Hero Mastery

Monkey King

A nimble treetop carry: Jingu Mastery grants lifesteal + bonus damage after 4 hits, Tree Dance for mobility, and Wukong's Command punishes clumped enemies.

Mastery parameters

Your GPM, last hits and damage per game against other Monkey King players — average vs Top 20%.

Members only

Learning 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 Monkey King your mastery hero to start — progress shows on Home and Arcana.

Phase by phase

Laning: last hits above everything

You 80%Team 20%

Skills in lane — Pro cores max Tree Dance (W) first — 54% of 383 games since patch 7.41, then Jingu Mastery (E). Some max Jingu Mastery (E) first instead (38%). First talent at level 11.
Jingu active — lane trade — Once the 4 hits stack, you hit far harder with lifesteal. Force trades while Jingu is charged.
Level 6 — Wukong's Command — Wukong's Command turns an area into a kill zone. Combo it with BKB so you can't be knocked out of the ring.

Skills 1–7

Starting items

Iron Branch33%
Circlet of Nobility16%
Tango14%
Faerie Fire11%
Quelling Blade8%
Slippers of Agility7%

Pros buy this phase

Power Treads79%
Perseverance9%
Orb of Corrosion5%
Phase Boots3%
Diffusal Blade2%

The Carry (Safe Lane)'s job this phase

Aim for 45–50 last hits by minute 10 — check that number every game, it's your main KPI.
Don't over-harass: trade HP only when it doesn't cost you last hits.
Minutes 2 & 4: ask your support to pull so the lane stays near your tower.

Counters & weaknesses

Slippery escape heroRight-click carry (physical damage)

The items that shut Monkey King down, 3 heroes that trouble it, and your answer when you play it.

Members only

Why 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 Monkey King 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.