Stuck at 2k and 3k MMR right from the start? Fret not as I too was in that predicament!

Most people would attest that the 2-3k MMR range is where the most toxic of cancers reside, and for good reason. It's the ratings where you'd hear the lines: Mid or feed, or Put tank in a mall or other profanities in their local dialects.

It's where the majority resides, and where the cancer is strong.

DOTA 2 is a team game and being a team is important, so when someone goes cancer on you, it can be detrimental to the team and you'll forever be stuck in that MMR rut.

Here are hacks I got as I was fighting my way out of this hell hole. Hope this will help you as well. I was once as low as 2.1k MMR and initially thought I'd spiral lower, now I'm a comfortably sitting at 4k MMR :)

Here's how I did it:

#1 Be nice to everyone! :)

What?! For real? Yes! Be nice to the jack ass on the team because there will always be one. There are real people behind that screen and that game. With emotions, feelings and experiences of their own.

Human psychology dictates that people react to positive reinforcement better. So if your teammate screws up, be supportive. If he criticizes you, be optimistic and do better. Do this despite the profanities pointed at you and you're one step closer.

#2 Never trash talk

Asking nicely will often make rage gamers guilty and give in, if it fails however, stay consistent to not ruin your other teammate's synergy

This goes to both your enemies and teammates. Trash talking your team mates affects how they play. They'd want to prove you wrong from the start and get the upper hand from you. They'll either try too hard and fail, or succeed but by being selfish or by stat padding to preserve his own ass.

Trash talking your enemies affect you more than it affects them. Sure it spices up your game but this blog isn't about that, it's about winning. You can talk trash all you want when your on top, not when you're getting there.

#3 Choose last whenever possible

Pub game picks on the 2-3k range is chaotic. New metas everywhere, 4 mid or core heroes, no wards and no sense at all. People just want to look good and kill.

Be above that and choose last whenever possible and look at your team and enemy's composition.

But mostly, look at your enemy's. Look to counter 2 heroes from their lineup at least while complementing your own team. Based on experience, you might have to choose support most of the time to get out of there.

It's the least glamorous, and it does all the dirty work.

#4 Don't trust your teammates

Don't be naive

Being nice doesn't necessarily mean trusting them. That's naive and idiotic at that mmr range.

Throw out the metas and the rule books out the window during picks. If there's only one core/hard carry on the team, choose another one. Don't ever hinge your game plan on one person as pro teams do.

Avoid combo dependent lineups as much as you can.

Improve map awareness, don't rely on your team to call miss. Make it a habit to always look at the map after each creep wave.

#5 Choose high win rate heroes

You can look back as long as when Dota 2 launched, these heroes will always be ahead despite the numerous patches

Naturally, not all heroes are made equal. There are some that can impact the team greater than others and your goal is to choose that. Choose heroes that aren't selfish, and can impact the game in many ways despite you or your team's poor performance. Without making this article too long, I'll give a rundown on the heroes that made me where I am today.

Necrophos - His aura hurts like F*ck on team fights, easy to use skills, versatile and spammable, he can even counter physical heroes with his newly added 3rd skill and a nerfed ultimate that can still pack a punch while hurting the other team's chances by adding 30 seconds to their spawn time.

When to choose: If there are no support, when the enemy has high HP heroes.

Wraith King - Critical and lifesteal, plus the ability to resurrect again thus giving you twice the number of HP makes you an all around swiss army knife. With the addition of Aghanims, you are OP on team fights. Be tank, a support or a carry depending on the team's situation. (you can be all three even)

When to choose: If there are no life leeching enemy heroes, When the enemy chooses high burst damage heroes.

Specter - You might be surprised to see this guy here but this one is one of the most sure fire thing in PUB gaming. He's the ultimate carry hero, and can counter almost anyone. With its ultimate ability, he can be anywhere to participate in team fights, attack, defend or gank you name it. Very versatile but needs to be farmed early and fast. His passive will make enemy heroes think twice of targetting you on team fights.

When to choose: When there aren't more than 2 core/carry heroes in your team, When the enemy chooses glass cannon heroes (Dwarven, trax etc.)

Spirit Breaker - Excellent roamer with great stats, this beast is a must have even on higher MMR ratings. This guy can change the landscape just as how Goblin techies does, Enemies will think twice on farming alone, and you'll always be there, disrupting team fights as you do best. Just don't overextend too much and pick your fights well.

When to choose: When there are atleast 2-3 glass cannon heroes such as Trax, Dwarven, Zeus, enchantress etc.

Zeus - Who doesn't like to be God. This guy can melt away teams if not targetted immediately thanks to his passive ability. Make sure to strike from afar and go incognito even on team fights. He can also deward for free and is vital in keeping ward control.

When to choose: When enemies choose high hp heroes, stealth based heroes.

#6 Play no more than two games in a session

Even one would suffice. Rest your mind, you'll need to stay sharp to stay calm and cool. I've noticed on my lengthy experience as a Dota gamer, that your performance dips after your 2nd game and while it may not be true for others, I'd advise you to stay on the safe side and increase your MMR slowly but surely.

Nothin can be more frustrating than trying to recover your losses from your previous game only to end up losing even more.

#7 Have fun :)

It's a game at the end of the day, so loosen up and don't be so stiff. You might be losing because your life depended on it. MMR is just a number.

That's it! hope you guys enjoyed it. I wanted to post more, especially on which heroes to use but i fear this might drag on for too long. Feel free to add me on steam so we can play together haha see you on 5k! :)

Photo links

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/764063893001061171/

http://allthingsdota.weebly.com/home/talking-trash-dota-players-have-serious-anger-management-issues

https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/19/founders-dont-trust-your-venture-capitalists-or-should-you/

https://www.dotabuff.com/heroes/winning?date=6month

https://mygaming.co.za/news/business/67672-gaming-makes-you-happy-emotionally-stable-and-helpful.html