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Pudge Overview

Melee, Disabler, Durable, Initiator, Nuker

1st

Popularity

49.09%

Win rate

Lane Presence

Off

48.22%

50.97%

2.23

376

536

Safe

24.68%

49.45%

2.17

359

514

Mid

17.76%

51.58%

2.70

433

579

Most Popular Ability Build

Starter items

97.81%

90.04%

59.43%

48.49%

33.09%

31.24%

24.49%

21.48%

18.27%

18.12%

12.83%

10.84%

8.70%

8.36%

8.21%

7.53%

6.41%

3.45%

3.26%

3.26%

2.04%

1.60%

0.92%

0.92%

0.68%

0.58%

0.10%

0.10%

0.10%

0.10%

0.05%

0.05%

0.05%

0.05%

recommended builds

15.75%

324

96.30%

7.88%

162

98.77%

5.79%

119

97.48%

4.86%

100

96.00%

4.28%

88

96.59%

2.92%

60

96.67%

boots

56.91%

1,103

23.37%

453

17.29%

335

2.22%

43

0.21%

4

Most Used Items This week

1848

1224

67.33%

1686

1645

98.05%

6125

3224

59.11%

220573

112934

53.97%

470486

277192

59.73%

446475

245013

56.99%

2978

1540

53.25%

460

342

70.24%

35226

16642

47.73%

Win Rate This week

Best Versus This week

More

Hero

advantage

win rate

matches

2.97%

47.49%

52096

2.72%

48.06%

82063

2.54%

49.23%

88737

2.51%

46.73%

126882

2.36%

50.78%

104744

Worst Versus This week

More

Hero

disadvantage

win rate

matches

3.35%

56.06%

5929

3.14%

53.84%

27247

2.96%

48.61%

55844

2.87%

51.63%

28074

2.65%

52.60%

68671

Hero Attributes

25 +3.0

14 +1.4

16 +1.8

Movement speed

280

Sight range

1800/800

Armor

0.96

Base attack time

1.7

Damage

70 - 76

Attack point

0.5

Talent Usage

+1.5 Flesh Heap Stack Str

1.8x Dismember Damage/Heal

+0.20%

x1.6x Flesh Heap Stack Str and Damage Block bonuses

x1.8x Dismember Damage/Heal

x1.5x Flesh Heap Stack Str and Damage Block bonuses

25

-4 Meat Hook Cooldown

+0.8s Dismember Duration

+0.80%

-4s Meat Hook Cooldown

+0.75s Dismember Duration

20

+120 Meat Hook Damage

10% Spell Lifesteal

+5.90%

+10% Spell Lifesteal

+8% Spell Lifesteal

15

-14% Rot Slow

+4 Armor

+-0.50%

-16% Rot Slow

10

+Win%

Time Played

Period

Duration

Total

75870y 126d 16h 48m

This month

85y 126d 13h 53m

Guide & Build Strategies

Lore & Bio

"When I'm through with these vermin, they'll be fit for a pie!"

A large figure labors nonstop through the night in the Fields of Endless Carnage, far to the south of Quoich, dismembering, disembowelment, and piling up the limbs and viscera of the dead so that the battlefield might be cleared by dawn. No matter how deeply you bury a corpse, nothing in this cursed world can ever decompose or return to the soil from which it originated. Pudge the Butcher sharpens his skills with blades that become more cutting edge the more he uses as he is surrounded by carrion birds who depend on him to chop their meals into bite-sized pieces. Thunk, thunk, thunk. Tendons and ligaments separate like wet paper as the flesh separates from the bone. And while Pudge has always had a taste for butchery, over time he has also come to appreciate its byproduct. Beginning with a gobbet of muscle here and a sip of blood there, he soon progressed to driving his jaws deep into the hardest of torsos, much like a dog gnawing at rags. Even people who are past being afraid of the Reaper are afraid of the Butcher.

