So You Want To Be a TINKER MASTER?!

Introduction

So you picked/randomed Tinker - what to do next...

Tinker is my favorite hero of all time, why? Because REARM best ultimate
I am just a casual pub player but i have played tinker for a really long time (~5years)

This guide is quite long so take your time

There are several ways to play Tinker
-Ganker
-Pusher or Being a Turtler

With one of the most unique ultimate in the game, Tinker is one of the best base defender/ganker - counter ganker/global pusher in the game. With enough items Tinker can be consider one of the best semi-carry/utility hero in the game

So how are we gonna do that
In this guide I am going to talk about:
-skill builds
-items
-mid match ups
-what to do in team fight

Tinker should always go mid btw; and please ask your teammates to buy a courrier and at least ward one of the rune spots.

Build #1 Pew, Pew, pew pew pew...

Technically, every Tinker's build can be considered ganking, but this is the hardest ganking/nuking build you going to see.
Max Laser and Heat Seeking Missile first is obvious
Laser is one the of highest single target spells with 320 pure damage.
You should remember:
- The max Laser-Rocket combo does 564 damage (with magic resist)
- The combo cost 350 MP
So if you see the opponent is low, check his HP

Q: Why dagon?
A: So u could nuke one poor ****er down.

The total damage for the combo with lv.1 dagon is 846 damage

Q: Why Blink Dagger, Force staff is better.
A: Although force staff gives stats and is easier to build up its range is to short.
600 range can't save you or make a surprise. (and the cost increased in the recent patch)
The Dagger with 1200 range and dodge-ability and with the destination-accuracy, Blink is way better

Get dagon Lv.1 -> Blink -> dagon Lv.5
Although lvl up dagon is not the most effective thing you could do with your money the reduce mana cost - damage, range increase is not a joke

Q: When to take lv3 ultimate?
A: When your mana pool supports 2 full combo
-Blink rocket laser dagon rearm blink rocker laser dagon TP = 1825 mana
-With soul ring and bottle your mana pool should be around 1165 (3 bottle charge + 3 soul ring usages) though you can't use bottle effectively in team fight so that is 225 more mana needed

The impressive part: The double-combo does 2292 damage (with the basic 25% magic immune)
So if you can pick someone off -> do it (without endanger yourself)

Build #2 Go my little friends go

As the name suggests, this build focus on maxing March of the Machines first
We all know March is a really strong spell. It deals an incredible amount of damage throughout a huge AoE. Also,it's great for rune control
Laser at lv.1 is extremely good in laning phase. 80 pure damage + 3s miss can help you win the last hit/lane control battle.
Maxing rocket next because the rocket-march-rearm combo can destroy any form of pushing.

Q: Blink, again! Why?
A: Because people is getting better and you don't wanna die.
Although you can spam rocket at a huge distance (2500), you'll have to come quite close to cast march effectively.
Boots of Travels (BoT) gives Tinker a decent move speed, but he still does not have any escape mechanism. Blink gives him that.
You can shift-queue blink to you can blink instantly back from danger after using march.

Q: Shiva's Guard, first big item?
A: It's gud for pushing, what u want?
Shiva + A march can clear a wave - nuff said.
Seriously though, Shiva increases the mana pool quite a lot and the active AoE/Debuff AS aura is great for team fight

You can just go stat next. Laser it not that useful when you get it late

If you go this build, Luminous introduced a way to ancient jungling effective ly. You have to take lv.1 march first to do this. Play Video
For more items, you could just look at the first build. I am gonna talk more about items so don't worry if you don't know what to get next.

Build #3 The goot old Boush

I am not going to actually create a build for this section, but I still gonna talk about the oldest build for tinker.
Everything the same as the 1st build (Max laser + rocket -> march
Except you don't go for blink and rush for Scythe of Vyse (Sheepstick)
The hex is extremely powerful especially on Tinker. People play him just for the perma hex

Items explaination/when to get.

Bottle rushing: Bottle is important since you go mid, a rune is going to decide whether you win or lose the lane
Boots of Travel: Rearm works on BoT -> best item for Tinker
Soul Ring: Work with rearm, gives you 150mp -> free lv.1 rearm
Magic Wand: Give you burst heal and mana. I don't care if you just leave it as a magic stick, but you have 3 iron branches so...
Blink Dagger: already explained in the two build, pls read

Situational/Luxuries
Eul's Scepter of Divinity: Good disable. move speed for cheep price, get it if you are poor and can't afford the hex
Linken's Sphere: Does block some spell that go through BKB, get this if you think you need magic immune and BKB is not really effective. The +15 all stats is really nice.
Black King Bar: Although it is not refreshable with rearm get it hen you want to channel your ultimate in middle of team fight. This can safe you when you get caught off guard pushing
Ghost Scepter: Get this if you get focus down by right-clicker. Upgrade this to Ethereal Blade if you have dagon lv.5 or if your team is nuke dependant.

PLS NO
Bloodstone: great mana pool 450mp = 3 soul ring (pls no 5050 too expensive)
If I see bad items i will update this

Note: REARM DOES NOT WORK ON Black King Bar, Arcane Boots, Helm of the Dominator, Hand of Midas, Refresher Orb, and Necronomicon.

Going Mid

Technically, you win safe lane, lose hard lane, so mid is where it is all decided

Rune, super important, it refills your bottle + some effect

Double damage - last hits, kills
Illusion - last hits, harass
Haste - Kills, ganks
Regeneration - Spam skills, kills, gank, win lane
Invisibility - kills. ganks

PLS ask your teammate to get a ward at one of the rune spot, it makes life so much easier.

MATCH UPS - I'm just gonna talk about some of the popular match up, comment below and I will update the match up you want the best as i can.

- Invoker: if he goes Quas it's really hard to kill him, so try to out last hit/deny, laser to make him miss last hit
- Queen of Pain: I seriously consider QoP is the best mid hero. She has Shadow Strike (high damage harass). Blink (you gonna lose rune control + she can dodge Rocket). Scream of Pain (good lane control). Sonic Wave (you dead). She also has high base damage and great attack animation. U just have to out play her or call for ganks.
-Templar Assassin: Go the march build, it eats through her refraction, careful when she gets lv6. you can't escape though 3s miss with laser can help you to survive.
-Pudge: I only mention him because he is the most played hero in pub. Just don't get hook (don't stand still to last hit/hide behind creep) and you will be fine.
-Bloodseeker: Although he is a pub hero, he is one of tinker worst match up. The silence + ultimate gonna kill you. If he smart and get a Quelling Blade + Poor man's shield, you should just carry a tp and focus on last hits, because he don't really care about your auto attack anymore

What do in fight & Sum up

Just stay back and spam all your skill/items, you have blink so pls use it
March is super strong early game if the tower dive just tp in and drop march
Focus down one support, 4v5 is gud, unless your are really far behind.
If team have to real carry cause random or dumb picks, you probably have to carry so get Dagon + EBlade to maximize your dps. (still prioritize hex over EB)
Keep hex on their carry when killing the supports.


THANK YOU FOR READING