Best Heroes to Pair With Pudge

The best heroes to pair with Pudge are the ones that make his hook easier to land, keep him alive after he dives, or show him where enemies are. That means allies with disables that hold a target still, allies with strong saves, and allies who bring vision. This page groups partners by what they bring, so you can judge any draft, not only the heroes named here.

Is there data on Pudge's best allies?

Not on this site. We track how Pudge does against each enemy hero on the matchup pages, but we do not have win rates for heroes on his team. So nothing below is a statistic or a ranking.

This is mechanics-based advice. Each example hero is named because we checked that their ability does what we describe. Whether the pair wins depends on the players, the lanes and the rest of the draft.

Which allies help Pudge land hooks?

Meat Hook is a skillshot. A target who cannot move is the easiest target there is. Allies who lock a hero in place turn a hard hook into a simple one.

Some verified examples:

• Crystal Maiden's Frostbite encases an enemy in ice, so they cannot move or attack.
• Lion's Earth Spike stuns every enemy along a straight path.
• Treant Protector's Overgrowth stops enemies around him from moving or blinking.
• Disruptor's Kinetic Field makes a barrier that enemies cannot pass.
• Vengeful Spirit's Magic Missile stuns a single target.

The idea is simple. Your partner disables, you aim at a target that will not dodge. Talk about the order before the gank, so the hook does not fly a moment too early.

What are the best laning partners for Pudge?

That depends on which lane Pudge plays. As a roaming support, he often leaves his lane, so his partner should be able to hold a lane alone for a while. As an offlaner, he wants a support who can keep him safe while he looks for hook angles.

Either way, lane partners with a reliable hold are worth thinking about. Lion, Crystal Maiden and Vengeful Spirit can each stop a target in lane with the spells listed above. A held enemy in lane is an easy hook, and an easy hook in lane often means a kill.

For the lane itself, our laning tips and support tips cover the Pudge side of the job.

Which allies keep Pudge alive after a hook?

A good hook often pulls an enemy into a fight right next to Pudge. Then Pudge channels Dismember and stands still. That is when he is most exposed, so a save is worth a lot.

Verified saves to look for:

• Dazzle's Shallow Grave stops an ally from dying while it lasts.
• Oracle's False Promise delays damage taken and removes most disables with a strong dispel.
• Abaddon's Aphotic Shield puts a damage barrier on an ally and applies a strong dispel.
• Winter Wyvern's Cold Embrace freezes an ally in a cocoon that heals and blocks physical damage.

Remember that a frozen or shielded Pudge still needs to make good choices. A save buys time. It does not fix a bad dive.

Which allies give Pudge vision for hooks?

Pudge throws best when he can see the target and the target cannot see him. Partners who reveal the map give him more of those moments. The warding guide explains why this matters.

Examples with verified vision tools:

• Treant Protector's Eyes in the Forest gives vision at an enchanted tree, and the eyes are invisible.
• Clockwerk's Rocket Flare can hit anywhere on the map and gives vision over the impact area for a short time.
• Slardar's Corrosive Haze gives vision of one enemy and reveals them if they turn invisible.
• Vengeful Spirit's Wave of Terror gives vision of the path ahead.

These help most in the middle of the game, when Pudge roams and needs to find a lone target.

What Pudge combos work with allies?

Some heroes can move Pudge or move enemies toward him. These are the flashy pairs players search for, and they need practice.

• Io can Tether to Pudge and then Relocate both of them to any spot on the map. When the spell ends, they return to where they started.
• Earth Spirit's Geomagnetic Grip can pull an allied unit, which can drag Pudge into a better hook position.
• Snapfire can feed Pudge a Firesnap Cookie. He hops a short distance and stuns enemies where he lands.
• Tiny's Toss can launch the nearest unit, ally or enemy, toward a target.

Pudge can also help his allies. With Aghanim's Shard, hooking an ally cuts Meat Hook's cooldown by half. The ally hook guide covers saves and repositioning in detail.

How do you judge a partner in your own draft?

Ask three questions about each ally. Can they hold an enemy still? Can they keep Pudge alive while he channels? Can they show him targets in the fog? A hero who answers yes to one of these already helps.

Then check the other side. A team with no way to hold anyone makes Pudge rely on raw prediction. That is fine for a confident Pudge, but it makes each hook harder. Our page on heroes like Pudge helps if you need a different pick instead.

Checklist

• Treat this as mechanics advice; the site has no ally win-rate data.
• Value allies who hold a target still before you throw the hook.
• Look for a save such as Shallow Grave, False Promise or Aphotic Shield.
• Use vision tools from allies to find lone targets in the fog.
• Agree on the order of disable and hook before you gank.
• With Aghanim's Shard, remember that hooking an ally shortens your cooldown.