Heroes of Newerth

This is the bread and butter of any Heroes of Newerth game. We may just have the worst community ever in this game because of how important teamwork is. We run around and around the map with our skills and flashy weapons but nothing is going to get done without some serious synergy. In most games, a team will have five players who each control one character and each character will have a role in every facet of the game. You ready to find out why we like to flame each other so much?

Synergy

Mommy, is this like flowers and bees?

Synergy isn't something most pub players think about, but could end up deciding who comes out winning a game. It is the combination of different role heroes a team picks. If a team is packed with carries and nothing else than they have a horrible beginning and must work really hard to survive to the point where they become effective. It is best to create a team balanced with all roles to make it the most effective possible while also having the best of their categories.

Late Game Team

The time is coming..

Keep in mind that this game is based solely around teamwork. Now, with that in mind, a well coordinated group of players can, hypothetically, play any group of heroes. This type of team would consist of a sort of team based around carries. They would have more carries in the team, and some strong heroes who play mainly in the early and mid-game to be effective. The thought behind the team would be to move through the game with the basis of letting the carries farm while dominating the scene with the others. Anything can be effective if you play the heroes by their own roles. Trying to get Rambo sing in American Idol would not work, so don't try making Sand Wraith be your healer.

Early Game Pushers

Lets give Bob the Builder some work

We all get lazy every now and then and want to try to finish a game very early. The early game pushing tactic works toward that goal. It is also a counter to a team that is just about all carries. The goal is to get a lot of heroes that push the creeps very well, so they may take down towers and barracks as fast as possible. The opponent carries would have no time to farm, and be weak while the early game heroes are at the top of their game. You have to be very safe, and not die while being aggressive at the same time. The counter takes skill and you must use the roles of your heroes correctly or at least efficiently.

The Multi-Layered Cake

Who doesn't love cake? This is the perfect blend of awesomeness, sexiness, and some hot chili pepper to spice things up. The multi-layered cake as I call it, is the idea of using all of the roles and in the right context. It is what most teams would do competitively, and it works well for them. A team would consist of a maximum of two heroes, at least one support, and nuker. The role of initiator can be fulfilled by any of the remaining three. Depends on the hero, but normally a lot of heroes can carry while also being able to initiate well. A Sand Wraith, who is a very hard carry, can be an excellent initiator later on with his Disperse.

This is the most effective way of playing because of the strength in all points of the game. The team, if put together correctly, would become a very superior team.

Fighting as a Team

As the roles have been laid down for everyone, using them is where they actually matter; an initiator being used to initiate, a supporter staying out of the way and buffing the team, and everyone else doing their job. Getting all of these guys in the right positions becomes paramount for a well-oiled machine of a team.

One of the most common mistakes made in a lot of games is the fact that the teams don't even fight as a team. No matter how many people from the team came running into battle, it doesn't mean they fought as one unit. Many times, the team will walk in one by one in an uncoordinated attack and start slicin` and dicin` every hero they see. They either get stunned and made useless, or focus fired upon too quickly. More effective methods are viable in Heroes of Newerth and should be used as such.

Focus Fire

What just happened to me..

Find your most dangerous enemy and eliminate him. When you go into battle with someone like Chronos hanging around, make sure to deal with him quickly, before he starts his ultimate on your team. He can easily change the tide of battle with it, and cause a lot of deaths for your team. If none of the opponents are too powerful, then make sure to take down the weakest of health first. The less you must fight, the less that can hit you.

Communication

Lets go, minions!

Your team is an extension of your play; you die if they don't know when to save you. Your teammates die if you didn't know that a hero just teleported over to his side of the map, or he's getting tower dived. The cases go on and on. When you see a hero come to teleport to a tower, be the first to give your team the heads up. If you spot an enemy hero where he isn't supposed to be, don't let him go and grab someone by surprise. Make sure everyone knows.

In a game, killing as many people as possible and farming won't win you the game. If you get too greedy and allow some opponent creeps get too close to your towers, you are becoming counter-productive. You are allowing the enemy to get gold without any effort, as well as losing defenses that shouldn't have been lost. An active teammate (the only effective teammate) should always be telling which lanes are in trouble, or which heroes on the opponent's team are vulnerable.

Shall I Retreat?

Most of the time, the answer is no. Retreating comes when a battle is lost, and you have no choice of but to get out or die. Many times, a hero will leave his team to fight on their own because he was hit with a few hits that have put him in precarious position. Rather than going all the way back to base and causing your team to lose a man, a player should stick to the back of the team and make sure to be as useful as possible. Low health doesn't mean no skills, or no items. Life comes back but genocides don't go away.

As a great and wise man, also known as Schizofriendlia has said, "Teamwork doesn't work very well when you don't have a team with you."