How to Bait With Your Support as Pudge

A Pudge support bait uses one hero as the lure and another as the trap. Your support looks easy to catch. An enemy walks in to take the kill. Then Pudge, waiting nearby, punishes them. It also works the other way around, with Pudge as the lure and the support as the trap. Done well, it wins trades. Done badly, it hands the enemy free gold.

What does a support bait look like?

The basic idea is simple. One hero shows weakness. The other hides strength.

A common version: your support stands a little forward in lane, near the enemy side of the creeps. They look out of position. You stand in the trees or behind the creep wave where the enemy cannot see you clearly. The enemy steps up to attack the support. That step puts them in your hook line.

Another version flips the roles. Pudge walks up as if to throw a hook. The enemy focuses on dodging you and steps toward a support who has a stun or slow ready. Now your support starts the fight and you finish it.

Both versions rely on the same thing: the enemy is looking at the wrong hero.

How should you set it up with your support?

A bait without a plan is just a mistake. Agree on the basics before you try it.

• Who is the lure? Pick the hero who can survive a few hits.
• Who is the trap? Pick the hero with the catch or the disable.
• Where is the trap standing? The lure should pull the enemy toward that spot, not away from it.
• When do we stop? Decide what counts as too much risk.

Keep spells ready. A bait with your hook on cooldown is just a support standing alone. Your mana matters too. If you cannot cast Meat Hook and follow up, wait.

The best heroes with Pudge guide covers which partners have the disables that make baits safer.

How do you communicate a bait in a pub game?

In a party, voice makes this easy. In solo queue you have pings and short chat lines.

Ping the spot where you are hiding so your support knows where to drift. A short team chat line such as "bait, I am in the trees" is enough. Keep it brief. Long messages get ignored or read too late.

If your support does not answer, do not assume they understand. Many players focus on their own lane and miss pings. Try the bait only when you can see they are playing along. A lure who does not know they are a lure is just a teammate in trouble.

Never use chat to blame a partner when a bait fails. It makes the next try less likely to work. The Pudge flame and mute guide has more on keeping comms useful.

When does a bait turn into a feed?

A bait becomes a feed when the enemy gets more than they risked. Watch for these signs:

• The enemy has more heroes nearby than you can see. Missing enemies on the map are a warning.
• The lure is too low to survive the opening damage.
• The enemy has burst spells that kill the lure before you can act.
• Your hook line is blocked by creeps. Remember that the hook grabs the first unit it meets.
• Your trap hero is too far away to help in time.

If two or more of these are true, call it off. Back away and try again later. There is no shame in a bait that never happens. There is real cost in one that fails.

What do you do once the enemy bites?

Act fast. The bait only buys a short window. Hook the target as soon as the line is clear. Turn on Rot to slow them. Your support should add their disable right away.

If the enemy is about to escape, Dismember can hold them in place while your support hits. If you are at low health after the fight starts, Meat Shield can buy time.

Do not chase too far after a win. A short trade that sends them back to base is still a good result. The Pudge mind games overview explains why steady wins add up.

FAQ

Is it fair to use a teammate as bait?

Yes, as long as they agree and the risk is shared. Baiting is a normal part of team play. Throwing a teammate into danger without telling them is not a bait.

Who makes the best lure, Pudge or the support?

It depends on who can survive the first hits. Pudge has more health in many cases, but the support may be the hero the enemy wants to kill more.

What if the enemy never takes the bait?

Then the threat is still working. An enemy who refuses to step up loses farm and space. Use that time to push or set up something else.

Checklist

• Agree on who is the lure and who is the trap.
• Keep your hook and mana ready before you try a bait.
• Make sure the hook line is not blocked by creeps.
• Call it off if enemies are missing or the lure is too low.
• Strike fast once the enemy commits, then reset.