Initiation

Initiation is the action that starts a fight or catch on favorable terms, usually by reaching and disabling an enemy before they can respond.

What is Initiation in Dota 2?

Initiation is the opening commitment that begins an engagement. It can be a blink into a stun, a long-range disable, a smoke movement that catches an isolated hero or another action that forces the enemy to react immediately. Heroes that reliably start fights are often called initiators, but initiation can come from many roles depending on the lineup.

Good initiation is not only about pressing the first button. The target, angle and timing determine whether allies can follow up and whether the initiating hero survives long enough to matter. Starting on the wrong target or from too far ahead of the team can turn a theoretically strong initiation into a disadvantage.

How Initiation is used in a match

Teams look for initiation when they have vision, a numbers advantage or important enemy heroes out of position. Smoke of Deceit can help create the angle, while wards and pushed lanes reduce the chance that the move is seen early.

In a full teamfight, the initiator may wait for a specific defensive item or counter-initiation spell to be unavailable. Sometimes the best initiation is delayed until the opponent commits first, allowing the team to respond from better positions rather than forcing a low-percentage opening.

Do not confuse Initiation with...

Do not confuse initiation with bait. Initiation directly begins the engagement; bait is a setup intended to make the opponent commit first.