Pudge Guide Building Items and Indicators

Attribute & Stats

Level: 0 1 15 25 30

Health:  200 700 1540 2380 2720

Health regen: +2 +4.5 +8.7 +12.9 +14.6

Mana: 75 267 567 927 1059

Mana regen: +0 +0.8 +2.06 +3.56 +4.11

Armor: -1 1.33 4.6 8.93 10.43

Damage Block: 16 (50%)        

Magic Resistance: 25%    

Status Resistance: 0%    

Damage: 45-51 70-76 112-118 154-160 171-177

Attack Rate: 0.59/s 0.67/s 0.79/s 0.94/s 0.99/s

Attack Range: 175 (600)

Attack Speed: 100 (1.7s BAT)

Attack Animation: 0.5+1.17    

Projectile Speed: Instant.

Movement Speed: 280

Turn Rate: 0.7    

Collision Size: 24    

Vision Range: (G) 1800 • 800    

Legs: 2    

Gib Type: Default.    

Ability Upgrades:    

  • Upgradable by Aghanim's Scepter - Rot.

  • Upgradable by Aghanim's Shard.- Eject - Dismember.

Abilities & Talents

Pudge Hero Talents

Skills building guide

Pudge Ability Build

Up that Rot first. For CS, you will require it. You have enough items that regenerate to heal yourself, so don't be concerned. Rot until your heart is content. Take that Meat Hook at level 2. You place a lot of importance on it. You would be equivalent to Io without the Tether or Tidehunter without Ravage without it. When you reach level 6, Meat Hook will have three points, Rot will have two points, and Dismember will have a point. You are free to move around at this point. Meat Hook should always be maxed out before Rot and Flesh Heap. This cannot be contested. A special note on Hood of Defiance: purchase it before Flesh Heap to ensure that the magic resistance stacks. It's acceptable to purchase Cloak first. 

Abilities

Meat Hook

Mana: 110

Cooldown Time: 18/16/14/12

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.59

Cast Range: 1300

Max Travel Distance: 1300

Radius: 100

Damage: 150/220/290/360

Effect: Sends a bloody hook hurtling toward a target or location. The first unit that the hook catches will be snagged, dragged back to Pudge, killed if it is not an ancient creep, and dealt damage to if it is an enemy otherwise.

Rot

Mana: 0

Radius: 250

Damage per Second: 30/60/90/120

Move Speed Slow: 14%/20%/26%/32%

Duration: 0.5

Effect: An extremely damaging and slow-moving toxic cloud that hurts Pudge as well as enemy units.

Flesh Heap

Mana cost : 35/40/45/50

Cooldown Time: 20/18/16/14

Radius: 450

Kill Radius: 1600

Blocked Damage: 7/14/21/28

Duration: 5/6/7/8

Effect: Provides Pudge with a damage block that is guaranteed to work against all attacks. Passively bestows bonus strength that rises each time Pudge eliminates an adversary Hero or it perishes nearby. Flesh Heap can acquire charges before it is skilled, and those charges then become active because it is retroactive.

Dismember

Mana cost: 100/130/170

Cooldown Time: 30/25/20

Cast Animation: 0.3+0

Cast Range: 160

Base Damage: 80/100/120

Strength as Damage: 30%/60%/90%

Pull Speed: 75

Effect: When Pudge eats an enemy unit, it becomes incapacitated and takes damage gradually. For every unit of damage Pudge causes, he is also healed. creeps last longer.

Effective items guides

Early game

Magic Stick

Magic Stick: Gives Pudge a burst of mana and health. In particular, the mana might enable him to use Meat Hook once more even if his mana pool is entirely depleted, which might result in crucial victories in urgent circumstances.

Ring of Basilius

Ring of Basilius: Gives you and your allies mana regeneration, and it can later be built into Veil of Discord, which raises pure damage as well as spell damage from your team.

Boots of Speed

Boots of Speed: Is crucial to obtain early on because Pudge has trouble pursuing enemies due to his appalling movement speed. It makes it simpler for Pudge to position himself so he can cast spells.

Town Portal Scroll

Town Portal Scroll: Is crucial to always have on Pudge. He would have many more opportunities to gank lone opponents or disable them in teamfights if he could globally reposition himself around the map in response to enemy movements.

Observer Ward

Observer Ward: Gains insight into the adversary, enabling him to position himself to use Meat Hook against them.

Sentry Ward

Sentry Ward: Helps block enemy vision so they can't see his movements or avoid Meat Hook attempts.

Mid game

Magic Wand

Magic Wand: Gives Pudge more abilities and increased charge capacity. Both can greatly help Pudge by enhancing his ability to survive and making it easier for him to cast spells because frequently, all he needs is a fully charged Magic Wand to perform his entire spell combo.

