Dota 2 Mechanics Guide - Everything you need to know about the Vision

Introduction

Dota 2 is a truly fantastic game that can make your day just a little bit more interesting. However, in order to take full advantage of it, you need to learn every single hero, item, and mechanic in the game because otherwise, there will always be something that you will find confusing. 

Unfortunately, most new Dota 2 player doesn't bother to do that, which means that they quit in just a couple of days. If you're reading this, the chances are that you are already interested in finding out more about the game, which is absolutely awesome.

With that said, today, we will take a look at one very interesting mechanic that everyone has to master at some point - the Vision. Although many people believe that this is self-explanatory, that's not really the case.

General Information about the vision in Dota 2

The easiest way of describing this mechanic is basically to think of it as what you can see on the map. It goes without saying, but it's just not possible to have a vision on every single part of the map in Dota 2. In fact, the vast majority of it is hidden by a thing called "Fog of War," which means that you can't see what's happening there. The only way in which you can get some sort of vision is if you have True Sight. That said, here are a couple of ways in which you get can get some sort of vision:

• Your hero.  Even though it's pretty obvious, your own hero is one of the best ways in which you can get a vision of what's happening around you.
• Observer wards are the absolute best vision provider in Dota 2. It allows you to basically see what's happening on the map in a particular area next to the ward. This is the best way to either avoid being ganked or to organize a gank whenever you spot your enemies somewhere.
• Towers and other builds also provide vision in an area next to them. After The Outlanders Update was released, there is a new type of building in the game called "Outpost" that also provides a significant amount of vision. However, unlike the other buildings, this one can change it's "possessor," which often leads to big team-fights.
• Items - some items can provide vision when they are used or passively. There are many examples here, but perhaps the strongest passively vision-providing item is Moon Shard. When used, you will gain +200 Night Vision, which can be the difference between life and death, especially when you're playing against certain heroes.
  Apart from the Moon Shard, some active items such as Shiva's Guard, for example, are also capable of providing vision.
• Certain spells of some heroes such as Tornado, Sun Strike, Ghostship, etc. are also an interesting way of providing vision. However, it is important to note that these methods only work for a couple of seconds, until the spell is fully over. In other words, this is not a proper way to get vision.
  In addition to the spells mentioned above, there is a thing called "Shared Vision," which refers to certain spells that provide your team vision. There are a couple of notable examples here, but the most popular ones are definitely Bounty Hunter's Track and Bloodseeker's Thirst. Both of these spells allow your team to have a clear view of the enemy heroes and their positions, making it a lot easier to move around.

Apart from the obvious sources of vision in Dota 2, most heroes have a mechanic that's often known as "Caster Vision." This means that a hero will vision over a certain location from where the enemy hero is casting his spell or attacking. Although this might seem useless, the Caster Vision is actually a very important mechanic in Dota 2 because it allows you always to know where your enemy is attacking you. Imagine if you were just saying on your lane, and someone was spamming you with his spells without you having an idea where it's coming from.

Abilities that reduce the vision

In addition to the abilities that provide vision, some of them also reduce it. With that said, here are a couple of very popular examples:

• Bane's Nightmare is definitely the most popular spell when it comes down to vision reduction. 
• Spectre's Desolate is also one of the few abilities that have vision-limiting capabilities.
• Riki's Smoke Screen is a skill that is able to prevent multiple heroes that are trap inside it from having a good vision of what's happening around them. As a result, this is one very strong team-fight ability.

Heroes that have a lot of vision advantage

Not every single Dota 2 hero is the same when it comes down to his skills, attributes, and role in the game. Well, the same thing applies to vision as well. Some heroes are just way better than others and can take full advantage of it, depending on the pick. Here are a couple of notable examples:

• Nightstalker is the most popular hero that takes huge advantage of the vision he gets when it's dark. 
• Slark is another interesting hero that also excels when it's dark. Besides, this hero is very good at knowing when the enemies have a vision because of his ultimate won't work. In other words, he can serve as a "walking Sentry Ward."
• Keeper of the Light has an amazing vision when he buys an Aghanim's Scepter and when it's daytime.