Hoodwink is a mischievous and agile hero who has gained popularity in the recent meta due to her tremendous toolkit. With her ability to move swiftly across the battlefield and ambush her enemies, she is a force to be reckoned with. Hoodwink is a ranged hero who specializes in dealing physical damage and has a unique skill set that allows her to outmaneuver her opponents. She excels at harassing enemies in the laning phase, taking down neutral creeps with ease, and ganking unsuspecting foes. In the current meta, Hoodwink has proven to be a versatile hero, capable of playing different roles depending on the team's needs.
Hoodwink is a top pick of the current meta and to help you master her, we bring you the Best 5 Hoodwink Builds that will help you win games. These builds can serve as a starting point to develop your strategies and master the hero's potential in the game.
5. XinQ Build
Not all players can be good at stealing your hearts with their high-quality gameplay, speaking of stealing, there is one player who knows how to steal well. XinQ is, without a doubt, the best position 4 players that we have seen in recent times. Flashy heroes like Rubick or Earth Spirit may be his specialty but he excels on all the position 4 heroes available in the game, including his Hoodwink. He was a staunch supporter of the soft support Hoodwink. His build differs from others in this list due to his role in the game. Even though he is playing a support Hoodwink, enemies still fear his presence due to his immaculate spell usage and ganking skills.
XinQ is known for innovating interesting item builds on position 4 heroes. He is one of the superstar players, meaning he can make any hero work and he makes it look effortless. XinQ is known to have a greedy playstyle, which almost always pans out in the favor of his team. In the late game, XinQ’s Hoodwink becomes nothing short of a core hero. He is known to keep calm in high-pressure situations and exhibit impressive gameplay. XinQ is great on powerful supports, often seen setting up ganks or stacking for his carry.
Use This Build If:
- You want a late-game-oriented build that allows you to both farm and fights relentlessly
- You are facing squishy and low-armor enemies
- You are facing illusion-based heroes
Skill Points
Level 1: Acorn Shot: Hoodwink fires an acorn on the targeted unit, damaging and slowing them and bouncing the acorn onto other units while dealing a percentage of Hoodwink’s attack damage. If the ability is point targeted, it creates a tree at the targeted location and bounces upon the nearby enemies.
Level 2: Bushwack: Hoodwink tosses a net trap that stuns enemies if they are near a tree in the area. The affected enemies take damage over time and are pulled toward the tree nearest to them within the target area, and their vision is reduced.
Level 3: Bushwack
Level 4: Scurry: Hoodwink has a passive chance to evade physical attacks while near trees. When activated, Hoodwink gains bonus movement speed, phased collision, and tree-walking for a brief time.
Level 5: Bushwack
Level 6: Sharpshooter: Hoodwink charges up and fires a deadly bolt from her crossbow, dealing heavy damage, applying break and movement speed slow to an enemy hero. Hoodwink is knocked backward for a significant distance from the force of the shot.
Level 7: Bushwack
Level 8: Acorn Shot
Level 9: Scurry
Level 10: -3 Bushwack Cooldown
Level 11: Scurry
Level 12: Sharpshooter
Level 13: Scurry
Level 14: Acorn Shot
Level 15: +60 Bushwack Damage
Level 16: Acorn Shot
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Sharpshooter
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: 25% Sharpshooter Faster Projectile/Charge Time
Level 25: +135 Bushwack Radius
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- 3x Enchanted Mango (65 Gold) - Grants passive +0.6 health regeneration if not consumed. Upon consumption, it refills 100 mana instantly. Hoodwink lacks in the mana department and having a mango or two in handy can perhaps help her net kills in the early game.
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree. It's the cheapest yet the most convenient way of healing up in the early stages of the game when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tangoes are a core item.
- 2x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each direction grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you face heroes who cast spells frequently.
- Healing Salve (100 Gold) - Purchased at 1 minute. Grants 30 HP regeneration per second for 13 seconds. It allows Hoodwink to heal up and return to the lane.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 4 minutes. Provides +45 movement speed to Hoodwink. It is ideal for all heroes as you can purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Observer Ward - Purchased at 4 minutes. Grants vision of an area in an AoE upon the plant. The ward is stationary and can be destroyed by enemies if they purchase a sentry ward. It is a beneficial item for position 4 Hoodwink as it provides her with the vision to see any incoming ganks or to secure the runes in the early game. XinQ purchases both observer and sentry wards throughout the game as a reliant 4-position player.
