PUGNA:
THE OBLIVION

Please click here to see the Chinese transation of this guide.




Because Nether Ward will zap yo' ass.







Hey guys, thanks for checking out my Pugna guide

Pugna (AKA Poogn0r, Poogles, Puggs, Puglicious) is a creepy skeleton in a cape. He can be used incredibly well or incredibly badly - making him a challenging but rewarding hero to master. That's also why I wrote this guide; I'm sick of watching people fail with this amazing hero!

Nether Ward remains one of the most underrated spells in DotA - did you know if a Decrepified level 11 Rhasta casts all his skills, he will be instantly killed by Netherward? I love watching an enemy Lina die before Laguna Blade even occurs, or watching a Zeus get slamboozled as he casts his 450 manacost ultimate!

Pugna has a versatile and unique skill set. He can be an amazing counter-pick when the enemy chooses spellcasters, or he can be they key hero in a push strategy.

Hope you enjoy the guide,
Tony



TABLE OF CONTENTS:
!NOTE: If you want to jump to a section of the guide, just click the numbers on the left in the table of contents - they're all anchor links!

1 - A Closer Look at Pugna's Skills
Nether Blast
Decrepify
Nether Ward
Life Drain

2 - Skill and Item Build Options
Skill Build
Solo Pugna
Dual-Lane Pugna
Danger Lane Solo Pugna


3 - Gameplay Guide
Early Game Laning
Early Game Pushing
Mid Game Ganking
Late Game

4 - Advanced Techniques
Blast Cancelling
'Decrepiteliporting'
Nether Ward Usage


5 - Allied and Opposition Hero Consideration
Recommended Allies
Pugna Food
Worst Enemies

6 - Drafting Pugna
Push Strategy
Counter-Picking


7 - Replays


8 - Wrapping Up





1 A Closer Look at Pugna's Skills

The values below are for the maximum level of each spell. To see the additional information please go here.


Nether Blast (B)

Creates a blast of exploding pulses from the Nether Plane, dealing damage to units and buildings.

Mana Cost: 145 Cooldown: 5.5 seconds
Casting Range: 400 AOE: 400
Damage: 325 magical damage (100 exact damage to buildings)

Tips:
- Cast delay of 0.5 seconds. Note that during this delay you can press 's' to stop the spell and re-target it if needed.
- The 100 building damage goes straight through the Glyph of Fortification buff without being reduced.
- During pushes this spell is ideally placed so that the far edge of the AOE just touches a tower, and the rest knocks out the enemy creep wave. This should keep you out of harm's way.
- Compared to other casters, this nuke has very poor range and can often place you in danger. Luckily you have a spell to deal with that - Decrepify!



Decrepify (C)

Pugna casts a powerful banishing magic on a unit. The unit is sent to the ethereal plane for a small period of time, reducing its movement speed by 50% and rendering it unable to attack. Units under the effect of Decrepify take 44% extra damage from Spells.

Mana Cost: 100 Cooldown: 7 seconds Casting Range: 700
Duration: 3.5 seconds

Tips:
- Only magical and pure damage can harm Decrepified units
- Decrepify has just received a handy buff! It now has 700 range at level 4 and can be used with Scream of Pain
- The following spells DO NOT deal any damage to a Decrepified unit: Echo Slam, Heat Seaking Missile and Blade Fury.
- Decrepify does not amplify the heal effect of Mekansm.
- You can save an ally from Omnislash by Decrepifying him.
- You can Decrepify your Nether Ward to keep it alive (new feature of map 6.65)
- This spell is obviously amazing to amplifiy magical damage on a target, but late game it becomes very important to save your team from physical damage. In certain situations it is also better to Decrepify a teammate or yourself - for instance the Decrepify/TP Scroll combo. This spell takes good judgement to use well.

