How to Avoid Pudge Hooks

To avoid Pudge hooks, keep a unit between you and every place he could be hiding, and take away his hiding places with vision. Meat Hook grabs the first unit on its line, so a creep or a ward in the right spot does most of the work. The rest is reading the map before you walk into the trees.

This page is about hook avoidance only. For the full matchup plan, including his ultimate and his defensive tools, read how to counter Pudge.

Why do Pudge hooks come from the trees?

Trees block vision. A Pudge standing in a tree line can see the lane or the jungle path through his own allies' vision, while you see nothing. That is the whole trick.

The hook does not care about the trees. It flies straight through trees and over cliffs, and only a unit on the line catches it. So a wall of trees between you and him is not a shield. It is cover for him.

High ground works the same way. Units on low ground cannot see up a slope without help. A Pudge waiting at the top of a ramp is invisible to a hero walking below.

How do you dodge a Pudge hook you can see coming?

You often get a short warning. Pudge has to turn and wind up before the hook leaves. If you see him start the motion, change direction at once.

Step sideways, not straight back. A hook aimed at your path is still on your path if you only walk away from it. A small turn to the left or right gets you off the line faster.

Watch out for fakes. A Pudge can start the throw and cancel it to bait your dodge. If he does, expect the real hook right after, aimed at where you just moved. Our page on the Pudge fake hook shows how that trick looks from his side, and how Pudge players predict hooks shows what they read in your movement.

How do you stand behind creeps against Pudge?

In lane, the simplest defense is your own wave. When you move up for a last hit, keep a creep on the line between you and Pudge. If the hook comes, the creep takes it instead of you.

Think about where Pudge is, not only where the creeps are. A creep in front of you does nothing if Pudge has walked around to your side. Each time he moves, adjust your spot so the wave stays in his way.

Be careful when the wave is thin. Late in a creep wave's life, gaps open up and lines appear. That is a good moment to step back and let the next wave arrive.

Where should you ward against Pudge?

Ward the spots he uses to wait, not only the lanes. An Observer Ward gives ground vision around it, so a ward beside a tree line or at the top of a ramp shows you who is hiding there.

Good places to think about:

• The tree lines next to your safe lane and offlane, where a hook can reach the lane.
• Jungle paths your team walks often, especially near neutral camps.
• High ground over the river and around rune spots.
• The paths from his side of the map toward your jungle.

Do you need Sentry Wards against him? Usually not for Pudge himself. A Sentry Ward grants True Sight but no ground vision, and Pudge has no invisibility of his own. Smoke of Deceit also gives invisibility that True Sight cannot reveal. Sentries matter only if he buys an item that turns him invisible.

How do you counter Pudge hiding in trees in the jungle?

The jungle is where he finds the cleanest lines. Paths are narrow, creeps are rare and you are often alone. A few habits help a lot.

• Walk through the jungle with a teammate when Pudge is missing.
• Stand on the far side of a neutral camp, so the neutral creeps sit between you and the trees.
• Avoid long, straight paths where he can see you coming from far away.
• Cut trees to open sight lines. A Quelling Blade can destroy a tree, and a Tango eats one.

When you clear a tree near a camp you farm often, you remove one of his favorite waiting spots. Vision through that gap also shows you an approach that was hidden before.

What should you do when Pudge disappears from the map?

Treat a missing Pudge as a Pudge walking toward you. Look at where he was last seen and which of your heroes are closest. Those heroes should play near creeps or near each other for a while.

Ping his last position and tell your team. A single ping can stop a support from walking alone into the jungle to stack a camp.

You can also check the paths with vision before you enter them. A quick ward or a scouting hero in the trees costs less than a death.

What about spell immunity and other defenses?

Black King Bar will not save you here. Meat Hook pierces spell immunity, so it still pulls a hero who has it active. Our guide on which Pudge spells go through BKB covers the details.

If you do get hooked, the next danger is his ultimate. Read how to stop Dismember so your team knows how to break it. For matchup data against him, see the Pudge counters page.

Checklist

• Keep a creep or a neutral creep between you and any tree line he could use.
• Dodge sideways the moment Pudge starts his throw, then expect a second hook.
• Ward tree lines, jungle paths and ramps, not only the lanes.
• Skip Sentry Wards against him unless he has an invisibility item.
• Cut trees near camps you farm often to open sight lines.
• Ping and play together whenever Pudge vanishes from the map.