- Sentry Ward (50 Gold) - Purchased at 4 minutes. Reveals invisible enemies, units, and wards in an AoE. XinQ opts to purchase this item to destroy enemy observer wards, which saves him from getting ganked.
- Arcane Boots (1300 Gold) - Purchased at 11 minutes. Arcane Boots are an essential item for Hoodwink as It provides her with mana regen and sustains her through teamfight along with the increase in movement speed. It can be disassembled as well, allowing you to build different items with it later on in the game.
- Smoke of Deceit (50 Gold) - Purchased 13 minutes. It turns XinQ and his allied heroes around him invisible unless they come in close contact with enemy heroes or enemy structures.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 14 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Hoodwink to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Wind Lace (250 Gold) - Purchased at 14 minutes. Provides +20 movement speed. It is a decent early-game item providing Hoodwink with the much-needed movement speed that he lacks.
- Aether Lens (2275 Gold) - Bought at 17 minutes. Aether Lens increases the cast range of all abilities by 225 and increases overall mana by 300. It is exceptional if Hoodwink wants to upgrade it to Octarine Core further. You can just disassemble the earlier bought Arcane Boots into Aether Lens as well.
- Force Staff (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 22 minutes. Pushes Hoodwink or the targetted unit in the direction they are facing. It is further upgraded into Hurricane Pike, as it allows her to chase enemies or escape a sticky fight.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 25 minutes. Grants the Hunter’s Boomerang ability. It allows Hoodwink to toss a boomerang in an arc, which damages and slows all the units affected in its area. The affected units along with the negative debuffs are also immune to more magic damage. It is an essential shard purchase as XinQ is playing against heroes with low magic resistance.
- Gem of True Sight (900 Gold) - Purchased at 30 minutes. Grants Hoodwink the ability to see invisible units (enemies or wards) around her while it is active allowing her to reveal invisible units in a certain area for a certain duration. It is an ideal item against invisible heroes.
- Octarine Core (5275 Gold) - Purchased at 34 minutes. Octarine Core provides increased cast range, increased stats along with a 25% cooldown reduction for both items and spells. Spellcasting heroes like Hoodwink benefit from the stats above as it enhances their gameplay and makes them deal higher damage in a fight while increasing their mana regen. It provides impressive stats for low mana pool heroes like Hoodwink, helping him stay durable in the late game.
- Kaya (2050 Gold) - Purchased at 38 minutes. It provides Hoodwink with increased stats along with increased spell lifesteal, damage amplification, and increased mana regen amplification. It ensures she does not run out of mana whilst, in a teamfight, it can further be upgraded into Kaya and Sange if need be, which is again a great item on the ghastly markswoman.
- Boots of Travel (2500 Gold) - Purchased at 49 minutes. Allows Hoodwink to teleport on allied creeps and her allies, making her a tremendous global presence in a teamfight. Purchasing this item grants the squirrel extreme mobility, making her highly active and providing her with increased global potential. She can push lanes and join her allies in a teamfight anytime she wants.
- Ethereal Blade (4650 Gold) - Bought at 54 minutes. Upon usage, it disarms the targeted unit, making them take 40% more magical damage while also slowing them and dealing initial damage based on the enemy’s primary attribute.
Neutral Items
- Fairy’s Trinket - Increases Hoodwink’s health by 75, while increasing spell amplification and reduces mana loss by 5% Though it is an effective item on spellcaster heroes, Hoodwink can benefit from it in the early game if she is constantly fighting from the get-go.
- Philosopher’s Stone - It increases the passively gold earned per minute (GPM) by 80, while also providing 200 max Mana for Hoodwink, at a cost of reducing attack damage by 30.
- Quickening Charm - It increases Hoodwink’s health regeneration by 10% while also reducing her spell and item cooldown by 10%.
- Spell Prism - Reduces the cooldowns of Hoodwink’s spells and items by 25%.