Here's an example:




Nether Ward (W)

Summons a Nether Ward that prevents enemy heroes from regenerating mana and can cast Mana Flare, which deals damage to enemy heroes as they cast spells. Lasts 25 seconds. Each level increases the area of effect of the Ward's Mana Flare, the Mana Flare damage, the negative mana regen and the hp of the ward.

Mana Cost: 80 Cooldown: 35 seconds AOE: 1600
Duration: 25 seconds
Mana Regen Reduction: 6 mana points per second
Damage: 1.5 magical damage per point of mana used HP:300

Tips:
- Mana Flare is triggered when an enemy casts a spell and the damage is based on that spells mana cost.
- The damage of Mana Flare is dealt prior to the spell being cast, so if it deals fatal damage the enemy's spell will have no effect.
- The Mana Flare range is impressive, so the ward can be well hidden to keep it safe.
- Always have Nether Ward down before a battle begins - the highest mana cost spells are often used to initiate a battle (For example Echo Slam or Black Hole).


This my favourite spell by far - here's a closer look at effective Nether Ward use:




Ultimate: Life Drain (D)

Pugna summons a very powerful draining magic that absorbs the life essence of an enemy unit. Lasts 9 seconds.

Can be improved by Aghanim's Scepter (* show improved values).

Mana Cost: 225 Cooldown: 22 (*0) Casting Range: 850
Duration: 9 seconds
Damage: 185 (*250) magical damage per second, health drains to Pugna

Tips:
- Channeling spell
- HP drained depends on the actual damage dealt, so Decrepify increases it and magic resistance decreases it. (Please not that Decrepifying yourself does not improve the amount of life drained - only Decrepifying your opponent does that.)
- Will drain as long as the target is within 850 range. Note that if an enemy hero uses Blink during this spell, but remains within 850 range, Life Drain will still continue.
- Destroys images on the first damage tick


This spell can really turn the tide of battle, but it takes expert timing to use correctly. The effectiveness of Life Drain is also very dependent on the heroes chosen by your enemies and allies. If the other team is loaded with stuns it can make your life pretty tough. Try to get this spell off while your target is disabled (my personal favourite is Naga Siren's net) and when your enemies have wasted their disables.



2 Skill and Item Build Options

Skill Build:

Depending on your opponents you may choose to change this, but I find this is most effective:

1 - Nether Blast
2 - Nether Ward/Decrepify
3 - Nether Blast
4 - Nether Ward
5 - Nether Blast
6 - Life Drain
7 - Nether Blast
8 - Nether Ward
9 - Nether Ward
10 - Decrepify/Nether Ward
11 - Life Drain
12 - Decrepify
13 - Decrepify
14 - Decrepify
15 - Stat Boost
16 - Life Drain


Nether Blast is always maxed first, I don't think anyone will have any issues with that. However, choosing between Nether Ward and Decrepify is less obvious.

I always prioritize Nether Ward because it shines in early and mid game battles when spell damage is at its peak strength. Decrepify is a very strong counter to physical damage, which of course makes more sense in late game. Also, you only need to throw in 1 level of Decrepify and you can still coordinate with your team to amplify their nukes.



Starting items:

Pugna is a very versatile hero and these item builds are by no means gospel, they are simply a guide. Use your initiative to make item choices in-game, depending on your opponents and the situation.


Option 1 - Solo Pugna



Pugna is a strong ranged solo and this item set is also easily incorporated into one of his later items - Mekansm.


Option 2 - Dual-Lane Pugna



This is a pretty self-explanatory item set, of course the most important item is the chicken. When you are playing dual-lane Pugna you need to be responsible for supporting your team. The only time you wouldn't buy chicken is if you were buying the team's first set of wards instead.


Option 3 - Solo Pugna in the 'Danger Lane'



Soloing Pugna in the long 'Danger Lane' is a more advanced tactic, I will attempt to find (or create) a recent replay of this technique. (Unfortunately all of MYM|Maelk's danger lane Pugna replays are for an older patch.) With Boots and his natural fast movement speed, Pugna can escape the ganks that are commonly inflicted on this lane. However it requires very sharp map awareness and more submissive hero positioning. Only more experienced players should attempt this strategy.


