Wasted buyback. Buyback in Dota 2: why your buyback did not pay off
A wasted buyback means that within 60 seconds of buying back you died again and joined no enemy kill.
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How to fix “wasted buyback”?
- 1Buy back for a clear goal: defend a building or finish a fight your team is winning.
- 2After buying back, walk to your allies and buildings, not alone into the middle of the map.
- 3If the fight is already lost, save the buyback: wait for the enemy to come to your base.
- 4Teleport in after buying back so you arrive with your team, not ahead of it.
How common at each rank
share of matches with the mistake- Herald—
- Guardian13%
- Crusader14%
- Archon4%
- Legend6%
- Ancient7%
- Divine6%
- —Herald
- 13%Guardian
- 14%Crusader
- 4%Archon
- 6%Legend
- 7%Ancient
- 6%Divine
Most common on heroes
How the coach counts it
What is “wasted buyback” in Dota 2?
You paid for a buyback and ran straight into a fight that was already lost, or showed up alone. A minute later you were dead again and the buyback gold was gone.
How does the coach find this mistake?
The coach looks at the 60 seconds after every buyback: how many enemies died with your damage and whether you died again. Died again with no kills means the buyback was wasted. A trade where you both got a kill and died is not counted as a mistake.
Why does “wasted buyback” cost games?
A buyback costs hundreds to thousands of gold, and after it the next one is unavailable for a long time. A wasted buyback late often means you have none for the deciding fight.
How it differs from similar mistakes
- No buyback while the base fell
Didn't buy back: you had buyback, the base was falling, and you waited for respawn. Wasted buyback: you bought back but died again within a minute without taking part in a single kill.