We break down what you can do to gain MMR with Pudge, one of the most popular heroes.
There are only a few heroes that are as popular as Pudge. This is by far the most played hero in every meta when it comes down to pubs. Despite being one of the Dota 2 heroes with the highest skill cap, Pudge is picked in every MMR bracket. He is also among the few heroes capable of fitting in pretty much every role, except for position 1.
Many people don’t like when someone from their team picks Pudge because they think the hero isn’t worth it. While it is true that Pudge can be useless in some scenarios, this is a hero that can make a significant difference when played correctly. That’s why we’ve decided to point out a few interesting things that will help you gain MMR with Pudge.
Position four with Pudge
As we’ve mentioned at the beginning of this review, Pudge is among the heroes in Dota 2 that is capable of filling in almost any role. We will talk more about this later in this article, but in his chapter, we’d like to focus on the fact that you should pick the hero as a position four support. Some people may argue, but we believe this is Pudge’s best position because he can help every lane.
If you have the chance to pick Pudge and play as a pos 4, your main job will be to gank the enemy lanes. It’s important to remember that this hero is incredibly strong early on. Some people even purchase Boots of Speed and try to run down their enemies with Rot. This tactic can work well, especially if Pudge is paired with another hero that has a stun.
Once you hit level 3, you should have a level 2 Meat Hook, which means it is time to start ganking. A good hook usually results in a kill, so you need to be as precise as possible. One of the things you can do to increase your accuracy is purchasing a Smoke and using it while ganking.
Pudge in the mid lane
Despite the advantages of picking Pudge as a position 4 support, he can also work in several other lanes, one of which is mid. Mid lane Pudge used to be the go-to option in OG DotA, even in pro games. Danil “Dendi” Ishutin used to pick Pudge as a mid laner even in Dota 2, but people came to realize on most occasions, it’s just not worth it ..
If you decide to pick Pudge as a mid laner, you’ll have the bonus of leveling faster than everyone else. This will allow you to get level 6 ASAP and start ganking the enemy team. Although this seems good on paper, failing to win your lane will make you really weak because you won’t be as effective as you might think.
The good news is that Pudge can be pretty strong in some 1v1 matchups, especially against melees. However, due to his low armor, he is not good versus range heroes that do a lot of physical damage. One of the best examples here is Templar Assassin, a hero that many people think Pudge counters. In reality, it is the other way around because TA can almost three-shot Pudge, as long as she levels Meld.
Another matchup where Pudge is not really good is against Shadow Fiend and Invoker. Although a good hook can win him the lane, these heroes can kill Pudge pretty easily because of their magical damage.
The Items
In order to gain MMR, you need to know which items to get. This is where it gets exciting because Pudge is one of the heroes in Dota 2 that can easily purchase any item in the game and make it work. As with any other hero in the game, the items you should go for are based on your position.
If you have to play as a position four support, you need to get as many utility items as possible. The first and most important thing you should get is a Blink Dagger. As you may remember, Pudge used to be one of the heroes in Dota 2 that you couldn’t get a blink for because it was too strong. Needless to say, this is a sign that the item does wonders because you can always jump and use your ultimate on a hero.
Another perfect item for Pudge is Aether Lens. Besides the bonus mana, which is always a plus, the hero gets more range for his hook and ultimate. This makes him even more unpredictable, especially early on.
Late Game
Pudge is definitely not the strongest hero for the late game, but this doesn’t mean he can’t be pretty good in certain situations. A good Meat Hook can make a huge difference, especially if he manages to snatch the carry. Even though the hero’s abilities are not particularly strong, the fact that he is unpredictable makes him extremely dangerous.
If you fail to hook someone, the second-best thing you can do is to use Blink and immediately your ultimate. This will disable one of the enemy heroes and prevent them from using spell their abilities for at least a couple of seconds. Needless to say, Dismember usually gives enough time to Pudge’s teammates to kill the specific hero.
