Ultimate Dota 2 Roshan Guide – Everything You Need To Know About Roshan

Dota 2 is a game built around objectives, and only a few hold as much significance as Roshan. This ancient neutral boss serves as a game-changer when securing an advantage, as this critter drops some delicious loot. In this guide, we’ll learn everything we need to know about Roshan.

What Is Roshan?

Roshan is the most powerful neutral creep in Dota 2. He can be found in one of the two “Roshan Pits” at all times during the game. 

Rosh’s role is so crucial that he is considered one of the most important objectives in the game, primarily because he is the only source of the Aegis of the Immortal. This powerful item grants its wielder an extra life. As the game progresses, Roshan will drop more game-changing items. 

Players tend to use shortened versions for “Roshan”, with common ones being “Rosh” or simply “RS”. 

Roshan’s Mechanics

Stats and Abilities

Roshan continues to grow stronger throughout the match after every minute that passes and respawns endlessly when defeated. 

He is also equipped with abilities that he uses when attacked by heroes. His skill set includes:

• Slam: When three or more units are attacking him within melee range, he will slam the ground and deal magical damage to heroes around the radius.
• Bash: Roshan passively has a chance to stun his target on attack, similar to a Skull Basher. 
• Spell Block: Roshan will block one targeted spell every 15 seconds, similar to a Linken’s Sphere. 
• Roar of Retribution: When facing the team that last killed him, Roshan will release an angry roar, heard by both teams everywhere on the map. This will alert the opposing team that Roshan is currently being attacked.

Death and Respawn Timer 

When Roshan is slain, he lets loose a deafening roar that is audible on the entire map. There will also be a screen message that announces his death and which team killed it. The hero that picked up the Aegis of the Immortal will also be displayed as a public message. 

After Roshan is slain, he will randomly respawn after a random time between 8 to 11 minutes. Players can’t see when exactly he will spawn, but his timing window makes his respawn predictable. 

Unlike regular neutral creeps and their spawn boxes, Roshan’s respawn cannot be prevented by any means. 

Roshan’s Location

Roshan can be found in one of two Roshan’s Pits. The Dire Pit is located in the middle of the top river, while the Radiant Pit is in the middle of the bottom river. 

As day turns to night and vice versa, Roshan moves towards the other pit. This means he moves between pits every five minutes. He can be found in the Radiant Pit during the daytime and in the Dire Pit during night time.

When changing locations, he will storm across the river, knocking back all units in his path. 

Roshan’s Pit Mechanics

Roshan can only be attacked from within the pits’ areas. Heroes standing outside of the pit cannot attack him. However, abilities can target Roshan from anywhere and are not restricted like attacks. 

Vision is very restricted around the pits by a vision blocker, similar to high-ground and low-ground vision. If all five players were to stand inside the pit, the entire team would naturally lose vision outside the pit unless wards were placed around the area. Players cannot place observer or sentry wards in the pit, either. 

Roshan’s Kill Rewards

Players are handsomely rewarded for killing Roshan. Here are all the rewards he drops upon death.

Gold and Experience Bounty

Each player of the team that killed Roshan will receive 135 unreliable gold, no matter where they are on the map. The hero who deals the killing blow will receive a random bonus of 200 to 290 gold. Players will also receive an experience bounty, split between all allies within range.

Item Drops

Gold and experience aren’t the only reasons Roshan is important, as he drops several powerful items on his death. These items can be picked up by any hero and are not limited to the player or team that slain Roshan, meaning they can be stolen by opposing players. 

The consumable items Roshan drops are:

1. Aegis of the Immortal: This is one of the most iconic items in Dota 2, granting the holder an extra life, allowing them to respawn at the location where they died. An Aegis of the Immortal expires in five minutes if not used. 
2. Cheese: Cheese is a consumable item that immediately restores a massive amount of health and mana when eaten. It’s a great tool to keep heroes in fighting condition.
3. Roshan’s Banner: This can be placed on the ground to make creeps within a radius immune. It is the perfect item to attempt a high-ground siege.
4. Aghanim’s Blessing: This is a consumable item that grants the hero that uses it a permanent Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade. 
5. Refresher Shard: The Refresher Shard is an item that allows the user to refresh the cooldown of all of their items and abilities. It is pretty much a one-time use Refresher Orb.

However, not all of the loot is spilled the first time you slay Roshan. He drops his items in the following pattern:

Playing Around Roshan

Roshan itself isn’t too difficult to take down – he’s not like an Elden Ring boss. However, the challenge comes from the potential interference of the opposing team. As a result, proper measures must be taken before attempting to kill him.

When to Attempt Roshan

It is crucial to know when your team is in a good position to attempt Roshan. Though it may differ between games, here are some general pointers to keep in mind:

• Your team has a significant advantage and is confident you can win a team fight if the enemy team shows up to contest.
• You have great control of the map, with vision in key areas such as the surrounding river and cliffs.
• You have a hero or two that can efficiently take down Roshan.
• You see multiple enemy heroes on the opposite side of the map, giving enough time for your team to complete the objective before they can come to contest. 
• The enemy team has dead heroes and is not interested in taking a team fight with a man disadvantage. 

