Mid guide

Jump in, silence, coil, shift out. Puck starts fights and leaves before they end badly.

494 HP351 manaLevel 1

PuckDota 2 hero

Puck is a slippery Intelligence hero who dives in with Illusory Orb, silences, dodges with Phase Shift and traps whole teams in Dream Coil.

IntelligenceRanged

#105of 127 heroes
by pick rate

Pick rate: 3.3%
Hero win rate: 46.5%

Our game-phase read Editorial · impact 1–5

Source & our read · Sep 12, 2026

OpenDota · retrieved Sep 12, 2026. 123,601 Puck picks and 57,439 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	Illusory Orb wins last hits and trades, but Puck needs levels before killing alone.
Mid · 5/5	Blink or Orb initiation with Dream Coil and Waning Rift decides most mid-game fights.
Late · 3/5	The control stays relevant with Scepter, but Puck's damage falls behind real carries.

The Dota2Freaks take Editorial

Why pick Puck?

Pick Puck when your team needs an initiator who silences casters, holds groups in place and survives the counter-attack.

When to think twice

Avoid Puck against lineups with instant disables and dispels that stop the jump or remove the coil.

The usual mistake

Do not use Phase Shift as soon as you land. Save it for the stun or projectile that would actually kill you.

Our picks · Mid

Puck item builds

Choose for the game in front of you.

Standard

Default mid path that mixes attacks and spells, then adds Blink Dagger for cleaner initiation.

01Starting
Empty inventory slot
Trade with the orb and keep regen
02Lane
Empty inventory slotEmpty inventory slot
Sustain repeated orbs
03First core
Empty inventory slot
Add attack damage between spells
04Mid game
Initiate and dispel silences
05Late game
Fight through control
06Luxury
Shorten the cooldowns

Witch BladeAdds attack damage and a poison that fits Puck's quick attacks after a coil.

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

Juggernaut

Dream Coil holds enemies in place for Omnislash and Blade Fury.

Sven

A coiled group is a perfect target for Storm Hammer and cleave with God's Strength.

Lina

Puck's silence and coil guarantee Light Strike Array and Laguna Blade.

Tidehunter

Ravage and Dream Coil together lock the whole enemy team for a full combo.

Crystal Maiden

Arcane Aura covers Puck's mana costs and Freezing Field punishes a coiled team.

5 counter picks to watch

Bane

Nightmare and Fiend's Grip disable Puck before Phase Shift can be used.

Lion

Hex is instant and stops Puck's jump, and Mana Drain empties the mana pool.

Storm Spirit

Ball Lightning catches Puck after the jump and Electric Vortex interrupts the escape.

Slark

Dark Pact dispels the coil and Pounce keeps Puck from leaving.

Anti-Mage

Mana Break and Blink punish Puck's small mana pool and mobility.

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: Juggernaut · Sven · Lina · Tidehunter · Crystal Maiden · Bane · Lion · Storm Spirit · Slark · Anti-Mage. Checked 2026-10-13.

The buttons

QWER · open for spell values

Illusory OrbPoint targetLaunches a slow orb that damages enemies along its path; Puck can teleport to it.

Mana: 90 / 100 / 110 / 120
Cooldown: 12 / 11 / 10 / 9s
Damage: 70 / 140 / 210 / 280

Waning RiftPoint targetReleases a burst that silences and damages enemies around Puck.

Mana: 100 / 110 / 120 / 130
Cooldown: 16 / 15 / 14 / 13s
Silence duration: 2 / 2.5 / 3 / 3.5s

Phase ShiftNo targetPuck shifts out of reality, becoming untargetable and invulnerable for a short time.

Mana: 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Cooldown: 8 / 7.5 / 7 / 6.5s
Duration: 1 / 1.75 / 2.5 / 3.25s

Dream CoilUltimateCreates a coil that stuns nearby enemies; those who move too far away are stunned and damaged again.

Mana: 125 / 175 / 225
Cooldown: 75s
Coil duration: 5 / 5.5 / 6s

Base stats & innate Level 1 · no items

Strength17+2.4 / lvl

Agility14+2.1 / lvl

Intelligence23+3.8 / lvl

Attack damage: 45–53
Armor: 2.3
Move speed: 290
Magic resist: 25%
Attack range: 550
Base attack time: 1.7s
Health regen: +2.2/s
Mana regen: +1.65/s

DOTA2FREAKS GUIDE · REVIEWED Oct 13, 2026

Dota 2 Puck guide: mid builds, abilities and tips

Puck is a slippery Intelligence hero who dives in with Illusory Orb, silences, dodges with Phase Shift and traps whole teams in Dream Coil.

