Monkey King · Carry (pos. 1)
Monkey King Guide
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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.
Overview
Monkey King is a melee Agility hero that Valve tags as Carry, Escape and Disabler. It is played mainly as Carry (pos. 1): 59% of the public matches we measured, by starting lane and starting items. In this guide you play it as Carry (pos. 1): your job is to farm efficiently, hit your item timings and win the late game. The kit brings crowd control (stun) with Boundless Strike, mobility with Tree Dance and sustain with Jingu Mastery. Its ultimate is Wukong's Command. This patch, Monkey King wins 45.5% of the 177,733 public matches we measured (D tier on our ladder).
Strengths
- Reliable stun: Boundless Strike sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Mobility: Tree Dance gets Monkey King in and out of fights.
- Sustain from Jingu Mastery to stay in lane and in fights.
- Scales into a late-game threat as the items come in.
Weaknesses
- Melee: has to walk up to its target, which makes the lane harder against ranged heroes.
- Low base armor (1): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Item-dependent: weak until Desolator is done.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Most-played buildBalancedRecommendedThe items most bought with this hero, phase by phase. Pick it when you don't have a clear reason to deviate. Built from what Monkey King players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Survival buildDefensiveSituationalPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Black King Bar and Echo Sabre. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Monkey King players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Team utility buildUtilitySituationalBuilt around the popular items that help your allies — Echo Sabre and Battle Fury. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Monkey King players buy in the public matches we measured.
Builds
Most-played build
When to use it
The items most bought with this hero, phase by phase. Pick it when you don't have a clear reason to deviate. Built from what Monkey King players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
233%159%- Safe laneMain59% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 233% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Desolator
- 2Black King Bar
- 3Echo Sabre
- 4Diffusal Blade
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Boundless Str…›Tree Dance›Jingu Mastery
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Talents by level
- Additional Wukong's Command Ring-1 Jingu Mastery Required Hits25
- Jingu Mastery Undispellable+60% Boundless Strike Critical Damage20
- 0 Cooldown Primal Spring+110 Jingu Mastery Damage15
- +300 Tree Dance Cast Range+0.2s Boundless Strike Stun Duration10
Survival build
When to use it
Prioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Black King Bar and Echo Sabre. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Monkey King players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
233%159%- Safe laneMain59% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 233% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 2Echo Sabre+20 Damage, +15 Strength, +1.75 Mana Regeneration.
- 3Battle Fury+50 Damage, +7.5 Health Regeneration, +2.75 Mana Regeneration. Active: Chop Tree.
- 4Manta Style+10 Strength, +26 Agility, +10 Intelligence. Active: Mirror Image.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Boundless Str…›Tree Dance›Jingu Mastery
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
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Talents by level
- Additional Wukong's Command Ring-1 Jingu Mastery Required Hits25
- Jingu Mastery Undispellable+60% Boundless Strike Critical Damage20
- 0 Cooldown Primal Spring+110 Jingu Mastery Damage15
- +300 Tree Dance Cast Range+0.2s Boundless Strike Stun Duration10
Team utility build
When to use it
Built around the popular items that help your allies — Echo Sabre and Battle Fury. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Monkey King players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
233%159%- Safe laneMain59% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 233% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Echo Sabre+20 Damage, +15 Strength, +1.75 Mana Regeneration.
- 2Battle Fury+50 Damage, +7.5 Health Regeneration, +2.75 Mana Regeneration. Active: Chop Tree.
- 3Mage Slayer+18% Magic Resistance, +5.5 Health Regeneration, +2.5 Mana Regeneration.
- 4Harpoon+25 Damage, +25 Strength, +10 Agility. Active: Draw Forth.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Boundless Str…›Tree Dance›Jingu Mastery
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | ● | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
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| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● |
Talents by level
- Additional Wukong's Command Ring-1 Jingu Mastery Required Hits25
- Jingu Mastery Undispellable+60% Boundless Strike Critical Damage20
- 0 Cooldown Primal Spring+110 Jingu Mastery Damage15
- +300 Tree Dance Cast Range+0.2s Boundless Strike Stun Duration10
Abilities
- Boundless Strike24 / 21 / 18 / 15s85 / 90 / 95 / 100 mpMonkey King enlarges his staff and slams it against the ground, stunning enemies in a line and damaging them with bonus damage and a critical hit based on his attack. Has True Strike.
- Stun duration
- 0.7·0.9·1.1·1.3
- Critical damage
- 120%·140%·160%·180%
- Bonus damage
- 20·40·60·80
- Distance
- 1100
- Tree Dance0.9 / 0.6 / 0.3sMonkey King jumps to a tree and perches atop it. While perched, he gains the Primal Spring ability-a channeled leap attack. If Monkey King's tree is destroyed, he falls and is stunned for 3s. Taking damage while on the ground puts Tree Dance on cooldown.