Tranquil Boots

Tranquil Boots: Are affordable and provide Pudge with all the bonuses he requires. Increased map mobility is made possible by the faster movement, which also enables him to position himself for Meat Hook casting at the proper angles. The HP regen keeps his HP at a healthy level and, most importantly, reduces Rot's HP cost.

Soul Ring

Soul Ring: Always supplies enough mana for an additional Meat Hook.

Urn of Shadows

Urn of Shadow: Provides strength to increase HP and base damage as well as mana regeneration to help keep his mana supply full. Charges are easily obtained through successful ganks and can be used to either target enemies to deal additional damage over time to increase the likelihood that subsequent ganks will be successful or to heal Pudge and his teammates after successful ganks, particularly to recover the HP cost of Rot.

Hood of Defiance

Hood of Defiance: Grants extra HP regeneration to further lessen the HP cost of Rot, as well as magic resistance, which lowers the damage that Rot deals to Pudge. It significantly increases the potency of Flesh Heap, enabling Pudge to easily repel magic nukes and utilize the added strength.

Aether Lens

Aether Lens: Both provides mana regeneration and expands his mana pool. However, its primary use is to extend Meat Hook's range up to 1500, enabling him to capture enemies at a greater distance.

Late game

Spirit Vessel

Spirit Vessel: Pudge's health and movement speed have been increased by the Urn of Shadows' upgrade. Targets are quickly taken out in ganks by the active ability, which deals damage and negates enemy healing.

Aghanim's Shard

Aghanim's Shard: Reduces the cooldown of Dismember and gives him the ability to target allies and heal them for 4% of their maximum health, which might help an ally survive or enable them to reenter combat. Pudge can also benefit from the additional attributes, health, and mana.

Situation items

Bottle

Bottle: Is essential to invest in early on as a mid Pudge because he is vulnerable and needs HP and mana support. The runes can also make it easier for him to gank enemies and refuel the Bottle so that Pudge can move around on his own.

Pipe of Insight

Pipe of Insight: Provides Pudge's team with teamfight utility; upgraded from Hood of Defiance. Pudge's magic resistance and HP regeneration are further increased by Insight Aura, and the active can increase teammates' resistance to enemy magic nukes.

Rod of Atos

Rod of Atos: Increases Pudge's ability to be disabled while offering numerous powerful bonuses at a reasonable cost. Pudge's ability to cast his spell combo is significantly improved by the increase in intelligence, and his tankiness is further enhanced by the increase in HP. The long range of the active allows Pudge to root an enemy from a distance, making them simple prey for Meat Hook.

Blink Dagger

Blink Dagger: Enables Pudge to cast Meat Hook from a convenient position. If the farm allows, it ought to be regarded as a necessary item.

Force Staff

Force Staff: Is a simple to construct support-utility item that greatly increases Pudge's mobility and offers beneficial bonuses. His spellcasting is aided by intelligence, and Rot's HP drain is lessened by HP regeneration. With the active, Pudge can move around to cast Meat Hook, protect allies who are being pursued by enemies, and even destroy an enemy's Linken's Sphere before casting Dismember.

Blade Mail

Blade Mail: Is an efficient survival item on Pudge. It increases his armor, making him more resistant to physical harm, and it increases his intelligence, giving him more mana for spellcasting. The active prevents opponents from casting counter-nuke spells against Pudge by allowing him to use his sizable HP pool offensively during ganks and teamfights.

Veil of Discord

Veil of Discord: As it affects Meat Hook's pure damage and provides a mana regen aura, you can potentially kill more people in solo and team fights with this item, but it is challenging to farm. It is advised to get mobility items first because Pudge's main strengths are early enemy hero kills and giving the map presence.

Ghost Scepter

Ghost Scepter: Grants attributes and protects Pudge from physical attacks.

Drum of Endurance

Drum of Endurance: Gives Pudge characteristics. The additional intelligence especially helps with casting, and the active increases his movement speed to help with positioning and chasing.

Lotus Orb

Lotus Orb: Enables Pudge to use the enemy's spells against them and has a very high survivability and disable rating. It offers mana and health regeneration, which are both very helpful for keeping Pudge's health and mana up, and bonus armor, which increases resistance to physical damage. To prevent enemies from casting spells at allies, cast Echo Shell on them. Alternatively, cast Echo Shell on Pudge before using Dismember to allow him to reflect any enemy disables that come his way.

