Wondering how to pull small camp in Dota 2? The answer is all about precise timing and positioning: you attack the small neutral camp at the right second, lure the creeps toward your lane, and have your lane creeps fight them, controlling lane equilibrium and denying your opponent resources. Mastering this classic support technique will elevate your lane management and help your team secure vital early-game advantages, no matter what patch or meta you find yourself in.

Mastering the Small Camp Pull: Core Mechanics

Pulling the small camp is a strategic maneuver where the support hero draws neutral creeps from the closest small jungle camp to intercept the friendly lane creeps. This interaction denies the enemy offlaner gold and experience, maintains lane equilibrium near your tower, and can provide your support with some safe gold. It’s a timeless skill every aspiring support or offlaner should learn to counter.

The essentials:

  • Timing the pull aggro correctly (usually at the 16 or 46 second mark for Radiant, 15 or 45 for Dire).
  • Luring neutrals into your approaching wave so lane creeps switch targets and battle neutral creeps.
  • Maximizing denial by securing last hits and understanding when to chain pull or stack the camp.

Step-By-Step: How to Pull the Small Camp

Locating the Small Camp on Each Side

  • Radiant: Bottom safe lane, just behind the tier 1 tower (usually to the right of the lane).
  • Dire: Top safe lane, directly behind the tier 1 tower (usually to the left of the lane).

1. Timing the Aggro

  • Radiant side: Attack the small camp at :16 or :46 seconds on the in-game clock.
  • Dire side: Attack the small camp at :15 or :45 seconds on the in-game clock.

This ensures that the neutrals are out of their camp in time to meet your next wave of lane creeps.

2. Drawing the Neutrals

After right-clicking the nearest neutral, lead them away from their camp and into the path of your incoming lane creeps. For Radiant, drag them ‘downwards’ toward your tower; for Dire, bring them ‘upwards’ unless specific terrain or trees require a slight detour.

3. Lane Crees Engage the Neutrals

Your lane creeps, upon seeing you under attack, will automatically redirect to fight the neutral creeps. If timed correctly, the entire wave will follow and the two groups will battle—usually just outside the lane!

4. Last-Hitting the Neutrals

Whenever possible, secure the final hits on neutral creeps for some bonus gold. This is especially important for supports with minimal income!

Stacking Then Pulling: Advanced Denial

If you want to ensure your lane creeps are fully denied to neutrals, you can stack the small camp before pulling:

  1. Stack the Small Camp: Aggro the camp at :53 to :55 seconds and pull them out of the camp’s spawn box. At the next minute, a new camp spawns, doubling the neutrals present.
  2. Pull the Stack: On the next wave, pull as you normally would at the ideal :16/:46 (Radiant) or :15/:45 (Dire) timing. The double camp will clear out your entire wave, leaving nothing for your opponents!

For further details on stacking and its synergy with pulling, check guides like Dota 2 Wiki – Creep Stacking or Red Bull’s Dota 101: Creep Stacking.

Chain Pulling: Connecting Small and Hard Camps

Sometimes, your lane creeps will survive the battle with a single small camp. Rather than allowing them to return to lane and push, you can perform a chain pull:

  • Shortly before the neutrals finish the last of your lane creeps, draw aggro on the nearby hard camp. Lead the new set of neutrals into the ongoing brawl.
  • This “chain” extends the denial and further disrupts lane equilibrium, often resulting in complete creep destruction in the jungle.

Mastering the chain pull adds another level to your arsenal, as explained in this in-depth guide.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Pulling too early or too late – mistimed aggro means your lane creeps miss the meeting and the pull fails.
  • Not blocking your creeps – without a gentle block, the timing window becomes tighter and more prone to error.
  • Missing last hits on neutrals – turning your solid work into wasted gold for your team.
  • Neglecting to chain or stack – incomplete denial can result in double waves and lost lane control.

Extra Tips for Successful Small Camp Pulls

  • Pay attention to different neutral types: slow-moving golems require earlier aggro than quick harpies.
  • Bring consumables or tangos to tank a few hits if enemy heroes contest your pull.
  • Try practicing timings in an empty custom lobby to make the execution automatic.
  • If enemies block the camp with a ward, consider dewarding before your next pull.
  • If the lane is pressured, communicate with your carry so they can prepare to farm during or after the pull.

Valuable Resources for Learning and Practice

FAQ: Small Camp Pulling in Dota 2

What is the purpose of pulling the small camp in Dota 2?

Puling the small camp removes your own lane creeps from lane, denying enemy heroes gold and experience, while helping maintain ideal lane equilibrium closer to your tower and creating extra gold for your support. It’s a foundational tactic for supports in almost every game.

Which heroes should pull the small camp most often?

Typically, position 5 (hard support) heroes are responsible for pulling the small camp. However, offlane supports or position 4s can also pull, especially when playing as Dire or if the lane state requires.

What’s the correct timing for pulling each side’s small camp?

For Radiant, aggro the neutral camp at :16 or :46 seconds past the minute. For Dire, aggro at :15 or :45. This ensures your lane creeps meet the neutral camp at the correct spot for a clean pull.

Can I stack the small camp while pulling it?

Yes! First, stack the camp at ~:53–:55 by pulling neutrals from the spawn box, then pull the stacked camp the next wave cycle. This ensures the stacked neutrals will almost always finish your entire lane wave, maximizing denial.

Why do my pulls sometimes fail even when I follow the timing?

Several factors can disrupt a pull: your movement speed, creep block differences, or neutral camp types (some neutrals are slower, like the golems). Adjusting your aggro start time, good blocking, and practicing in custom lobbies will improve your consistency over time.

What if the enemy wards or blocks the small camp?

If the camp is blocked, use Sentry Wards to clear the opponent’s vision or contest the enemy support. Dewarding and vision management go hand in hand with successful pulls and lane control.

Your Path to Lane Dominance

Learning how to pull the small camp in Dota 2 is a timeless skill with massive impact. By mastering timing, chain and stack techniques, creep blocking, resource denial, and map awareness, you’ll become a lane control expert who can swing early-game momentum in your team’s favor, game after game.

For a visual demonstration and more insights, don’t miss these community guides and videos:

Practice these techniques and watch your support play reach a new level!