Positions 1 through 5 - Farming Priority & Laning

Every Dota 2 team line-up can be classified by the priority ranking by which each hero is given some of the available farm (ancients, neutrals, lane creeps) on the map.  These positions also relate to where these heroes get laned, and the roles they play on the team.

Summary:
Position 1 = highest farming priority, safest farm (hard carry)
Position 2 = 2nd highest farming priority (mid lane carry or mid ganker/semi-carry)
Position 3 = third-core or utility hero (solo offlane)
Position 4 = greedy support or utility hero (roamer or tri-lane pulling)
Position 5 = low-item support, "ward bitch" (lane support for position 1)

Safe vs. Offlane:  Definition

The easiest definition of safelane is:  the lane closest to your team's jungle, either at the top (dire) or bottom (radiant) of the map.

Up to patch 6.85, the radiant offlane was considered to be easier than the dire offlane, because you could side-pull the large camp into the lane.  You used to be able to stack the Dire Ancient camp from the Dire Offlane, for later farming with your offlane hero (such as Tidehunter or Beastmaster), later map changes to the Rosh pit and Dire Ancients made this impossible, and much less convenient for Dire.

In patch 6.86, significant map changes were made, moving neutral camps around and changing pull timings, such that dire and radiant offlanes are a bit more balanced (hopefully).

Lane Setups and Positions

The most typical team-based lane setup is A, or sometimes B.
The most typical pub setup is C, but is becoming more common in pro play.
Pro teams have also run D and E ... but it's not very common, and is done in specific circumstances.

A) Safe Tri-Lane, solo mid, solo offlane (1-1-3)

Position 1, 4, and 5 in safelane.  Position 4 may be jungling.
Position 2 in mid
Position 3 solo offlane (usually against enemy tri-lane)

B) Aggro Tri-Lane, solo mid, solo safelane (3-1-1)

Position 1, 4, and 5 in offlane, against enemy safelane tri or dual lane.
Position 2 in mid
Position 3 in safelane, solo against enemy solo offlaner.

C) Dual Offlane, solo Mid, Dual Safe (2-1-2)

Position 1 & 5 in safelane (against enemy solo offlane or dual lane)
Position 2 in mid
Position 3 and 4 in offlane* (against enemy safe tri-lane or dual lane)
*Pro teams may run Doom + Lich in this setup, in the offlane, or some very aggressive laners, such as Tusk + Undying or Spiritbreaker + Bane.

D) Dual mid, Dual Safelane, solo offlane (1-2-2)

Position 1 & 5 in safelane
Position 2 & 4 in mid lane (e.g. Tiny + Io)
Position 3 in offlane


E) Dual Offlane, Dual Mid, Solo Safe (2-2-1)

Positions 3 and 5 in offlane
Positions 2 & 4 in mid lane
Position 1 in safe lane (solo)

Positioning Videos

I just found and watched a video by slasher that shows some of the best positioning tips that I've seen in awhile.  He discusses using camera positioning and team-positioning to prevent the enemy from getting good engagements and ultimates.

This is Slasher's "Road to Top 200", focusing on Windranger.  However, the tips he gives are applicable to many engagements.

Positioning and Zone Control, by FiercE:

I like this video more because it talks about some very basic things, that new players don't even think about.  I find the information he shares to be most valuable to support players who are wondering what to do in team fights, and how to stay alive when low on farm.

Teamfight Analysis of Positioning:

A very chaotic teamfight between Na'Vi and C9, broken down to enable you to see why each player on Na'Vi is doing what they are doing.

6.85 Popular Heroes

Links:

Pub Tier list on DotaBuff (Article)

Competitive / Pro Tier List (Article)

Discussion / Observations:

There's actually a trend AWAY from heroes with Primary Stuns.  The number of disables that a pro team drafts in general has gone down.  Heroes with longer-range disables are favoured (Gyro missile, Wyvern ult, etc).

