Aggro: What is Aggro in Games Like Dota 2

In games like Dota 2 ^[1], "aggro" refers to the concept of drawing the attention of non player controlled entities, such as creeps or neutral monsters, towards your character. Aggro is commonly used in the context of laning and jungling strategies, where players manipulate the behavior of these entities to their advantage.

In laning, aggro is often employed to control the positioning of creeps and gain an advantage in last-hitting or denying. By "pulling" the creeps towards your own tower, you can make it more difficult for your opponent to safely farm and potentially expose them to ganks from your team. Players can aggro creeps by right-clicking on enemy heroes, causing the creeps to switch their focus and target the aggressor briefly.

Aggro can also be utilized in the jungle to optimize efficiency and reduce the damage taken while clearing camps. By "stacking" jungle camps, players can lure the neutral monsters away from their initial location and then lead them back. This allows the player to clear multiple camps at once, maximizing gold and experience gains. Properly managing aggro in the jungle is crucial for experienced players to optimize their farming patterns.

In addition to creeps and neutral monsters, understanding aggro is essential in team fights and skirmishes. When engaging in fights, players often try to manipulate the aggro of enemy heroes or towers to draw their attention away from more vulnerable teammates or to create space for their team. Skilled players can use abilities or positioning to "pull" aggro from allies or redirect it towards themselves, strategically controlling the focus of enemy attacks.

It's important to note that aggro management requires careful timing, positioning, and awareness of game mechanics. Mismanaging aggro can result in unfavorable trades, missed opportunities, or unnecessary damage taken. Therefore, understanding and effectively utilizing aggro is a crucial skill for players looking to excel in Dota 2, as it can provide significant advantages in laning, jungling, and team fights.

Are There Strategies Related to Aggro

Yes, there are actually several strategies related to aggro that can help you swerve the momentum of a lane in your favor. As a matter of fact, this doesn’t only apply to Dota 2, but also to League of Legends, another very popular MOBA.

In the context of Dota 2, one very popular strategy is creep stacking. As the name suggests, it involves stacking several creeps in one small position to take advantage of them. You can either do this to make the process of killing those creeps less costly, to make the creep stack absorb some damage, or even to have a teammate absorb damage that would have otherwise been dealt to you. Fortunately, we have an article on how to creep stack in Dota 2.

Meanwhile, in the context of League of Legends ^[2], there are several strategies players usually use. There’s the infamous slow push strategy, the perma lane freeze strategy, and aggro also plays a huge role in the cheater recall strategy.

References

1. [1] "Dota 2 official website". www.dota2.com. Retrieved June 01, 2024
2. [2] "League of Legends official website". www.leagueoflegends.com. Retrieved June 01, 2024