The mechanical maniac is also a genius, known to tinker around with gadgets and fry his enemies with lasers. No mortal stands a chance in the laning phases against a Tinker as they will always be targeted with constant harassment in the form of rockets and lasers. With the addition of the Shield. With a mind as sharp as his reflexes, Tinker is able to calculate and counter his enemies' moves before they even have a chance to react. Overall, Tinker is a force to be reckoned with in the recent meta. Whether you're looking to rain down destruction from afar or outmaneuver your enemies on the battlefield, Tinker is a hero that can do it all.
We have curated a list of the Top 5 Tinker Builds that will help you dominate the game. These builds are tried and tested out by professional players, at high stakes. Some builds can be highly situational, but it is always better to be safe and sorry when it comes to playing a volatile hero like Tinker.
5. NothingToSay Build
We have a lot to say about NothingToSay, he is one of the rising superstars from China. His excellent stint at PSG.LGD proved that he can play a plethora of heroes in the mid-lane. His ruthless performance has landed him a spot on this list. Tinker is your typical mid-hero but NTS makes him look different with his unique builds. His dominant playstyle on this hero has won him games and earned him recognition. NothingToSay loves the max Illusory Laser and Heat Seeking Missle build, which helps him be a menace in the early game.
NothingToSay rotates as early as he can with this build. He ensures that all his lanes are secured and no one is lagging in terms of levels or farm when is playing mid-Tinker. He builds an early-game Blink Dagger due to the initiation it provides in a fight, while also increasing his HP. He prioritizes Laser, as it deals damage to enemies in an upon cast blinding enemies and making them deal no physical damage. This Tinker Build is definitely a hard-hitting one and must be tried if you are looking to expand your hero pool.
Use This Build If:
- You want to dominate with Tinker in the mid lane
- If you want a build that allows you to rotate early on and get involved in more fights
- If you want a self-sustainable build that helps you deal damage while also making you tanky at the same time
Skill Points
Level 1: Laser: Tinker fires a laser at the targeted hero, making them take damage while also causing all their physical attacks to miss. It can be used to harass enemies in the early game and ruin their potential in a late-game teamfight.
Level 2: Heat-Seeking Missile: Tinker launches rockets at the nearest visible enemies in a 2500 AoE, dealing damage to them upon impact. The damage is exceptional in the late game when you can stack it with Rearm.
Level 3: Laser
Level 4: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 5: Laser
Level 6: Rearm: After a brief channel duration, Rearm resets the cooldown on most of Tinker's items and abilities. This is the key reason behind the success of Tinker as it allows him to stack his spells, dealing ungodly damage in a teamfight.
Level 7: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 8: Laser
Level 9: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 10: +8% Manacost/Manaloss reduction
Level 11: Defense Matrix: It can be used to shield Tinker or an allied unit, applying a barrier to them that blocks some damage and provides Status Resistance.
Level 12: Rearm
Level 13: Defense Matrix
Level 14: Defense Matrix
Level 15: +1 Heat-Seeking Missile count
Level 16: Defense Matrix
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rearm
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: -0.5s Keen Conveyance Channel Time
Level 25: +0.25s Heat-Seeking Missile Ministun
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, Tango is a core item.
- 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.
- Faerie Fire (70 Gold) - Instantly restores 85 health upon usage. 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.
- 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 2 minutes. 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 Tinker is played in the mid-lane, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Soul Ring (855 Gold) - Purchased at 5 minutes. Soul Ring consumes 170 health temporarily to convert it into 150 mana. After 10 seconds, the health is reverted along with the new mana pool. This is an exceptional item on Tinker as it allows him to sustain himself in the laning phase without any mana problems.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 11 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Tinker, as it allows it to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. Tinker can also upgrade into Arcane Blink later on in the game.
- Shiva’s Guard (4850 Gold) - Bought at 21 minutes. Upon usage, it emits a freezing wave that deals 200 damage and slows the enemy for 40% of their movement speed. This slow is impressive and lasts for 4 seconds. The increased armor and survivability ensure Tinker stays durable in fights while reducing enemy healing in an AoE.
- Overwhelming Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased at 26 minutes. Increases Tinker’s strength and deals damage in an AoE that deals attack and movement speed slow to enemies, while also making them take 150% of his strength as damage.
