Hero Mastery

Pangolier

A nimble playmaker: Swashbuckle slashes a line of enemies, Shield Crash leaps + grants a shield, Lucky Shot procs an attack-speed slow and armour cut, and Rolling Thunder rolls into a stun.

Mastery parameters

Your GPM, last hits and damage per game against other Pangolier 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 Pangolier your mastery hero to start — progress shows on Home and Arcana.

Phase by phase

The 1v1: last hits + rune control

You 70%Team 30%

Skills in lane — Pro cores max Swashbuckle (Q) first — 96% of 398 games since patch 7.41, then Shield Crash (W). First talent at level 11.
Level 6 — Rolling Thunder — Rolling Thunder is a stunning initiation. Roll into a wall to bounce onto enemies from an unexpected angle.

Skills 1–7

Starting items

Iron Branch64%
Tango14%
Observer Ward11%
Faerie Fire5%
Circlet of Nobility4%
Magic Stick2%

Pros buy this phase

Power Treads75%
Falcon Blade14%
Diffusal Blade11%

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.

Counters & weaknesses

Slippery escape hero

The items that shut Pangolier 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 Pangolier 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.