Home / Pudge / Pudge Hook Lab Pudge Hook Lab Twenty situations where Meat Hook works, each on a simple schematic map: where Pudge stands, where the target walks and where to aim. Every card says what to do and why it works, and links the guide the facts come from.
Schemes are our own simplified drawings, not the game map. Hook range and speed change with patches: see the abilities page for the current values. Pudge abilities
All situations 01 From the tree line at a last hit02 Straight through a row of trees03 From the high ground above a ramp04 Through a gap late in the clash05 A side angle past the wave06 A hero running back to the tower07 In front of an enemy who chases08 Right after an ally's stun09 On a hero who channels10 At a Twin Gate11 Pull the rune from the trees12 Pull a teammate out of trouble13 Save, then hook again (Aghanim's Shard)14 Fake first, then the real hook15 Smoke into position16 Between two jungle camps17 A blind hook along a clear path18 Blink to a new angle19 Drag out a carry with Black King Bar20 Skip the tank, pick the right target01 From the tree line at a last hit
Situation You stand in the trees beside the lane. An enemy walks up to hit a dying creep.
What to do Aim at the spot next to that creep, on the enemy's side, and throw as they step in.
Why it works A hero going for a last hit walks a clear line and stops to attack. From the trees they cannot see you coming. Read the guide #
02 Straight through a row of trees
Situation An enemy walks behind a thin row of trees and feels safe from your hook.
What to do Throw through the trees if no creep or hero stands on the line.
Why it works Meat Hook flies through trees and cliffs. Only units stop it. Read the guide #
03 From the high ground above a ramp
Situation You wait on high ground next to a ramp. Enemies walk past below.
What to do Hook a hero who walks past the bottom of the ramp, then follow up with your team.
Why it works Units on low ground cannot see the high ground without a ward or a flying unit, so the target gets no warning. Read the guide #
04 Through a gap late in the clash
Situation The two creep waves have fought for a while and only a few creeps are left.
What to do Look for a clean line between the last creeps and throw at the hero behind them.
Why it works A thin wave has holes. The hook only fails when a unit stands on its line. Read the guide #
05 A side angle past the wave
Situation The enemy hero hides right behind a full creep wave in the middle of the lane.
What to do Walk to the edge of the lane or the trees and throw diagonally past the wave.
Why it works Head-on, almost every line crosses creeps. From the side, the line can miss them. Read the guide #
06 A hero running back to the tower
Situation A low-health enemy turns and walks back toward their tower.
What to do Aim along their retreat line, a little in front of them, not to the side.
Why it works A retreating hero heads for safety on a predictable path. The hook takes time to fly, so lead the target. Read the guide #
07 In front of an enemy who chases
Situation An enemy chases your ally and commits to one direction.
What to do Throw in front of the chaser, on the chase path, before your ally runs past the line.
Why it works A hero who chases is focused on their target and rarely dodges. Make sure your ally is not the first unit on the line. Read the guide #
08 Right after an ally's stun
Situation Your ally lands a stun or root on an enemy hero.
What to do Throw at once, while the target still cannot move.
Why it works A stunned or rooted hero cannot dodge, so the hook only needs a clean line. Read the guide #
09 On a hero who channels
Situation An enemy stands still to channel a spell, an item or a teleport.
What to do Hook them. A standing target is easy to hit, and the pull ends the channel.
Why it works A hooked enemy is disabled during the pull, and a disable that stops casting ends a channel. Teleports are visible to you, so watch for them. Read the guide #
10 At a Twin Gate
Situation An enemy starts using a Twin Gate to cross the map.
What to do Hook them while they channel at the gate.
Why it works Using a Twin Gate is a channel. If the hook lands, the warp is broken and the hero ends up next to you instead. Read the guide #
11 Pull the rune from the trees
Situation A rune sits in the river and an enemy may be waiting near it.
What to do Stay in the trees and hook the rune to you instead of walking into the river.
Why it works Meat Hook can grab a rune and drag it back. Re-test this in Demo Hero mode after a big patch. Read the guide #
12 Pull a teammate out of trouble
Situation An ally with no escape is caught by several enemies.
What to do Hook the ally back to you, but only if your spot is safer than theirs.
Why it works The hook pulls allies too, without damage. The ally always lands next to you, so your position decides the save. Read the guide #
13 Save, then hook again (Aghanim's Shard)
Situation You own Aghanim's Shard. An ally is chased, and the chaser follows closely.
What to do Hook the ally to safety first, then throw the next hook at the chaser.
Why it works With the current Shard, a hook that catches an ally gets a much shorter cooldown, so the second throw comes back fast. Read the guide #
14 Fake first, then the real hook
Situation An enemy dodges every time they see you turn toward them.
What to do Start the cast and press Stop before the hook leaves. Throw the real hook where they dodge to.
Why it works A cast canceled before it fires costs no mana and no cooldown, but the enemy has already used their dodge. Read the guide #
15 Smoke into position
Situation You want to reach the trees next to a lane, but the enemy watches the path.
What to do Use Smoke of Deceit with your team to walk in unseen, then wait for a clean line.
Why it works Smoke hides your group until you get close to an enemy hero or tower, so the enemy has no reason to juke. Read the guide #
16 Between two jungle camps
Situation An enemy farms the jungle and walks from one camp to the next.
What to do Wait in the fog and aim at the gap between the camps on their route.
Why it works A farming hero repeats the same route and walks with a clear purpose, which makes the next step easy to guess. Read the guide #
17 A blind hook along a clear path
Situation An enemy just walked into the fog along the only sensible path.
What to do Throw along that path even though you cannot see them.
Why it works Meat Hook is aimed at a point, so it can go into fog. Use it only when the path is easy to guess. Read the guide #
18 Blink to a new angle
Situation Every line to the target is blocked by creeps or other heroes.
What to do Blink to the side of the group, then throw the hook from the fresh line.
Why it works Blink Dagger moves you a short distance at once, and the enemy has less time to react to a hook from a new spot. Read the guide #
19 Drag out a carry with Black King Bar
Situation The enemy carry activates Black King Bar and walks into your team.
What to do Hook them away from the fight or into your team, then focus on positioning rather than damage.
Why it works Meat Hook pierces spell immunity, so the pull works. The current BKB blocks the hook's Pure damage. Read the guide #
20 Skip the tank, pick the right target
Situation A durable front-liner stands closest to you, with a fragile hero behind.
What to do Wait for a line to the hero your team can kill quickly instead of hooking the tank.
Why it works Pulling a tanky front-liner into your backline can hurt your own team. The hook is worth most on a target you can finish. Read the guide #
ADVICE
These are gameplay tips, not statistics: each situation rests on fact-checked points from our guides, and the call to throw is always yours.