- Ethereal Blade (4650 Gold) - Bought at 30 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.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Bought at 35 minutes. Provides magic immunity, making Tinker invulnerable during fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance.
- Bloodstone (4400 Gold) - Purchased at 40 minutes. Upon activation, it increases spell lifesteal by 2.5x while converting the damage dealt under its duration into mana. This ensures Tinker does not run out of mana in a teamfight. Tinker highly relies on spellcasting, hence it is ideal that he has enough mana to shell out in a fight.
- Wind Waker (6825 Gold) - Purchased at 43 minutes. Allows Tinker to whirl himself or his allies in the air (just like Eul’s Scepter), while also allowing him to control the direction while they’re under its effect. It can be used to save allies or disrupt enemy spells in a team fight. It is an ideal item for the ultra-late game.
Neutral Items
- Lance of Pursuit - Attacking from behind slows the enemies by 12% (6% for Tinker as he 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.
- Nether Shawl - Increases Tinker’s magic resistance by 20% and spell damage by 6% while decreasing his armor by 2. The magic resistance is much needed to survive a heavy teamfight.
- Psychic Headband - Grants Tinker 15% increased intelligence along with 100 Cast Range. The active of this item pushes your foes 400 units away from you, akin to Hurricane Pike. It can be used to escape a sticky fight or fight well with the bonus cast range.
- Trickster Cloak - Provides Tinker with increased evasion and magic resistance. Its active allows him to turn invisible for 6 seconds, making it easy for him to escape.
4. Miracle Build
Miracle’s high octane and intelligent gameplay on Tinker has gained him fame and attention from all over the world. The early game build is the most prominent Tinker build played these days which Miracle loves to try out in his pub games. Miracle’s map awareness and mechanical skills on Tinker are truly breathtaking and something we all can learn from. He quite well knows everything the hero can do, this helps him induce fear in the mind of his enemies with his immense push and fight potential. The massive magical damage dished out with this build is unparalleled by any other hero in this meta.
Tinker is played differently by Miracle as he opts to play the hero in an extremely fast-paced manner, often wishing to buy the spellcasting and mobility items as soon as he can to paralyze the early game of his enemies. He prefers ganking and helping his team in teamfights instead of farming away as he can just fight with Blink Dagger and Soul Ring in the early game. In the late game, he opts for Shiva’s Guard, ending the game as soon as he can. Miracle’s item choices and skill build allow him to go aggressive on his enemies as early as possible. This build is ideal if you are facing enemies with low magic resistance.
Use This Build If:
- Your enemies have low magic and status resistance
- You want to fight right from the get-go as a mid-Tinker
- You want to be involved in more teamfights as soon as you can
Skill Points
Level 1: Laser: Tinker fires a laser at the targeted hero, making them take damage while also causing all their physical attacks to miss. It can be used to harass enemies in the early game and ruin their potential in a late-game teamfight.
Level 2: Heat-Seeking Missile: Tinker launches rockets at the nearest visible enemies in a 2500 AoE, dealing damage to them upon impact. The damage is exceptional in the late game when you can stack it with Rearm.
Level 3: Laser
Level 4: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 5: Laser
Level 6: Rearm: After a brief channel duration, Rearm resets the cooldown on most of Tinker's items and abilities. This is the key reason behind the success of Tinker as it allows him to stack his spells, dealing ungodly damage in a teamfight.
Level 7: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 8: Laser
Level 9: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 10: +8% Manacost/Manaloss reduction
Level 11: Defense Matrix: It can be used to shield Tinker or an allied unit, applying a barrier to them that blocks some damage and provides Status Resistance.
Level 12: Rearm
Level 13: Defense Matrix
Level 14: Defense Matrix
Level 15: +1 Heat-Seeking Missile count
Level 16: Defense Matrix
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rearm
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: -0.5s Keen Conveyance Channel Time
Level 25: +0.25s Heat-Seeking Missile Ministun
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, Tango is a core item.
- 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.
- Circlet (155 Gold) - Grants +2 of all attributes. It helps Tinker stay durable through the early game.
- Faerie Fire (70 Gold) - Instantly restores 85 health upon usage. 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.