Mid Game Items:

After the initial laning phase there are many items that are intelligent choices for Poogles.

Pugna is a natural supporter - he is almost completely item independent so you should focus on stocking up on support items whenever possible:



These are your key support items. Keep a stranglehold on the map with strong observer warding and kill the enemy obs with sentries. Always have a TP Scroll on you so you can help out in battles. Counter enemy invis heroes with dust and be sure to gank them early as possible when they are more vulnerable.

Warding is an integral part of Pugna's game, so if you are unfamiliar with appropriate warding spots, please go here to see Heldarion's Total Warding Guide.

In addition to support items, you can use your own judgement to choose between the following initial items:



Mekansm and Basilius are usually top priority unless another teammate chooses to buy these. They are almost essential for pushing towers, which is one of Puglicious' main goals.

Pugna's HP and armour is amongst the lowest in DotA, so it is very important to buff him up a bit. This can be achieved in a number of ways - 2 Bracers, a fast Mekansm and/or an early Point Booster are all viable ways to bump up his early survivability. However, don't go too ballistic on Bracers and leave yourself no inventory space for support items.


Late Game Item Choices:



Wow, it's a regular smorgasbord of items... That's basically because Pugna doesnt need items, he can simply choose items that are most suitable to beat his enemies. If they have mass spell damage - Khadgar's Pipe. If they have a huge amount of physical damage - Ghost Scepter. If you need mobility to multi-lane push - Boots of Travel. You get the idea.

However, Pugna should push hard enough that his team wins long before he starts considering this pricey list of top tier items. If you spend ages trying to farm up these big items, the enemy carry heroes will become much more of a threat. You should win early as possible when playing Puggs.



3 Gameplay Guide


Early Game Laning Phase:

If you are dual-laning, you should begin to support your team before the creeps even spawn. Buy a chicken and share it immediately, or use your wards before the first creepspawn. Use them to block the enemy 'pull spot' and/or to protect your solo hero from ganks.

Pugna can be a strong solo or a good lane partner. Typically if you choose to dual-lane, pick a melee stunner as your lane partner - this way you can support him with your range and use his stun to hit all your blasts.

Practice the typical lane control techniques so you gain an advantage over your opponents. Also, make sure you use the 's' hotkey to cancel any Nether Blasts that are off-target. Level as fast as you can and pick up your early boots and support items.

If you have your lane on lockdown, or if you have an extremely aggressive pushing lane like KotL/Pugna, try to take out the enemy's first tower before your opponents can resist you.



Early Game Pushing Phase:

As soon as you have level 7 and boots, you have the potential to take down enemy towers quickly. Look to find weak lanes and coordinate with your teammates to take towers in quick succession.

If the other team defends, use your early game advantage to own them in team clashes. Always drop your Nether Ward in a hidden location that is close enough to deal damage. When pushing top or bottom tower, place an observer ward behind it here to gain vision of approaching heroes. Last hit the tower with Nether Blast if it's at risk of being denied, but if possible leave the money to your carry hero. Remember, taking towers quickly provides far more money than farming creeps, and can give you the item advantage that allows you to break the enemy base.



Mid Game Ganking Phase:

During battles you should be able to feed on enemy spellcasters by zapping them with Nether Ward. It's a win/win situation - if they use spells to fight, they die to Mana Flare. If they choose to spend time stalling until they find the ward and kill it, your team will run over the top of them with your own offensive skills.

Always look to save allied heroes with your Meka and/or Decrepify. Never ever Decrepify a hero that your team is killing with physical damage. Think quickly and choose your targets well.

Poogles is weak as hell so you'll need your wits about you to survive battles.

