Here are the stats and bonuses provided by each barracks: Melee Barracks: 1500 HP 5.0 HP/sec regen 15 armor 100-150 Gold to the last hitter + 275 reliable gold to the entire team that destroys it When destroyed (boosts opposing creep in that lane by):
Increases Melee Creep damage by 19 points and growth by +1 Increases Melee Creep armour by 1 point Increases Melee Creep health by 150 points and growth by +9 Reduces gold by 21 and experience by 37 for your Melee Creeps Ranged Barracks: 1200 HP 0 HP/sec regen 10 armor 100-150 Gold to the last hitter and 225 reliable gold to the entire team
When Destroyed: Increases Ranged Creep damage by 20 points and growth by +1 Increases Ranged Creep armor by 1 point Increases Ranged Creep health by 175 points and growth by +8 Reduces gold by 26 and experience by 16 for your Ranged Creeps.
At face value, since you typically have way more melee than ranged creeps per lane, killing the melee building provides more benefit for future pushes.
However, the ranged barracks has 5 less armor and will die faster.
When push comes to shove, often you don't really have a choice in which one to take down if most of your creeps are focused on one building over the other you will want to focus fire to take it down faster before the opposing heroes rush to defend.
If you do have a choice, you should take out the melee barracks first to put more pressure on that lane with your creeps.
gaming.stackexchange.com/users/3917/l I
I've played dota for many years.
Rule of thumb : go for the barrack you already have an ally focusing on.
In case no barrack are targeted, go for the melee barrack, because of the amount of melee creeps per wave.
Later on in the game, you'll spawn 2 ranged units per wave, from this point on, the ranged barrack starts making sense, but not before that
gaming.stackexchange.com/users/1965/Eric
If you don't have time (i.e. the enemy team is respawning soon or something) go for the ranged barracks.
Otherwise go for the melee one.
gaming.stackexchange.com/users/22741/skypower
z' gave a great in depth answer, but is a little out of date.
The ranged barracks doesn't regenerates health.
This means that if you're in a situation where you're chipping away bit by bit at a set of barracks, you probably want to hit the ranged one, as the building won't regenerate the health that you've taken off it.
However, the melee barracks will provide greater pushing power when destroyed, so if possible, you want that one gone first.
As with everything in dota, it's situational.
If you have the time/space/damage to take one down quickly, prefer the melee, but if you're likely to lose a fight and want to withdraw soon, put a bit of damage on the ranged and back out.
gaming.stackexchange.com/users/95763/Yann
In case of "rat" push strategy: if it's mid game(20-40 minute) or even early game you should focus range barracks.
If you took range rax it will provide you with non-stop push to their lane - because your waves already stronger than theirs, so enemy creeps won't go further then your first tower without enemy heroes.
This logic applies to Nature's Prophet, Naga Siren and any other summoners.
if you are playing strong rat pusher (NP with necronomicon, Clinkz, DD NP, Tiny + Io, Broodmother)
you can go for melee barracks but you should think about how reactive your enemies, do they have Glyph, will you end this rax or can you comeback to this rax after they leave it.
For example, if you go on melee rax and they have glyph -
your progress on this rax will be negated, however, your skills will be in cooldown and that's will proceed in your team's disadvantage.
if you just want some push, so that enemies will stay at base - go on range rax.
It's applied to Kunka, Storm Spirit, Puck with dagger - this heroes can give two-three hits to rax and get back without a problem.
Doing so on melee rax is not effective at all, until you have big attack damage.
gaming.stackexchange.com/users/144824/htzfun
When attacking the barracks on DotA2, which is the better to focus/destroy first, Melee or Ranged, and why?  I ask as during games I get conflicting views with people I am playing with.
DotA 2 Barracks, Which is better to focus and why?
gaming.stackexchange.com
<dota-2>
gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/48631
gaming.stackexchange.com/users/17866/Simon
Take out the melee barracks first. If you don't have time, go for a ranged barracks.  The community states that there are many details to keep in mind before choosing what barrack to destroy first. In the end it comes down to the preferred result, regarding what option you choose.
There are two opinions regarding that matter. Both are valid, but there is more context to be considered before deciding which one is to be used.