Pudge · Soft Support (pos. 4)
Pudge Laning 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
Position 4 starts in the off lane with your offlaner: harass the enemy carry, block or pull their camp when it helps and look for the first rotation to mid once the runes spawn. Early, your objectives are a winning off lane, the power runes with your mid and the first rotations for kills.
Strengths
- Valve tags Pudge as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
- Heavy magical burst: Valve lists it as a Nuker.
- Clear job in the team: help your offlaner win the hard lane, rotate for kills and make space with your spells.
Weaknesses
- Melee: has to walk up to its target, which makes the lane harder against ranged heroes.
- Low base armor (0): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- No escape in the kit: without good positioning and vision, Pudge is easy to catch.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Laning itemsBalancedRecommendedWhat leaves the fountain and what lands in the first ten minutes, with what each item gives you.
- Most-played buildBalancedAdvancedThe items most bought with this hero, phase by phase. Pick it when you don't have a clear reason to deviate. Built from what Pudge players buy in the public matches we measured.
Builds
Laning items
When to use it
What leaves the fountain and what lands in the first ten minutes, with what each item gives you.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
318%226%156%- OfflaneMain56% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
- Safe lanePriority 226% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- MidPriority 318% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Blink Dagger
Boots
Skill order
Max order:Rot›Meat Shield›Meat Hook
| 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
- 1.5x Flesh Heap and Meat Shield bonuses1.5x Dismember Damage/Heal25
- +0.75s Dismember Duration-4s Meat Hook Cooldown20
- +8% Spell Lifesteal+150 Meat Hook Damage15
- +10% Rot Slow+5 Armor10
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 Pudge players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
318%226%156%- OfflaneMain56% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
- Safe lanePriority 226% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- MidPriority 318% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Blink Dagger
- 2Aghanim's Scepter
- 3Aether Lens
- 4Consecrated Wraps
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Rot›Meat Shield›Meat Hook
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- 1.5x Flesh Heap and Meat Shield bonuses1.5x Dismember Damage/Heal25
- +0.75s Dismember Duration-4s Meat Hook Cooldown20
- +8% Spell Lifesteal+150 Meat Hook Damage15
- +10% Rot Slow+5 Armor10
Abilities
- Meat Hook18 / 16 / 14 / 12s120 mpLaunches a bloody hook toward a unit or location. The hook will snag the first unit it encounters, dragging the unit back to Pudge, killing it if it's a non-ancient creep and dealing damage if it is an enemy otherwise.
- Damage
- 150·220·290·360
- RotA toxic cloud that deals intense damage and slows movement--harming not only enemy units but Pudge himself.
- Radius
- 250
- Move slow
- -14%·-20%·-26%·-32%
- Damage
- 30·60·90·120
- Meat Shield20 / 19 / 18 / 17s65 / 70 / 75 / 80 mpPudge covers himself with a layer of flesh that blocks damage of any type taken from any source.
- Damage block
- 8·14·20·26
- Duration
- 4·5·6·7
Flesh HeapPassivePudge's skin thickens permanently every time he kills an enemy Hero, gaining 2 bonus Strength for each stack.- Dismember30 / 25 / 20s100 / 130 / 170 mpCHANNELED - Pudge chows down on an enemy unit, disabling it and dealing damage over time. Damage is increased by Pudge's Strength and heals him for the total amount. Pudge pulls the unit at a rate of 75 units, up to a minimum of 125 range.
- Damage per second
- 80·100·120
- Strength multiplier
- 0.3·0.6·0.9
- Duration
- 2.75
- Strength increase
- 0
- Strength duration
- 0
Most played skill order
The most played order in the last 100 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.
Max order:Rot›Meat Shield›Meat Hook
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Strategy
1Starting and early items
The first items decide how comfortable the lane is. The lane build below lists them with what each one gives you.
- Key early items: Bracer and Soul Ring.
2Trading
Harass when the enemy core walks up to last hit: every hit you land is gold your carry keeps. The kit brings sustain with Dismember.
3Wave management
Keep the creep equilibrium close to your tower when you're weaker, deny to cut the enemy's experience and pull the jungle camp to reset a lane that's pushing too far.
4Early objectives
Early, your objectives are a winning off lane, the power runes with your mid and the first rotations for kills. Your spikes are level 6, when Dismember comes online, and your core items: Blink Dagger and then Aghanim's Scepter.
Tips
- Harass when the enemy core walks up to last hit: every hit you land is gold your carry keeps.
- Bracer is your first purchase that changes the lane: get it early.
- Early, your objectives are a winning off lane, the power runes with your mid and the first rotations for kills.
- Don't fight next to the enemy creeps: early on they hit hard.
Matchups
Strong against
- Gyrocopter61.4%win rate in the matchup
Pudge wins 61.4% of the 114 games measured against Gyrocopter this patch.
114 matches
- Lich60.0%win rate in the matchup
Pudge wins 60.0% of the 145 games measured against Lich this patch.
145 matches
- Lina59.6%win rate in the matchup
Pudge wins 59.6% of the 141 games measured against Lina this patch.
141 matches
Weak against
- Doom38.6%win rate in the matchup
Pudge only wins 38.6% of the 114 games measured against Doom this patch.
114 matches
- Phoenix40.0%win rate in the matchup
Pudge only wins 40.0% of the 140 games measured against Phoenix this patch.
140 matches
- Kez42.5%win rate in the matchup
Pudge only wins 42.5% of the 127 games measured against Kez this patch.
127 matches
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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