Shiva's Guard

Shiva's Guard: Increases Pudge's resistance to physical harm significantly. Pudge becomes significantly more resilient thanks to the bonus armor, enemy attack speed reduction, and bonus intelligence, which also greatly enhances his capacity to cast spells for extended periods of time. In addition to Rot, Pudge can further slow down enemies with the help of the active, which can also deal damage and slow them down.

Heart of Tarrasque

Heart of Tarrasque: Increases Pudge's strength and HP significantly, making him much harder to kill and dealing more damage with Dismember. In addition, he can quickly regain HP between battles and ignore Rot's HP cost thanks to the passive.

Smoke of Deceit

Smoke of Deceit: Provides additional movement speed and invisibility to aid ganking.

Gem of True Sight

Gem of True Sight: Depending on the enemy lineup, can prove to be a wise investment for Pudge. Due to Pudge's natural tankiness, it is unlikely to fall into enemy hands, and the detection enables him to more easily deflect enemy vision and capture invisible heroes.

Glimmer Cape

Glimmer Cape: Can be put into Pudge's hands as a useful utility item. Pudge's HP pool is less affected by Rot when his magic resistance is increased, and the active can help both Pudge and his allies make stealthy entrances and exits. Additionally, Pudge can use the active to shield himself while channeling Dismember, which lowers the likelihood that he will be targeted by enemies' disables.

Crimson Guard

Crimson Guard: Is a potent tool that increases Pudge's teamfight contribution. Due to his tanky nature, he greatly benefits from the damage block and bonus armor, and the additional HP makes him even more difficult to kill. The damage-blocking ability of the active is beneficial for increasing a team's survivability in a teamfight.

Guardian Greaves

Guardian Greaves: Give Pudge more teamfight utility and survivability. Pudge and his allies benefit greatly from the heal and mana regeneration during teamfights, and the aura significantly increases survivability. Additionally, Pudge's debuffs are instantly removed by the active, allowing him to participate more fully in teamfights.

Scythe of Vyse

Scythe of Vyse: Is an expensive purchase that significantly enhances Pudge's ganking skills. It provides a lot of intelligence and mana regeneration, enabling Pudge to cast his disables whenever necessary. He can use the Hex to instantly hard-disable an enemy at a distance, making them an easy target for a subsequent Dismember without having to use Meat Hook right away.

Enemies & Allies

Allies

Oracle

  • Any afflictions, such as slows and roots, that render Pudge's use of Rot ineffective can be removed by Fortune's End. Additionally, it makes Pudge's use of Meat Hook much simpler.

  • Pudge can use Fate's Edict a lot more often because it shields him from all Rot damage. The only drawback of Fate's Edict is that it disarms Pudge, but that is of no consequence to him given his slow attack speed and is irrelevant to him while channeling Dismember.

  • Pudge can be healed by Purifying Flames and Fate's Edict, which enables him to use Rot more effectively for farming.

  • False Promise increases Dismember's healing by two times, so they work well together. Dismember can also be used to heal an ally with Pudge's upgraded Aghanim's Shard, which means that if Pudge uses Dismember on an ally under the influence of False Promise, the ally will recover ten percent of their maximum health every second.

Techies

  • Pudge can use Meat Hook to position an enemy and then force them into Proximity Mines, dealing a ton of damage.

Pugna

  • An enemy that Pugna uses Decrepify on will take more damage from Rot and Dismember.

  • Rot plus Dismember's controllability makes it easier for Pugna to cast Nether Blast and Life Drain the victim.

  • Later in the game, if Pudge's HP is at 100%, Pugna can use Life Drain to replenish his mana supply.

Outworld Destroyer

  • If used at the right moment, Astral Imprisonment can create a hook.

Lifestealer

  • When Pudge successfully hooks an enemy, Lifestealer can burst out from inside Pudge while remaining undetected. He can then carry on dealing damage while Pudge uses Dismember to render his opponent helpless.

Tiny

  • With Tiny's ability to use Toss to engage by tossing Pudge onto an enemy or toss an enemy onto Pudge so he can get a Dismember off, Pudge and Tiny can be quite the lethal pair.