- Distance
- 900
- Damage cooldown
- 3
Primal Spring18 / 16 / 14 / 12s100 mpCHANNELED - Monkey King springs out from his tree perch, damaging and slowing enemies in the area where he lands. Damage and slow amounts are in proportion to channel duration.- Damage
- 110·200·290·380
- Movement slow
- 30%·40%·50%·60%
- Max slow duration
- 4
- Jingu MasteryPassiveMonkey King's attacks awaken the Jingu Bang's power. Upon the fourth hit on the same enemy hero, Monkey King earns 4 charged attacks that have bonus damage and lifesteal.
- Required hits
- 4
- Counter duration
- 5.5·7·8.5·10
- Bonus damage
- 30·80·130·180
- Bonus lifesteal
- 20%·40%·60%·80%
- Buff duration
- 35
Mischief24.5sChanges Monkey King's shape to deceive opponents, using the environment nearby as inspiration for the disguise. Taking damage, attacking, or using any item or ability breaks Monkey King's disguise. Grants damage immunity for 0.1 seconds upon transforming.- Bonus move speed
- 8%
- Wukong's Command100 / 90 / 80s100 mpMonkey King creates a circular formation of soldiers that spread out from his position. If Monkey King leaves the area his soldiers disperse. The soldiers have Monkey King's attack that attacks at a fixed rate of 1.1s, and only targets enemy Heroes. Monkey King is granted bonus armor for the spell's duration.
Monkey King can transform into any one of his soldiers during Wukong's command, taking i
- Bonus armor
- 15·20·25
- Soldier damage
- 0%
- Duration
- 14
Spring Early
Revert Form1sReverts Monkey King's shape to his original form.
Most played skill order
The most played order in the last 96 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.
Max order:Boundless Str…›Tree Dance›Jingu Mastery
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | ● | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● |
Strategy
1Early game
The first ten minutes are about last hits. Stay close to your supports, deny when you can and only trade when the enemy offlaner overextends: a death now costs more than any kill is worth. Trade right-clicks only when the enemy walks up to last hit, and step back as soon as their support shows up.
- Early items: Wraith Band and Perseverance.
2Mid game
With Desolator done, farm the lanes the map lets you farm safely and join the fights that happen near you. Your team is making space; your job is to turn that space into items like Black King Bar. Your spikes are level 6, when Wukong's Command comes online, and your core items: Desolator and then Black King Bar.
- Core items: Desolator, Black King Bar and Echo Sabre.
3Late game
Late, you are the win condition. Farm dangerous areas only with vision, group for Roshan and high ground, and keep gold for buyback: dying before the fight loses the game.
- Late items: Eye of Skadi and Harpoon.
4Team fights
Walk in after the enemy has used their key disables, hit whatever you can reach safely and keep Tree Dance for getting out. Use Wukong's Command where it hits the most enemies or catches the key target.
Tips
- Last-hit every creep you can in the first ten minutes: Monkey King needs Desolator before taking real fights.
- If you can't see the enemy supports on the map, assume they are coming for you and farm closer to your towers.
- Once Black King Bar is done, stop farming alone: move with your team to take towers and Roshan.
- From the mid game on, keep enough gold for buyback before buying your next big item.
- Plan fights around Wukong's Command: without it, Monkey King is far less threatening.
- Keep Tree Dance for getting out, not for chasing.
Matchups
Strong against
- Shadow Fiend59.1%win rate in the matchup
Monkey King wins 59.1% of the 137 games measured against Shadow Fiend this patch.
137 matches
- Lion58.6%win rate in the matchup
Monkey King wins 58.6% of the 111 games measured against Lion this patch.
111 matches
- Pangolier58.4%win rate in the matchup
Monkey King wins 58.4% of the 166 games measured against Pangolier this patch.
166 matches
- Bristleback58.4%win rate in the matchup
Monkey King wins 58.4% of the 101 games measured against Bristleback this patch.
101 matches
- Mars57.4%win rate in the matchup
Monkey King wins 57.4% of the 101 games measured against Mars this patch.
101 matches
Weak against
- Hoodwink48.3%win rate in the matchup
Monkey King only wins 48.3% of the 180 games measured against Hoodwink this patch.
180 matches
- Beastmaster49.0%win rate in the matchup
Monkey King only wins 49.0% of the 100 games measured against Beastmaster this patch.
100 matches
- Snapfire49.6%win rate in the matchup
Monkey King only wins 49.6% of the 131 games measured against Snapfire this patch.
131 matches
Works well with
Soul Rip from Undying keeps Monkey King alive, and Monkey King is the damage the team needs to protect.
Purifying Flames from Oracle keeps Monkey King alive, and Monkey King is the damage the team needs to protect.
Boundless Strike from Monkey King holds enemies in place for Ravage from Tidehunter.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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