How to Counter Pudge

To counter Pudge, deny him clean hook angles, keep vision where he likes to hide, and save a stun or silence for his ultimate. Most of his kills start with a hook from the fog. If you take away surprise and break his channel, he becomes far less dangerous.

Which heroes are good against Pudge?

We do not guess at this. For heroes with a clear advantage against Pudge in real match data, see the Pudge counters page. For every hero's record against him, see the Pudge win rate by opponent.

Use that data as a starting point, not a rule. A hero who does well against Pudge on average still needs to play the matchup well. The tips below apply to any hero you pick.

How do you avoid Pudge's hooks?

Meat Hook flies in a straight line and drags the first unit it hits. Your best defense is a creep between you and Pudge. Stand behind your wave when you last hit, and avoid walking alone in open lines.

Change your movement. A hero who walks in a straight line at a steady pace is easy to predict. Small changes of direction and pauses make hooks much harder to land.

Stay out of narrow paths when Pudge is missing from the map. Jungle paths and river entrances give him clean lines with nothing in the way. If you must go there, walk with a teammate or check the area with vision first.

How do you spot Pudge before he hooks?

Pudge relies on the fog. Fog of war hides him, and most good hooks come from a spot you cannot see. Observer Wards near the river, side lanes and jungle paths take that away.

Watch the minimap. When Pudge disappears from his lane, assume he is coming. Call it out to your team and play safer for a while.

Smoke of Deceit lets Pudge and his team move unseen until they get close. If several enemies vanish at once, a smoke gank may be on the way. Group up or move toward your tower.

Can Black King Bar stop Pudge?

Only in part. Black King Bar gives spell immunity, and Rot does not pierce spell immunity. With it active, Rot will not hurt or slow you.

Meat Hook and Dismember both pierce spell immunity. A Pudge can still hook you and hold you with his ultimate through Black King Bar. Do not count on it to save you from his main combo.

Our guide on which Pudge spells go through BKB lists each ability in detail.

How do you stop Dismember?

Dismember is a channeled ultimate. Like other channeled spells, it stops when Pudge gets stunned, silenced or hit by a similar disable. Keep one of those ready when Pudge is close to your team.

Dismember can only be removed by strong dispels. A basic dispel on the target will not free them. If your team has a strong dispel, keep it for the moment Pudge catches someone.

React fast. The sooner you break the channel, the less damage your ally takes. Watch Pudge rather than the hooked ally, and disable him as soon as the channel starts.

How should you play against Pudge's defensive tools?

Meat Shield is a defensive self-cast that cannot be dispelled. When Pudge uses it, he is preparing to take damage. Consider whether it is better to wait out the effect or to switch to another target.

Pudge also has Flesh Heap as his innate passive. Check the current values on Pudge abilities before you judge how tanky he will be in a fight.

How do you punish a Pudge who misses?

A missed hook puts Meat Hook on cooldown and costs him mana. That is your window. Trade hits with him, push the wave or take a last hit he was guarding.

If he misses while standing in the open, you know where he is. Tell your team and consider turning on him if your lane is stronger. A Pudge who keeps missing loses gold and experience, which makes him weaker for the whole game.

Checklist

• Stand behind your creep wave when Pudge has a clear line.
• Ward the river and jungle paths he uses to approach.
• Play safe when Pudge disappears from the map.
• Do not rely on Black King Bar against Hook or Dismember.
• Save a stun or silence to break Dismember.
• Punish missed hooks by trading or pushing the wave.