4. Miracle Build
Miracle is one of the few players who have achieved all that the game has to offer, from winning majors to winning the International. Miracle as we all know is a very versatile player, he loves to play all varieties of heroes in all lanes, but none is as threatening as his Hoodwink. His immense kill potential on this hero makes him a beast. He is an extremely aggressive laner, often diving towers to get kills, which he can do quite effortlessly with Hoodwink. Miracle loves going a typical fight-oriented build which helps him dominate the mid-game.
Miracle can easily 1v5 and dominate various matchups with Hoodwink with the help of this build, as the hero naturally has ways to protect himself due to Scurry along with dealing high damage with the items he builds. Miracle loves the conventional build of Gleipnir and Satanic, often throwing in items like Daedalus and Blink Dagger for added damage and protection. It is impossible to contain this beast if let loose. Though this build may appear to be like a normal Hoodwink build, what takes the cake is the skill build, which is rather unconventional, and only skilled players like Miracle can pull it off.
Use This Build If:
- You are facing mobile and slippery heroes, this build has items that can lock them down and disable them
- You are facing heroes that have low armor and are considered to be squishy in the early game
- You want to fight from the initial stages of the game as Hoodwink
Skill Points
Level 1: Bushwack: Hoodwink tosses a net trap that stuns enemies if they are near a tree in the area. The affected enemies take damage over time and are pulled toward the tree nearest to them within the target area, and their vision is reduced.
Level 2: Acorn Shot: Hoodwink fires an acorn on the targeted unit, damaging and slowing them and bouncing the acorn onto other units while dealing a percentage of Hoodwink’s attack damage. If the ability is point targeted, it creates a tree at the targeted location and bounces upon the nearby enemies.
Level 3: Acorn Shot
Level 4: Scurry: Hoodwink has a passive chance to evade physical attacks while near trees. When activated, Hoodwink gains bonus movement speed, phased collision, and tree-walking for a brief time.
Level 5: Acorn Shot
Level 6: Sharpshooter: Hoodwink charges up and fires a deadly bolt from her crossbow, dealing heavy damage, applying break and movement speed slow to an enemy hero. Hoodwink is knocked backward for a significant distance from the force of the shot.
Level 7: Acorn Shot
Level 8: Bushwack
Level 9: Scurry
Level 10: Scurry
Level 11: Scurry
Level 12: Sharpshooter
Level 13: Bushwack
Level 14: Bushwack
Level 15: +2 Acorn Shot Bounces
Level 16: +40% Scurry evasion when active
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Sharpshooter
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: -4 Armor Corruption
Level 25: +2 Acorn Shot Charges
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree. It's the cheapest yet the most convenient way of healing up in the early stages of the game when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tangoes are a core item.
- 2x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Slippers of Agility (140 Gold) - Grants +3 Agility. It is a usual early item on Hoodwink, as he lacks the early game attack speed and stats which is hence fulfilled by this item.
- Observer Ward - Grants vision of an area in an AoE upon the plant. The ward is stationary and can be destroyed by enemies if they purchase a sentry ward.
- Bottle (675 Gold) - Purchased at 0:38. The bottle is an essential item on a mid-hero. Regardless of the hero you play, Bottle keeps you sustained through the laning phase by replenishing your mana and HP. It also ensures you store power runes for later instead of immediately using them. As Hoodwink is played in the mid-lane by Hoodwink, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 2 minutes. Provides +45 movement speed to Hoodwink. It is ideal for all heroes as you can purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Javelin (1100 Gold) - Purchased at 5 minutes. Purchased at 5 minutes. Grants Hoodwink’s attacks a 30% chance to pierce evasion and deal 70 bonus damage. It can further be upgraded into Maelstrom.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Purchased at 5 minutes. Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each direction grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you face heroes who cast spells frequently.
- Boots of Travel (2500 Gold) - Purchased at 8 minutes. Allows Hoodwink to teleport on allied creeps and her allies, making her a tremendous global presence in a teamfight. Purchasing this item grants the squirrel extreme mobility, making her highly active and providing her with increased global potential. She can push lanes and join her allies in a teamfight anytime she wants.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 9 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Hoodwink to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Maelstrom (2700 Gold) - Bought at 12 minutes. Upon physical attacks, it has a high chance of releasing a lighting bolt that passes through enemies in proximity and deals damage to them. This allows Hoodwink to farm faster while also providing her with increased attack damage.
