How do Spirit's supports differ from the rest on patch 7.41f? When it comes to warding, the answer is in the numbers. Over 45 games on patch 7.41f, not_me placed 552 wards, the most among all players. Rue kept wards alive the longest: on average they lasted 4 minutes 55 seconds. In addition, Rue is the best at warding denial, i.e. destroying enemy wards: 133 over the same 45 games. A set of three stats led by two supports from the same team shows exactly how vision is built on the stronger side.
How many wards per game is a lot?
552 wards over 45 games is roughly twelve per match. For a beginner that sounds like constantly running around with wards in hand, but in practice it's a rhythm: a ward is placed every time the previous one expires, when the map has shifted, or when a new zone needs to be covered. The difference between a good and an average support is more often not the number of wards per game, but that a good one has no "empty" minutes: vision doesn't disappear while the team is making a move.
Why ward lifespan matters more than it seems
An observer ward, the ward that provides vision, lasts a limited time, up to six minutes. Rue's result of 4:55 means his wards almost fully served out their duration. A ward that the enemy found and destroyed after a minute gave a minute of vision. A ward that stood for five minutes gave five minutes of vision and forced the opponent to spend resources searching for it. Ward lifespan, then, reflects not luck but the quality of placement: how well hidden the spot is, how non-obvious it is, and how well the support understands where the enemy is used to looking.
Why deward so much
133 wards destroyed over 45 games is about three per match. Warding denial is called "reverse warding": every destroyed ward deprives the opponent of vision. For carries and mids who move around the map blind, it's the same as a support placing their own. A good deward is tied to timing: before Roshan, a tower push, or an ambush, you first need to clear the enemy's vision and only then move in. For this, a support must have a sentry in advance, a ward that reveals invisible things and enemy wards. Buying it at the moment you already need it is too late.
What rules can be drawn from these numbers
- Place on the paths, not at the objective. A ward right next to Roshan or a tower is too obvious. A ward on the approach to it signals that the enemy is coming, and it lives longer.
- Watch the timer. The next ward is placed before the previous one expires, not after vision is gone and someone has died.
- Vision first, then the move. Before a smoke, Roshan, or a push, first deprive the enemy of wards, then act.
- Keep a sentry ready. It should already be in your inventory before you need it.
- Count after the game. How many wards were placed and how many of them lasted until the end of their timer is a clear metric for checking your own warding.
Interestingly, the leaders in these three stats are two different people. not_me is responsible for quantity, Rue for quality and warding denial. In a strong pair, vision comes together as a division of labor: one expands their own map, the other narrows the enemy's. That's why the conversation about warding doesn't end at "place more": in a strong team, each support has their own part of the map and their own share of responsibility.
