HERO / GET TO KNOW THEM

Hoodwink

Abilities, roles and builds with an explanation for every purchase.

VALVE · 7.41fChecked 06.10.2026Game data source ↗

HERO GAME PLAN

Ruslan Ukrainskyi· OOPS DOTA

What I want to do in the game

I play around trees, land Bushwhack, and hit a key target with Sharpshooter.

Hoodwink rushes towards trouble, ready to confront any threat in the haunted forest she calls home. Even with her heavy crossbow, she slips effortlessly through branches and leaves, making her nearly impossible to track in battle. Lose sight of her for a moment and she is behind you, with your stunned body already caught in her nets.

Abilities at hand

01 / ROLE IN THE TEAM

A pick is not a plan yet.

My recommendation is a starting point. We choose another position together with the team and for its needs.

Support · position 4

Initial recommendation

I contribute through laning, control and movement. I adapt the expensive core route to my budget.

Mid · position 2

Levels, lane control and joining the team at the right moment matter.

MY VIEW OF THE HERO

Pick for a purpose. Play with a plan.

When I pick

This suits control around trees and aimed damage from range if the area has favourable surroundings.

What I watch out for

Cut trees and empty open ground hinder Bushwhack. Preparing Sharpshooter requires accounting for the target changing position.

What I do in combat

I secure the tree and target positioning first, then link the disable with the shot. I do not fire my main damage at a hero already free to leave just for a pretty line.

What I check first

Bushwhack depends on a tree and the target’s position: I do not expect the same disable in open space.

02 / ITEMS FOR A PURPOSE

What I buy and why.

This is an editorial starting plan based on hero mechanics. It is not presented as a match I have already tested or a popularity ranking.

Support · position 4

My starting plan

Here is my initial plan: I do my role's job first, then choose the items the team needs. I adapt the order and expensive purchases to the opponent.

01 / First stepArcane Boots
Provide mana for laning and regular ability use.
02 / FoundationMaelstrom
Speeds up creep clearing and adds attack damage against multiple targets.
03 / FoundationForce Staff
Moves me or an ally out of danger; direction depends on the target's facing.
04 / Next choiceGleipnir
Adds an area root to the Maelstrom build path and helps the team follow up on a focused target.
05 / Next choiceAghanim's Scepter
Unlocks or upgrades Decoy, Sharpshooter. The exact effects are shown below in the abilities section.

What I change for the situation 3 options

Glimmer Cape ↗

Adds a protective tool and hides the chosen ally; invisibility does not replace escaping detection.

Ethereal Blade ↗

Creates a window for magical burst or protection from attacks; I coordinate its use with allies’ physical damage.

Black King Bar ↗

Provides a window for my actions against eligible magical damage and disables. I check effects that pierce the protection.

I see the minute on the clock. And the situation too.

I do not assign one ‘correct’ minute to every purchase. I look at my gold, the next fight and the problem: am I missing mana, target access, control or protection? If an expensive slot will arrive too late, I get a useful answer earlier.

03 / HERO ABILITIES

Abilities. As in the game.

Original Valve icons and descriptions. Cooldowns and mana are shown by level from the data snapshot; talents and upgrades can change the values.

Ability

Acorn Shot

The hero makes an attack with increased range, firing a special acorn that bounces to nearby enemies, slowing each target and dealing base damage plus a portion of attack damage. Can be cast on a location, …

↻ 19 / 16 / 13 / 10 sec.Mana 70 / 80 / 90 / 100

Details

Fires Hoodwink's attack with an acorn at the target unit. The acorn bounces to nearby targets, slowing them and dealing a percentage of Hoodwink's attack with bonus damage. If point targeted, a tree is created at the target position and the acorn will bounce to nearby targets. The ability may be placed on alt-cast to force this behavior.

Ability

Bushwhack

The hero throws a net trap that stuns enemies in the selected area if trees are present. Victims take damage, are pulled toward the nearest tree, and lose vision for the stun’s duration.

↻ 15 / 14 / 13 / 12 sec.Mana 90 / 100 / 110 / 120

Ability

Scurry

Hoodwink gains bonus movement speed, phased movement, and tree-walking for a brief time. While active, the redirect chance of Mistwoods Wayfarer is multiplied by 2.

Mana 35

Ability

Sharpshooter

The hero charges a deadly crossbow shot. It deals massive damage to an enemy hero, slows them, and applies break. Damage and effect duration reach their maximum after 3 sec.

↻ 45 sec.Mana 150 / 200 / 250

Details and upgrades

Hoodwink charges up and fires a deadly bolt from her crossbow, dealing heavy damage, break and slow to an enemy Hero. The damage and debuff duration scale up to max after 3 seconds, and the bolt is fired automatically after 5 seconds. Hoodwink is knocked backwards for a distance of 350 from the force of the shot. Creeps hit by the bolt are damaged for half the values.

Aghanim’s Scepter

Increases arrow speed and movement speed slow.

Innates, upgrades and other forms3 abilities +

These abilities are not necessarily available at the same time. I check the condition beside the name: innate ability, another form or an Aghanim purchase.

From Aghanim’s Scepter

Decoy

The hero turns invisible, moves faster, and creates a decoy illusion that begins aiming a reduced-damage Sharpshooter at the nearest enemy hero.

Full description

The hero becomes invisible, gains movement speed and creates a decoy illusion that aims a reduced-damage Sharpshooter at the nearest enemy hero. If an enemy attacks the illusion or uses a targeted ability on it, it disappears, throwing a weaker Bushwhack trap at the attacker.

From Aghanim’s Shard

Hunter's Boomerang

Tosses a boomerang in an arc. Upon contact, it returns to Hoodwink. The boomerang will deal damage as it passes through or hits enemies, and apply a debuff that causes affected enemies to be slowed and be more vulnerable to spell damage.

Full description

Innate

Mistwoods Wayfarer

Hoodwink has a chance to redirect enemy attacks to a nearby tree.

Full description

Hoodwink has a chance to redirect enemy attacks to a nearby tree.

Valve base stats +

Health · base: 472
Mana · base: 327
Damage · Valve field: 47–54
Armour · Valve field: 3.67
Movement speed: 315
Attack range: 575
Strength · base / gain: 16 / 2
Agility · base / gain: 22 / 3.6
Intelligence · base / gain: 21 / 2.9

These are fields from the official source. The hero's final values in the client account for attributes and other active mechanics.

KEEP EXPLORING

One hero. Many decisions.

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