  • If you really want to use Toss and Meat Hook tactically, you can toss Pudge into a position from which he can defend an ally or get a good hook on an adversary.

Crystal Maiden

  • The slowing effect of Rot and Crystal Nova can be combined by Crystal Maiden to deal a lot of damage to the target.

  • Frostbite can be used by Crystal Maiden to create simple hooks for Pudge.

  • Pudge's requirements for mana are met by Arcane Aura.

  • To kill the majority of heroes early in the game or to stop a hero from taking out Crystal Maiden while she channels, Dismember can be combined with Freezing Field.

Bloodseeker

  • Bloodseeker's use of Rupture can stop enemies from moving, making it simple for Pudge to land the Meat Hook. In addition, Rupture will severely harm an enemy that Meat Hook is dragging.

Omniknight

  • Meat Hook is a great setup for Purification because it attracts enemies to the small area where Purification is located. Additionally, the heal guarantees that Pudge can recover his health following Rot.

  • Dismember's damage is determined by Pudge's strength, so Heavenly Grace's increased strength will cause Dismember to deal a lot more harm.

  • Pudge can repair damage from Rot because of the additional regeneration granted by Heavenly Grace.

  • The potent dispel shields Pudge from disables that prevent him from using his abilities to defend himself or escape from Meat Hook, Rot, or Dismember.

Counters

Abaddon

  • Borrowed Time can be used by Abaddon to remove Dismember, ending the disable and possibly enabling Abaddon to escape.

  • Dismember's stun can be removed by using Aphotic Shield on an ally, but this can make kills more challenging to secure because Dismember is Pudge's only reliable disable.

  • Without a Blink Dagger, Pudge is less mobile and is more easily pursued by Curse of Avernus. He is unable to turn off his Rot because of the silence.

Anti-Mage

  • Anti-Mage might be able to escape Pudge's grasp by blinking to safety if Meat Hook is used before Blink.

  • Anti-Mage gains significant magic resistance thanks to Counterspell, a damage type Pudge relies on heavily to secure kills. As a result, Pudge should avoid attacking Anti-Mage. If timed properly, the active can also prevent Dismemberment.

  • Pudge's low mana reserves could be quickly depleted by Mana Break, making Meat Hook and Dismember useless.

Bristleback

  • Pudge's low armor and poor agility gain make him especially vulnerable to Bristleback's viscous nasal goo and quill spray.

  • Bristleback is a difficult target for Pudge because of his strength gain, high health, common itemization for magic resistance, and damage reduction from Bristleback.

Bounty Hunter

  • It is very difficult for Track to hook Bounty Hunter or his teammates from the fog of war because Track can easily keep vision of Pudge.

  • From a long distance, Shuriken Toss cancels Dismember.

Chaos Knight

  • Chaos Knight is the worst target for Pudge to hook because, unlike other illusion heroes, it will undoubtedly backfire on him.

  • Due to Pudge's low armor, phantasm deal full damage and are significantly tankier than most illusions.

  • It gets worse if Pudge contracts Reality Rift, which further lowers his already pitiful base armor.

  • In most circumstances, Pudge will find it difficult to outrun or escape from Chaos Knight due to his slow movement and mobility.

Doom

  • Doom stops Rot from being toggled and, if used at the right time, could leave Pudge with a fatal health loss.

  • Doom is a difficult target for Pudge due to his naturally high health, strength gain, and damage output.

  • Due to Pudge's naturally high health and the additional health provided by stacks of Flesh Heap, Doom's Infernal Blade's damage scales with the target's maximum health.

Legion Commander

  • Press the Attack by a Legion Commander on an ally will remove Dismember. When Rot is active, the bonus health regeneration also partially mitigates the damage it deals. This allows Legion Commander to successfully duel Pudge without risking a fatal health drain from Rot.

Lifestealer

  • Due to Pudge's high health and the additional health provided by stacks of Flesh Heap, the lifesteal of Feast scales in accordance with the maximum health of its target, making it effective against him.

  • Lifestealer has the ability to use Rage to become immune to spells, rendering Rot harmless.

  • Pudge is a prime target for Aghanim's Shard from Lifestealer due to his high health. Open Wounds, a Shard power of the Aghanim.