"Skillshot" spells are still very popular (Tusk Ice Shards, Lina LSA, SFiend Razes), although different from before (Pudge, Mirana, Earthshaker are less popular)

Trending towards semi-carries as supports, or offlaners as supports (Tusk, Undying, etc).  Emphasis on early-fight heroes and tougher heroes and supports (use of Bounty Hunter, Dazzle, Bane, Ogre, Earthshaker).    Squishy supports are much more rare. Emphasis on roaming supports in the 4-position that can "make plays happen".

Flash-farming carries are much more popular.  Anti-mage is still somewhat popular because of his ability to get ahead in farm once he gets core items.  Carries that can do well throughout the game are favoured (SFiend, Ember, QoP, Alchemist).

Sustain

A lot of casters are now talking about team line-ups having "sustain".  What's being referred to is the ability of a team to replenish health and mana on an ongoing basis, so the team can keep fighting or pushing.

How to get "sustain"?

Items for Supports:
- Arcane Boots
- Urn
- Mekanism

Items for Carries:
- Hp-regen items (BFury, Bloodstone, etc)
- Lifesteal items (MoM, HoD, Vlad's)
- Early Mekanism (built on mid-heroes such as SFiend, Viper, Dragon Knight)

Drafting:
- At least 1 healer (see List of Healers)
- Pick heroes with low-cooldown ultimates

Why is this important?

In the "fighting meta" of the 6.85 patch, a won team fight can often result in large gains (i.e. some kills and more than 1 tower), if the team has the items and abilities that they need, to avoid returning to base.

Heroes with Highest Cast Ranges

For the purpose of this list, we're going to ignore Global cast range abilities (AA Ice Blast, etc), because you can find those in my Global Abilities list.

I've also left off heroes with spells that summon or dominate creeps - those ranges aren't that relevant in combat.

NOTE:  This post is still a work-in-progress.

1200+ Effective Range

Wind Ranger - Power Shot (2600)
Jakiro - Ice Path (1200)
Tinker Heat Seeking Missile (2500)
Keeper of the Light - Illuminate (1800)
Disruptor - Glimpse (600/1000/1400/1800 by Level)

1000+ Effective Range

Rubick - Spell Steal (1000, 1400 w/Agh's)
Bane - Enfeeble (1000)

900+ Effective Ranges

Pugna Life Drain (range 900/1050/1200 by skill level)

Crystal Maiden - Crystal Nova (1100 = 700 range + 400 radius)
Puck - Orb (2175 = 1950 + 225 radius)

Jakiro - Macropyre (900, or 1800 w/ Agh's)
Silencer - Last Word (900)

Disruptor - Kinetic Field (900 + 325 radius)

Keeper of the Light - Mana Leak (550/700/850/1000 by Skill Level)
Keeper of the Light - Blinding Light (900 + 675 radius)

800-850 Cast Ranges

Lina Dragon Slave (800 extends to 1025)
Wind Ranger - Shackleshot (800, +575 second target latch range)
Zeus - Arc Lightning (850, +500 bounce distance)
Nature's Prophet - Sprout L4 (850)
Silencer - Curse of the Silent (800 + 350 radius)
Rubick - Fade Bolt (800 + 440 bounce)
Disruptor - Thunder Strike (800)
Disruptor - Static Storm (800 + 450 radius)

700-750 Cast Ranges

Pugna - Decrepify (700)
Puck - Dream Coil (750)
Enchantress - Agh's Impetus (740) ((550 normally))
Zeus - Lightning Bolt (700)
Jakiro - Dual Breathe (750 max)
Chaos Knight - Reality Rift (700 @ L4)
Ogre Magi - Ignite (700, 1400 multicast range)

600-650 Cast Ranges

Lina Light Strike Array (625)
Lina Laguna Blade (600)
Shadow Shaman Ether Shock (600, can extend to 1100)

Team of semi-carries

What if there's no hard carry?