- Rod of Atos (2750 Gold) - Bought at 15 minutes. Upon usage, it roots the targeted unit. It can be the much-needed lockdown that Hoodwink needs to stop enemies from TP’ing.
- Gleipnir (6150 Gold) - Bought at 16 minutes. Maelstorm and Rod of Atos can be upgraded into Gleipnir which roots multiple heroes in an AoE, all at once. Gleipnir is an essential item that provides Arc with that much-needed lockdown he needs to beat enemies down without much effort.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 19 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Hoodwink, as it allows her to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. It can also be upgraded into Overwhelming or Swift Blink. This allows her to the frontline and initiates a fight.
- Eye of Skadi (5300 Gold) - Bought at 28 minutes. This causes Hoodwink’s attacks to lower enemy attack and movement speed while reducing their health regeneration and lifesteal by 40%. It is an exceptional item if you are facing tanky heroes that regen or lifesteal fast. It also provides huge bonuses such as increased stats, HP, and Mana.
- Daedalus - (5150 Gold) Purchased at 35 minutes. Daedalus allows Hoodwink to deal critical damage. This high damage allows her to be a devastating hard hitter, as she can also solo kill and does not always need follow-up from her team due to the items she has built earlier.
- Satanic - (5050 Gold) Bought at around 42 minutes. Allows Hoodwink to lifesteal on physical attacks upon activation, and also provides basic dispel from the latter. Great to sustain in the ultra-late game as you can be surrounded by multiple enemies at once.
Neutral Items
- Lance of Pursuit - Attacking from behind slows the enemies by 12% (6% for Hoodwink as she is ranged) and 15 more damage to them. It is an ideal item if you are facing heroes that are very fast right from the early game.
- Brigand’s Blade - Provides Hoodwink with +10 attack damage and attack speed. It makes it easy for him to deal damage and survive through the early game.
- Elven Tunic - Provides Hoodwink with increased attack and movement speed along with increased evasion. The bonus perks help deal high damage in a teamfight and be elusive at the same time.
- Spell Prism - Reduces the cooldowns of Hoodwink’s spells and items by 25%.
3. W33 Build
W33 is known for being super consistent and winning his lane as always. Being placed second twice at Ti, we all know that the third time is the charm. Even in the mid-lane, W33 is known to play Hoodwink as a roaming hero. He utilizes this hero to its full potential by going for kills repeatedly and being very unpredictable in his moves. W33 is known to be a menacing player if let loose. This is evident in the below highlight.
As a mid-Hoodwink, W33 builds items that benefit his team and offer them save and also help him initiate, this includes Aether Lens, Blink Dagger, and Ethereal Blade, which is pretty powerful in the current meta and can save your teammates to turn the fight around. W33 is immensely skilled on Hoodwink and can catch you off guard at any moment. His Hoodwink is quite feared in the EU pub scene.
Use This Build If:
- You want a sustainable Hoodwink build that helps you stay durable in fights
- You want an early-game aggressor that can stand his ground and deal high damage within no time
- You have squishy enemies that can’t fight well in the early stages of the game
- You want a crowd-control and dominance-oriented build that allows you to lock down and control enemies
Skill Points
Level 1: Bushwack: Hoodwink tosses a net trap that stuns enemies if they are near a tree in the area. The affected enemies take damage over time and are pulled toward the tree nearest to them within the target area, and their vision is reduced.
Level 2: Acorn Shot: Hoodwink fires an acorn on the targeted unit, damaging and slowing them and bouncing the acorn onto other units while dealing a percentage of Hoodwink’s attack damage. If the ability is point targeted, it creates a tree at the targeted location and bounces upon the nearby enemies.
Level 3: Acorn Shot
Level 4: Bushwack
Level 5: Acorn Shot
Level 6: Sharpshooter: Hoodwink charges up and fires a deadly bolt from her crossbow, dealing heavy damage, applying break and movement speed slow to an enemy hero. Hoodwink is knocked backward for a significant distance from the force of the shot.