- 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 2 minutes. 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 Tinker is played in the mid-lane, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 7 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Tinker, as it allows it to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. Tinker can also upgrade into Arcane Blink later on in the game.
- Soul Ring (855 Gold) - Purchased at 9 minutes. Soul Ring consumes 170 health temporarily to convert it into 150 mana. After 10 seconds, the health is reverted along with the new mana pool. This is an exceptional item on Tinker as it allows him to sustain himself in the laning phase without any mana problems.
- Shiva’s Guard (4850 Gold) - Bought at 18 minutes. Upon usage, it emits a freezing wave that deals 200 damage and slows the enemy for 40% of their movement speed. This slow is impressive and lasts for 4 seconds. The increased armor and survivability ensure Tinker stays durable in fights while reducing enemy healing in an AoE.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Bought at 25 minutes. Provides magic immunity, making Tinker invulnerable during fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance.
- Bloodstone (4400 Gold) - Purchased at 29 minutes. Upon activation, it increases spell lifesteal by 2.5x while converting the damage dealt under its duration into mana. This ensures Tinker does not run out of mana in a teamfight. Tinker highly relies on spellcasting, hence it is ideal that he has enough mana to shell out in a fight.
Neutral Items
- Fairy’s Trinket - Increases Tinker’s health by 75, while increasing spell amplification and reduces mana loss by 5% Though it is an effective item on spellcaster heroes, the mad scientist can benefit from it in the early game if he is constantly fighting from the get-go.
3. Nisha Build
Nisha is undoubtedly the best mid-laner in the professional scene currently. The mechanical genius Tinker is a hero you may see him play often as it fits the bill of a mid-hero. Nisha is highly successful in converting his early-game aggression into late-game success. Nisha takes advantage of that by building items that allow him to destroy enemies while also sustaining himself in the game. This build may look highly risky on paper due to his aggressive initiation and itemization but is one of the best if tried out in the game due to its damage and spellcasting damage potential. Tinker is usually played as a backline specialist, but in this game, he is seen front-lining with his spectacular build.
Nisha prioritizes fighting early on in the game and rotating to other lanes to secure them, ensuring his teammates aren’t lacking behind. He enjoys the early-game fighting Tinker build which allows him to sit back and dish damage without worrying about his mana. He also loves purchasing situational items that are exceptional against heroes he is facing, providing him with decent sustain throughout the game. This max build allows him to farm and do swimmingly in fights with high damage. He also opts for talents that increase his fighting potential. If you want to win the game as a mid-Tinker, you should observe Nisha’s playstyle in the mid-lane.
Use This Build If:
- You want an extremely relevant mid-Tinker to build for the late game
- You are facing heroes that are considered to be squishy in the early game
- You want to join teamfights and fight right from the early game as a midlaner
Skill Points
Level 1: Laser: Tinker fires a laser at the targeted hero, making them take damage while also causing all their physical attacks to miss. It can be used to harass enemies in the early game and ruin their potential in a late-game teamfight.
Level 2: Heat-Seeking Missile: Tinker launches rockets at the nearest visible enemies in a 2500 AoE, dealing damage to them upon impact. The damage is exceptional in the late game when you can stack it with Rearm.
Level 3: Laser
Level 4: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 5: Laser
Level 6: Rearm: After a brief channel duration, Rearm resets the cooldown on most of Tinker's items and abilities. This is the key reason behind the success of Tinker as it allows him to stack his spells, dealing ungodly damage in a teamfight.
Level 7: Laser
Level 8: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 9: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 10: Defense Matrix: It can be used to shield Tinker or an allied unit, applying a barrier to them that blocks some damage and provides Status Resistance.
Level 11: Defense Matrix
Level 12: Rearm
Level 13: Defense Matrix
Level 14: Defense Matrix
Level 15: +125 Defense Matrix damage absorbed
Level 16: +8% Manacost/Manaloss reduction
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rearm
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: -0.5s Keen Conveyance Channel Time
Level 25: +0.25s Heat-Seeking Missile Ministun
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- 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.
- 3x Circlet (155 Gold) - Grants +2 of all attributes. It helps Tinker stay durable through the early game.
- Faerie Fire (70 Gold) - Instantly restores 85 health upon usage. 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.
- 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 2 minutes. 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 Tinker is played in the mid-lane, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 10 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Tinker, as it allows it to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. Tinker can also upgrade into Arcane Blink later on in the game.
