Clinkz
At the height of the war between Radiant and Dire, an archer of great skill and loyalty was transformed by desperate magic into an undying sentinel, cursed to wander as a burning skeleton.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“In death, I am reborn. In shadow, I am eternal. Master these truths, and no enemy shall escape the Bone Fletcher's wrath.”
Strike from Shadow
Invisibility is not just escape - it's positioning, surprise, and psychological warfare. Use it to dictate when and where fights happen.
Hunt the Weak First
Always prioritize supports and squishy cores. Eliminate the threats to your team before engaging tankier targets.
Death Feeds Strength
Death Pact is your lifeline and power source. The right consumption can turn a losing fight into victory. Choose your feast wisely.
Patience Over Aggression
Wait for the perfect moment to strike. A patient hunter gets the kill; an impatient one becomes the prey.
Map is Your Domain
Control enemy movement through fear. Your presence should make enemies hesitant to move alone or farm aggressively.
Arrows Find Their Mark
Positioning is everything. Stay at the edge of fights, strike the key targets, then fade away. You are the ghost that haunts their nightmares.
Hero Overview
Clinkz is a ranged agility assassin who excels at eliminating isolated targets and applying constant map pressure through invisibility. His high mobility and burst damage make him a nightmare for supports and squishy cores, while his Skeleton Archers provide additional farming speed and teamfight presence.
Clinkz's gameplay revolves around patient hunting - using Skeleton Walk to position unseen, then unleashing devastating burst damage with Strafe-enhanced attacks. Death Pact provides the health and damage needed to survive encounters, while Tar Bomb amplifies your damage output. The key is knowing when to strike and when to retreat.
Pros
- Excellent at picking off isolated enemies
- High mobility and escape potential with invisibility
- Strong split pusher and map controller
- Skeleton Archers provide farming acceleration
- Can consume creeps for substantial stat boosts
Cons
- Heavily countered by detection items
- Fragile when caught without escape
- Limited teamfight impact without proper positioning
- Requires good map awareness and timing
- Vulnerable to burst damage and disables
Ability Analysis
Tar Bomb
Target PointClinkz throws a projectile that creates a tar area, slowing enemies and amplifying damage they take.
Notes: Essential setup ability for ganks. The damage amplification significantly boosts your burst potential. Can be cast on buildings for siege. Use it to control enemy movement and maximize Strafe damage.
Skeleton Walk
No TargetClinkz becomes invisible and gains movement speed. Spawns Skeleton Archers when exiting invisibility.
Notes: Your signature ability for ganking and escaping. The Skeleton Archers spawn based on your facing direction - position strategically. Can be cast during TP channeling. Time your ganks around this cooldown.
Strafe
No TargetClinkz gains massive attack speed and can attack while moving for the duration.
Notes: Your primary damage steroid. The ability to attack while moving is crucial for chasing and kiting. Can be cast during Skeleton Walk without breaking invisibility. Skeleton Archers also benefit from this buff.
Death Pact
Target UnitClinkz consumes a target allied or neutral unit, gaining health and damage based on the unit's health.
Notes: Game-changing ability that can consume your own Skeleton Archers, jungle creeps, or allied units. Works on creeps protected by Glyph. With Engulfing Step facet, you can teleport to the target. Even works on wards you own for emergency health.
Burning Barrage (Shard Upgrade)
No TargetClinkz fires multiple arrows in a cone, each dealing attack damage with true strike and providing flying vision.
Notes: Shard upgrade provides teamfight presence and dewarding capability. Arrows have true strike and apply all attack modifiers. Works even when disarmed. The flying vision helps spot enemies on cliffs.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Clinkz is the ultimate hit-and-run assassin. His Skeleton Walk isn't just invisibility - it's map control, gank potential, and escape mechanism all in one.
Key Insights:
- Death Pact on the right target can make you unstoppable
- Skeleton Archers extend your presence beyond your hero
- Position strategically - you're a glass cannon with escape tools
Clinkz rewards patient, calculated aggression. Strike when enemies are isolated, then vanish before help arrives!
