Underlord vs Pudge

How this matchup plays

Trying to land a key Meat Hook often means pulling Underlord, since he’s the one creating space for his team. The problem for Pudge is that Underlord is often too tanky to kill with a solo combo, especially after the laning stage. Underlord can survive the initial burst and then drop Pit of Malice to lock Pudge down, making him an easy target. While Pudge’s Dismember can hold a target in place, Underlord's Firestorm is great for wearing down high-health heroes, and his Atrophy Aura makes Pudge’s follow-up right clicks much weaker.

The matchup comes down to which hero Pudge manages to hook. Grabbing one of Underlord's fragile backline allies is a fight-winning play. Pulling Underlord himself, however, can be a disaster, as you’ve brought a durable, damage-reducing hero right into your own team. Underlord can also completely negate Pudge's pickoff potential with a well-timed Dark Rift to save a hooked teammate. It’s a constant positioning battle where a single mistake from either hero can swing the fight, but neither has a built-in advantage over the other.