Pudge Meat Hook and Smoke of Deceit
Updated: (today) · 4 min read · Facts checked Oct 6, 2026 on patch 7.41
Casting 
Meat Hook does not break Smoke of Deceit. Smoke is broken when a smoked unit attacks, or when an enemy hero or tower comes close enough. Spells and items do not break it. But the hook itself is not hidden. The enemy sees the chain fly, even if they cannot see Pudge. And if you pull a hero into your group, they are now close, so your smoke is gone. Meat Hook can also catch smoked enemies, since it hits invisible units.
ADVICE
This page is about how the hook and the smoke work together. For the full gank plan, read the smoke gank guide.
Does Meat Hook break Smoke of Deceit?
The cast alone does not. Smoke stays on you when you use spells or items. What ends it is an attack, or an enemy hero or tower coming within its break range.
That sounds like a free hook from smoke. It is not quite free, for two reasons.
First, the hook is visible. Spell effects show even when the caster is hidden. An enemy who sees the chain coming knows a Pudge is near and roughly where.
Second, the hook brings the target to you. A hero dragged into a smoked group ends up right next to it. That is well inside the break range, so the smoke drops for Pudge and the allies near him. Plan for the smoke to end the moment the hook lands.
What does the enemy see when a smoked Pudge hooks?
They see the hook but not you. The chain appears out of nowhere and flies toward its target. A sharp enemy reads the line and knows where it came from.
Sound matters too. Meat Hook can be heard in the fog. Even an enemy without vision may react to the noise and look around.
A miss from smoke still costs you. Your smoke may hold, but the enemy is now alert. They will move away from the area or call their team. So treat a smoked hook as your opener, not a test throw.
Can you hook enemies who are smoked?
Yes. Meat Hook hits invisible units, and smoked heroes are invisible. If a smoked enemy walks into the hook's path, the hook catches them and pulls them in.
The hard part is aim. You cannot see a smoked enemy, so you have to guess. The hook is a skillshot aimed at a point, so you can throw it into an empty-looking spot. Use what you know:
- Several enemy heroes vanish from the map at once. That often means a smoke.
- Enemy heroes are missing and a fight just ended nearby.
- A teammate's ward or hero suddenly dies with no enemy in sight.
Throwing on a hunch costs mana and cooldown. Only do it when you have a strong read. A hook that does land on a smoked hero shows their group and may wreck their gank before it starts.
How should Pudge hook while smoked?
The best smoked hook is the first move of the fight. Walk in smoke to an angle the enemy does not expect. Stop before you get close enough to break the smoke. Then throw.
A few points help:
- Stand at the edge. Keep a gap between you and the enemy so the smoke holds until you choose to act.
- Check the line. Your own smoked allies are units too. A teammate in front of you will block the hook.
- Agree on the follow-up. Once the target lands, the smoke is gone. Your team should be ready to hit at once.
- Have a second plan. If the hook misses, decide fast. Either push in with your team or back off.
The fog hooks guide covers throwing from hidden spots without smoke, which uses the same patience.
What goes wrong with hooks in smoke?
The common mistakes are simple. Pudge walks too close and the smoke breaks before he throws. Or an ally attacks too early. Or the group stands in a clump, and the hook hits a teammate instead of the enemy.
Another mistake is hooking a target your team cannot kill. The hook ends the smoke. If your allies cannot finish the job, you showed yourselves for nothing. Check what your team can do first. Values like damage and cooldowns are on the abilities page.
FAQ
Does casting spells break smoke?
No. Spells and items do not break Smoke of Deceit. Attacking does, and so does an enemy hero or tower coming close.
Will the enemy see my hook if I am smoked?
Yes. The hook is visible even when Pudge is not. They may also hear it in the fog.
Can Meat Hook pull a smoked hero?
Yes. The hook hits invisible units, so a smoked enemy in its path gets caught and pulled.
Does the smoke break after I land a hook?
Usually. The pulled hero ends up next to you, which is inside the break range, so the smoke drops.
Checklist
- Stop short of the enemy so the smoke holds until you throw.
- Keep smoked allies out of your hook line.
- Treat the smoked hook as the opener and have follow-up ready.
- Expect the smoke to end once the target lands.
- Throw at smoked enemies only on a strong read.
- Back off fast if the smoked hook misses.
Read next: Meat Hook micro-mechanics
- Big guide · Pudge Hook Hitbox ExplainedHow the Meat Hook hitbox works: hook width, which unit it grabs first, edge hits, travel and return, and why a hook that should have hit missed.
- Can Pudge Hook Runes?Yes, Meat Hook can pull a rune back to Pudge, and sources report a mana refund. How the start-of-game rune hook works and what is unconfirmed.
- Pudge Hook Cast Time ExplainedMeat Hook has a short cast animation before it flies. Why it gives enemies a reaction window, how to hide it in fog or behind creeps, and how to fake it.
- Pudge Turn Rate and HooksPudge must face the throw direction before Meat Hook is cast. How turn rate adds delay, how to pre-face your hook and why fast hooks start from facing.
More Pudge guides
- Pudge Smoke GanksHow to run smoke ganks with Pudge: when to smoke, how to walk under smoke, who opens the fight, and what to do after the hook lands.
- Pudge Warding: Vision for Better HooksHow vision sets up Pudge hooks: where to ward, how trees and high ground hide you, when blind hooks are worth it, and how to clear enemy wards.
- Common Pudge MistakesThe common Pudge mistakes that lose games: blind hooks, standing in plain sight, leaving Rot on, wasting Dismember and forgetting Meat Shield.