Mirana

  • Mirana might be able to leap away from Pudge's grasp if Meat Hook is used before Leap.

  • The degree of mobility provided by Moonlight Shadow's invisibility can make Mirana and her teammates challenging targets to hook.

  • Dismember can be canceled far away with Sacred Arrow.

Necrophos

  • Pudge is another hero who can be effectively defeated by the Heartstopper Aura due to his high health. Pudge might find it dangerous to be around Necrophos given his self-damage from Rot.

  • Necrophos is the perfect counter to Pudge because no matter how much health Pudge gains from Flesh Heap, Reaper's Scythe will frequently kill Pudge should his health drop below 40%.

Night Stalker

  • Crippling Fear's silence and Void's mini-stun will prevent Pudge from using Dismember or turning off his Rot.

  • Night Stalker is a poor target for Pudge because of its high health, natural ability to gain strength, and common itemization for magic resistance.

Nyx Assassin

  • Mana Burn depletes Pudge's meager mana, possibly making Meat Hook and Dismember useless.

  • If used at the right time, Impale and Spiked Carapace can even cancel Dismember when Pudge uses it on Nyx Assassin.

Outworld Destroyer

  • Pudge is a good target for Sanity's Eclipse because it deals more damage to heroes it hits the less max mana they have.

  • Outworld Destroyer can use Astral Imprisonment to free any allies or self caught in Dismember or Meat Hook.

Phantom Assassin

  • In the laning phase, Phantom Assassin can consistently use Phantom Strike to retreat to a more secure location after taking damage from Meat Hook.

  • Later, Blur can use its brief invisibility to help Phantom Assassin buy some time so that it can get away from a potential Dismember.

  • Pudge lacks armor and depends on raw health to be tough. When combined with Pudge's propensity to itemize armor reduction, Fan of Knives and the rest of Phantom Assassin's kit quickly dispatch Pudge. Pudge might be forced to purchase inexpensive armor pieces like Blade Mail, delaying the acquisition of his more crucial accessories like the Blink Dagger and Hood of Defiance.

Slardar

  • It is difficult for Pudge to use Meat Hook from the fog of war on Slardar's teammates or Slardar himself because Corrosive Haze makes Pudge's location known.

  • Pudge is using Dismember when Slithereen Crush interrupts him.

  • Slardar can avoid Meat Hook thanks to Guardian Sprint.

Slark

  • Dismember is removed by Dark Pact if the timing is right.

  • Once Dismember is over, Pounce enables Slark to avoid hooks and escape Pudge's Rot.

  • Slark can be challenging to hook because of his high level of mobility and concealment provided by Shadow Dance. He is also protected from Pudge's Dismember (including allies equipped with an Aghanim's Shard).

Tidehunter

  • After taking a certain amount of damage, Kraken Shell has the ability to remove Dismember.

  • Tidehunter is a difficult target due to his or her naturally high health, strength gain, and common itemization for magic resistance.

Timbersaw

  • Due to Pudge's high strength gain from Flesh Heap, the percentage-based primary-attribute reduction effect of Whirling Death can be devastating.

  • Timbersaw is a poor target for Pudge due to Reactive Armor's health regeneration and common itemization for magic resistance and durability.

  • Due to Timber Chain's high mobility, it is challenging for Pudge to hook or significantly damage Timbersaw with Rot.

Weaver

  • Weaver gaines high levels of mobility and invisibility from Shukuchi for a brief period of time, which can make him challenging to hook.

  • Pudge struggles to get rid of the swarm beetles because of his slow base attack time and lack of agility. Furthermore, it can be used to find Pudge's location.

  • Aghanim's Scepter upgraded Time Lapse can be used on an ally who has been caught by Meat Hook to send them back to where they were before hooked, even if Pudge has already begun to dismember them.

Items Counter

Lotus Orb

Lotus Orb: Will block Dismember.

Force Staff

Force Staff: Can be used to get away from Pudge's Rot slow or his Meat Hook.

Manta Style

Manta Style: Makes Meat Hook much more difficult to land due to the illusions and duration of invulnerability.

Diffusal Blade

Diffusal Blade: Will exhaust Pudge's meager mana supply.

Glimmer Cape

Glimmer Cape: Meat Hook's duration of invisibility makes landing difficult.

