Clockwerk Goblin Guide: Basic Techniques Explained and Demonstrated

Here is my first guide, winner of DXD’s Hero Guide Contest and featured on dotagaming.com.  Stay tuned for some new hero guides for Dota and HoN heroes in the future.

Overview:
The easiest way to learn a new hero is to compare it to a hero you already understand.  Let’s compare Clockwerk Goblin (CW) to Pudge.  Both heroes utilize grappling hooks, have AOE slows, and have close-range disables.  Unlike Pudge, CW also has a rocket attack like his cousin Tinker.  Considering these similarities between Pudge and CW, it is not suprising that they have very similar strengths, and consequently should be played with the same objectives in mind: Get close to the enemy, disable the enemy, and kill the enemy.

Let’s take a closer look at the abilities and how to use them:

Hookshot
The obvious difference between Hookshot and Pudge’s Meat Hook is that instead of drawing targets in, it brings CW to the target.  Other important considerations: Hookshot is much faster than Meat Hook.  Instead of anticipating their movement as you do with Pudge, you should aim Hookshot directly at the target or only very slightly in front of them if it is a long shot.  It is actually very much easier to hit than Meat Hook, and after some practice and successful shots, your confidence and skill with this ability will grow greatly.  The second thing to consider is that Hookshot has much greater range than Meat Hook.  At max level, Hookshot has 3000 range, so you can latch onto targets three times farther away than Pudge can.

Rocket Flare
As mentioned above, CW’s rocket is similar to Tinker’s, but please note these following differences.  CW’s Rocket:
- does AOE damage.
- can hit anywhere on the map.
- costs only 50 mana.
- gives vision wherever it travels.
We can see how in many ways this is a much better spell than Tinker’s, the catch being that you must aim and time the shots yourself.  This should always be the first skill you learn (unless you are going for a level 1 First Blood with Battery Assault) as it can scout the map early, and be used generously to last hit and harass since it only costs 50 mana.  It is also important to be aware of the map, as this ability may be used much like Zeus’s ultimate to land the killing blow on low-hp heroes from long distance.

Battery Assault
Returning to our Pudge analogy, this skill is most closely relative to Rot, as it slows and damages nearby heroes, preventing their escape and causing their eventual death.  Battery Assault has the additional bonus of being a mini-stun (several repeated stuns are the actual method of slowing the hero, rather than a “slow” by definition), so the enemy will be unable to cast spells, or even Orb walk, while in the range of this disable, and of course you will be able to break up channeling spells later in the game.  Important to consider: Just like with Pudge’s rot, you must only run alongside them and not attack (unless they are attacking, trying to cast a spell, or otherwise standing still), in which case you may attack their hero without them escaping.  Otherwise, if you try to attack them while chasing them, a gap will open up between your heroes and they may escape your Battery Assault.  Also consider that Battery Assault, unlike Rot, only hits one target at once, so the more targets there are in the vicinity, the less stuns any one target will take.

Power Cog
This ability allows you to trap your enemy next to you, subjecting them further to the wrath of Battery Assault, and allowing you to attack them without worry of escape.  Important to consider:
- You must be touching the target for Cog capture them (or slightly in the direction of their movement as your hero will stop moving shortly as it undergoes the Cog animation).
- You can Hookshot THROUGH Cogs (perhaps to escape, or to latch on to a new target).
- You can destroy your own Cogs (by attacking) to escape from the trap.
- Cogs will zap up to 100 mana and life (at level 4) from enemy heroes that try to approach them from the outside.

Now that we’ve considered these abilities, here is a demonstration of how they may be put to work to get you kills:

Scene 1: A Shadow Fiend lands two Razes on CW, and attempts to land the third, which will kill him.  By this time, CW is next to SF and Battery Assault is doing it’s job– SF is mini-stunned and cannot land the killing blow.

Scene 2: The Rocket Flare misses, but it gives vision of the area, allowing CW to pick Tidehunter out of the Fog with a long (nearly 3000 range) Hookshot.  The shot lands, and Tidehunter is trapped, disabled and killed with Power Cog and Battery Assault (and Dagon).

Scene 3: CW approaches with an Invisiblity rune to mop up after a battle.  Battery Assault is key here, as is Rocket Flare, which is used to damage all 3 heroes at once.  Queen of Pain is attacked first, as she has the most likely mechanism to escape.  Huskar dies shortly to a mini-stun proc, QOP blinks away but is run down with a Hookshot, and finally Veno is mopped up with help from CM.

Scene 4: Hookshot lands on a frozen Huskar.  It is always easiest to hook a target that is already disabled.

Scenes 5-6: Dagon kills.  Rocket Flare and Dagon combine great to pick off low hp heroes.

Scene 7: Hookshot on a gripped Spectre.  It really is easy to hook a target that is already disabled.  Then get in there and killsteal.

Scene 8: Battery Assault takes care of Huskar, then a well-timed Rocket Flare finishes off a fleeing Leshrac.

Scene 9: A careful eye on the map allows CW to spot a low-hp bane and pick him off with a Rocket.

Scene 10: Leshrac is fat– an easy target for Hookshot. We can attack him while he tries (helplessly) to cast spells without worrying of him escaping our Battery Assault range.

Scene 11: A mid-range hook picks off CM and prevents her from arriving at the team battle which rages above and to the left.  Picking out enemies like this prevents painful 5 vs. 5 team battles.

Scene 12: Another mid-range hook picks out a SF and then Battery Assault and Necronomicon (Book) make quick work of Huskar.  Book is a great item on CW because the summons can get many attacks in while the enemy is trapped or slowed.

Scene 13: A mag is ripped in the face with a Dagon before he can Reverse Polarity.  Always drop some G’s after a good own, especially if you just killed TylerG.

Scene 14: A very low-hp Warlock is chased by Omniknight and Lina.  Magnataur joins the chase at the last minute only to be disabled by Hookshot and trapped helplessly in a Power Cog along with Omniknight. Warlock escapes safely.

Scene 15: Leshrac is disabled and killed with Battery Assault.  CW only moves when Leshrac is running, and attacks only when Leshrac is standing still (trying to cast a spell, etc.), so Leshrac can never get out of the mini-stun AOE.

Now that you have all the moves, you’ll be playing CW effortlessly, having fun, and passing even Milkfat in the DXD ratings.  ENJOY.