Courier in Dota 2: All You Need to Know
Who is your most valuable ally in Dota 2? No, that’s not your friend playing a 0/15/0 Anti-Mage. It’s someone as silent as Gordon Freeman and as fearless as Doom Slayer. Of course, we’re talking about a Dota 2 courier, a loyal companion always ready to deliver an item even if you’re in the middle of hell!
What is a Courier in Dota 2?
A courier in Dota 2 is a player-controlled unit used to quickly transport items from a fountain or a Secret Shop directly to the hero. Although all of this may sound simple on paper, this is one of the most crucial elements of the game. Proper courier management allows you to assemble powerful artifacts right before or even during team fights, providing your team with unexpected advantages.
At the same time, this unit is a highly desirable target for your enemies, especially their roamers. Not only will their death provide your opponents with extra gold, but it will also ruin your logistics. Additionally, a mismanaged courier may accidentally reveal your ambush by delivering you an item at the most inappropriate moment.
How Does the Courier Work?
Just like an ordinary hero, a Dota courier can carry 6 items in its inventory and 3 extra artifacts in a backpack. However, it can use only Smoke of Deceit. It also won’t see invisible units while carrying the Gem of True Sight. Plus, a courier is absolutely harmless, being unable to attack creeps and heroes.
A courier is a customizable unit, and a player can change their appearance by applying custom in-game skins (currently, there are 191 of them available). Still, your courier’s minimap icon won’t change regardless of the cosmetic item you’re using — it’ll always look like a donkey (for the Radiant) or an evil donkey (for the Dire). When it gets a flying ability, a pair of wings appears on the icon.
There are some key concepts you must consider if you want to manage this funny but invaluable ally properly:
- Melee heroes and Roshan need only one hit to kill a courier. Meanwhile, the ranged ones have to hit it twice. Enemy creeps and towers can kill your courier only if they hit it six times.
- Although a courier technically has slots for town portal scrolls and neutral items, it carries them in inventory just like ordinary artifacts.
- This unit is unable to interact with runes and pick up a Divine Rapier or an Aegis of the Immortal.
- Courier’s vision is disabled in Roshan's Pit.
- No spell can affect couriers.
- If a courier dies carrying a Divine Rapier, it’ll be dropped on the ground. However, a dropped Divine Regalia will be destroyed rather than assume its Disgraced form.
- This unit can regenerate health only when it’s affected by Rejuvenation Aura on the friendly fountain. It also becomes completely invulnerable when under his effect.
- You can use your courier to deliver items to other ally heroes.
Courier Stages: Basic vs. Flying Courier
Your courier evolves with your hero. They not only become faster but also unlock new, useful abilities such as flight. The table below covers the main upgrades it will get with your hero’s level progression.
Hero’s Level | Courier’s Improvement |
Level 4 | Your tiny ally turns into a Dota 2 flying courier and can now move over trees and cliffs, significantly reducing the delivery time. |
Level 10 | Your courier gains Speed Burst ability, allowing you to temporarily increase its speed. |
Level 20 | Shield ability is unlocked. You can use it to protect your courier from the enemy’s attacks for a few seconds. |
Level 30 | A courier reaches their maximum movement speed (580). |
While each level makes the courier a bit faster, it doesn’t increase their vision or health pool. Moreover, the higher its level, the longer its respawn time, and the higher the bounty your opponents can gain by slaying it.
How to Upgrade a Courier in Dota 2
If you haven’t played Defense of the Ancients for years and still remember how to use Medallion of Courage, you probably wonder how to buy a courier in Dota 2. Fortunately, the dark ages of having to purchase and upgrade a courier manually are long gone. That’s also a reason why we don’t see armies of couriers marching towards the enemy base anymore.
These days, you get a personal courier at the beginning of every match. Moreover, it’ll be upgraded automatically every time your hero reaches a new level.
How to Control the Courier in Dota 2
Now, let’s find out how to use the courier in Dota 2 to its maximum effect. All in all, there are three possible options:
- Manual control: You can simply select a courier, just like your hero, and manually lead it to the destination point. This is appropriate when you need the unit to move along a specific path to avoid enemies or transfer an item to your teammate.
- Using hotkeys: If you’re sure there are no immediate threats in the area, you may opt to control a courier with hotkeys. As usual, you can assign hotkeys for any specific interaction (for example, going to the Secret Shop on your side of the map, returning to your base, or delivering your artifacts). We suggest you experiment with hotkeys until you find the optimal combination.
- Auto Deliver: This is one of the newer Dota 2 courier mechanics. You can activate it to make your courier automatically grab the items from the stash and deliver them to your character. Just remember to turn this feature off when planning an ambush or farming in the enemy territory.
What Happens When a Courier Dies and How to Protect It
Losing your courier in Dota can be even more painful than watching your entire team die in an absolutely pointless attack on the enemy base. And that’s not only because of the guilt you’ll feel for sending your little, adorable friend to its doom.
Once your courier dies, all items in its inventory become unavailable until its eventual return. And while the wait won’t impact your economy that much in the early stages of the match, it can become a significant problem during the Late Game. A courier’s respawn time can reach 4 minutes, so you'd better be careful. Here are a couple of tips that will hopefully help you protect your courier in various in-game situations:
- Don’t hesitate to use the courier’s abilities: The majority of players often forget about Speed Burst and Shield, but either ability can easily save your courier’s life. With Speed Burst, it’ll reach the destination faster, reducing the chance of getting noticed and killed. Meanwhile, Shield gives a courier immunity to any type of attack for a short period of time. Remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry, and that waiting for your courier’s respawn may cost you victory.
- Monitor the in-game situation: Always keep an eye on your enemies using the minimap and wards. Canny opponents may be waiting for your couriers near your Secret Shop, in the forest, or between T1 and T2 on your lane. If you spot them in these locations, cancel the courier’s delivery or use manual control.
- Buy from the enemy's Secret Shop: Here is a unique tip ignored by 80% of the players — you can manually send your courier to the enemy Secret Shop. Does it sound risky? Sure, but it also works. Opt for this trick when your enemies control the entire area beyond your T3. In this case, there's a 100% chance they’re waiting for your courier near your Secret Shop, while sending it to their territory might give you a chance.
Conclusion
We hope that the tips from our courier guide in Dota 2 will help you boost your performance and master your logistics. As a final bit of advice, don’t hesitate to protect your team’s couriers to prevent the enemies from earning extra gold and slowing down your progress.