Here's an example of a mid game battle with a strong Nether Ward presence:


Nether Ward is right above the battle, just out of harm's way. See how Rhasta (top right in this screenshot) has instantly been zapped down to a sliver of HP - all he has cast is Voodoo and Serpent Wards. Slayer dies to Nether Ward; she tried to Laguna Blade CM to stop Freezing Field. My team wins this battle 4 kills to nil and then pushes a tower over in moments.


This is another amazing mid game clash where a well-placed Nether Ward bags me an ultra-kill:



Click to view 4 screenshots...



Late Game:

Sure, you've lost a bit of power but you've still got some tricks up your sleeve. Screw over the enemy damage dealers with Decrepify and continue to take down towers with Nether Blast. Your ward is still a frighteningly strong spell - particularly because enemy ultimates now cost upward of 400 mana.

Please click to see the screenshots of a 5v5 late game clash in a war:





4 Advanced Techniques

Blast Cancelling
If you know your Nether Blast is about to miss, press 's' to cancel the spell and save your mana.


Decrepiteliporting
If you're taking high physical damage you can often escape by Decrepifying yourself and teleporting back to base.


DecrepiNetherwarding
You can buy precious seconds by Decrepifying your Netherward, keeping it alive and kicking!


Nether Ward Usage
Always, always, ALWAYS use Nether Ward during team clashes. It costs a mere 80 mana and can often deal more damage than a Zeus ultimate during fights.

Find a close location to hide the ward before a fight and do your best to Decrepify heroes who will take high Mana Flare damage. Here is another example:

Zeus vs Pugna


I have placed Nether Ward in a hidden location near the scourge top tower. Zeus decides to attack when he sees his ally Abaddon is near. His HP drops to red in the blink of an eye - I've used Decrepify/Nether Blast and all he has cast so far is Lightning Bolt.


Zeus casts Arc Lightning gets gutted by Nether Ward before he can even think about using his ultimate.


5 Allied and Opposition Hero Consideration

Recommended Allies:

High Damage Nukers -


Decrepify an enemy and *poof* he'll vanish under a cloud of nukes.


Fast Pushers -


Pugna's specialty is pushing, so when you combine his power with another pusher he's very hard to stop.


Long Disablers -


Life Drain anyone?


Pugna Food:

Spellcasters -


If these guys think they can fight with Nether Ward around, they've got another thing coming. All of them have monumental mana consumption and low HP... Pugna smells blood!


Special Mentions -


These guys are in the 'Pugna Food' section for a few reasons. If Sand King uses his ultimate in the fog and gets zapped by Nether Ward, it will disable his blink dagger and make all the Epicenter damage useless. Juggernaut is countered by Pugna because Decrepified units take zero damage from Blade Fury and Omnislash. It's extremely easy to bait an enemy Juggernaut into wasting Omnislash on you.


Worst Enemies:

Assassins -


Get caught in their combo and you'll be dead before you hit the ground. To survive their ganks you'll need good map control and warding.


Anti-Mage Type Heroes -


With terrifying high-damage combos and almost no fear of your spells, these guys will pop a cap in yo' ass.



6 Drafting Pugna

This is a slightly more advanced section. If you're interested in trying Pugna in Clan Wars like -CM or -CD, check it out.





7 Replays
Just click the replay name to follow the download link.

All visible replays can be viewed with the most recent patch.

*I have hidden the replays which are for 1.24b - if you want to watch them you will need the Warcraft Version Switcher.*



HIGHLY RECOMMENDED REPLAY: Pugna War vs Sulmar and Co


Bans: (Sentinel First)
| | | | | | |

Sentinel:


Scourge:


This is a dream Pugna game in almost every way - the drafts work out so that I am against a myriad of high mana-use spammer heroes. Netherward Rickrolls them all game long and there are some sick Decrepifies as well. Watch to see every aspect of Pugna play - a strong draft, good teamwork, very dominant pushing and of course explosive team fights. At one point I get an Ultra Kill despite being focused by 4 enemy heroes. Short and sweet, this replay is a must-see.