Level 7: Acorn Shot
Level 8: Bushwack
Level 9: Bushwack
Level 10: Scurry: Hoodwink has a passive chance to evade physical attacks while near trees. When activated, Hoodwink gains bonus movement speed, phased collision, and tree-walking for a brief time.
Level 11: Scurry
Level 12: Sharpshooter
Level 13: -3 Bushwack Cooldown
Level 14: Scurry
Level 15: +60 Bushwack Damage
Level 16: Scurry
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Sharpshooter
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: 25% Sharpshooter Faster Projectile/Charge Time
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree. It's the cheapest yet the most convenient way of healing up in the early stages of the game when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tangoes are a core item.
- 2x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each direction grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you face heroes who cast spells frequently.
- Faerie Fire (70 Gold) - Instantly restores 85 health upon usage for Hoodwink. It also passively grants 2 damage per instance. It is an effective item if you’re playing in the mid lane, or just want extra damage and sustain in the side lanes.
- Ring of Regeneration (175 Gold) - Purchased at 1 minute. Provides 1.25 health regeneration to Hoodwink. It can further be upgraded into Tranquil Boots.
- Clarity (50 Gold) - Purchased at 1 minute. Grants 6 mana regeneration for 25 seconds. As Hoodwink loves using mana to secure creeps and kills, this item ensures she sustains her mana throughout the laning phase or even in the late game.
- Observer and Sentry Ward - Purchased at 1 minute. The observer ward grants vision of an area in an AoE upon the plant, while sentries allow you to reveal invisible units and wards in an AoE. The ward is stationary and can be destroyed by enemies if they purchase a sentry ward. It is a beneficial item for Hoodwink as it provides her with the vision to see any incoming ganks or to secure the runes in the early games.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 3 minutes. Provides +45 movement speed to Hoodwink. It is ideal for all heroes as you can purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Tranquil Boots (925 Gold) - Purchased at 4 minutes. As w33 playing Hoodwink in the offlane, he prefers purchasing Tranquil Boots over Phase or Power Treads as it allows him to regen quickly and move faster.
- Aether Lens (2275 Gold) - Bought at 11 minutes. Aether Lens increases the cast range of all abilities by 225 and increases overall mana by 300. It is exceptional if Hoodwink wants to further upgrade it to Octarine Core.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 15 minutes. Grants the Hunter’s Boomerang ability. It allows Hoodwink to toss a boomerang in an arc, which damages and slows all the units affected in its area. The affected units along with the negative debuffs are also immune to more magic damage. It is an essential shard purchase as w33 is playing against heroes with low magic resistance.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 17 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Hoodwink to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Kaya (2050 Gold) - Purchased at 19 minutes. It provides Hoodwink with increased stats along with increased spell lifesteal, damage amplification, and increased mana regen amplification. It ensures she does not run out of mana whilst, in a teamfight, it can further be upgraded into Kaya and Sange if need be.
- Ghost Scepter (1500 Gold) - Purchased at 23 minutes. Ghost Scepter makes Hoodwink unable to take any physical damage while also being unable to deal any physical damage at the same time. It also amplifies the magic damage that Hoodwink takes, but there isn’t much magical damage that she is facing, hence she can safely purchase the Ghost Scepter.
- Ethereal Blade (4650 Gold) - Bought at 25 minutes. Upon usage, it disarms the targeted unit, making them take 40% more magical damage while also slowing them and dealing initial damage based on the enemy’s primary attribute.
- Veil of Discord (1525 Gold) - Bought at 29 minutes. Upon usage, it amplifies the spell damage done to enemies in an AoE. It is the perfect early-game item that works swimmingly with Rocket Barrage and Call Down, increasing its damage.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 34 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Hoodwink, as it allows her to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. It can also be upgraded into Overwhelming or Swift Blink. This allows her to the frontline and initiates a fight.
Neutral Items
- Lance of Pursuit - Attacking from behind slows the enemies by 12% (6% for Hoodwink as she is ranged) and 15 more damage to them. It is an ideal item if you are facing heroes that are very fast right from the early game.