What role does Puck play in Dota 2?

Puck is a ranged Intelligence hero. Our recommended role is mid, with offlane as an alternative.

Puck is an initiator who survives their own initiation. Illusory Orb travels a long way and Puck can jump to it, Waning Rift silences everyone nearby, Phase Shift dodges the response and Dream Coil holds the enemy team in place. Pick Puck when your team wants tempo in the mid game and a hero who starts fights without dying. The hero is fragile and relies on cooldowns, so every spell has to be timed, not spammed.

How to play Puck in Dota 2

Puck laning and early decisions
Use Illusory Orb to secure ranged creeps and poke the enemy at the same time, then Phase Shift to dodge their reply. Bottle is essential because the orb costs mana every wave. Look for a level-six kill with Orb, Rift and Dream Coil when the enemy mid stands too far forward.
Puck positioning and teamfights
Orb into the enemy backline, jump, cast Waning Rift to silence their casters and Dream Coil on as many heroes as possible. Phase Shift the moment they turn to you, then walk out or let your team arrive. The coil breaks when enemies leave its radius, so cast it where they want to run.
Dota 2 Puck item build decisions
Bottle, Boots and Null Talismans carry the lane. Witch Blade is a popular first core because Puck attacks often between spells; Blink Dagger improves the initiation and Eul's Scepter dispels silences that stop your escape. Black King Bar, Aghanim's Scepter and Octarine Core finish a fight-focused game.

Dota 2 Puck tips and ability interactions

D2F ADVICE

Puck: Phase Shift dodges projectiles

Phase Shift makes Puck untargetable and invulnerable for its duration. Use it to dodge stuns and projectiles already in the air, such as Magic Missile or Storm Hammer, rather than as a blind escape. Your innate also rewards dodged spells, so the timing is worth practising.

Puck: Rift after the Orb jump

Waning Rift silences and damages everyone around Puck. Jump to the orb first, then cast Rift so the silence hits the enemy casters before they can answer. A silenced support cannot save the carry you are about to coil.

Puck: Dream Coil punishes movement

Dream Coil stuns on cast and again when an enemy breaks the coil by leaving its radius. Cast it in the middle of a group so retreating enemies take the break stun and damage. Aghanim's Scepter lets the coil pierce spell immunity, which turns Black King Bar fights in your favour.

Dota 2 Puck ability mechanics

Key Puck mechanics · Valve snapshot Oct 13, 2026
Detail	What it means in your game
Illusory Orb	Launches a slow orb that damages enemies along its path; Puck can teleport to it with Ethereal Jaunt.
Waning Rift	Puck releases a burst that silences and damages enemies around it.
Phase Shift	Puck shifts out of reality, becoming untargetable and invulnerable for a short time.
Dream Coil	Creates a coil that stuns nearby enemies; those who move too far away are stunned and damaged again.

Dota 2 Puck FAQ

Which role should Puck play in Dota 2?

Puck is played mid in most games, where Bottle, levels and the orb let the hero control the lane and rotate early. The offlane also works because Puck survives bad lanes and still initiates later. In both roles the job is to start fights with Orb, Rift and Dream Coil and live through them.

Which items should Puck buy in Dota 2?

Bottle, Boots of Speed and Null Talismans cover the lane. Witch Blade is the usual first core, followed by Blink Dagger and Eul's Scepter of Divinity. Black King Bar, Aghanim's Scepter and Octarine Core finish the build. Some players choose Kaya and Sange for durability instead of a second damage item.

Is Puck suitable for Dota 2 beginners?

Puck is demanding. The orb jump, the Phase Shift timing and the coil placement all need quick decisions, and a late Phase Shift means death. Beginners should practise Orb and Jaunt in a lobby, use Phase Shift only to dodge a specific spell and learn to recognise which enemies have no answer once silenced.

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

Dream Coil is strongest on grouped enemies who need to move. Jump in with Illusory Orb, silence with Waning Rift and cast the coil so the radius covers the heroes who want to escape. Then shift out of danger. With Aghanim's Scepter the coil also works through spell immunity, so use it after enemies have activated Black King Bar.

Next pick?