Eul's Scepter of Divinity

Eul's Scepter of Divinity: Can be used to reverse the effects of Pudge's Dismember, letting your ally leave. You can use it on yourself to avoid being caught by hooks.

Blink Dagger

Blink Dagger: Is not the best option, but it can help you dodge a hook quickly.

Favorable Matchups

Crystal Maiden

  • Even if Crystal Maiden is wearing a Glimmer Cape, Meat Hook can still cancel Freezing Field.

  • She is a vulnerable target for ganking because she is also slow and weak.

Drow Ranger

  • The Drow Ranger's Marksmanship will be disabled if Meat Hook drags her to Pudge.

  • Drow Ranger won't be able to use Gust or Shadow Blade after Dismember.

Sniper

  • Sniper is weak to Pudge's magical and pure damage because of his low health reserve and strength gain.

  • Meat Hook is able to bring Sniper to the front lines even though he prefers to deal damage from a distance.

  • Due to Pudge's high strength gain and the strength bonuses from Flesh Heap, Assassinate won't do much damage to him.

  • The majority of shrapnel will be obstructed by Flesh Heap's active.

Spectre

  • Spectre is prevented from escaping with Haunt by Pudge's Dismember.

  • Due to his high strength and the healing from Dismember, he can easily withstand the damage that Dispersion reflects.

  • Pudge can hook Spectre back if she attempts to flee with Spectral Dagger through the trees or over a cliff.

  • Spectre takes a while to develop her power, and Pudge's ganks can sabotage her early game.

Tinker

  • Tinker can be lured to Pudge by using Meat Hook while he is hiding in the trees, and a follow-up with Dismember and Rot can result in a significant kill since Tinker doesn't purchase many items to increase his survivability.

  • Tinker struggles to deal significant damage because of Flesh Heap.

Zeus

  • Zeus prefers to fight from the back, dealing continuous damage, but once he gets involved, he typically perishes very quickly.

  • Zeus finds it extremely difficult to take down Pudge because of his high strength from the Flesh Heap.

  • Zeus is extremely susceptible to the damage from Meat Hook, Rot, and Dismember due to his low health pool.

Game plan

Early game

Pudge doesn't require a lot of early farming; therefore, stay in the middle until level 6, then roam and gank. You could either try to kill mid with a strong Meat Hook and Rot combo to level up quickly, which I don't advise doing, or you could try to early gank lanes, which will cost you a lot of experience mid and probably won't result in a kill since you lack your ulti. Level 6 is where the fun starts. You can permanently gank if you buy arcane boots and a bottle (you need rune control so ask your supports to put wards there). This is because you have good mana and health regen items that let you spam your skills and always roam without returning to base. The ganking phase is important. You need to obtain kills, lots of kills, in order to have a useful late pudge (the last game with pudge I was god-like in 20m but we lost). Your role also entails harassing and clearing space for your carry, and Pudge is skilled at doing so. Smoke of Deceit will make it simpler to sneak behind the enemy line (in Dota, you must be a ninja) and gain quick kills, quick gold, and quick experience. If you extend too far, for example, a Force Staff will assist you in escaping the danger.For Pudge Urn of Shadows, which you can eventually purchase only if this stage is going poorly, I didn't include it in my early game.

Mid game

You can rush a Heart of Tarrasque in under 30m if your ganking stage went well. In team fights, enemies won't deal much damage to you as a result, allowing you to tank and kill simultaneously. It significantly enhances your pushing strategy because you can spam Rot without taking any damage yourself. This will enable you to rush an Aghanim's Scepter, which grants lifesteal and increases damage from dismember, in less than 10 meters. You are a killing machine right now.

Late game

I felt a strong need to increase Pudge's speed at this point. Normally, you can't kill enemies with a hook and rot combo, and since you want to use the Force Staff to flee, you have to act quickly in order to Rot them with a right click. You gain +16 in agility, attack speed, and a 16% improvement in movement speed from Sange and Yasha. If you don't have a lot of gold to spend, Mask of Madness is also a good option. When activated, it increases your movement speed by 25% and attack speed by 100%. Additionally, in order to be visible all over the map, you should sell your arcane and purchase Boots of Travel. Black King Bar is an optional item; Shiva's Guard is a good final item because it has more tankiness.