My very first guide will be dedicated to...
Pudge the Butcher!!! as of v6.70c


Contents

1) Description
2) Skills and Explanation
3) Skill Build
4) Items Build
5) Hooking Spots
6) Techniques

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Description

Strength: 25 + 3.2
Agility: 14 + 1.5
Intelligence: 14 + 1.5

625 hp
182 mana
52-58 damage
1 armor

285 movespeed
1.46 base attack time
Attack range of 128 (melee)

Background Story
An undead behemoth seemingly impervious to even the most potent magic, this starving abomination roams the battlefield, continually in search of unwary prey. It is said his victims catch only a glimpse of his monstrous frame as they are dragged them through the shadows, bleeding profusely as a jagged hook etches deeper in their flesh. Wails of agony echo in the distance, only to be drowned out by the Butcher's maniacal laughter as he severs their limp bodies with his great maw. Unspeakable horrors ensue in a deathly silence, a dreadful omen for what is to come.

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Skills

Mea[T] Hook
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 - Deals 90 damage and drags the victim to the Butcher.
Level 2 - Deals 180 damage and drags the victim to the Butcher.
Level 3 - Deals 270 damage and drags the victim to the Butcher.
Level 4 - Deals 360 damage and drags the victim to the Butcher.

Casting range: 550/700/850/1000
Area of Effect: 125
Mana Cost: 110/120/130/140
Cooldown: 14/13/12/11

Your bread and butter skills to initite engagments and to kill. Hook damage will be affected by armour and magical resistance.
Tips: Many people say hook will not work on pros in games. However so, there is a simple trick to it. If you're hooking in clear vision of your opponent, try to 'cheat' them into thinking that you're hooking straight at them. Most pro will stop at the spot to lure you into hooking them. Cheat them back by aiming at a position either left or right of them! Its a 50-50 chance though!

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[R]ot
Pudge releases the disease and filth inside of him, dealing intense damage to and slowing surrounding enemies while hurting Pudge as well.

Level 1 - 25 damage per second.
Level 2 - 50 damage per second.
Level 3 - 75 damage per second.
Level 4 - 100 damage per second.

Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A
Area of Effect: 250

Another skill good for killing. Although the return damage to yourself seems high, it is still spammable once you have HoD and 2 levels of flesh heap! use it to clear creep wave or when you execute the Hook combo!

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[F]lesh Heap
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 - Gives Pudge 4% extra resistance to spells. +0.9 STR for hero kills.
Level 2 - Gives Pudge 8% extra resistance to spells. +1.2 STR for hero kills.
Level 3 - Gives Pudge 12% extra resistance to spells. +1.5 STR for hero kills.
Level 4 - Gives Pudge 16% extra resistance to spells. +1.8 STR for hero kills.

Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A

This is an imbalance skill for strength heroes. As pudge is a killer machine in early-mid games. This skill gives the perfect attribute for pudge to be a late game tanker. Once you hit level 6 or level 4 hook, run around to kill lurking int/agil heroes!

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[D]ismember
Chows down on a target, causing excruciating pain. Lasts 6(3) seconds at all levels.

Level 1 - 75 damage/second, 75 + 0.75x strength damage per second with Aghanim's Scepter.
Level 2 - 125 damage/second, 125 + 0.75x strength damage per second with Aghanim's Scepter.
Level 3 - 175 damage/second, 175 + 0.75x strength damage per second with Aghanim's Scepter.

Mana Cost: 100/130/170
Cooldown: 30
Casting range: 160

A good disable skill. Bites down the enemy immobilising both yours and their movement. However you can still use item and rot! Bite them and rot them to death! Please note that with Aghanim's Sceptor, you will regen life whenever you land Disemember!

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Skills

Level 1 : Rot/Hook (Depending on rune and lane hero)
Level 2 : Rot/Hook (Depending on what you pump in first skill)
Level 3 : Hook
Level 4 : Rot
Level 5 : Hook
Level 6 : Dismember
Level 7 : Hook
Level 8 : Flesh Heap
Level 9 : Rot
Level 10: Rot
Level 11 : Dismember
Level 12 : Flesh Heap
Level 13 : Flesh Heap
Level 14 : Flesh Heap
Level 15 : Stats
Level 16 : Dismember
Level 17-25 : Stats

Depending on situations. Max between rot/flash heap. If you think that your rot does not play a big part in killing enemies during engage because there are many nukers or disable, max your flash heap first because of the str gain and the magic resistance which will give you more tank

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Items Build

Starting Items
Random: 2 tangos, 2 clarity potions, 1 healing slave, 1 chick (550/853 Gold)
save the rest to rush for arcane boots

Pick: 2 tangos, 2 clarity potions, 1 healing slave, 1 chick (550/603 Gold)

Pick after random: 2 tangos, 2 clarity potions, 1 healing slave (370/503 Gold)
or 2 tangos, 1 clarity potions, 1 healing slave, 1 chick (490/503 Gold)

Recommended Core Items in Getting Order
. Arcane Boots (1500)
. Hood of Defiance (2125)
. Ahganim's Sceptor (4200)

Recommended Luxury Items
. Linken Sphere (You may want to have a good mana regen and blocking of stun when you ulti!)
. Heart of Tarrasque
. Radiance (High dps with rot)
. Guinsoo
. Blademail (You will get hit very often with rot on! So protect yourself!)
. Ghost Sceptor (Good but doesn't really buff up the HP and strength. Double edge!)
. Dagon (More mana, magic resistance and 400 nuke!)
. Lothar (Biting and lothar will ensure a safe move or walking up to some and bite!)
. Necromicon Book 1-3 (Good if only you can micro well!)
. Force Staff (Good replacement for Dagger since you cannot use)
. Assault Currier (I would prefer Shivas Guard since pudge doesn't need the AS)

Bad Items
. Butterfly
. Battle Fury
. Solely damage items like buriza, Divine Riaper

For me, my max item will be [Arcane Boots, HoD, Ahganim Sceptor, Linken Sphere, Heart of Tarrasque, Shivas Guard]

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Hooking Spots

Will update soon

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Techniques

There are 2 ways to execute a full combo of Pudge. Lets us see how you can do it.

. Hook from a blind spot and turn rot on immediately
. If you successfully hook your target in, dismember him and kill him so after

. Enter the engage through a fog spot and dismember your target immediately with rot on.
. Time your dismember. When it's about to end, hook him/her from point blank.

. Hook will take some time to travel to your target. If your target is moving, predict where will the end of the hook be and aim for that spot even if your target is walking in a linear fashion or random fashion!

Fog Spot Hooking

Always play around with the fog. Time your hook and execute it when you're confident. Missing a hook may initiate a wrong engagement or scare your enemies back. Be mindful of day and night and slopes in the map. In day, vision will be bigger thus allowing enemies to see you from fog that are invisible in the night.

Team

. Team up with a stunner/slow hero for better lane-ing. While your target is being stunned, slowed or sheep-ed, get into a nice hooking spot from point blank and dismember him.

. Hook is a invaluable ability. Do not only think hook is for hooking enemies to your vacinity. Help your teammates by hooking them over to you when they are about to die!

. Also, if you are about to die, you can try hooking an Earthshaker without a dagger to you. You may change the tide of the game unknowingly!

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I hope you guys enjoyed my guide and I hope to hear constructive comments on how to improve my guide! Cheerios for the new year and look out for my next guide featuring
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Captain Obvious aka Admiral Podmore!
@Lex Lim 31/12/2010