Hi, This is MKS, a 7.5k+ coach/player. In this post, I will share my thoughts on how to identify the end of your lane as Position 4. Even though there are multiple cases, I will try to cover the general ones to help you make that decision easier.

So when does the lane end? When am I allowed to rotate? When should I stick to my Offlaner or play with Mid?

In a moment, I will try to simplify the thought process so you can make this decision accordingly. But before that, let me ask you a question: Do you think helping Mid is your first priority?

If you said yes, then you are wrong. Well, not completely wrong, but not completely right either.

You see, although helping mid can be a game-winner, it’s not necessarily the best option in general. Your decision whether to rotate or not, as Pos4, is probably your most important decision in the game. There are some aspects you need to consider to make that decision, so let’s try to make the process easier here.

Here are a couple factors to get you started:

• When is your offlaner’s power spike?
• Is my offlaner strong enough to stay 1v2 for 30–60 sec?
• If you gank mid, what are your chances of getting something out of it (kill/ rune steal) & how much time will it take you?
• Is your hero actually good at ganking?
• How would enemies’ supporters react to this action?

Obviously, answering these questions will help you make a better decision in your next game. So let’s discuss these 5 questions more in depth.

• When is your offlaner’s power spike?

This might be the most important factor to me. If you leave lane when your offlaner is hitting power spike and ready to dominate, you just lost the game. For example, I see many Pos4 rotate when nighttime is up, even though they have Night Stalker in the offlane, or leave Axe when he has vanguard. You should be able to identify your offlaner’s power spike so you can dominate with him.

• Is my offlaner strong enough to stay 1v2 for 30-60 sec?

I want to keep the answer as simple as possible in this. If my offlaner is looking towards his power spike but will need some solo exp, and in addition, the lane is close to our tower (the safest spot) where enemies cannot run him down so easily and I have TP ready to back him up, then the question is answered. Of course, there are other situations, but I am showing you my basic thinking here.

• If you gank mid, what are your chances of getting something out of it (kill/ rune steal) & how much time will it take you?

Ganking some mid laners feels better than others. For example, ganking Storm before he hits lvl 6 causes him too much pain, especially if you communicate with your mid to time it before the water rune. So even if Storm sees you coming, the gank doesn’t fail only because you stole that rune from him. It also goes both ways if you have Storm on your team; you have to pay attention to that to help him out if needed. Some other heroes are harder to gank or annoy. OD is one of those!

• Is your hero actually good at ganking?

I think the answer to this question is very straightforward—either yes or no, with no in-between. If you play Mirana, Tusk, or ES, it’s not like playing Jakiro, Undying, or WD.

• How would enemies’ supporters react to this action?

Now to the final point: If you decided to leave already, you have to consider that your enemies’ supporters might react to your action. So keeping that in mind, you have to not only think about the reward but also the risks of bringing a stronger support than yours to the fight in mid. This reaction might hurt both of your lanes and win both lanes for enemies.

Conclusion

As you can see, it’s not easy to decide when the lane is over for a support; in addition, there are many other aspects to consider before making that decision next time you play. If you are an offlane player, try to understand why it’s hard for your support and don’t make it even harder. Of course, there are other deep things to consider, but let’s keep it at that in this post. I don’t want to overwhelm you with many thoughts at once. Try to keep it simple to master it faster.

In this post, I have shared with you a simplified thought process to help you improve as a Pos4 player. Consider it the start of a new dota mindset.

If you are a Pos4 player or you know someone who can relate, feel free to share the post and share your thoughts in the comments below. And if you still feel lost or want further help, feel free to join my Discord community for more free content. The link is in my Reddit profile bio, or DM me on Discord at MKS#0011 or mks98.

Thank you for reading, and happy gaming! 😊