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Farm efficiently and prepare for ganking phase Key: Focus on last hitting and denying in lane; Use Skeleton Archers to farm jungle camps; Consume jungle creeps with Death Pact for health; Avoid trades without Strafe available Items: Wraith Band for early stats; Power Treads for attack speed; Orchid components for mana regeneration Tips: Spawn Skeleton Archers strategically on cliffs for vision; Time Death Pact on large jungle creeps before ganks; Keep Skeleton Walk off cooldown for escapes; Stack camps when possible for efficient farming
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Hunt isolated targets and apply map pressure Key: Gank supports and squishy cores with invisibility; Use Tar Bomb to setup kills and amplify damage; Split push lanes while team groups elsewhere; Control enemy jungle and farm efficiency Items: Orchid Malevolence (Priority ganking tool); Desolator for armor reduction; BKB against heavy disable Tips: Coordinate ganks around Skeleton Walk cooldown; Use Skeleton Archers to farm while ganking; Target enemies without escape mechanisms first; Be aware of enemy detection item timings
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Eliminate key targets in teamfights and maintain map control Key: Focus on eliminating enemy supports first; Use invisibility for positioning advantage; Combine Strafe with damage items for burst; Split push to force rotations Items: Bloodthorn upgrade for silence and crits; Butterfly for survivability; Nullifier against defensive items Tips: Position carefully in teamfights - you're fragile; Use Death Pact on Skeleton Archers for emergency health; Consider Shard for teamfight contribution; Buy detection to counter enemy invisibility
Tips & Strategies
Death Pact Mastery
- You can Death Pact your own Skeleton Archers for quick health and damage boosts during fights.
- Death Pact works on creeps protected by Glyph of Fortification or Roshan's banner.
- Keep a sentry ward in inventory as emergency health - you can Death Pact wards you own.
- With Engulfing Step facet, alt-cast Death Pact to control teleportation to the target.
Skeleton Archer Control
- Skeleton Archers spawn directly left and right of your facing direction when exiting Skeleton Walk.
- Their damage scales dynamically with your right-click damage, so they get stronger as you do.
- Archers benefit from Tar Bomb damage amplification and Strafe attack speed.
- Spawn them strategically on cliffs to take advantage of their 800 day/night vision.
Invisibility Optimization
- You can cast Strafe and Death Pact during Skeleton Walk without breaking invisibility.
- Skeleton Walk can be cast while channeling abilities like Town Portal Scroll.
- Time ganks around your invisibility cooldown - don't engage without escape available.
- The movement speed bonus makes you hard to catch even with detection.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Early stats and sustain for laning phase and jungle farming efficiency.
Wraith Band, Tangos, Slippers of Agility
Core Items
Essential for ganking: Orchid for silence and mana, Desolator for armor reduction, BKB for survivability in fights.
Orchid Malevolence, Desolator, Black King Bar
Situational Items
Adapt based on enemies: Nullifier for dispel, MKB for evasion, Dragon Lance for range, Bloodthorn upgrade for crits.
Nullifier, Monkey King Bar, Dragon Lance, Bloodthorn
Counter Guide
Good With
Clinkz excels with heroes who provide setup, vision, or can capitalize on his picks. Magnus and Enigma create grouped enemies perfect for Burning Barrage and follow-up damage. Crystal Maiden benefits from Clinkz eliminating key threats before teamfights, while her Freezing Field works well when enemies are slowed by Tar Bomb. Invoker pairs excellently - both heroes can burst down isolated targets, and Invoker's spells complement Clinkz's assassination attempts. Chen and Enchantress provide Hellbear allies that give aura buffs when consumed by Death Pact. Pudge and Clock can isolate targets for easy Clinkz pickoffs. The key synergy is heroes who either help Clinkz get picks or benefit from the space he creates through constant threat pressure.
Bad Against
Clinkz struggles against heroes with reliable detection, strong lockdown, or area denial. Slardar and Bounty Hunter provide constant detection through their abilities, making invisibility unreliable. Zeus reveals all invisible heroes globally with Lightning Bolt, while his high magical damage threatens Clinkz's low health pool. Spectre and Storm Spirit can chase through invisibility and have gap-closing abilities. Nyx Assassin's Nyxth Sense provides true sight of nearby invisible enemies. Disruptor can trap Clinkz in Static Storm, preventing escape. Ancient Apparition provides global presence that counters Clinkz's roaming, while his Ice Blast prevents Death Pact healing. Tinker controls map movement with March and provides detection. Heroes with strong AoE like Jakiro and Sand King make positioning difficult for the fragile archer.
Good Against
Clinkz dominates squishy, immobile heroes who lack escape mechanisms or detection. Crystal Maiden, Sniper, and Invoker are prime targets - they have high damage but low mobility and health, making them easy prey for invisible ganks. Shadow Shaman and Witch Doctor are vulnerable while channeling their ultimates. Drow Ranger loses her passive when Clinkz gets close, while her low health makes her an easy target. Tinker becomes vulnerable while channeling Rearm. Nature's Prophet can be caught while split pushing. Anti-Mage early game is susceptible before getting tankier items. Pudge is slow and predictable, making him easy to kite with Strafe. The pattern is clear: heroes who are squishy, have poor mobility, lack instant escapes, or are frequently isolated are perfect targets for Clinkz's hit-and-run assassination style.