- Soul Ring (855 Gold) - Purchased at 12 minutes. Soul Ring consumes 170 health temporarily to convert it into 150 mana. After 10 seconds, the health is reverted along with the new mana pool. This is an exceptional item on Tinker as it allows him to sustain himself in the laning phase without any mana problems.
- Shiva’s Guard (4850 Gold) - Bought at 20 minutes. Upon usage, it emits a freezing wave that deals 200 damage and slows the enemy for 40% of their movement speed. This slow is impressive and lasts for 4 seconds. The increased armor and survivability ensure Tinker stays durable in fights while reducing enemy healing in an AoE.
- Kaya (2050 Gold) - Purchased at 23 minutes. It provides Tinker with increased stats along with increased spell lifesteal, damage amplification, and increased mana regen amplification. It ensures Tinker does not run out of mana whilst, in a teamfight. It is again a great item on the mad scientist due to the mana cost reduction it provides.
- Ghost Scepter (1500 Gold) - Purchased at 24 minutes. Ghost Scepter makes Tinker unable to take any physical damage from the enemy's physical attacks while also being unable to deal any physical damage at the same time. It also amplifies the magic damage that Tinker 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 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.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Bought at 29 minutes. Provides magic immunity, making Tinker invulnerable during fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance.
- Overwhelming Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased at 32 minutes. Increases Tinker’s strength and deals damage in an AoE that deals attack and movement speed slow to enemies, while also making them take 150% of his strength as damage.
Neutral Items
- Pig Pole - Provides +6 of all attributes. Its active turns Tinker into a pig, making him unable to use spells or items but increasing his movement speed, which can allow him to escape certain sticky situations.
- Tumbler’s Toy - Propels Tinker 300 units in the direction he is facing. It gets disabled if the damage is dealt with by an enemy hero.
- Psychic Headband - Grants Tinker 15% increased intelligence along with 100 Cast Range. The active of this item pushes your foes 400 units away from you, akin to Hurricane Pike. It can be used to escape a sticky fight or fight well with the bonus cast range.
2. Ana Build
We finally have a two-time Ti champion on this list. Ana gained notoriety as a pub star, playing a wide range of heroes as a carry. His Tinker is said to be extremely lethal. Ana is known to be quite the aggressive laner, often picking Tinker to synergize with other heroes on his team. Ana’s Tinker is quite different from everyone else’s on this list, this is because, like the others on this list, he is not a regular Tinker picker, yet he manages to put up a show. He quite well knows everything the hero can do, this helps him induce fear in the mind of his enemies.
Ana has been praised widely for his intense and nail-biting performance on this hero. Everything from having an early Blink Dagger to fighting and accumulating massive damage items, he knows it all. Ana loves Scythe of Vyse combined with Aghanim’s Scepter on this hero, this essentially secures his fight potential and deals immense damage to his foes. Ana prefers fast-paced games and is seen ending pub games in just under 30 mins. This build is guaranteed to land you kills and win you games if you follow it thoroughly.
Use This Build If:
- You want a magical damage-oriented mid-Tinker build
- If you are facing heroes with low mobility or escape potential
- You are facing heroes with low HP and magic resistance
- You want a Tinker build that prioritizes teamfight from the laning phase
Skill Points
Level 1: Laser: Tinker fires a laser at the targeted hero, making them take damage while also causing all their physical attacks to miss. It can be used to harass enemies in the early game and ruin their potential in a late-game teamfight.
Level 2: Heat-Seeking Missile: Tinker launches rockets at the nearest visible enemies in a 2500 AoE, dealing damage to them upon impact. The damage is exceptional in the late game when you can stack it with Rearm.
Level 3: Laser
Level 4: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 5: Laser
Level 6: Rearm: After a brief channel duration, Rearm resets the cooldown on most of Tinker's items and abilities. This is the key reason behind the success of Tinker as it allows him to stack his spells, dealing ungodly damage in a teamfight.
Level 7: Laser
Level 8: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 9: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 10: Defense Matrix: It can be used to shield Tinker or an allied unit, applying a barrier to them that blocks some damage and provides Status Resistance.