- Fairy’s Trinket - Increases Hoodwink’s health by 75, while increasing spell amplification and reduces mana loss by 5% Though it is an effective item on spellcaster heroes, Hoodwink can benefit from it in the early game if she is constantly fighting from the get-go.
- Vambrace - It acts as a secondary Power Treads which provides Hoodwink the stats depending upon the attribute she has set it to. It is essential to survive through the early game.
2. DJ Build
Dj is credited for being an exceptional player. His insightful and deep understanding of the game has garnered him praise and recognition all around the world. Hoodwink is one of his signatures, and it is the one that should be feared. He is extremely mechanically skilled on the deadly squirrely as he can read the map well and react instantly during high-pressure situations. He still is full of surprises and knows his way around Hoodwink.
With the right items on Hoodwink, Dj has managed to rip through many pub games quite effortlessly. It is hard for enemies to escape the chilling grip of Dj’s wrath if he has a successful early game on Hoodwink. His skill build is the standard max Acorn Shot and Bushwack due to the damage and escape that they provide. His items allow him to deal more damage while also providing him with the much-needed lockdown and disable that he needs to neutralize enemies without any hassle. Dj is one of the only few people who make Hoodwink look easier than she is.
Use This Build If:
- You want an extremely reliable Hoodwink build for the late game
- You want to be involved in more skirmishes from the early game
- You want a self-sustainable build that makes you tanky, making it extremely valuable against damage-dealing heroes
- You are facing heroes with low armor or overall survivability
Skill Points
Level 1: Acorn Shot: Hoodwink fires an acorn on the targeted unit, damaging and slowing them and bouncing the acorn onto other units while dealing a percentage of Hoodwink’s attack damage. If the ability is point targeted, it creates a tree at the targeted location and bounces upon the nearby enemies.
Level 2: Bushwack: Hoodwink tosses a net trap that stuns enemies if they are near a tree in the area. The affected enemies take damage over time and are pulled toward the tree nearest to them within the target area, and their vision is reduced.
Level 3: Bushwack
Level 4: Acorn Shot
Level 5: Acorn Shot
Level 6: Sharpshooter: Hoodwink charges up and fires a deadly bolt from her crossbow, dealing heavy damage, applying break and movement speed slow to an enemy hero. Hoodwink is knocked backward for a significant distance from the force of the shot.
Level 7: Acorn Shot
Level 8: Bushwack
Level 9: Scurry: Hoodwink has a passive chance to evade physical attacks while near trees. When activated, Hoodwink gains bonus movement speed, phased collision, and tree-walking for a brief time.
Level 10: Bushwack
Level 11: -3 Bushwack Cooldown
Level 12: Sharpshooter
Level 13: Scurry
Level 14: Scurry
Level 15: +2 Acorn Shot Bounces
Level 16: Scurry
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Sharpshooter
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: -4 Armor Corruption
Level 25: 2 Acorn Shot Charges
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- 2x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Faerie Fire (70 Gold) - Instantly restores 85 health upon usage for Hoodwink. It also passively grants 2 damage per instance. It is an effective item if you’re playing in the mid lane, or just want extra damage and sustain in the side lanes.
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree. It's the cheapest yet the most convenient way of healing up in the early stages of the game when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tangoes are a core item.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each direction grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you face heroes who cast spells frequently.
- Observer and Sentry Ward - The observer ward grants vision of an area in an AoE upon the plant, while sentries allow you to reveal invisible units and wards in an AoE. The ward is stationary and can be destroyed by enemies if they purchase a sentry ward. It is a beneficial item for Hoodwink as it provides her with the vision to see any incoming ganks or to secure the runes in the early games.
- Enchanted Mango (65 Gold) - Bought at 0:17. Grants passive +0.6 health regeneration if not consumed. Upon consumption, it refills 100 mana instantly. Hoodwink lacks in the mana department and having a mango or two in handy can perhaps help her net kills in the early game.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 1 minute. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Hoodwink to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Infused Raindrops (225 Gold) - Purchased at 4 minutes. Passively provides +0.8 Mana Regeneration while consuming a charge to block 120 incoming magic damage from instances over 75 damage. It comes with 6 charges, helping Hoodwink fare well against heroes with high magic damage output.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 5 minutes. Provides +45 movement speed to Hoodwink. It is ideal for all heroes as you can purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Smoke of Deceit (50 Gold) - Purchased 5 minutes. It turns Hoodwink and the allied heroes around her invisible unless they come in close contact with enemy heroes or enemy structures.
