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Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, is a melee agility hero, best known for his slippery nature and his ability to do Mischief, deceiving his enemies by turning into trees and other objects. Armed with his magic extending staff, the Monkey King slams the ground with Boundless Strikes, and leaps to the treetops to have advantage over his foes with Tree Dance. Perched on a tree, he gains a clear view of his surroundings, allowing him to jump down on unsuspecting targets, dealing heavy damage and slowing their escape with Primal Spring. As a carry, the Monkey King is granted extra damage and lifesteal from Jingu Mastery after landing consecutive attacks on his opponents. In a teamfight, at Wukong's Command an army of clones is sent out across the battlefield to fight for him, while he himself has his armor increased. Together with the help of his clones and his team, the Monkey King is one heck of a force to be reckoned with.
For 500 years the mountain pressed down upon him, only his head free from the crushing weight of the stonewrought prison the elder gods had summoned to halt his childish rebellion. Moss grew along the lines of his exposed face, tufts of grass sprouted from his ears; his vision was framed in wildflowers reaching from the soil around his cheeks. Most thought him long dead, tormented by the gods for waging war against the heavens until naught but his legend survived. But, as the stories go, the Monkey King cannot die.
So he waited. Until the gods came to offer a chance at absolution, he endured. And when they did come to name the price, Sun Wukong accepted their charge: he would accompany a young acolyte on a secret pilgrimage, protect him from demons and dangers of the road, and guide the man home in possession of a coveted relic. Do that, and humbly obey the human's commands in service to their holy mission, and Wukong would prove himself reformed.
For a change, Sun Wukong fulfilled his oath to the gods with honor, and atoned for the sins of past insurrections. The acolyte, much learned in hardships, was returned to his home temple, relic in hand; and Wukong-finding himself for the first time in proper standing with any gods of consequence-was content for a short while to give up his old thirst for adventure and glory. But the Monkey King was born for mischief...and offending the gods never gets old.
Carry heroes rely on farming gold and buying items allowing them to become threats in the mid/late game and carry their team to victory. They deal significant amount of damage either with abilities or auto-attacks.
Initiator
Initiators are heroes who can safely and advantageously start a team fight. These heroes typically have strong area of effect damage or disable or some ability to affect the positioning of the enemy team. Late in the game, this role becomes very crucial, as an effective initiation can win a teamfight, and a poor one can lose it.
Disabler
Heroes tagged as Disabler generally have abilities which are more focused to reliable crowd control, whether by single target or by area.
Escape
Escape heroes are heroes equipped with one or more escape mechanisms which allow them (or sometimes their allies) to avoid damage and abilities while retreating or repositioning themselves during a teamfight or gank. Escape heroes are particularly suited to soloing the "suicide lane" or short lane, as they can turn situations where death is inevitable into a temporary delay in farm.
Amazing nuke and disable either when ganking other lanes or trying to finish off a fleeing enemy. It also works with Jingu Mastery (either adding a stack or applying extra damage).
Great movement ability allowing you to jump on trees and gain vision (800 during day and 400 during night time). It's a great ganking tool because you can be seen only with flying vision.
When you see an enemy you want to initiate on, use your Primal Spring near them. Try to use it to block their escape path. Slow depends on the length of the channel.
Great ability for 1v1. After getting the charges (after 4 hits) the charges remain until you use them (aren't on cooldown) so you can save them for jungling or ganking. (Boudless Strike works with Jingu Mastery)
Goofy ability that transforms you into a neutral object (depending on where you are). Enemies can still attack you.
Cast 14 soldiers in an area around Monkey King. Leaving that are ends the ultimate, so your (and your team's) job is to keep the enemies inside, Try to save Boundless Strike for disabling enemies caught in Wukong's Command. Summoned soldiers apply certain on-hit effects ( Mana Burn) but doesn't work with Jingu Mastery and additional damage from Duel.
Fun fact: Using Mischief in the Roshan's pit transforms you into Aegis of the Immortal. When Roshan respawns for the 3rd time it can also transform you into Cheese even though it drops after Roshan's 2nd death.
Increased range procides huge zoning tool that can be devastating in team fights. It can also be used to force enemies away from tower your team is sieging.
Provides early lane sustain with four charges (you have to use it on a tree or ward). Tangos can be shared with allies (use Tango and click on an ally you want to share it with).
Active consumes Healing Salve and restores 400 HP over 8 seconds (50 health/second)
Two Iron Branches provide you with additional stats and can be used for the Magic Wand later.
Tip: Iron Branch has an active that plants a tree. Consuming the tree with Tango provides additional duration for health regen.