Level 11: +8% Manacost/Manaloss reduction
Level 12: Rearm
Level 13: Defense Matrix
Level 14: Defense Matrix
Level 15: +1 Heat Seeking Missle count
Level 16: Defense Matrix
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rearm
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: -0.5s Keen Conveyance Channel Time
Level 25: +0.25s Heat-Seeking Missile Ministun
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.
- 2x Circlet (155 Gold) - Grants +2 of all attributes. It helps Tinker stay durable through 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, Tango is a core item.
- Faerie Fire (70 Gold) - Instantly restores 85 health upon usage. 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.
- Bottle (675 Gold) - Purchased at 2 minutes. 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 Tinker is played in the mid-lane, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 8 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Tinker, as it allows it to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. Tinker can also upgrade into Arcane Blink later on in the game.
- Soul Ring (855 Gold) - Purchased at 11 minutes. Soul Ring consumes 170 health temporarily to convert it into 150 mana. After 10 seconds, the health is reverted along with the new mana pool. This is an exceptional item on Tinker as it allows him to sustain himself in the laning phase without any mana problems.
- Shiva’s Guard (4850 Gold) - Bought at 19 minutes. Upon usage, it emits a freezing wave that deals 200 damage and slows the enemy for 40% of their movement speed. This slow is impressive and lasts for 4 seconds. The increased armor and survivability ensure Tinker stays durable in fights while reducing enemy healing in an AoE.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Bought at 26 minutes. Provides magic immunity, making Tinker invulnerable during fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance.
- Scythe of Vyse (5675 Gold) - Purchased at 33 minutes. Scythe offers immense disable potential as it turns the targeted enemy into a pig, making them unable to use any spells or items while also reducing their movement speed. This disabler item is of high value to Tinker as it allows him to dominate the late game by locking down his foes and decimating them with the follow-up from his team.
- Overwhelming Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased at 37 minutes. Increases Tinker’s strength and deals damage in an AoE that deals attack and movement speed slow to enemies, while also making them take 150% of his strength as damage.
- Aghanim’s Scepter (4200 Gold) - Purchased at 45 minutes. Upgrades Laser into a Shrink Ray, which grants increased cast range while reducing the target enemy’s size and current health by 10% (stacking) if it's a hero. The laser can also bounce upon units closer to the main target. It is an essential item that makes Tinker dominate in the late game.
Neutral Items
- Fairy’s Trinket - Increases Tinker’s health by 75, while increasing spell amplification and reduces mana loss by 5% Though it is an effective item on spellcaster heroes, the mad scientist can benefit from it in the early game if he is constantly fighting from the get-go.
- Telescope - Lowers Scan cooldown by 50% while increasing the attack range of ranged allies along with their cast range in an AoE. Tinker benefits from this item as it allows his allies to dominate and contribute equally in a teamfight.
1. Bzm Build
The young and dominant Bzm is not only an impressive mid-laner but also an exceptional team fighter and team player. He is known for his versatile hero pool and exceptional Tinker plays. He has a very hyper-aggressive but disciplined play style on this hero. Tinker as a hero suits Bzm’s playstyle very well. His insane reactions made him fall under the radar for OG. Tinker is a hero that was spammed by Bzm even when it was nerfed into oblivion, it just shows how dedicated he was to this hero. Bzm goes a pretty standard Tinker item build, but it's his spell build that is the center of focus here.
Bzm loves to trample his enemies by fighting as soon as he gets his Rearm ultimate, not giving them any chance to use their spells or escape from the lethal dose of damage. He is also known to build items like Soul Ring and Blink Dagger that allow him to become more elusive and sustain his mana pool. The build is highly common but works amazingly versus low magic resistance and squishy heroes in particular. This build also allows you to be a menace right from the early game and be excellent at controlling the tempo and pace of the fight. In this highlight, Bzm demonstrates that tweaking the skill builds even slightly can change the trajectory of the game in a major way.
Use This Build If:
- You want an extremely reliable Tinker build that is fit for the late game
- You want to be in control of the teamfight as a mid-Tinker
- You are facing heroes with low magic resistance and escape potential
- You want to be involved in more teamfights from the early stages of the game
Skill Points
Level 1: Laser: Tinker fires a laser at the targeted hero, making them take damage while also causing all their physical attacks to miss. It can be used to harass enemies in the early game and ruin their potential in a late-game teamfight.