- Arcane Boots (1300 Gold) - Purchased at 7 minutes. Arcane Boots are an essential item for Hoodwink as It provides her with mana regen and sustains her through teamfight along with the increase in movement speed. It can be disassembled as well, allowing you to build different items with it later on in the game.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 15 minutes. Grants the Hunter’s Boomerang ability. It allows Hoodwink to toss a boomerang in an arc, which damages and slows all the units affected in its area. The affected units along with the negative debuffs are also immune to more magic damage. It is an essential shard purchase as Topson is playing against heroes with low magic resistance.
- Aether Lens (2275 Gold) - Bought at 19 minutes. Aether Lens increases the cast range of all abilities by 225 and increases overall mana by 300. It is exceptional if Hoodwink wants to further upgrade it to Octarine Core. You can just disassemble the earlier bought Arcane Boots into Aether Lens as well.
- Kaya (2050 Gold) - Purchased at 23 minutes. It provides Hoodwink with increased stats along with increased spell lifesteal, damage amplification, and increased mana regen amplification. It ensures she does not run out of mana whilst, in a teamfight, it can further be upgraded into Kaya and Sange if need be.
- Ghost Scepter (1500 Gold) - Purchased at 28 minutes. Ghost Scepter makes Hoodwink unable to take any physical damage while also being unable to deal any physical damage at the same time. It also amplifies the magic damage that Hoodwink takes, but there isn’t much magical damage that he is facing, hence he can safely purchase the Ghost Scepter.
- Ethereal Blade (4650 Gold) - Bought at 29 minutes. Upon usage, it disarms the targeted unit, making them take 40% more magical damage while also slowing them and dealing initial damage based on the enemy’s primary attribute.
Neutral Items
- Trusty Shovel - Allows Hoodwink to channel for 1 second to dig either a Bounty Rune, Enchanted Mango, Flask, or a Kobold. It is an ideal early-game neutral item.
- Nether Shawl - Increases Hoodwink’s magic resistance by 20% and spell damage by 6% while decreasing her armor by 2. The magic resistance is much needed to survive a heavy teamfight.
1. Topson Build
Topson is one of the best Hoodwink players in the game. He is known for his unorthodox builds and playstyles. His sheer skill and game sense ensures he triumphs even with the strangest builds. Even when this hero was nerfed into oblivion, Topson made him look viable and very much relevant. His exceptional farming style and aggressive demeanor ensure there is no stone left unturned when it comes to winning the lane.
Topson rotates as early as he can with this brand-new Hoodwink build. He ensures that all his lanes are secured and no one is lagging in terms of levels or farm. He goes for a very meta item like Desolator which helps him disrupt the fight and save his allies if need be. Topson makes the game look like a cakewalk. He prioritizes farming and damage items, which allow him to beat multiple enemies down at once and carry the team quite effortlessly.
Use This Build If:
- You want to be an active carry hero, instead of just relying on farming
- You want to be involved in more skirmishes from the early game as a mid laner
- You are facing enemies with low armor and HP
Skill Points
Level 1: Acorn Shot: Hoodwink fires an acorn on the targeted unit, damaging and slowing them and bouncing the acorn onto other units while dealing a percentage of Hoodwink’s attack damage. If the ability is point targeted, it creates a tree at the targeted location and bounces upon the nearby enemies.
Level 2: Bushwack: Hoodwink tosses a net trap that stuns enemies if they are near a tree in the area. The affected enemies take damage over time and are pulled toward the tree nearest to them within the target area, and their vision is reduced.
Level 3: Bushwack
Level 4: Acorn Shot
Level 5: Acorn Shot
Level 6: Sharpshooter: Hoodwink charges up and fires a deadly bolt from her crossbow, dealing heavy damage, applying break and movement speed slow to an enemy hero. Hoodwink is knocked backward for a significant distance from the force of the shot.
