How to Stack Camps in Dota 2 Effectively

Stacking creep camps in Dota 2 is a very powerful and often underestimated mechanic. Even players at higher ranks sometimes completely neglect it or do stacks on a whim, while most unranked pubs rarely see even cursory attempts at stacking. In this article, we want to try and change that by providing a step-by-step guide to the topic.

What is Stacking, and Why Is It Important in Dota 2?

Stacking camps in Dota 2 is a technique of luring neutral creeps out of their spawn box at the right time, which allows a new set to spawn despite the previous one still being alive. This way, you can stack two, three, or even more camps, depending on the spot you choose.

Farming massive neutral stacks can give your team a significant early/mid-game gold and experience boost. It can also prevent teams from falling too far behind after a bad laning phase. However, stacking can have downsides if executed or defended poorly. For example, your support may neglect other important duties to stack, while your enemies might attack the stacked camps before you can claim them.

To avoid such cases, you should do stacks in a way that minimizes risk and get a good grasp of the mechanics behind this trick.

The Best Time to Stack Camps in Dota 2

So, when to stack camps in Dota 2? Ideally, you need to pick a timing window that allows you to stack multiple camps simultaneously (given your hero and position on the map allows for it). For example, if you’re playing as a position 4 support, you can occasionally leave your offlaner for solo experience of stacking big neutral and ancient camps.

Good stacking requires precise timing and a bit of practice. However, once you get the general idea, it becomes far less challenging. Let’s start with the basics: creeps spawn once per minute, starting at 01:00, but only if their camp is empty. If you draw aggro and pull them out of the spawn box just before the next minute hits, a new set will spawn. The creeps typically follow you for about 6–7 seconds before returning to their camp, which gives you just enough time to pull them far enough out of the spawn zone for the new set to appear. So, the perfect time to pull creeps from their camp is from the 52nd to 54th second of every minute.

Pro tip: If you are a Dota Plus subscriber, the GUI will tell you when to aggro the creeps to stack properly. Just press and hold Alt near the camp to see the timer. When it says “NOW” — pull.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the neutral camps are all different, so their timings are different, too. Sometimes you get a camp of just 2 creeps, and sometimes it’s 3+. Why does this matter? When running out of their box, neutrals can block each other, increasing the total time it takes you to drag all of them out. On top of that, creep camps come with unique spawn boxes, so the optimal timings differ by 1–1.5 seconds.

How to Stack Camps in Dota 2

With timings out of the way, let's see what practical steps you should take when you’re in front of any neutral camp:

1. Press and hold Alt to view its spawn box.

1. Check game time at the top of your screen and wait for your moment to strike.

1. Aggro creeps with auto-attacks or spells (don’t use stuns or slows).

1. Start moving away from the camp, so the creeps follow you out of their spawn box.

1. If you’ve done everything right, a new set of neutrals will spawn at the camp.

1. Repeat at the end of the next minute.

While the exact timing may slightly differ depending on the camp, it shouldn’t cause you any issues once you get enough practice.

Best Heroes for Stacking

Now, let’s go through the list of the best heroes for Dota 2 stacking camps. Generally, you want ranged heroes with long-range abilities (preferably untargeted). For example, Ancient Apparition can auto-attack from miles away and aggro neutrals with Ice Vortex at the same time. Another good example would be Muerta, who can aggro a camp with a ranged attack and another with Dead Shot to stack two at once. The same goes for Rubick with his Fade Bolt — you get the idea.

Heroes that summon units or make illusions are also great at stacking camps in Dota: Invoker, Beastmaster, Enigma, Enchantress, Chen, Nature's Prophet, Naga Siren, Terrorblade, to name a few. They can stack without ever leaving the lane, creating a huge early game boost for their team. Beastmaster is particularly good at stacking due to the long range of his 1st spell. Even a position 3 Beastmaster can step back to the secret shop area and stack 2 camps with his axes.

How to Maximize Farm with Stacked Camps

To use stacked camps effectively, you have to farm them at the right moment. If you're stacking Ancients for Phantom Assassin, aim to have them ready by the 20-minute mark. It’s the moment when a PA typically transfers from her safe lane to the jungle with Battle Fury and some smaller items. This hero can farm big stacks easily using Blur, as the neutrals won’t see the hero, and will stand perfectly still for Battle Fury splash damage.

A carry that don’t need Battle Fury or similar farming items, like Gyrocopter (built-in multi-target attack), Muerta (has a passive chance to hit multiple target in 1 attack), Sven (comes with his own splash), Luna (auto-attacks bounce between multiple targets), or Templar Assassin (auto-attacks pierce through multiple targets) is a natural choice for farming stacks.

A good position 3 hero to stack for is Axe. Once he gets his first and second items (Vanguard/Blade Mail) and gets 3–4 points Counter Helix (which usually happens around 10 minutes into the game), Axe can just run into any huge stack, press his first spell, and chill while neutrals farm themselves. This way, you can get a fast Blink Dagger and catch your enemies off guard.

Heroes with illusions are great for farming stacks, too. Although they usually need some time to gain the mass necessary to do it (usually 20–30 minutes into the game), Naga, Terrorblade, and Phantom Lancer can just tank neutral damage with illusions like it’s nothing, no matter the size of the stack.

Last but not least, if you feel like the opposing team can come for your stacks, make sure to ward the spot. That way, even if they come in numbers, you will have the vision advantage on your side.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Last but not least, let’s go through some common Dota stacking camps mistakes.

Micro mistakes

1. Pulling creeps too early/late. Results in neutrals either returning to the spawn box too early or not leaving it in time. Dota Plus GUI can help you hit the sweet spot every time.
2. Blocking stacks with your hero. For the stack to work, your hero should leave the spawn box before MM:00.
3. Dragging neutrals into other units. Be it a hero, a creep, or any kind of summoned unit, neutrals attack as soon as they stumble upon somebody. When stacking, make sure the way is clear; otherwise, you’ll likely miss the time window.

Macro mistakes

1. Stacking camps when your team cannot contest them. Stack only if your team can actually use your stacks. Before committing, consider the following: Do we have heroes who can clear the stacks quickly? Can the enemy team steal the stacks or punish us for clearing them? If the answers don’t favor your team, stacking might do more harm than good.
2. Missing important events while leaving for camps. Knowing how to stack camps in Dota is like carrying a weapon — if you don't know how to use it, you can hurt yourself and people around you. And sometimes it’s exactly what happens. While leaving the lane to stack, a support can miss critical timings, such as 3- or 6-minute lotuses, 7- and 14-minute wisdom shrines, fights for creep equilibrium, etc. Remember that preventing enemies from crushing the lane is more important than stacking.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to stack creep camps in Dota 2, why it’s so important, and which heroes do it best, you can finally put it all into practice. If you have questions left, feel free to ask in the comments or check out more Dota 2 guides on our blog.