Dota Basics - A Guide About Runes

This guide is all about runes. Nuff said.

What is this guide all about?

This guide was created to help players know more about runes.
Some Tips, Facts, Informations, and many more will be stated here.
This is my first guide so please be nice to me.

Basic Information

Runes are special items you can obtain that vanish when picked up, and give you a powerful effect for a short time.

• Runes are powerups that spawn on every even minute (0:00, 2:00, 4:00, etc.)
  
• If there is a rune that still remains at its starting location (that is, it has not been bottled, used or destroyed, another will NOT spawn at the next 2 minute mark)
  
• Runes can be captured and used later through use of a bottle

Rune	Duration(Seconds)
Haste	30
Regeneration	30
Invisibility	45
Double Damage	45
Illusion	75

Where can I find Runes?

There's this something that we call Rune Spot
Rune Spot is a place(spot) where you can find runes. (obviously)
We have 2 Rune Spots, the upper part and the lower part.
Rune Spawning is randomized. It will either be at the upper part or the lower part.


Bottling Runes
-Runes can be picked up and stored in a Bottle. Runes that are stored in an empty bottle will be automatically used after two minutes. A hero that stored a rune can use the stored rune manually by using the bottle. Using a bottled rune will refill the hero's bottle to 3/3 Full. Bottles cannot be dropped or transferred if they have a rune in them.

List of Runes

• Double Damage
  
  
• Haste
  
  
• Regeneration
  
  
• Invisibility
  
  
• Illusion
  

Functions of Runes

• Double Damage
  When activated, gives the Hero and any controlled illusions within 500 AoE +100% damage for 45 seconds. This only affects attack damage, not spell damage. It also does not take into account pure damage items (such as Divine Rapier), but only your base damage and any attribute increasing effects.
  
  Note: Double Damage should be saved for the carries or the damage dealers. Just imagine, you're a carry and will be having a clash and your teammate Witch Doctor took it. He channeled Death Ward. Instead of you dealing more damage, he just wasted it because Double Damage only affects attack damage and not spell damage. This is a pretty good rune to have in a bottle since it can surprise your opponent and turn the fight in your favor.
  
  
• Haste
  -When activated, gives the Hero Haste buff (+100% movement speed, immunity to movespeed slow) for 30 seconds. In most cases, this will cause the Hero to move at maximum speed.
  
  Note: If you simply plan on going back to your lane and farm with it, it saves you a bit of time, yes, but could perhaps have been better used by someone ganking. When bottled, you can use it when you will gank or escape. Using it for just walking isn't good because it only has a duration of 30 seconds.
  
  
• Regeneration
  -When activated, gives the Hero 100 HP/second regeneration and 67 Mana/second regeneration for 30 seconds. The effect ends if the hero takes damage or if both their health and mana reach their maximum.
  
  Note: You can save it up for when you enter a fight and get your hp down, you can just simply run and hide then activate it. It would be advisable to use some of your mana before you pop the rune, as otherwise you are wasting some of the effectiveness – your spell could have damaged the enemy and caused them to retreat or use some form of regeneration and you will still have full mana shortly thereafter.
  
  Additional Note: You can use this as an advantage for example: (Storm Spirit) If you use rune and if you can continue using his last skill without getting damage, your mana would still be regenerating. (Tinker) You can hide and pop the regeneration rune and spam rocket + rearm your enemies.
  
  Thanks to "The Mellow Submarine" for reminding me about that additional note. :)
  
  
• Invisibility
  -When activated, after a 1 second fade effect, gives the Hero invisibility for 45 seconds. Invisibility is broken if they perform actions such as attacking, using items, or using spells. Heroes can still be spotted by any unit with True Sight, such as towers or Sentry Wards, but will not lose invisibility. During the 1 second fade time, it is possible to consume only one charge of the bottle without breaking invisibility.
  
  Note: You can use it to scout and escape. When using pudge, you could go to your enemy's back and bite him to death! if he is still alive, you can easily hook him because of the short distance. It would be better if the ganker could use it or save it for him.
  
  
• Illusion
  -When activated, creates two illusions of the Hero for 75 seconds. The illusions deal 35% damage and take 300% damage.
  
  Note: One of the best runes. Why? You could use this to scout, bait enemy spells, harass, or creep pull. And also if you are using invoker, this could go well with your cold snap! Illusions will carry certain effects such as Radiance, axe's counter helix, etc..

Closing

Please Rate. Comments and Suggestions would be entertained. :)
Info Source: http://www.dota2wiki.com/wiki/Runes

[beeboob]

ignore him benjamin, i bet you're a skilled dota 2 player :) add me so we can play together? :3

[b21-]

@G H 0 $ T R | |) E R Excuse me, but why say that?

[76561198077594615]

ha ha lol.noob

[b21-]

Thanks for the positive comments. :) if you want, you could suggest a guide that you want to read or i should make. i would be glad to do it. and rate the guide please! Thank you! :)

[beeboob]

i actually knew some things, but i've learned from this too, like how long the runes last, and that illusion runes carry certain effects.
Good guide, helps me alot :)

[b21-]

@BE THE LEAF for your question, i tried it with my friend, he used gorgon and i used cm. i got a haste rune and he used his stone gaze. due to stone gaze removes status buffs and slowing all speed properties. the haste got cancelled and the movement speed dropped to 100 only :)

[CEO of good ideas]

Oh okay, that would make sense. So in that sense, would being, for example, slowed by Medusa's Stone Gaze then picking up Haste not grant max speed? I've actually never seen that happen due to almost no one picking Medusa in pubs, so I wouldn't know...

[b21-]

@BE THE LEAF Yes. You're correct. I've checked it and did some reasearch. some people say that the mechanic of a haste rune says that it doubles the speed. the maximum speed of a hero is 522. the slowest hero at dota 2 is Crystal Maiden and Invoker with only 280 MS. 280 multiplied by 2 is 560 resulting to a 522 speed. So yeah, basically every hero would get the maximum speed with haste rune. Just saying. thanks for the concern :)

[CEO of good ideas]

I've never seen Haste not granting max speed. I always thought the mechanic would just to make your movement speed 522 (max) for the duration ?

[WiseNyt]

or items