The best way to play the offlane in Patch 7.38c

The offlane is often the least popular and most challenging role in Dota 2. In the past, this role was a nightmare—offlaners were frequently forced to solo lane against opponents who sometimes ran a trilane.

As a result, they often fell behind in gold and experience throughout the laning stage. To compensate, players typically picked beefy, tanky heroes that could come online with minimal farm.

However, as Dota 2 has evolved, so has the offlane role. While traditional tanky offlaners are still viable, the current meta features a wider variety of offlane heroes. Some excel at team fight initiation, others provide utility, and some even scale into late-game threats.

Let’s take a closer look at the best way to play the offlane in Dota 2 Patch 7.38c.

The principle of offlane

The offlane is the only core role in Dota 2 where farming is not the primary focus. Contrary to popular belief, offlaners should not prioritise farm—that responsibility falls on the safelaner and midlaner.

For players wanting to climb in this role, the best way to play offlane is to understand the key offlane ideology which is:

"What can I do to make the game easier for my safelaner and midlaner?"

The only time an offlaner should focus on farming is during the laning stage, which typically lasts six to eight minutes. After that, their role shifts to making plays, applying pressure, and creating space for the team.

The job of an Offlaner

The best way to play offlane in Patch 7.38c is to create space for the team—a principle that remains true in every patch and meta. In Dota 2, the most effective way to achieve this is by being the most disruptive hero on the map from the very start of the game.

This is why, as players climb the MMR ladder, they often see offlaners creep-skipping during the laning stage when facing unfavorable matchups.

This approach not only helps offlaners survive and win difficult lanes, but it also weakens the enemy's safelane strategically.

An offlaner's job is to make pickoffs more easier and accessible for their team.

As the offlaner’s creep waves push into the enemy safelane Tier 1 tower, the opposing carry is forced to clear the wave quickly or risk losing tower health. Over time, these small instances of chip damage add up, making it easier to take the tower when the catapult wave arrives.

Furthermore, this pressure forces the enemy supports to respond and may even force the midlaner to rotate. During the laning stage, this drains the opposing team’s resources, creating opportunities for the offlaner’s team to pressure the enemy offlaner or even take the midlane tower.

In simple terms, the offlaner’s job during the early to mid-game is to attract as much attention from the enemy team as possible. By doing so, they create space for their safelaner and midlaner to farm efficiently or, in the case of a losing match, minimise losses and recover quickly.

The responsibilities of an Offlaner

As the laning stage ends, the offlaner officially becomes the team’s primary space creator—a disruptive force that the enemy team wants to avoid. Their job is to position themselves between the opposing team and their own teammates, absorbing pressure and initiating fights when necessary.

By doing this, the offlaner ensures that when the enemy comes looking for a fight, they are the first to engage. This is why most offlaners build initiation items like Blink Dagger, enabling them to jump in and start skirmishes on their terms.

Offlane Magnus trying to Skewer an out of position Mars under Dire's tier 2 tower.

As the midgame comes around, offlaners transition into wave pushers, skirmish initiators, and strategic map controllers. This explains why experienced offlaners are often seen in risky positions on the enemy’s side of the map. While it may seem like they are out of position, this is actually a calculated playstyle.

By occupying these aggressive positions, offlaners zone out the enemy safelaner from safe farming areas and help their team control a much larger portion of the map. This creates space for their cores, enabling them to farm freely while limiting the enemy’s resources.

It also allows them to increase their xp and gold if the opponents do not address the issue. In time, playing like this will shrink the map and resources available for the opponents too.

An offlane Magnus initiating an crucial highground fight.

In the late game, offlaners play a pivotal role in determining their team's victory or defeat. Their impact becomes even more crucial, as successful initiations can decide the outcome of key team fights. A well-executed initiation can secure objectives, turn the tides of battle, and ultimately lead to victory.

Mastering the transition between different responsibilities—from laning dominance to space creation and late-game initiation—is the best way to play offlane, and this principle holds true in Patch 7.38c.

Which Offlaners are best in Patch 7.38c

The offlane role has evolved significantly over the years. Players have experimented with various approaches, including damage-dealing offlaners, but some fundamental principles remain unchanged.

Despite these innovations, old is gold, and in Patch 7.38c, the traditional offlane playstyle remains the best way to play the role. This is because the core principle of the offlane never changes, regardless of patch updates: control the lane, disrupt the enemy safelaner, and create space for the team.

While the Wandering Waters update has introduced new jungle camps and expanded the map, the offlaner’s role remains the same—to apply pressure and make life difficult for the enemy safelaner. Although some greedy offlaners are making a return to the meta in Patch 7.38c, the most viable choices are still heroes that can soak up damage and initiate fights effectively.