*New Replays* August 2010:
I've had a hard time getting replays, mainly because every man and his dog bans my Pugna when I play against them... but here are a few rare opportunities that I had to pwn with Pugna in clan war matches All the players are Inhouse DotA League players from various clans in Australia. Enjoy!


Pugna Godlike Streak vs team wH


Bans: (Scourge First)
| | | | | | |


Sentinel:


Scourge:


Here's a clear demonstration of how aggressively Pugna can be played. The Sentinel have Lion, Earthshaker and Witchdoctor - Pugna food ahoy! We establish map control by roaming both Sand King and Lina, and soon I am strong enough to throw myself into the middle of fights without any fear of death.


At about the 30 minute mark we push top lane and a team fight starts while Netherward is down. I run headlong into the fight and they cast Storm Bolt/Fissure/Hex/Echo Slam/Impale/Death Ward on me. Watch the replay to see how the fight turns out...



Pugna War vs team DaMn


Bans: (Scourge First)
| | | | | | |


Sentinel:


Scourge:



I captain the Scourge team this game and we use some unconventional lanes. At bot lane its Pugna/Doom vs Sven/Witchdoc - it's really the only lane worth watching because all the action happens down there. A long, closely-fought battle with 2 life-saving Decrepifies earns us first blood. Shoutout to P_[t]za for playing his "Spartan Doombringer" with Dagon and plenty of ridiculous tower diving madness.



Pugna War vs Pezzaperry


Bans: (Sentinel First)
| | | | | | |


Sentinel:


Scourge:



Another unconventional duo - Panda/Pugna - shows it's strength as we dominate bot lane in this match. If you want good examples of Nether Blast, this is the game to watch. I know it may seem strange to even consider Nether Blast a challenging spell to use, but what sets this replay apart is the people I juuuust catch with the edge of its AoE. Look out for the kill on Silencer at 10:45. Rhasta also has a bad day at the office - Nether Ward deep fries his troll ass a few times. Shoutout to Maysonicdemon and his epic micro with Panda!



Pugna 'Danger Lane' vs team JoY


Bans: (Sentinel first)
| | | | | | |


Sentinel:


Scourge:


I finally got the chance to solo the 'Danger Lane' and it turned out well. I'm against Windrunner - we have some pretty lulzy skirmishes. Watch out for the 1v1 fight at about 12 minutes. Shoutout to Airy and Earthmover for obliterating bottom lane with Vengeful and Centaur



Pugna vs HaL- in the latest CM Mode


Sentinel Bans: |
Scourge Bans: |


Sentinel Picks:


Scourge Picks:



What starts out looking like an easy victory (we get the first 7 kills of the match) turns into a struggle for power. The Scourge Panda suddenly becomes very farmed and his initiation makes team battles difficult to handle. The fights are confusing and pretty intense, so both teams make a few panic-stricken mistakes haha! This game is also a great demonstration of how Decrepify and Ghost Staff can completely ruin an enemy Slardar's day
Shoutout to [bel]s2bel for being obnoxious enough to buy an early boots of travel with Bloodseeker... honestly, who does that? Oh and Holy_UP for somehow pulling off a double kill first blood with Tombstone



The following hidden replays are for the 1.24b Warcraft Patch.




8 Wrapping Up


Special Thanks to:
Icefrog for creating this amazing game.
Ophelia33 for some very helpful tips on guide writing.
My DotA mates - you all pwn noobs.
All the readers for their feedback and constructive criticism - I really appreciate it!


Poogn0r is an underused, underrated hero. Hopefully this guide gave you some pointers that will allow you to get Ultra Kills with him too!

He's one of those characters that can be great fun and you can play mindgames with your enemies all game long. Consider him as a challenge!

Now get out there and fry some poor guy's brains with Nether Ward.

Cheers,
Tony