Carry guide

Walk in unseen, strafe the lone target and let the skeletons do the rest.

516 HP327 manaLevel 1

ClinkzDota 2 hero

Clinkz is an invisible Agility archer who picks off lone heroes with Strafe, Searing Arrows and a growing army of skeleton archers.

AgilityRanged

#80of 127 heroes
by pick rate

Pick rate: 4.7%
Hero win rate: 49.7%

Our game-phase read Editorial · impact 1–5

Source & our read · Sep 12, 2026

OpenDota · retrieved Sep 12, 2026. 176,115 Clinkz picks and 87,504 wins in approximately 3,780,175 rank-classified public matches. Excludes Turbo and pro stats. This is a sample, not all players.

Pick rate = hero picks ÷ estimated matches; win rate = hero wins ÷ hero picks. Estimated matches = all hero picks ÷ 10, following OpenDota’s calculation. Tied pick counts share a rank. The API does not provide observation timestamps.

Our impact scores · 1 low, 5 high
Early · 3/5	Searing Arrows harass well, but Clinkz needs levels and Orchid before he kills reliably.
Mid · 5/5	Orchid, Strafe and invisibility make him the best pickoff hero on the map.
Late · 3/5	He stays dangerous against isolated heroes, but detection and tanky carries limit him.

The Dota2Freaks take Editorial

Why pick Clinkz?

Pick Clinkz against lineups without reliable detection and with heroes who walk alone or farm far from their team.

When to think twice

Avoid Clinkz against heavy detection, tanky heroes who survive his burst and lineups that force five-on-five fights.

The usual mistake

Do not walk past sentries you have not checked. Carry a Dust or ask a support to clear the path.

Our picks · Carry

Clinkz item builds

Choose for the game in front of you.

Standard

Default carry path built around Orchid silence, farming speed and attack items.

01Starting
Empty inventory slot
Lane with cheap stats
02Lane
Empty inventory slotEmpty inventory slotEmpty inventory slot
Farm with early stats
03First core
Empty inventory slotEmpty inventory slot
Silence targets for safe kills
04Mid game
Farm faster and fight through control
05Late game
Scale damage and reliability
06Luxury
Add the burning army

Orchid MalevolenceSilences the target so the pickoff cannot be answered.

How to use these builds

These are our editorial build paths. Labels describe their purpose, not measured popularity or win rate. Click an item for its use. Each stage is an inventory snapshot: keep earlier items, use consumables, upgrade components, and replace small items as space runs out. Boots, defenses, and late slots can change with the draft.

More match and build examples: Dota 2 Pro Tracker. Item names and images: Valve.

The draft check

Friends & counters

Our picks, based on how the spells work together.

5 friends to play with

Lion

Hex and Earth Spike hold a target still for a full Strafe.

Crystal Maiden

Frostbite roots the target and Arcane Aura keeps Clinkz's mana full for Death Pact and Strafe.

Shadow Shaman

Hex and Shackles give Clinkz a free pickoff every time.

Bane

Nightmare and Fiend's Grip hold any target long enough for Clinkz to kill it.

Dazzle

Shallow Grave protects Clinkz when a pickoff turns into a fight.

5 counter picks to watch

Zeus

Lightning Bolt and Thundergod's Wrath reveal and damage Clinkz anywhere on the map.

Bloodseeker

Thirst reveals a low-health Clinkz and Rupture punishes his escape.

Slardar

Corrosive Haze gives true sight on Clinkz and Slithereen Crush stops his burst.

Bristleback

Quill Spray and his durability survive the burst and punish Clinkz for staying.

Axe

Berserker's Call pulls Clinkz out of invisibility and Culling Blade finishes him.

About these picks

These are useful ability interactions, not a statistical ranking or guaranteed matchups. Positioning, items, and cooldowns change the result. Hero links open a full guide when available, otherwise the directory.

Ability references from Valve: Lion · Crystal Maiden · Shadow Shaman · Bane · Dazzle · Zeus · Bloodseeker · Slardar · Bristleback · Axe. Checked 2026-10-13.

The buttons

QWER + D / F · open for spell values

StrafeNo targetGreatly increases attack speed and attack range for a short time and speeds up skeleton archers.

Mana: 60 / 70 / 80 / 90
Cooldown: 30 / 25 / 20 / 15s
Attack speed bonus: 120 / 160 / 200 / 240

Searing ArrowsUnit targetAdds fire damage to attacks; skeleton archers deal a share of it.

Mana: 10
Cooldown: 0 / 0 / 0 / 0s
Bonus damage: 20 / 35 / 50 / 65

Death PactUnit targetConsumes a creep to gain bonus health for a long time and summon a skeleton archer.

Mana: 50
Charge restore: 40s
Bonus health: 175 / 250 / 325 / 400

Skeleton WalkUltimateClinkz becomes invisible and faster for a long time and leaves skeleton archers behind.

Mana: 80 / 105 / 130
Cooldown: 24 / 21 / 18s
Duration: 35 / 40 / 45s

Burning BarragePoint targetRequires Aghanim's Shard. Fires a volley of arrows in a direction, each dealing a share of attack damage.

Mana: 40
Cooldown: 17s
Arrows: 6

Burning ArmyPoint targetRequires Aghanim's Scepter. Summons a line of skeleton archers that attack nearby enemies.

Mana: 150
Cooldown: 70s
Archers: 6

Base stats & innate Level 1 · no items

Strength18+2 / lvl

Agility25+2.7 / lvl

Intelligence21+2.2 / lvl

Attack damage: 44–50
Armor: 4.2
Move speed: 285
Magic resist: 25%
Attack range: 600
Base attack time: 1.7s
Health regen: +2.0500002/s
Mana regen: +1.0500001/s

DOTA2FREAKS GUIDE · REVIEWED Oct 13, 2026

Dota 2 Clinkz guide: carry builds, abilities and tips

Clinkz is an invisible Agility archer who picks off lone heroes with Strafe, Searing Arrows and a growing army of skeleton archers.

What role does Clinkz play in Dota 2?

Clinkz is a ranged Agility hero. Our recommended role is position 1 carry, with mid as an alternative.

Clinkz hunts. Skeleton Walk makes him invisible and fast and leaves skeleton archers behind, Strafe gives huge attack speed and range, Searing Arrows add damage to every shot, and Death Pact grants a large health boost from a creep. Pick Clinkz when the enemy lacks detection and has heroes who walk alone. He is weak against sentries, Gems and heroes who survive his burst long enough to fight back.

How to play Clinkz in Dota 2

Clinkz laning and early decisions
Harass with Searing Arrows whenever the enemy comes for a last hit; the extra damage costs little mana. Death Pact on a big creep gives you health for trades and a skeleton to help push. From level six, walk invisibly to the enemy support and open with Strafe for a fast kill.
Clinkz positioning and teamfights
Approach from fog with Skeleton Walk, release the skeletons and pick the hero who cannot answer: a support, a caster, or a carry without Black King Bar. Strafe, attack until the target dies and leave before the enemy regroups. In big fights Burning Barrage and Burning Army let you contribute from range.
Dota 2 Clinkz item build decisions
Power Treads, Magic Wand and Wraith Bands carry the lane. Orchid Malevolence is the usual first core because the silence makes every pickoff safe; Gleipnir or Maelstrom add farming speed. Black King Bar handles enemy control, Bloodthorn, Daedalus and Monkey King Bar finish the build, and Aghanim's Scepter adds Burning Army.

Dota 2 Clinkz tips and ability interactions

D2F ADVICE

Clinkz: Death Pact on the biggest creep

Death Pact consumes a creep and gives Clinkz bonus health for a long time while a skeleton rises. Use it on a large neutral creep or a siege creep before you engage, and refresh it before every fight so the health boost is always active.

Clinkz: Strafe is your burst window

Strafe gives a large attack speed and range bonus for a few seconds and speeds up your skeleton archers. Activate it the moment you start attacking a target, not before, and make sure the skeletons are near so their attacks add to the burst.

Clinkz: Skeletons give vision and pressure

Skeleton Walk leaves skeleton archers that attack nearby enemies and give vision. Use them to scout, to push a lane while you farm elsewhere and to add damage in fights. Burning Army from the Scepter places a line of them for a full team fight.

Dota 2 Clinkz ability mechanics

Key Clinkz mechanics · Valve snapshot Oct 13, 2026
Detail	What it means in your game
Strafe	Greatly increases attack speed and attack range for a short time and speeds up skeleton archers.
Searing Arrows	Adds fire damage to attacks; skeleton archers deal a share of it.
Death Pact	Consumes a creep to gain bonus health for a long time and summon a skeleton archer.
Burning Barrage	Requires Aghanim's Shard. Fires a volley of arrows in a direction, each dealing a share of attack damage.
Burning Army	Requires Aghanim's Scepter. Summons a line of skeleton archers that attack nearby enemies.
Skeleton Walk	Clinkz becomes invisible and faster for a long time and leaves skeleton archers behind.

Dota 2 Clinkz FAQ

Which role should Clinkz play in Dota 2?

Clinkz is usually a position 1 carry who farms until Orchid and then hunts isolated heroes with invisibility and Strafe. He can also play mid, where the solo levels bring his ultimate online earlier. In both roles his job is to create pickoffs and push side lanes with skeletons rather than to stand in team fights.

Which items should Clinkz buy in Dota 2?

Power Treads, Magic Wand and Wraith Bands cover the lane. Orchid Malevolence is the common first core, often with Maelstrom or Gleipnir for farming. Black King Bar handles control, and Bloodthorn, Daedalus, Monkey King Bar and Aghanim's Scepter finish the build. Dragon Lance is a cheap range option against melee lineups.

Is Clinkz suitable for Dota 2 beginners?

Clinkz is a medium-difficulty hero. His spells are simple, but he lives from map awareness: you must know where enemy sentries and Gems are and which heroes can be killed alone. Beginners should start by pushing lanes with skeletons, picking fights only with Strafe ready and buying Orchid before luxury items.

How should you use Clinkz's ultimate in Dota 2?

Skeleton Walk gives long invisibility and movement speed and leaves skeleton archers behind. Use it to cross the map unseen, to escape after a kill and to seed skeletons where you want vision or lane pressure. Remember that true sight reveals you, so check for sentries and Gems before you rely on it.

Next pick?