Dota 2 Roshan Guide: Mechanics, Drops, and Pit Strategy

Why Roshan Matters

Roshan is the most powerful neutral creep in Dota 2, and killing him is one of the most impactful things you can do in a game. The Aegis of the Immortal he drops can single-handedly win teamfights, secure high ground pushes, and turn the tide of a game.

This guide covers everything you need to know about Roshan: his mechanics, his drops, when to take him, when to defend him, and how to win Roshan pit fights.

Roshan Mechanics and Stats

Roshan is a powerful neutral boss that lives in the Roshan Pit on the north side of the river near the top lane.

**Basic Mechanics:**

- **Health:** Roshan has very high health that increases as the game goes on. He gets stronger with each kill. - **Armor:** Roshan has high armor, making physical damage less effective early game. Magic damage and pure damage work better. - **Spell Resistance:** Roshan has significant magic resistance. - **Bash:** Roshan's attacks have a chance to bash (stun) the target. This makes soloing Roshan dangerous — you can get stuck in a chain of bashes. - **Damage Reduction Aura:** Roshan reduces the damage of nearby units (this does not affect Roshan himself). Heroes fighting inside the pit deal less damage. - **Roshan gets stronger each time he is killed.** His health, damage, and armor all increase with each death. The second Roshan is harder than the first, the third is harder than the second, and so on.

**Respawn Timer:** - Roshan respawns 8-11 minutes after being killed - The timer is random — you do not know the exact time - You get a notification in all chat when Roshan respawns - The 8-11 minute window means you should start checking the pit around the 8 minute mark

**Location:** Roshan's pit is located along the river on the north side of the map, closer to the top lane. The entrance faces the river. There is also a high ground cliff area above the pit that provides vision.

**Day/Night Vision:** Roshan has special interactions with day and night. At night, Roshan has reduced vision range, which can make sneaking into the pit easier.

Roshan Drops and Rewards

Roshan drops different items depending on how many times he has been killed:

**First Kill:** - **Aegis of the Immortal** — The primary reason to kill Roshan.

**Second Kill Onward:** - **Aegis of the Immortal** - **Cheese** — Consumable that restores a large amount of health and mana. Can be used to stay alive during teamfights or to sustain after Roshan.

**Third Kill Onward:** - **Aegis of the Immortal** - **Cheese** - **Refresher Shard** — When consumed, gives the hero a free Refresher Orb active (resets all ability and item cooldowns). Very powerful on heroes with strong ultimates. - **Gem of True Sight** — Provides permanent true sight around the holder. Drops on death. Can also be purchased in the shop.

**Aegis of the Immortal — The Key Reward:**

The Aegis is the most important drop. Here is how it works: - It goes into your inventory (you do not have to pick it up — it is automatically given to whoever lands the killing blow) - If you die with Aegis, you respawn after 5 seconds at the location you died with full health and mana - The Aegis disappears after 5 minutes if it has not been used (it disappears 5 minutes after Roshan was killed) - You cannot drop the Aegis or give it to another player (it is bound to whoever picked it up) - If the hero with Aegis dies, it triggers automatically — you do not have to activate it

**Aegis Strategy:** - The Aegis is almost always given to the carry (position 1) or sometimes the mid hero - It is used to force high ground (you can dive with Aegis and not die) - It can be used to bait enemies into bad fights - It is great for surviving initiation - The 5-minute timer is important — use it before it expires

When to Take Roshan

Knowing when to take Roshan is crucial. A well-timed Roshan can win you the game. A poorly timed Roshan can lose it.

**Good Times to Take Roshan:**

1. **After winning a teamfight.** If you just won a 5v4 or 5v5 fight and the remaining enemies are dead or far away, that is the perfect time to do Roshan. The enemy cannot contest.

2. **When the enemy is all on the opposite side of the map.** If all 5 enemies are visible bottom lane, you can sneak Roshan with smoke before they can get there.

3. **When you have good Roshan speed.** Some heroes kill Roshan very fast (Ursa, Troll Warlord, Templar Assassin with Desolator, etc.). If you have these heroes, you can do Roshan quickly even when the enemy is nearby.

4. **When you need Aegis to push high ground.** If you are stuck trying to take the enemy's high ground, Aegis gives you the extra survivability to dive and take towers.

5. **When you have vision and the enemy does not.** If you have the pit warded and you know the enemy has no vision, you can sneak Roshan.

6. **When Roshan is about to expire.** If you have had aegis for 4+ minutes and it is about to expire, use it by forcing a fight or a push. Do not let it go to waste.

**Bad Times to Take Roshan:**

1. **When multiple enemies are missing.** If you cannot see 3+ heroes on the map, they might be in the Roshan pit waiting to ambush you. 2. **When your team is low on health/mana.** Roshan does a lot of damage. If you are already low, you might die to Roshan itself. 3. **When you have no vision.** Walking into the Roshan pit blind is one of the most dangerous things you can do. 4. **When you already have a big advantage.** If you are already winning easily, you might not need Roshan. Just push and end the game. 5. **Late game when the enemy has good initiation.** Getting caught at Roshan late game can mean losing the game in one fight.

Roshan Vision and Warding

Vision control of the Roshan pit is half the battle. If you have vision of Roshan and the enemy does not, you control the Roshan game.