Level 7: Acorn Shot
Level 8: Bushwack
Level 9: Scurry: Hoodwink has a passive chance to evade physical attacks while near trees. When activated, Hoodwink gains bonus movement speed, phased collision, and tree-walking for a brief time.
Level 10: Bushwack
Level 11: -3 Bushwack Cooldown
Level 12: Sharpshooter
Level 13: Scurry
Level 14: Scurry
Level 15: +2 Acorn Shot Bounces
Level 16: Scurry
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Sharpshooter
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: -4 Armor Corruption
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- 3x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Slippers of Agility (140 Gold) - Grants +3 Agility. It is a usual early item on Hoodwink, as he lacks the early game attack speed and stats which is hence fulfilled by this item.
- Observer Ward - Grants vision of an area in an AoE upon the plant. The ward is stationary and can be destroyed by enemies if they purchase a sentry ward.
- Faerie Fire (70 Gold) - Instantly restores 85 health upon usage for Hoodwink. It also passively grants 2 damage per instance. It is an effective item if you’re playing in the mid lane, or just want extra damage and sustain in the side lanes.
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree. It's the cheapest yet the most convenient way of healing up in the early stages of the game when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tangoes are a core item.
- Bottle (675 Gold) - Purchased at 1:46. The bottle is an essential item on a mid-hero. Regardless of the hero you play, Bottle keeps you sustained through the laning phase by replenishing your mana and HP. It also ensures you store power runes for later instead of immediately using them. As Hoodwink is played in the mid-lane by Hoodwink, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Wraith Band (505 Gold) - Bought at 2 minutes. Provides increased attributes, armor, and attack speed. The bonuses are doubled after 25 minutes. It is a staple item on Weaver, as it is built for the increased durability and farming potential that it offers in this matchup.
- Gloves of Haste (450 Gold) - Purchased at 3 minutes. It provides Hoodwink with a +20 attack speed. It is further upgraded into Power Treads.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 4 minutes. Provides +45 movement speed to Hoodwink. It is ideal for all heroes as you can purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Power Treads (1400 Gold) - Bought at 4 minutes. It provides 45 movement speed and 25 attack speed along with toggleable attributes, which offer everything from increased mana pool to armor and even strength, helping Topson stay durable and sufficient in all stages of the game.
- Clarity (50 Gold) - Purchased at 5 minutes. Grants 6 mana regeneration for 25 seconds. As Hoodwink loves using mana to secure creeps and kills, this item ensures she sustains her mana throughout the laning phase or even in the late game.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 6 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Hoodwink to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Shadow Blade (3000 Gold) - Purchased at 10 minutes. Turns Hoodwink invisible for a brief duration, increasing her movement speed while she is invisible. If she attacks enemies to break the invisibility, she deals a bonus of 175 damage.
- Silver Edge (5450 Gold) - Purchased at 13 minutes. Shadow Blade and Crystalis can further be upgraded into Silver Edge which offers the same benefits as its predecessor while also dealing a guaranteed 160% critical strike and disabling enemy passive for 4 seconds. If you are facing enemies with multiple powerful passive spells, then Silver Edge is the right item for you.
- Dragon Lance (1900 Gold) - Bought at 16 minutes. It increases the attack range for Hoodwink while increasing his stats, allowing her to deal more damage and increasing his survivability.
- Desolator (3500 Gold) - Purchased at 22 minutes. Desolator provides +50 Attack Damage to Hoodwink while reducing enemy armor by 6 upon physical attacks. It also works on towers. It is an ideal item to carry Hoodwink as it increases your attack damage and reduces enemy armor upon attacks, making it viable in certain matchups.
Neutral Items
- Lance of Pursuit - Attacking from behind slows the enemies by 12% (6% for Hoodwink as she is ranged) and 15 more damage to them. It is an ideal item if you are facing heroes that are very fast right from the early game.
- Pupil’s Gift - Increases Hoodwink’s non-primary attributes by +15. It also provides increased agility and mana pool to her, increasing her potential to cast more spells and deal damage in a fight.
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