How much starting gold do you have in Dota 2?

At the start every player has the same — around 600 gold, regardless of position. The difference between roles isn't the starting gold but how it's spent and how reliable gold flows afterwards: the core invests in farm and last-hitting, the support in wards and consumables for the team.

What should a core buy at the start?

A core needs last-hitting and survival first: a Quelling Blade to secure creeps and chop trees, stats (for example, Iron Branch), plus Tango and Healing Salve for lane regen. Players often buy a component for their first item so they don't carry gold around.

What should a support buy at the start?

A support cares about vision and lane support: Observers (taken from the shared free stock) and a Sentry for detection, Tango and Clarity for mana and HP regen, consumables like Faerie Fire, and Dust against invisible heroes. The support's main job at the start is to cover vision and help the core win the lane.

Do you need a TP scroll from the very start?

Yes. A Town Portal Scroll (around 100 gold) should be carried almost always: it saves a tower with a defensive teleport, speeds up rotations and helps you not waste time walking back to lane. The habit of always having a TP is one of the cheapest and most underrated in Dota 2.

Can you sell an item back and get the gold returned?

Yes, with caveats. Next to a shop an item sells for half its price, and for the first seconds after the purchase for the full price: the full-price timer runs ten seconds, and at the very start of the match it counts from forty down to ten. The timer voids at once if you use the active, start a passive ability cooldown, hand the item to a unit you do not control, or die with it. The starting TP scroll and the bonus for randoming a hero cannot be sold at all.

Starting items in Dota 2 — what to buy at the start by role

Starting gold

At the start of the game every player has about 600 gold, regardless of position. The difference between roles isn't the amount but what it's spent on: the core invests in last-hitting and lane survival, the support in vision and consumables for the whole team. The right starting buy sets the tone for the first ten minutes, and consistently won lanes are what climbing MMR is built on.

The one-line takeaway

Starting gold is the same — the buy is what differs. Core: last-hitting and regen (Quelling Blade, stats, Tango/Salve). Support: vision and support (wards, Tango, Clarity, consumables). And almost everyone — a TP scroll in the bag from minute one.

The core's buy

A core's job at the start is to not fall behind on farm and to survive the lane. Hence the priorities:

Quelling Blade (around 100 gold) — boosts creep last-hitting and lets you chop trees. One of the main last-hit items for melee.
Stats. Iron Branch (around 55 gold each) gives all attributes cheaply; players often buy several as components for an early item, and anything bought from base is ferried over by the courier.
Regeneration. Tango and Healing Salve keep you on the lane and stop you from being pushed off your farm.

How to convert a last-hit lead into an advantage is covered in the farm and last-hitting guide.

The support's buy

A support buys at the start not for themselves but for the team — vision and lane control:

Wards. Observers are taken from the shared free stock and give vision; a Sentry (around 50 gold) gives detection and dewarding.
Lane support. Tango and Clarity keep your HP and mana up so you can trade damage and stay on the lane.
Against invisible heroes. Dust in the bag is the answer if the enemy has an invisible hero. More in the invisibility detection guide.

How to place wards for maximum value is covered in the warding in Dota 2 guide.

Consumables

Consumables are cheap, but they're exactly what wins a lane. What and why:

Tango (around 90) — HP regen by eating a tree; a staple of almost any start.
Healing Salve (around 100) — strong HP regen that breaks on damage; for healing up after a trade.
Clarity (around 60) — mana regen; for heroes that need to cast more often.
Enchanted Mango (around 65) — gives instant mana on activation plus a bit of regen; insurance against running dry at the key moment.
Faerie Fire (around 65) — a small instant heal plus a bit of damage; handy as a "spare" item in a slot.
Town Portal Scroll (around 100) — carry it almost always: it saves a defense, speeds up rotations and the return to lane.

600starting gold, every role

90Tango, HP regen

100TP scroll, always carry

0Observer — from free stock

Selling items back

A starting-buy mistake can be redone at no cost — if you know about the sellback timer:

Ten seconds at full price. Next to a shop, a freshly bought item returns for the full price while its sellback timer runs. After that you only get half back.
The timer is longer at the start. Before the horn it counts from forty seconds rather than ten, shrinking to the usual ten. In practice that means everything bought in the first thirty seconds stops being fully refundable at the same moment.
The timer voids instantly. Use the active, let a passive ability go on cooldown, hand the item to a unit you do not control, or die with it — the full price is gone.
The starting TP cannot be sold. The scroll handed out at the start, and the bonus item for randoming a hero, cannot be sold at all.

Hence a simple rule: if within the first half-minute it is clear the buy does not suit the lane, redo it right away. Later the same mistake costs you half the price.

Common mistakes

These starting-buy slips cost you the lane:

Walking to lane without a TP. One missed teleport under a tower and you lose the tower or your own life.
A support with no wards. The team goes "blind" and enemy ganks come for free. Vision is the support's first job.
A core with no last-hit item. Without a Quelling Blade and regen it's easy to lose the lane on farm.
Blowing it all on consumables. Too much healing and zero item component stalls your progression toward key buys like BKB.

Where a newcomer should start is covered in the Dota 2: where to start guide.

Key items covered in this guide: