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Shackles her enemies to trees. | |
Always at hand when trouble's afoot, Hoodwink lives to tangle with the threats that fill the haunted forest she adopted as her home. A natural Sharpshooter toting a massive crossbow and firing Acorn Shots while still able to Scurry through the woodland with the greatest of ease, Hoodwink is nearly impossible to keep tabs on in battle and Bushwhacks her foes when they least expect her to. Lose track and she'll pop out holding her Boomerang behind you — your stunned carcass already dangling in one of her nets. | |
Roles: | Support Nuker Escape Disabler |
Complexity: | ★★☆ |
Contents
Bio[]
To those living in the ancient timberlands, the choice came down to following the line of refugees into the pacified zones, falling to Krimwohl's black powder and steel while defending their homes, or fleeing further north to tempt fate in the haunted glens and groves of the misty Wood Tomo'kan.
So it was in those treacherous northern mistwoods that Hoodwink came of age, dodging the horrific predators of the Tomo'kan, ingratiating herself with some of the local banditry whilst antagonizing others, and finding absolutely every which way to be underfoot whenever some interesting mischief arose--often allegedly the cause of it.
But when the faintest whiff of Krimwohl's fires eventually drifted into her adopted home, Hoodwink's thoughts turned to any family and friends who might have survived the invasion--now made to eke out lives in the razed lands whose wounds scarred her very soul--and she couldn't help but approach the edges of civilization to get a glimpse of the devils that had destroyed her old life.
There, she saw that the monsters from her childhood weren't monsters at all. They were just...people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants...and refugees. And the soldiers, even with their black powder and steel, were nothing compared to the dangers of the Tomo'kan--real dangers with tentacles and teeth--dangers she danced around like a twirling maple seed.
Knowing she can always find safe passage in the tangles of the Tomo'kan, where most warm-blooded folk wisely fear to tread, Hoodwink now strikes out against those who dare try to further pacify the wilds, happily taking what she likes from their belongings, destroying what she has no use for, and helping guide any kindred survivors back to a life in the green once again.Abilities[]
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 auto-cast to force this behavior.
Notes:
- The cast range of Acorn Shot is based on the attack range of the caster.
- With the ability's own attack range bonus, Acorn Shot effectively has a cast range of 700/775/850/925 on Hoodwink.
- The cast range can be further increased by other attack range bonuses, and is also affected by cast range bonuses.
- When ground-targeted, a tree gets planted upon reaching that point. Planted trees have a smaller collision size and block less vision than regular trees.
- Unlike with other planted trees, Tango does not heal for twice as long when targeting an Acorn Shot tree.
- The planted tree provides 200 radius ground vision around itself, that lasts for 20 seconds or until the tree is destroyed.
- When put on Autocast, the ability can only be ground-targeted.
- When unit-targeted, the initial hit is not counted towards the bounce limit, so that up to 3/4/5/6 (
5/6/7/8) hits can be achieved.
- Initially, the projectile travels at a speed of 2100.
- The speed while bouncing equals half of Hoodwink's current attack projectile speed.
- With her default attack projectile speed, the boucing projectile travels at a speed of 900.
- The projectile speed can be further increased by other attack projectile speed bonuses.
- The projectile bounces in 0.1-second intervals.
- Can bounce on the same unit multiple times, but only when another target was hit between the bounces.
- Cannot bounce on invisible, invulnerable or hidden units, but can bounce on units in the Fog of War.
- Upon projectile hit, the acorn causes Hoodwink to perform an instant attack on the enemies.
- These instant attacks can proc any attack modifiers and on-hit effects normally. They do not have True Strike, but completely ignore disarms.
- Acorn Shot's instant attack first reduces Hoodwink's total attack damage and then the bonus damage is added as attack damage bonus on top of that after the total main damage is calculated.
- The total damage dealt includes all already existing attack damage changes, including conditional bonus sources (e.g. Bash).
- This can be defined as
ΣAtk × 75% + 50/75/100/125
- Therefore, attack damage based attack modifiers (e.g. critical strike and lifesteal) include the 50/75/100/125 bonus damage as well.
- Only the ability can use the bonus attack damage.
- Since the damage comes from a regular attack, it counts as attack damage and not as spell damage.
- This means it is affected by damage block, unaffected by spell damage amplification and cannot spell lifesteal.
- The projectile performs the instant attack, and then applies the debuff.
- The slow is independent from the instant attack, and is placed even when the instant attack misses.
- The projectile provides 200 radius flying vision around itself as it travels. This vision does not last.
- Acquiring the Acorn Shot charges
talent instantly grants 1 extra charge.
Notes:
- The projectile travels at a speed of 1200.
- With the maximum cast range and radius, Bushwhack can hit units up to 1265 range away.
- If there are no trees within the area, nothing happens.
- Deals 15/25/32.14/37.5 damage in 0.3-second intervals, starting 0.3 seconds after receiving the debuff, resulting in 5/6/7/8 instances.
- Hit enemies are stunned and moved towards the tree closest to the center of the targeted point.
- However, if there is another tree in the way, the unit is bound to that tree instead.
- Moves units towards the tree at a speed of 1000.
- Exposes hit enemies for the debuff duration, revealing their exact location.
- Bound units can be freed by destroying the tree they are bound to.
- Bound units are also freed when any form of Forced Movement is applied on them.
- If Bushwhack binds a unit to a planted tree with an expiration timer, that planted tree cannot expire until Bushwhack ends.
- Provides 265 radius flying vision at the target location upon reaching it, lasting for 1.5/1.8/2.1/2.4 seconds.
- Affects units inside the Fog of War, but not invisible units.
Notes:
- Hoodwink gets all 2 charges immediately upon learning Scurry.
- Interrupts Hoodwink's channeling abilities upon cast.
- Grants phased movement and tree-walking to Hoodwink.
- The passive modifier is hidden by default, and turns visible when near a tree.
- The passive evasion and the active component are independent from each other.
- The evasion is always present even when Scurry is not castable.
- Stacks multiplicatively with other sources of evasion
- The evasion uses pseudo-random distribution.
- On average, Scurry increases Hoodwink's survivability against physical attacks by 18%/25%/33%/43%.
- The Scurry Camouflage
talent turns Hoodwink invisible and phased when standing still within 275 range of a tree for 1.2 seconds.
- The invisibility is broken upon reaching the cast point of abilities or items, or upon launching an attack. Other orders do not break it.
- The invisibility is also lost upon position changes. This means Forced Movement breaks it as well.
- This also means that when given move orders (M), the invisibility is not broken while turning, but breaks when the actual moving starts.

Decoy illusion as they appear to allies.
Target Point
Enemies
Notes:
- Requires Aghanim's Shard to be unlocked.
- ↓↓ Double-tapping automatically targets the cursor's current location. Ignores the HUD, so cannot be cast through the minimap this way.
- Decoy can be cast without having to face towards the targeted point.
- Does not interrupt Hoodwink's channeling abilities or any other current order upon cast.
- The illusion automatically walks to the targeted point once created.
- The illusion is fully controllable, and can be given new orders to override this movement.
- The illusion spawns with the Scurry buff based on its current level.
- If Scurry is not learned, the buff is still placed, but without any values.
- This means it does not grant the movement speed bonus, but still grants the phased movement and tree-walking.
- The Scurry duration increasing
talent does not increase the duration of the Decoy's Scurry.
- The illusion is permanently phased.
- If re-cast while Decoy illusions from previous cast still exist, all Decoy illusions return to Hoodwink's current position and begin moving to the targeted location by the most recently-cast Decoy.
- Decoy illusions that existed when another Decoy illusion was triggered are exempt from this behavior, and do not return with additional casts of Decoy.
