Which Pudge Abilities Go Through BKB?

Two Pudge abilities go through BKB and spell immunity: Meat Hook and Dismember. Rot does not, so it will not damage or slow an enemy with Black King Bar active. Meat Shield is a self-cast and Flesh Heap is Pudge's innate passive, so spell immunity on enemies does not change how you use them.

Does Meat Hook go through BKB?

Yes. Meat Hook pierces spell immunity. If it hits an enemy with Black King Bar active, it still drags them back to Pudge.

The hook also deals Pure damage. Pure damage is not reduced by armor or magic resistance. The current Black King Bar, though, makes its owner immune to Pure damage while it is active. So against an active BKB the hook still pulls, but the hit itself deals no damage. Check the current hook damage on Pudge abilities, since values change with patches and level.

This makes the hook one of the few ways to pull a spell-immune carry out of position. When an enemy activates BKB to fight freely, a hook can still move them away from their team or into yours.

Does Dismember go through BKB?

Yes. Dismember also pierces spell immunity. You can target an enemy who has BKB active and channel on them.

Dismember deals Magical damage. How much of it lands on a spell-immune target is a separate question from whether the spell can affect them. Look up the current behavior and values on the abilities page before you count on a kill.

Only strong dispels remove Dismember from the target. The Dismember guide covers targets, timing and canceling in more detail.

Does Rot work against BKB?

No. Rot deals Magical damage and does not pierce spell immunity. An enemy with BKB active takes no damage and no slow from it.

Rot still damages Pudge himself while it is on. So running Rot next to a spell-immune enemy only costs you health. Turn it off, or move to an enemy who is not immune. The Rot tips explain when to toggle it.

What about Meat Shield and Flesh Heap?

Meat Shield is a no-target, instant self-cast. It only affects Pudge, so an enemy BKB does not block it. It also cannot be dispelled.

Flesh Heap is Pudge's innate passive ability. Since it is a passive, there is nothing to cast at an enemy, and their spell immunity does not change how you play it.

How should you play when the enemy uses BKB?

When a key enemy goes spell immune, your toolkit shrinks to two spells against that hero: the hook and your ultimate. Plan around those.

A common approach is to save the hook for that moment. Pulling a spell-immune carry away from the fight can buy your team the time BKB was meant to deny. You can also hook them into your team if your allies deal physical damage.

Switch Rot to other targets. If the enemy carry is immune but their supports are not, stand where Rot hits the supports. That still adds pressure and slow to the fight.

Do not waste your ultimate on a target your team cannot finish. Dismember can hold a spell-immune hero, but it only pays off if your allies follow up. Wait for your team to be in range before you commit.

Should Pudge buy BKB himself?

Black King Bar gives Pudge spell immunity, just like any other hero. That protects him from many enemy spells, including many disables that would interrupt a Dismember channel. It does not block everything, since some enemy abilities pierce spell immunity too.

Whether it is worth buying depends on the game. Look at how many disables the enemy has and how often you get stopped mid-channel. You can see what Pudge players buy in each phase on the Pudge items page.

Checklist

• Use Meat Hook freely on spell-immune enemies; it still pulls them.
• Use Dismember on a spell-immune target only when your team can follow up.
• Turn off Rot when the only enemy near you has BKB active.
• Stand where Rot hits enemies who are not spell immune.
• Save a hook for the moment the enemy carry activates BKB.
• Check current ability values before relying on damage numbers.