DOTA: Pudge hero guide

Pudge - The Butcher
Range: 128 | | Move Speed: 285 | Primary: STR
Str: 25 + 3.2 | Agi: 14 + 1.5 | Int: 14 + 1.5
Damage: 52 - 58 | HP: 625 | Mana: 182
HP Regen: 1 | Mana Regen: 0.57
Attack Speed: 1.46 (+ 14% IAS) | Armor: 1

Level 1 Butcher

625/625
182/182

DMG: 52 - 58 ARMOR: 1 STR: 25 AGL: 14 INT: 14

Hero Attributes:
Strength
- Primary Attribute
-Each point increases damage by 1
-Each point increases hit points by 19
-Each point increases hit point regen
Strength per level: 3.2
Hit point regen: 1 hp/sec

Agility
-Every 7 points increase armor by 1
-Each point increases attack speed by 1%
Agility per level: 1.5

Intelligence
-Each point increases mana by 13
-Each point increases mana regen
Intelligence per level: 1.5
Mana regen: 0.57 mana/sec

Launches a bloody hook at a unit or location. The hook will snag the first target encounters, dealing damage then dragging the victim back to the Butcher.

Level 1 - 400 range, 100 damage.
Level 2 - 600 range, 200 damage.
Level 3 - 800 range, 300 damage.
Level 4 - 1000 range, 400 damage.
Mana Cost: 140
Cooldown: 15

Pudge releases the disease and filth inside of him, dealing intense damage to and slowing enemies within 200 range by 20% while hurting Pudge as well.

Level 1 - 25 damage/second.
Level 2 - 50 damage/second.
Level 3 - 75 damage/second.
Level 4 - 100 damage/second.
Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A

Pudge is made of innumerable rotting corpses, giving him extra protection against spells as well as the chance to add more to his bulk.

Level 1 - 4% magic reduction, 0.03 Str bonus per unit kill, 0.3 for hero kill.
Level 2 - 8% magic reduction, 0.06 Str bonus per unit kill, 0.6 per hero kill.
Level 3 - 12% magic reduction, 0.09 Str bonus per unit kill, 0.9 per hero kill.
Level 4 - 16% magic reduction, 0.12 Str bonus per unit kill, 1.2 per hero kill.Pudge can gain strength by killing allied units.
Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A

Chows down on a target, causing excruciating pain.
Lasts 6 seconds on units, 3 seconds on heroes at all levels. Channeling spell.

Level 1 - 75 damage/second.
Level 2 - 125 damage/second.
Level 3 - 175 damage/second.
Mana Cost: 100/ 130/ 160
Cooldown: 30

Skill to lvl:
Rot,
Meat Hook,
Rot,
Meat Hook,
Meat Hook,
Dismember,
Meat Hook,
Rot,
Rot,
Flesh Heap,
Dismember,
Flesh Heap,
Flesh Heap,
Flesh Heap,
Stats,
Dismember,
Stats,
Stats,
Stats,
Stats,
Stats,
Stats,
Stats,
Stats,
Stats.

Items to purchase:
Ring Of Health,
Ironwood Branch x 2,
Boots Of Speed,
Messerschmidts Reaver,
Vitality Booster,
Heart of Tarrasque,
Either
Boots Of Travel
or
BattleFury.

All the above items and level guide are purely my personal opinion.

During the starting of the game, I will usually start with a Ring Of Regeneration and 2 Ironwood Branch. After purchasing them I will then proceed to either the top or bottom lane. Whether I will be soloing or partnering with a team mate does not really matter. However, if the opponent is a ranged or nuke hero, it will really be good if there is another ranged or nuke team mate helping out. Else, if the opposition is just a ranged or melee hero, the above item choice should be able to regenerate any hp loss cause by the harassing of the enemy.

During the early part of the game, everyone will fight to farm and deny each other. That is why I choose to level Rot first. As everyone knows, if you attack an enemy hero, all the enemy creeps will flock over and attack you. And its really annonying that you have just wasted more than half your hp caused by the creeps attacking you when all you want to do is to harass the opponent and try to deny him. So what I try to do was, I will stay in my lane trying to kill my own creeps to deny him as per normal, ignoring him when he tried to hit me because I know he will be ganged by my creeps. Anyway the Ring should be able to regenerate any hp loss by the attacks. Trying to get the last hit is tricky. I will activate Rot when there are creeps left with a bar of health and quickly deactivating it, praying to get the last hit in the procress. In this case, if the opponent is trying to deny you, anywhere near you or even trying to hit you, will be hurt by the Rot. And the creeps will not be gang banging you!

As you reach level 7, that is when Pudge really shine, especially if there are low hp heros on the other team. Once I reach level 7, I usually look for my victims and camp in the forest waiting for them. Look for heros with a hp lower than your character. Whether they are pushing, defending, in the top, bottom or middle lane does not matter.

As your hook can go through forest as long as the target is within range, give your opponent a surprise and hook him into the forest. Once you hook the hero back, Dismember and activate Rot. After the combo, the opponent is usually dead, if not, just chase after him till he is. Try not to attack the opponent while chasing unless you are going to land the last hit as hitting him will create a wider gap between you and him and the Rot might not be affecting him then. Try and backstab as many heros as you can using this method and go for a Heart of Tarrasque. If you are really having difficulties killing or earning enough for the Heart of Tarrasque, farm neutral creeps.

I love late game and thats why I love Pudge. I enjoy the feeling of torturing the opponents during late and not ending the game. Getting a Perseverence and then BattleFury means I have lots of regenerate and ability to farm more creeps. And because of Flesh Heap, the more creeps I farm and the stronger I become.

I like it especially when the opposite team push to the front of my base. Then I can take my own sweet time to choose which hero I want to isolate and drag him into my base. There, the hero will be plummet by 5 heros will the other 4 watch helplessly from the outside.

Similarly, nothing beats hooking the opponent hero out of their base when they are frantically defending it! Ahh... The joy of hooking...