- When hit by an attack or a unit-targeted ability within 1000 range, the Decoy's effects trigger.
- This means that evaded enemy attacks (including attacks evaded by the illusion's Scurry evasion) do not trigger the Decoy.
- Only triggers on attacks of enemy heroes (including illusions, clones, and creep-heroes).
- Triggers on abilities of any unit, not just heroes, following the rules of Spell Block. The triggering ability is blocked as well.
- Triggers even when affected by an allied Transfer Spellblock.
- Attacks and abilities coming from more than 1000 range away do not trigger the Decoy.
- However, abilities from outside that distance still get fully blocked. Attacks affect the Decoy normally.
- When triggered, the illusion gets destroyed, and a lesser Bushwhack is sent towards the target's location.
- Upon reaching the location, it first creates a planted tree. This tree is smaller than the other trees on the map and has a smaller collision size.
- Tango heals for twice as long when targeting a Decoy tree.
- Although using Bushwhack's modifier, the area stun is completely independent from the ability.
- The triggering enemy does not get kill credits for the Decoy's destruction.
Notes:
- Requires Aghanim's Scepter to be unlocked.
- When unit-targeted, the boomerang homes in on the target.
- Can be cast on any unit, including allies, excluding self, buildings and wards.
- Targeting allies sends the boomerang towards them, but does not affect them.
- The boomerang either travels at a speed of 900 or reaches the target unit between 0.5 – 1.2 seconds, whichever is faster. The same applies upon returning.
- This means the boomerang can fly for 1 – 2.4 seconds at minimum and maximum respectively.
- The duration is set once upon cast, based on the distances. If the distances change after cast, the speed adapts to the predetermined duration.
- For example, if the target was within 450 range upon cast, the boomerang will have fully returned within 1 second.
- If the target was more than 1080 range away, it will have fully returned within 2.4 seconds.
- When ground-targeted, it flies towards that point at the fixed speed of 900.
- The boomerang is always thrown from Hoodwink's right side and returns from the opposite side.
- It flies towards the target arcing to the right side and returns to Hoodwink in a mirrored arc.
- Both arcs have a combined width of 400.
- Its minimum travel distance is 400 as well, so when targeting a point closer than 400 range, it flies in a triangular pattern with side lengths of 400.
- The boomerang first applies the debuff, then the damage.
- Stacks multiplicatively with other sources of status resistance.
- The boomerang approximately provides 150 radius flying vision around itself as it travels. This vision does not last.
- The primary target is damaged and debuffed when getting within its radius like any other unit.
- However, the boomerang only starts returning once fully reaching the target.
- Applies generic incoming damage amplification on the targets. Stacks additively with other sources of generic incoming damage manipulation.
- The amplification affects only spell damage the target takes that is not flagged as HP removal. Attack damage is not amplified.
- Since it uses incoming amplification, it does affect the damage of abilities that ignore outgoing amplification (e.g. Damage Return and Moon Glaives).

Sharpshooter's indicator
Hoodwink is knocked backwards for a distance of 350 from the force of the shot.
Notes:
- For better readability, the turn rate during the Sharpshooter is given as degrees per second, instead of radians per 0.03 seconds.
- 60° per second equal a turn rate of 0.031.
- A timer above Hoodwink's head shows how much time is left before the bolt releases. This timer is visible to everyone.
- The direction can be changed with a move order (
Right Click or M).
- A line indicator is cast in front of Hoodwink while aiming the shot, showing the path it will take once released.
- The indicator also shows for how long it is being charged, starting out green, slowly turning red over 5 seconds.
- The indicator is visible to the player only. Neither allies nor enemies can see it.
- Hoodwink can still perform other actions during Sharpshooter. Non-targeted abilities and items are used normally.
- However, targeted items that require facing can only be cast when targeted within her current facing direction.
- Targeting outside her facing direction causes her to get locked in position until the stop (S) or hold command are used.
