Smoke Ganking in Dota 2: how to catch the enemy

What a gank and smoke are

A gank is a kill on an enemy who is out of position: one or more heroes show up where the opponent does not expect them and take them down before they can react. Smoke of Deceit is a consumable that hides your group from enemy vision and the minimap while you move. Together they turn map knowledge into clean kills.

Smoke of Deceit: how it works

Smoke applies its effect to every allied hero near the one who used it. While under the effect you:

• Disappear from the enemy minimap and from their normal vision — even when you walk past wards.
• Gain bonus movement speed — to reach the target faster.
• Lose the effect near the enemy. Smoke breaks if you get too close to an enemy hero or tower — so plan a route that reaches the target while still smoked.

That leads to the core rule: smoke is used in a group and away from the enemy. Solo the effect is nearly useless, and if you are already seen, the smoke animation only gives away your intent.

How to set up a smoke gank

A good smoke gank is four simple steps that work at any rank:

1. Group up. Smoke buffs nearby heroes — gather two or three of you before activating it.
2. Use smoke in the fog. Activate it where the enemy cannot see you, or they will spot the smoke and know a gank is coming.
3. Move around vision. Travel through the fog of war, staying away from enemy heroes and towers so the effect does not break early.
4. Commit together. Approach from the right angle, open with control, and focus a single target — agree in advance who starts.

To know where the enemy has vision and where to go, the warding in Dota 2 guide helps, and to see which enemies have vanished from the map — how to read the minimap.

Who and when to catch

Smoke ganks do not work on just anyone — they work on the right targets at the right moment:

• An enemy out of position. A core farming a side lane alone, or a support caught placing wards, are ideal targets.
• A target with no escape. If the enemy has no escape spell or it is on cooldown, they are almost guaranteed to die.
• Before an objective. Smoke ganks are often run before Roshan or a tower: clear the enemy, then take the objective in peace. On Roshan — the Roshan and Aegis guide.
• When you have an advantage. An extra hero, a power rune, a favorable trade, or enemy ultimates spent are the best moments to commit.

Common mistakes

These slip-ups turn a clean plan into a free kill for the enemy — and they happen all the time:

• Smoking solo. Without a group the effect gives almost nothing — gather first.
• Smoking in plain sight. If you are already seen, the smoke gives away your intent. Activate it in the fog.
• Walking up to a tower or hero too early. Smoke breaks and the enemy sees you coming. Build a route that goes around.
• Ganking with no plan for the target. You arrive but do not know who to hit first or who lands control — the target escapes. Decide before you commit.

Where to stand on commit so your control and damage land — that is the teamfight positioning guide.

FAQ