In Dota 2, the five players on a team are loosely numbered by their priority for receiving resources. Position 1 gets the most gold and experience, position 5 the least. Position 5 is called the hard support (from the English "hard support") or simply "the five." A support is a player whose job is not to build up their own power but to strengthen the team.
What position 5 is responsible for
The defining feature of the role is playing for the team. A player in position 5:
- places observer wards and makes sure the team has a vision advantage while the opponents do not;
- helps the carry in the lane: pulls creeps, keeps the enemy from freely hitting their creep wave, and protects against ganks when necessary;
- buys consumable items that matter to the whole team, such as the courier and vision tools;
- keeps healing, slows, stuns, and other abilities in reserve that disrupt the opponent's attacks and save allies;
- in fights, tries to stay alive as long as possible and deliver control or protection at the right moment.
A carry is a hero who, through farming (accumulating gold and experience), is supposed to become the team's main fighting force in the late game. The "five" usually gives up resources to the carry.
How it differs from position 4
Position 4 is also a support, but a more active one: they roam the map more often, organize ganks (surprise attacks on enemy heroes), receive somewhat more gold themselves, and can afford expensive items. Position 5 plays an even more self-sacrificing style: resources are scarce, but the team depends on them for vision, healing, and a safe lane.
Because of this, position 5 is often chosen by players who like helping others, noticing details, and making decisions on behalf of the team. Here, knowledge of the map, an understanding of timings, and the ability to press the right ability at the right moment matter more than aim and hand speed.
Where the numbering comes from
The numbering of positions is a convention within the community, not a mechanic built into the game. The game does not assign roles automatically, but players use the numbers to quickly communicate their intentions during the hero pick phase. The phrase "I'm five" means: "I'm taking the hard support and I'm not claiming farm."
A typical situation
The team is picking heroes. A player says in chat, "Taking five," and by doing so lets the others know that they will help the carry in the lane, buy vision, and not take gold from their allies. If two players want position 5 at the same time, a conflict arises: someone has to switch to position 4 or another role, otherwise the lineup will be unbalanced.
On position 5 you rarely see impressive kill scores, but a good "five" stands out in another way: their team wins fights thanks to control, sees the opponents before they see them, and doesn't lose key heroes to careless ganks.