Level 2: Heat-Seeking Missile: Tinker launches rockets at the nearest visible enemies in a 2500 AoE, dealing damage to them upon impact. The damage is exceptional in the late game when you can stack it with Rearm.
Level 3: Laser
Level 4: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 5: Laser
Level 6: Rearm: After a brief channel duration, Rearm resets the cooldown on most of Tinker's items and abilities. This is the key reason behind the success of Tinker as it allows him to stack his spells, dealing ungodly damage in a teamfight.
Level 7: Laser
Level 8: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 9: Heat-Seeking Missile
Level 10: +8% Manacost/Manaloss reduction
Level 11: Defense Matrix: It can be used to shield Tinker or an allied unit, applying a barrier to them that blocks some damage and provides Status Resistance.
Level 12: Rearm
Level 13: Defense Matrix
Level 14: Defense Matrix
Level 15: +125 Defense Matrix damage absorbed
Level 16: Defense Matrix
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rearm
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: Defense Matrix grants +25% cooldown reduction
Level 25: +0.25s Heat-Seeking Missile Ministun
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.
- Circlet (155 Gold) - Grants +2 of all attributes. It helps Tinker stay durable through 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, Tango is a core item.
- Faerie Fire (70 Gold) - Instantly restores 85 health upon usage. 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.
- Bottle (675 Gold) - Purchased at 2 minutes. 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 Tinker is played in the mid-lane, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Purchased at 3 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.
- Soul Ring (855 Gold) - Purchased at 5 minutes. Soul Ring consumes 170 health temporarily to convert it into 150 mana. After 10 seconds, the health is reverted along with the new mana pool. This is an exceptional item on Tinker as it allows him to sustain himself in the laning phase without any mana problems.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 11 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Tinker, as it allows it to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. Tinker can also upgrade into Arcane Blink later on in the game.
- Shiva’s Guard (4850 Gold) - Bought at 20 minutes. Upon usage, it emits a freezing wave that deals 200 damage and slows the enemy for 40% of their movement speed. This slow is impressive and lasts for 4 seconds. The increased armor and survivability ensure Tinker stays durable in fights while reducing enemy healing in an AoE.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Bought at 26 minutes. Provides magic immunity, making Tinker invulnerable during fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance.
- Kaya (2050 Gold) - Purchased at 28 minutes. It provides Tinker with increased stats along with increased spell lifesteal, damage amplification, and increased mana regen amplification. It ensures Tinker does not run out of mana whilst, in a teamfight. It is again a great item on the mad scientist due to the mana cost reduction it provides.
- Kaya and Sange (4100 Gold) - Purchased at 30 minutes. Provides immense bonuses such as increased stats, status resistance, spell damage amplification, along with health and mana amplification. It is an effective item for spellcasting heroes like Tinker. Besides, it offers extreme survivability with increased stats, making it durable in a teamfight. This item ensures he never runs out of mana.
- Energy Booster (3000 Gold) - Purchased at 35 minutes. Increases Tinker’s HP and Mana by 425. Energy Booster is further upgraded into Octarine Core.
- Bloodstone (4400 Gold) - Purchased at 36 minutes. Upon activation, it increases spell lifesteal by 2.5x while converting the damage dealt under its duration into mana. This ensures Tinker does not run out of mana in a teamfight. Tinker highly relies on spellcasting, hence it is ideal that he has enough mana to shell out in a fight.
- Overwhelming Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased at 38 minutes. Increases Tinker’s strength and deals damage in an AoE that deals attack and movement speed slow to enemies, while also making them take 150% of his strength as damage.
Neutral Items
- Arcane Ring - Provides 75 Mana to Tinker and its allies. It also increases its intelligence and armor making it resilient in skirmishes.
- Philosopher’s Stone - It increases the passively gold earned per minute (GPM) by 80, while also providing 200 max Mana, at a cost of reducing attack damage by 30. Tinker needs multiple items in this matchup to dominate the game, hence this item pumps up his gold gain by a significant amount.
- Timeless Relic - It provides Tinker with +20% Debuff duration while increasing his spell amplification by 15%. As Tinker is played in the standard magical build, this item is highly beneficial to it as it amplifies its magic damage potential.