- Hoodwink is disarmed during Sharpshooter. Attack orders behave like move orders during disarms, and it sets a new location as well.
- Sharpshooter can only be canceled by the End Sharpshooter sub-ability, casting Town Portal Scroll, or by Hoodwink's death. It cannot be interrupted by disables.
- However, silencing Hoodwink prevents her from manually firing Sharpshooter earlier with the sub-ability.
- Once released, Hoodwink gets knocked back in an arc with a height of 75 and distance of up to 350 over up to 0.4 seconds, or until touching the ground again.
- This means the knockback distance and duration can be reduced/increased by jumping up/down a ramp or impassable terrain.
- The damage starts at 110/180/250 and increases by 14.67/24/33.33 (
19.56/32/44.44) for each 0.1 seconds charged, reaching the full damage in 3 seconds.
- The debuff duration starts at 1 and increases by 0.13 (
0.18) for each 0.1 seconds charged, reaching the full duration in 3 seconds.
- The debuff applies Break on the target, disabling their passive abilities.
- The bolt travels at a speed of 2200 (
2750), and travels for the full distance, or until hitting a valid target.
- The bolt starts on Hoodwink's position. It can hit units up to 3125 range away. It does not search for units behind the starting location.
- Can only hit heroes, including clones, excluding illusions and creep-heroes. Does not hit, invulnerable, or hidden units, flying right through them.
- The bolt first applies the debuff, then the damage.
- The bolt provides 350 radius flying vision as it travel. This vision does not linger.
- The cast backswing starts the moment the cast begins, so the effective backswing depends on when the shot was released.
- This means the backswing can range from 4.5 to 9.5 seconds.
No Target
Notes:
- Replaces Sharpshooter until the sub-ability is used or the bolt is released.
- Interrupts Hoodwink's channeling abilities upon cast.
Talents[]
Hero Talents | ||
---|---|---|
+135 Bushwhack Radius | 25 | 2 Acorn Shot Charges |
-4 Armor Corruption | 20 | 25% Sharpshooter Faster Projectile / Charge Time |
+2 Acorn Shot Bounces | 15 | Scurry Camouflage |
-4s Bushwhack Cooldown | 10 | +1 Scurry Duration |
- Armor Corruption from talents is not disabled by Break.
- The armor corruption lasts 10 seconds, and stacks with the Armor Corruption talents of other heroes.
Recent Changes[]
- Increased Acorn Shot initial projectile speed from 1800 to 2100.
- Rescaled Scurry passive evasion from 8%/16%/24%/32% to 15%/20%/25%/30%.
Talents:
- Level 20 left talent: -3 Armor Corruption increased to -4.
- Level 25 left talent changed: Sharpshooter pierces spell immunity ➜ +135 Bushwhack radius.
- Increased Acorn Shot slow duration from 0.25 to 0.35.
Talents:
- Level 25 left talent changed: Sharpshooter deals pure damage and pierces spell immunity ➜ Sharpshooter pierces spell immunity.
- Reduced movement speed from 320 to 310.
- Bushwhack now deals its damage over time in 0.3-second intervals, rather than instantly upon landing. [?]
- Aghanim's Scepter upgrade:
- Hunter's Boomerang can now also be cast on the ground.
- Aghanim's Shard upgrade:
Talents:
- Level 10 right talent changed: +200 health ➜ +1s Scurry duration.
- Level 15 left talent changed: +16 agility ➜ +2 Acorn Shot bounces.
Recommended Items[]
Starting items:
- Iron Branch provides cheap attributes and can combine with Tango for the extra heal. Or use with Bushwhack, if necessary.
- Tango helps keep you in lane. The tree planted by Acorn Shot provides double heal for Hoodwink.
- Healing Salve restores health to stay in lane.
- Circlet provides cheap attributes that can be crafted for a Wraith Band.
- Slippers of Agility gives you cheap agility early in the game.