Preparing for Roshan

When preparing to take Roshan, here are some things you want to set up before diving into the pit:

• Warding and Vision: It is vital to place wards around the Roshan Pit, such as the river and nearby high grounds, to monitor enemy movements. Having superior vision also puts your team in a favorable position should a fight break out. 
• Map Control: Ensure your team has control over the surrounding area and is ready to react to enemy movements. A great way is to shove creep waves before entering the pit. 
• Items and Team Composition: Make sure your team has completed the required items to take down Roshan or take a potential fight. For example, carry heroes want to have their Black King Bars ready before risking a team fight breaking out in the pit. 

Taking Roshan Effectively

When your team is currently taking Roshan, here are some effective measures to take:

• Positioning and Roles: Not all five heroes need to be inside of the pit. Have the damage-dealing heroes attack Roshan in the pit while the supporting cast can position outside to interrupt enemy approaches. 
• Managing Roshan’s Abilities: You might have to pop Roshan’s Spell Block ability to allow other meaningful spells to be cast on him, such as ones that deal damage or minimize his attacks. Also, be mindful of Roshan’s Slam – do not take unnecessary damage. 
• Speed and Coordination: Ensure all heroes in the pit are taking him down in a coordinated manner. The tankiest hero should be absorbing the hits, while the main damage dealers should avoid getting bashed by him. 

Contesting The Enemy Team’s Roshan Attempt

If you are on the back foot and the enemy team is attempting to take Roshan, here are some things you can do to increase the rate of success:

• Take Advantage of The Tight Area: Roshan’s Pit is extremely small, making it perfect to hurl AoE abilities into the pit area with maximum effectiveness. Large area spells such as Ravage, Black Hole, and Astral Spirit are excellent for contesting Roshan. 
• Look For Stragglers: I mentioned earlier that not everyone should be in the pit when taking Roshan. This creates an opening for the contesting team to use a Smoke of Deceit and pick off heroes outside the pit for a favorable fight. 
• Consider The Steal: If the Roshan fight is looking impossible, it could be a good idea to attempt to steal the goodies. Consider using items like Blink Dagger to sneak in and catch the enemies by surprise. 

Common Mistakes To Avoid: How To NOT Throw The Game

I’ve seen countless low MMR players throw their entire advantage trying to take Roshan. Taking him down is a game-defining moment, but it can lose you the entire game if done incorrectly. Here are some things to NOT do:

• Overcommitting Without Proper Vision: As we’ve discussed earlier, vision in the Roshan Pit is extremely limited, so you must prepare observer wards around the area. The last thing you want is to get jumped by the enemy while you’re in a tight area because you never saw them coming.
• Lack of Team Coordination: Roshan is super important, so you ideally want to have your entire team around the area. Having some teammates farming while others are doing Roshan can lead to disaster. Positioning during the Roshan attempt is also crucial – don’t have all five heroes inside the pit. You might need some heroes outside to break an incoming Smoke of Deceit attempt. 
• Underestimating Enemy’s Ability To Contest: One point I brought up earlier is that AoE spells are extremely effective when contesting a Roshan attempt. If the enemy team has such spells, it could be better to either take a fight beforehand or ensure they are not in a position to contest.
• Forgetting Roshan’s Respawn Window: With Roshan being such an important Dota objective, it’s important to keep track of when he’s going to respawn. Things can go haywire if your team forgets and allows the opposing team to get a free Roshan. 

Best Heroes To Take Roshan Early

Taking Roshan as early as possible can provide a huge advantage, especially if the enemy team is not yet fully prepared to contest. Due to the nature of their abilities, some heroes are powerful at doing Roshan efficiently. Here are some of the best heroes for taking Roshan early:

Ursa

Ursa is hands down the best hero to take down Roshan. His passive ability, Fury Swipes, allows him to build up dozens of stacks to deal significantly more damage after every hit. He doesn’t even need lifesteal to take down Roshan early if a teammate is willing to tank some of the damage.

Beastmaster

Beastmaster has become another potent hero when taking Roshan. He can even solo the objective if he is equipped with his Aghanim’s Scepter. However, he can also contribute to quick Roshan turnarounds with his Inner Beast aura and summons. 

Huskar

Huskar is another hero who can take Roshan down solo. However, he needs an Armlet of Mordiggian. Huskar can stack his Burning Spears infinitely on Roshan, and his attack speed also increases the lower his health gets. Doing Roshan alone with Huskar requires you to toggle your Armlet effectively. 

Troll Warlord

Troll Warlord’s Fervor ability allows him to build up attack speed, making it great when focusing down Roshan. Around halfway into the attempt, Troll Warlord can also pop his ultimate ability to increase his attack speed and lifesteal to regain his lost health.