Pudge Shotcalling: How to Call Plays

Pudge makes plays that the whole team has to react to. A hook can start a fight in an instant, so your teammates need a warning before it happens. Good shotcalling as Pudge is short and clear: a ping, a few words, and a plan everyone can follow.

Why should Pudge be the one who calls plays?

Your hook decides when the fight begins. If it lands, an enemy is suddenly in the middle of your team. If your allies are farming or looking the other way, that free kill turns into a wasted cooldown.

Pudge also spends a lot of time in the trees and the river. You often see enemy movements before anyone else does. That makes you a natural source of information, even when you are not the captain of the team.

You do not need to give orders all game. Your job is to share what you see and say what you are about to do. Let the team decide the rest.

How do you use pings without spamming?

A single ping says more than a long message. Ping the enemy you want to catch, then ping the spot where you plan to wait. Your allies now know the target and the place.

Keep it to one or two pings per idea. A wall of pings is noise, and people start to ignore it. Worse, it can annoy teammates who are trying to focus.

Some pings are worth saving for key moments:

• A ping on an enemy hero you can see on the minimap that others might miss.
• A "danger" or "retreat" ping when you spot several enemies moving together.
• A ping on a rune or a camp where you expect an enemy to show up.
• A ping on yourself or your position when you want a teammate to come to you.

What should you say on voice or in chat?

Short calls work best. Long sentences arrive too late, and in a fight nobody has time to read them. Aim for a few words that answer "who, where and when".

Useful calls sound like this:

• "Going for their support, bottom river."
• "Hooking now, follow up."
• "Missed, back off."
• "Need smoke, let's gank mid."

Say the call before you act, not after. "Hooking now" gives your allies a moment to turn toward the fight. "I hooked him" only tells them they are already late.

If you play without voice, quick chat lines and the chat wheel do the same job. Keep them calm and practical. If someone starts to argue, do not reply in kind. Mute them and keep playing. The flame and mute guide covers how to handle a heated team.

When should you ask for a smoke?

Smoke of Deceit lets your group walk past enemy vision. Pudge benefits a lot because getting close without being seen is half the work of a good hook.

Ask for smoke when you have a clear target and a plan. "Smoke for mid, their hero has no escape" is a call people can say yes to. "Let's do something" is not.

Check that enough allies are free to join. A smoke with only two heroes often goes wrong if the enemy reacts fast. The smoke gank guide explains how to plan the route and the approach.

How do you tell the team you are about to hook?

This is the most important call Pudge makes. Your allies need to be in place before the hook flies, or the catch may not turn into a kill.

Give a short warning when you are lining up the throw. "Ready to hook, stay close" is enough. When you throw, say "hooking". If it lands, the team already knows to jump in.

If you miss, say so at once. "Missed, careful" stops your allies from walking into a fight that is no longer good. The missed hook guide explains what to do in the moments after.

FAQ

Should Pudge always be the shotcaller?

No. Pudge should call his own hooks and share what he sees. Bigger calls, like when to take a tower or fight around an objective, can come from whoever has the best view of the game.

What if my team ignores my calls?

Keep them short and useful, and play to what your team does. Some players do not read chat or use voice. In that case, pick targets close to where your allies already are.

Is it worth calling in a solo queue game?

Yes. Clear pings help strangers follow your plays. See the solo queue guide for more on working with players you do not know.

Checklist

• Ping the target and the spot before you move.
• Say "hooking now" before the throw, not after.
• Call a miss right away so allies can back off.
• Ask for smoke only with a clear target and plan.
• Keep pings and chat short and calm.
• Mute anyone who flames and keep playing.