Hero Mastery

Pudge

A skill-shot playmaker: one good Meat Hook swings a game. A beefy roamer who hunts pickoffs and sets up ganks.

Mastery parameters

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

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 Pudge 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 Rot (W) first — 94% of 159 games since patch 7.41, then Meat Shield (E). First talent at level 11.

Skills 1–7

Starting items

Iron Branch26%
Gauntlets of Strength13%
Tango12%
Blood Grenade8%
Circlet of Nobility8%
Observer Ward5%

Pros buy this phase

Phase Boots45%
Tranquil Boots40%
Power Treads10%
Vanguard3%
Meteor Hammer1%

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

Tank (big HP & armor)Channeling hero

The items that shut Pudge down, 5 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 Pudge 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.