- Blades of Attack gives you last hitting power in lane and builds into Falcon Blade.
Early game:
- Magic Stick is useful with Hoodwink's constant mana problems in the early game.
- Boots of Speed synergizes well with Scurry's movement speed bonus and an important early game item in order to escape or pursue enemies easily.
- Wraith Band gives good agility and attributes in the early game.
- Falcon Blade gives bonus health, damage, and mana regeneration. Can be bought instead of 2 Wraith Bands.
- Veil of Discord boosts all magical output for Hoowink, even in mid-late game, when combined with Hunter's Boomerang, not to mention helping the overal magic damage for all allies.
Mid game:
- Magic Wand gives cheap attributes and an easier way to replenish health and mana.
- Power Treads increases Hoodwink's attack speed and provides good attributes. Can be switched for health or mana boost to survive team fights.
- Dragon Lance gives overall attack range increase. It also lets Hoodwink cast Acorn Shot much further.
- Maelstrom provides easier wave clear for Hoodwink. Its passive can be procced by Acorn Shot.
- Boots of Travel synergizes the best with Scurry's movement speed bonus as it is flat movement speed. Allows Hoodwink to split push with her Acorn Shot and flash farm this way.
Late game:
- Hurricane Pike, upgraded from Dragon Lance will not only give you bonus attack range that increases the range of Acorn Shot and nice attributes growth, but also an active ability which you can use to position yourself or an enemy against trees to make the most of your abilities. Keep in mind that the active destroys trees. It can also be used to distance herself from closing in enemies during Sharpshooter, or close in the gap to enemies moving away from maximum range.
- Yasha and Kaya is perhaps an answer to Hoodwink's low intelligence with its mana regeneration amplification. The spell amplification bonus also makes her skills hurt more.
- Linken's Sphere can be a defensive item, protecting Hoodwink from getting disabled. The item also provides her with bonus attributes and much needed mana regeneration.
- Eye of Skadi is the best stats-providing item for Hoodwink. The passive can also be procced by Acorn Shot.
- Mjollnir which is an upgraded Maelstrom gives you bonus attack speed. The active and passive is great for clearing waves of creeps and great to be used on your frontliner.
- Gleipnir retains Maelstrom's bonuses, and the area root is perfect for setting up her abilities. Gives more damage insted of attack speed what synegizes better with Acorn Shot.
- Daedalus bolsters Acorn Shot with a chance to crit for heavy damage.
- Monkey King Bar allows you to pierce through evasion with your Acorn Shot.
Situational items:
- Blink Dagger helps Hoodwink's capability of either chasing enemies, evading dangerous situations or engage and disengage in long brawls. It is also possible using Blink Dagger while charing Sharpshooter. But only forward. It might be a good way to snipe someone who is going beyong the max reach, or to avoid another enemy flanking her.
- Desolator ups Hoodwink's damage output, and the debuff can be spread across multiple enemies with Acorn Shot.
- Mage Slayer gives you good agility boost along with magic resistance. Its passive is formidable against spellcasters. Reduces the damage of Blade Mail.
- Black King Bar is important for helping a carry Hoodwink survive against heavy nukes and disables. Allows you to use your abilities despite Blade Mail.
- Monkey King Bar allows Acorn Shot bounces to deal bonus damage, and can help deal with enemies that have evasion.
- Eul's Scepter of Divinity provides Hoodwink with much-needed mana regeneration, and holds enemies in place while charging Sharpshooter. Upgrading it to Wind Waker is valid on late game, because you can actually play safe while charging Sharpshooter: as Sharpshooter is not cancelled by Cyclone, Hoodwink will shot even in the air to the direction she was facing before cycloning (if timed right). You can also move around and change your line of fire matching a target's position or get to a safer position if someone is closing in or trying to move behind her.
- Ethereal Blade gives damage amplification on your Sharpshooter as well as a strong slow that is longer than the charging time of your ult.
