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Pick another hero

Hero Mastery

Lone Druid

A micro bear carry: the Spirit Bear is your main damage, Spirit Link heals off the bear's attacks, and True Form turns you into a tower-pushing tank.

Pos 1 · Carry (Safe Lane)Pos 3 · Offlaner
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Mastery parameters

Your GPM, last hits and damage per game against other Lone Druid players — average vs Top 20%.

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Learning journey

  1. 1 Know the kit
  2. 2 Win the lane
  3. 3 Timing & rotations
  4. 4 Win the fights
  5. 5 Master

5 stages, each with one target from your own games and one short quiz. Make Lone Druid your mastery hero to start — progress shows on Home and Arcana.

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Phase by phase

Laning: last hits above everything

You 80%Team 20%

  • Skills in lane — Pro cores max Spirit Link (W) first — 68% of 393 games since patch 7.41, then Entangle (Q). Some max Entangle (Q) first instead (32%). First talent at level 11.

  • True Form — objectives — True Form adds HP + tower damage. Pair it with the bear to take towers and Roshan faster than anyone.

Skills 1–7

  1. Q1
  2. W2
  3. Q3
  4. W4
  5. W5
  6. R6
  7. W7

Starting items

  • Iron Branch60%
  • Faerie Fire16%
  • Orb of Blight10%
  • Quelling Blade6%
  • Tango5%
  • Magic Stick1%

Pros buy this phase

  • Power Treads85%
  • Maelstrom10%
  • Orb of Corrosion3%
  • Phase Boots2%
The Carry (Safe Lane)'s job this phase
  • Aim for 45–50 last hits by minute 10 — check that number every game, it's your main KPI.
  • Don't over-harass: trade HP only when it doesn't cost you last hits.
  • Minutes 2 & 4: ask your support to pull so the lane stays near your tower.

Lone Druid

Counters & weaknesses

Summoner (many units)

The items that shut Lone Druid down, 3 heroes that trouble it, and your answer when you play it.

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Why this way? How OpenAI Five learned

  1. One hero, one role first

    OpenAI's first bot played only Shadow Fiend, only mid, until it mastered it. Stay on Lone Druid in one role before moving on.

  2. Small, measurable rewards

    OpenAI Five was rewarded for last hits and staying alive long before it understood winning. That's why each journey stage has one number to hit.

  3. From yourself to the team

    Its 'team spirit' rose over the game: early on, look after yourself; late, play for the team. Each phase's meter shows the split.

  4. Use proven builds

    OpenAI Five's builds were hand-written, not trial and error. Start from the pro build, then experiment.

Phase items: what pros buy on this hero (OpenDota). Parameters: percentiles of players on this hero (OpenDota). Item effects checked against Valve's own item data.