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Hero Mastery
Windranger
A versatile mid: Shackleshot pins two targets, Powershot is a long-range nuke + farm, Windrun grants evasion + speed, and Focus Fire rains rapid attacks.
Mastery parameters
Your GPM, last hits and damage per game against other Windranger 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 Windranger 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 — Pro cores max Powershot (W) first — 96% of 181 games since patch 7.41, then Windrun (E). First talent at level 11.
Aghanim's Scepter online — The Scepter lets Focus Fire hit two targets — in a teamfight you become a double DPS threat.
Skills 1–7
1
2- 3
4- 5
6- 7
Starting items
Iron Branch32%
Circlet of Nobility16%
Tango15%
Faerie Fire12%
Blood Grenade11%
Sentry Ward7%
Pros buy this phase
Power Treads94%
Arcane Boots3%
Tranquil Boots3%
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.
Windranger
Counters & weaknesses
Slippery escape heroEvasion hero (attacks miss)Channeling hero
The items that shut Windranger 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 Windranger 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.