Early Game
Provides you with active that restores your health and mana.
Provides damage and agility along with aura mana regen and armor.
Good Boots of Speed upgrade for Monkey King because of his scaling with right-click damage ( Jingu Mastery) and their active that provides a speed boost allowing you to chase fleeing enemies.
Tip: Players sometimes overlook active items in your inventory such as Magic Wand or Faerie Fire that might allow you to heal for just enought to kill them instead of dying.
Core Items
Allows you to double-strike enemies that proc your passive Jingu Mastery 2 times and also slows them.
Armor Penetration scales with the ultimate, Q ( Boundless Strike) and Passive ( Jingu Mastery) allowing you to nuke enemies before they get durability items.
Damage and Attack Speed are both very welcome attributes on Wukong. (With changes to Wukong's Command in 7.06 this item is a bit more situational since it now gives armor instead of damage, making you more durable).
Tip: Activating Shadow Blade right after Wukong's Command allows you to get the full duration if the enemy team has no detection (which is pretty common in lower elo games).
Luxury Items
They make a logical upgrade from Phase Boots especially if you require additional mobility across the map.
Gives even more survivability with armor, aura armor reduction and attack speed that scales with your passive ( Jingu Mastery).
Upgrade from Shadow Blade. With more stats provides you with break(disable passive abilities such as Phantom Assassin's evasion or Bristleback's Quill Spray) and halves their attack damage for 5 seconds.
Gives A LOT of stats. Also provides passive slow on your auto-attacks allowing you to chase your enemies more easiliy.
Evasion can be great if you are the only one with it, but it doesn't scale as well since they changed his level 10 passive from armor to evasion.
Tip: Butterfly provides an active that boosts your movementy speed. However you need to be careful when using it because you lose evasion while the movement boost is active.
Situational Items
Good item if you can get it early. Sacrifices your early stats for more gold and experience.
Good overall item. Mana Burn works with soldiers from Wukong's Command. Active allows to chase fleeing enemies.
Good survivability item, especially against enemies with lots of targeted spells.
This item should be picked if you have troubles staying in your ultimate or can't reliably escape enemy initiation.
Good item for disabling enemy threaths. Bash no longer works with Wukong's Command.
Tip: With its price of 2150, Hand of Midas has to be used eleven times (11 * 200 = 2200) to pay for itself. With the active cooldown of 100 seconds, that takes 18 minutes and 20 seconds if you always use it right when it comes off cooldown.
All in all Monkey King can be a very fun hero to play, and doesn't require a ton of practice, to be good with him (unlinke heroes like Invoker or Meepo). It excels during early and mid game but you need to be careful because every mistake can be easiliy punished (if the enemies destroy the tree you are on, you get stunned for 4 seconds giving them enough time to burst you down).
Hopefully this guide helps you understand the hero and his play style a bit better and if you have any suggestions/opinions/ideas please comment and I'll try to address the issue when possible.
Cheers <3
This is my first guide on DotA Fire and I must say that I had a blast. I have learned not only a ton of new stuff about formating and writing a guide I have also found out new ways to play the hero ( Monkey King).
Changelog
Spoiler: Click to view
12.9.2017 Minor formating changes
26.8.2018 Minor build changes (removed Poor Man's Shield)
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Circlet
Slippers of Agility
Tango
Iron Branch
Magic Wand
Ring of Aquila
Phase Boots
Echo Sabre
Shadow Blade
Desolator
Boots of Travel
Assault Cuirass
Silver Edge
Eye of Skadi
Butterfly
Hand of Midas
Diffusal Blade
Linken's Sphere
Black King Bar
Abyssal Blade
Bottle
Dust of Appearance
Faerie Fire
Gem of True Sight
Orb of Venom
Smoke of Deceit
Quelling Blade
Blink Dagger) after taking damage.
Mana Burn) but doesn't work with 
Duel.
Aegis of the Immortal. When Roshan respawns for the 3rd time it can also transform you into 
Cheese even though it drops after Roshan's 2nd death.
Death Ward channel can be disrupted with 
Requiem of Souls channel can be disrupted with 
Rocket Flare can reveal 
Hookshotcan hit 
Firefly gives 
Flaming Lasso and 
Flamebreak can put 
Timber Chain to escape 
Boots of Speed upgrade for 
Quill Spray) and halves their attack damage for 5 seconds.
Invoker or 
Meepo). It excels during early and mid game but you need to be careful because every mistake can be easiliy punished (if the enemies destroy the tree you are on, you get stunned for 4 seconds giving them enough time to burst you down).
Spoiler: Click to view
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