**Key Ward Spots for Roshan:**

1. **Inside the pit (cliff ward).** The best Roshan ward is on the high ground cliff overlooking the pit. This gives full vision of Roshan and anyone entering the pit from the river side.

2. **River entrance.** A ward at the river entrance to Roshan lets you see when enemies are going into the pit.

3. **Jungle side entrance.** There is also an entrance from the Dire jungle side. Ward this too if you want complete coverage.

4. **High ground near the pit.** Wards on the high ground around Roshan give vision of approaching enemies.

**How to Check Roshan Without Ward Vision:** - Use long-range scouting abilities (like Zeus's Thundergod's Wrath or Sniper's Assassinate) - Use summons or illusions to scout the pit - Use the team scan ability to check if anyone is in the area - Send a hero with a blink or escape to check (but be careful)

**Dewarding Roshan:** If you want to do Roshan secretly, clear any enemy wards near the pit first. Use sentry wards or Dust of Appearance to find and destroy observer wards. If the enemy has vision of the pit, they will know you are doing Roshan and can come contest.

**Using Smoke for Roshan:** Smoke of Deceit is the most common way to sneak Roshan. Smoke your entire team into the pit so the enemy does not see you on their wards. If you have good Roshan speed, you can kill him before the enemy even realizes you are there.

Roshan Pit Fights

Roshan pit fights are some of the most chaotic and game-deciding fights in Dota 2. The narrow space and high ground advantage make positioning crucial.

**Attacking Roshan (You are doing Roshan, enemy comes to contest):**

1. **Have vision of the entrances.** Place wards so you see the enemy coming. 2. **Position your tank at the entrance.** Your offlaner should be the first one the enemy sees. 3. **Keep your carry safe.** The carry should be in the back or on the high ground, continuing to hit Roshan. 4. **Finish Roshan if possible.** If you are close to killing Roshan, finish him first, then turn to fight. The Aegis gives you a big advantage in the fight. 5. **Use the choke point.** The entrance to Roshan is narrow. If the enemy tries to come in, you can AoE the choke point.

**Defending Roshan (Enemy is doing Roshan, you come to contest):**

1. **Do not just walk in.** Walking into the Roshan pit blind is a great way to get wiped. 2. **Smoke in.** Use Smoke of Deceit to sneak up on them. 3. **Initiate from the high ground.** The cliff above Roshan gives you high ground advantage. 4. **Focus the carry first.** If the enemy carry is low on health from hitting Roshan, jump on them first. 5. **Steal the Aegis if possible.** If Roshan dies right as you arrive, try to steal the Aegis kill. 6. **Use AoE on the choke.** If they are all inside the pit, AoE the entrance.

**Key Roshan Pit Mechanics:** - The high ground cliff above the pit is very important. Whoever controls the high ground has a big advantage. - The narrow entrance creates a choke point. Great for AoE heroes. - Roshan's damage reduction aura affects everyone inside the pit. This can swing fights. - Roshan can bash you during a fight, which is very dangerous.

Roshan by Game Phase

Roshan's importance changes throughout the game.

**Early Game (0-15 minutes):** - Roshan is usually not attempted early because heroes are too weak - Some heroes can solo or duo Roshan early (Ursa, Troll Warlord with certain items) - Early Roshan is rare but very impactful if successful - Warding Roshan early is still important to prevent sneaky early Roshans

**Mid Game (15-30 minutes):** - This is when Roshan becomes relevant - Teams start having enough damage to kill Roshan at a reasonable speed - First Roshan usually happens around 20-25 minutes - Aegis is used to take towers and map objectives - Roshan fights in the mid game are common

**Late Game (30+ minutes):** - Roshan becomes extremely important - Aegis can win or lose the game - Teams fight hard for every Roshan - The Refresher Shard from third+ Roshan is game-changing on certain heroes - Roshan himself is much stronger and takes longer to kill - Gem of True Sight is a valuable late game drop

**Very Late Game (45+ minutes):** - Every Roshan fight can decide the game - Aegis + Cheese + Refresher Shard gives a team enormous advantage - Most games end either because a team gets Aegis and pushes high ground, or because a team loses a Roshan fight - Be very careful around Roshan in the ultra late game — one mistake can cost you everything

Pro Tips for Roshan

Here are some advanced Roshan tips:

1. **Track the Roshan timer.** When Roshan dies, note the time. Start checking the pit at 8 minutes. Remind your team when the 8 minute mark is approaching.

2. **Do not stand in the pit after killing Roshan.** Take the Aegis and leave. The enemy might show up and catch you inside.

3. **Use Aegis aggressively.** Do not save Aegis for a "perfect" moment. If you have Aegis, look for a fight or a push. Aegis that expires unused is wasted.

4. **Buy back for Roshan fights.** Late game, using buyback for a Roshan fight is almost always worth it. Losing Roshan can cost you the game.

5. **Fake Roshan.** Sometimes you can pretend to do Roshan to bait the enemy into coming, then jump them. This is an advanced tactic.

6. **Roshan with aegis is even more important.** If the enemy already has Aegis from the previous Roshan, the next Roshan is doubly important. You do not want them to have two Aegises.

7. **Watch for smoke.** If the enemy disappears off the map for no reason, they might be smoking to Roshan. Check the pit.

8. **Use the scan.** The team scan ability is perfect for checking Roshan when you do not have vision. Use it before you commit to walking into the pit.

Questions players ask