- Refresher Orb is underrated, but it can be very effective on teamfights, specially if Hoodwink catches multiple targets in Bushwhack, granting the possibility to damage all of them with Acorn Shot, all of the with Hunter's Boomerang, snipe one of them with Sharpshooter, then repeat. And given her abilities do not consume a lot of mana, you can try and use Gleipnir after the first Sharpshooter, to allow her to reposition herself closer to enemy targets and reset the combo.
- Skull Basher can be triggered by Acorn Shot hits – eventually penetrating magic immunity.
Neutral items:
- Quicksilver Amulet boosts considerably the attack animation for Hoodwink to shoot, which is relatively slow, although her projectile is already fast enough.
- Ironwood Tree provides an instant tree to combo with Bushwhack and fair stats for early to mid game.
- Vambrace, Essence Ring and Pupil's Gift are important to consider to help with low HP pool, or improve her capacity to cast spells with more mana.
- Grove Bow decreases enemy magic resistance which increases Hoodwink damage output.
- Enchanted Quiver provides decent free magical nuke and a very good range boost, which can snipe fleeing enemies from afar with Acorn Shot.
- Mind Breaker works in the first hit of Acorn Shot, which can be used during Sharpshooter to avoid a disabling or evading enemy spell.
- Elven Tunic adds evasion upon the already passive evasion from Scurry.
- Orb of Destruction, as well as Stygian Desolator, debuffs all enemies affected by Acorn Shot with slow and armor reduction, the latter also adding considerable amount of damage.
- Illusionist's Cape is another great way to trick enemies, specially if Hoodwink has Decoy, doubling her diversion capacity.
- Penta-Edged Sword boosts damage and might debuff all enemies affected by Acorn Shot.
- Flicker can provide great mobility to chase or escape enemies. Can also be used during Sharpshooter, but might change the line of fire, which will have to be corrected accordingly.
- Trickster Cloak adds evasion upon the already passive evasion from Scurry. It also gives decent magic resistance, boosting Hoodwink's magic tankiness, considering she has natural high armor later in the game, plus what's added by items.
- Ballista triggers at every Acorn Shot hit. It can help pushing enemies next to trees to combo with Bushwhack if low on mana to cast Acorn Shot.
- Besides the stats provided the Book of Shadows, it increases night vision, improving Hoodwink's capabilities to chase or evade enemies at night. The active ability Shadows allows Hoodwink to prowl unscathed in battle, against single targeting abilities. It may also grant her certain protection whilst casting Sharpshooter. Just keep in mind that the target is silenced under the effect of Shadows, so Hoodwink will not be able to control Sharpshooter's aiming or releasing at that time.
- Fallen Sky is a great setup to all Hoodwink's skills. It can be combined with Sharpshooter, granting an aditional nuke and stun to grant a direct hit. Or even timed with Acorn Shot / Bushwhack combo.
Gameplay[]
Audio[]
History[]
Equipment[]
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Trivia[]
- Hoodwink was teased in the Diretide 2020 trailer, where she appeared briefly with an unknown bird character in a newspaper article Snapfire is reading.[1]
- Hoodwink featured in the Nemestice trailer and fought Arc Warden.
- Brooke Williams, who voices Hoodwink, has played other video game characters such as Merveil, the Act 1 final boss in Path of Exile.
- Hoodwink's response upon buying Gleipnir, ▶️ "Wait, if the Gleipnir's here. Then he's... I gotta go." is a reference to Primal Beast who she had chained up with it.
- This in return may be a reference to the item being based on the Gleipnir artifact from Norse mythology that leashed the demon wolf Fenrir to prevent him from starting Ragnarok.
Gallery[]
Art video Debut video
References[]
- ↑ Diretide 2020 trailer in which Hoodwink was teased. Hoodwink is visible on the newspaper Snapfire is reading beginning at the 25th second mark.