
Don’t be afraid to boot up a bot match to practice your stack timings. After all, this is a critical skill to master if you want to help your team get an economic advantage. Moreover, it also teaches you how to ruin enemy stacks better. Run a game and tell us how many stacks you can pull off!
