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Hero Mastery
Hoodwink
A nimble tree-based roamer: Bushwhack traps enemies and Acorn Shot ricochets between trees, while Sharpshooter punishes from across the screen.
Mastery parameters
Your GPM, last hits and damage per game against other Hoodwink players — average vs Top 20%.
Members onlyLearning journey
- 1 Know the kit
- 2 Win the lane
- 3 Timing & rotations
- 4 Win the fights
- 5 Master
5 stages, each with one target from your own games and one short quiz. Make Hoodwink your mastery hero to start — progress shows on Home and Arcana.
Sign in through SteamPhase by phase
The 1v1: last hits + rune control
You 70%Team 30%
Skills in lane — Max Bushwhack (W) for your go-to gank stun + damage. Weave Acorn Shot (Q) for the nuke + trees (which enable Bushwhack); one Scurry (E) point to escape.
Acorn Shot → Bushwhack combo — Acorn Shot plants a tree; immediately Bushwhack onto it to pull + stun the target. This is your core gank combo from laning on.
Skills 1–7
1
2- 3
4- 5
6- 7
Starting items
Iron Branch27%
Tango16%
Faerie Fire15%
Blood Grenade14%
Sentry Ward9%
Circlet of Nobility8%
Items this phase
- Tango
- Faerie Fire
- Iron Branch
Bottle
Magic Wand
Boots of Speed
The Midlaner's job this phase
- Focus on last hits & denies — a 10-creep lead by minute 5 is a real level advantage.
- Minutes 6, 8, 10, …: check water/power runes. A full Bottle means you can spam spells.
- Ask a support to arrive 30 seconds before power runes when your lane is rough.
Hoodwink
Counters & weaknesses
Magic burst hero
The items that shut Hoodwink down, 3 heroes that trouble it, and your answer when you play it.
Members onlyWhy this way? How OpenAI Five learned
One hero, one role first
OpenAI's first bot played only Shadow Fiend, only mid, until it mastered it. Stay on Hoodwink in one role before moving on.
Small, measurable rewards
OpenAI Five was rewarded for last hits and staying alive long before it understood winning. That's why each journey stage has one number to hit.
From yourself to the team
Its 'team spirit' rose over the game: early on, look after yourself; late, play for the team. Each phase's meter shows the split.
Use proven builds
OpenAI Five's builds were hand-written, not trial and error. Start from the pro build, then experiment.
Phase items: what pros buy on this hero (OpenDota). Parameters: percentiles of players on this hero (OpenDota). Item effects checked against Valve's own item data.