Reference:  List of Semi-carries

Team ideas:
#1: (Dual lanes)
Venge safelane farm + Abaddon safe support
Veno mid
Timbersaw farming offlane + Lina offlane support

#2: (Aggro tri)
Beastmaster solo safelane
Leshrac + Lina + Axe aggro tri
Windranger mid

Spotlight on Vengeful Spirit (6.85)

I'm writing this article with a hypothesis:  Vengeful spirit could and should probably be played more often as a carry.
Updated for 7.05 on April 26, 2017

Venge as a hero

• 3rd Highest starting Agility in the game (after Riki and Phantom Lancer)
• 2nd Highest Agility growth in the game (after Morphling)
• 2nd Highest overall stat growth in the game (2.55, after Silencer's 2.57) 
• Higher base attack damage and attack speed than Phantom Assassin (levels 11 & 16).
• Low-cooldown stun (10s at L4)
• Powerful skills that scale well with right-click damage (armor reduction, % damage aura)
• Ultimate that allows re-positioning of self and of allies/enemies, and also acts as a interrupt. 

Pro players have been valuing Blink Daggers and the Force Staff more and more lately - realizing that positioning in Dota 2 is key, and the more the better.  Perhaps it's a holdover from old patches, but Vengeful Spirit didn't used to be able to use a Blink Dagger, which might still be clouding the thinking of some long-time players.

Except for  Pudge (skillshot) and Batrider (Blink + Lasso + Forcestaff), Vengeful Spirit is the only other hero who can literally move an enemy hero into an ambush.  Now that she has the ability to use a Blink Dagger, she can also get HERSELF out of the bad spot that Nether Swap usually puts her in, and rejoin her team, instead.

What Limits Venge As a Carry?

1) Farming Speed
There's a trend lately, towards fast-farming carries, namely Alchemist, Shadowfiend, Queen of Pain, and Sven.  Venge does not have any innate farm-boosting skills, although Wave can help her farm neutrals and push waves a bit faster.  She's also not typically itemized with a Maelstrom for faster farming (but she could be!).

2) Skills:  Self vs. Team
Venge's skills will benefit her team regardless of whether she's the carry or not.  Thus, there's no reason not to take another hero as a carry that synergizes well with Venge, instead of making Venge herself the carry.

How Carry Venge Could Be Itemized

Most players build Venge with a Desolator, to allow her to snowball as a semi-carry, and also to synergize with her Wave for additional armor reduction.  While this is not "wrong", there are other possibilities:

1) Illusion-based Venge
Since Venge's aura doesn't affect illusions, it's not optimal to build Manta first.  However, items that boost base damage such as Skadi, DO take advantage of Venge's aura.  So, if you're adding stat-based damage anyway, why not add some illusions that also benefit from stats?  This results in a Aquila+Yasha into Manta/Skadi type of Venge build, which is pretty decent.

2) Damage-based Venge
Since Venge has better Str-gain (2.6) than some Str-based carries, as long as she has time to get some levels and possibly a minor hp-boosting item (Treads, Aquila) (Drums, or casual Ogre Club, perhaps), Venge can focus on damage.  Items such as Chrystalis, Shadowblade and S&Y come to mind.  Like most Agility-based carries, she also benefits from a Poor Man's Shield in early game.

3) Maelstrom for Farming / Pushing Venge
I think the Maelstrom is an underrated early item.  The proc alone is almost worth a nuke, and it's mana-free on a really low cooldown.  Better yet, it allows faster wave-clear and farming of neutrals!  The only downside is that it doesn't boost Venge's low early hp pool - so buy a casual Ogre Club (you can turn in into an S&Y or BKB later). Also, if you buy the Mithril Hammer first, it doesn't give away your item build - you could be going for a Desolator or BKB, too.

4) Utility-based Venge
While I don't recommend a neither-support-nor-carry build for Venge, because this type of role usually falls to the 3-position, Venge COULD be itemized with utility items, such as an Agh's (low-cooldown swap), Vlad's (team damage boost), or Solar Crest (single target armor reduction).  She could also boost her hp pool and stats by getting an early Mekanism for her team, which has been done in the past by mid-carries such as Shadowfiend and Viper.