Tinker
Whispered legends speak of a brilliant tinker from a lost civilization, whose mechanical marvels could reshape reality. Now reborn in a new age, Tinker seeks to reconstruct his forgotten knowledge and build a future of his own design.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“Machines serve those who understand their purpose. Build your own destiny, reconstruct your advantages, and never stop improving.”
Be Everywhere
Your map pressure is your greatest weapon. Push lanes, farm camps, and disappear before enemies can respond. Psychological warfare.
Resource Management
Mana is your lifeblood. Always keep reserves for escape, know when to push versus when to conserve, and never overextend.
Strategic Positioning
Trees are your home, vision is your weapon. Stay unseen, strike from unexpected angles, and disappear before retaliation arrives.
Micro Excellence
Every detail matters. Shift-queue your movements, manage your mana perfectly, and execute with mechanical precision.
Pressure Points
Identify where enemies are vulnerable and apply relentless pressure there. CreateMap control through constant presence.
Unpredictable Warfare
Fake teleports, fake movements, fake engagements. Keep enemies guessing, then strike when they least expect it.
Hero Overview
Tinker is the quintessential split-pushing powerhouse, capable of commanding the entire battlefield through constant map presence and relentless pressure. His combination of high-impact nukes, infinite mobility through Rearm, and strategic farming makes him one of the most complex and rewarding heroes to master.
Tinker's gameplay revolves around constant movement between lanes, farming creeps with March of the Machines, then returning to fountain to replenish and re-engage. The Rearm mechanic allows him to reset cooldowns and spam abilities endlessly, making him a sustain damage machine in prolonged fights and a pusher who can solo defend against creep waves.
Pros
- Infinite mobility with Keen Conveyance and Rearm
- Excellent split-pusher and map controller
- Laser provides 100% blind against right-click heroes
- March of the Machines controls large areas and farms efficiently
- Ubiquitous presence forces enemies to adapt to your movements
Cons
- Extremely mana-intensive early game
- Vulnerable to silences during teleportation channels
- Requires excellent micro-management and game sense
- Weak against heroes with vision and initiation tools
- High skill ceiling with房间 for mechanical errors
Ability Analysis
Laser
Target UnitFires a laser beam at a target, dealing damage and causing it to miss all attacks.
Notes: 100% blind is game-changing against right-click heroes. Works on Roshan. Aghanim's Scepter adds Shrink Ray debuff linked to blind duration. Keep it ready for enemy divers in early game.
March of the Machines
ActiveDeploys a horde of small robots that scatter in a line, dealing damage to enemy units they collide with.
Notes: Cast diagonally to creep waves for maximum collision efficiency. Robots are consumed on impact - position behind creeps to avoid damage. Can be dodged by walking between the robot pattern.
Defense Matrix
ActiveApplies a barrier to Tinker or allied unit that blocks damage and provides dispel when fully consumed.
Notes: Buff is removed when barrier is lost. Can be dispelled by enemies. With Translocator facet, you only get blink and dispel when barrier is fully consumed, not when dispelled by enemies.
Keen Conveyance
Target UnitTeleports Tinker to target allied unit or structure.
Notes: Unlike normal TP, this is a spell and can be cancelled by silence. Cannot target wards. Shows TP silhouette on invisible allies at cast position. Use fountain aura briefly after TP for instant spell casting.
Rearm
ActiveResets all of Tinker's spell and item cooldowns except for Rearm.
Notes: The core ability that enables infinite spell spam. Cannot be stolen by Rubick. Always keep extra mana for emergency Rearm or escape. Shift-queue actions during Rearm for optimal movement.
Warp Flare (Shard Upgrade)
ActiveLaunches a flare that reveals area and roots enemies hit.
Notes: Aghanim's Shard upgrade provides excellent utility for canceling enemy teleports and securing kills. Can be disjointed by enemies. Provides vision and root duration for follow-up spells.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Tinker is one of the most unique heroes in Dota 2, defined by his infinite mobility through Rearm and Keen Conveyance. His ability to be everywhere at once creates both opportunities and strategic complexity.
Key Insights:
- March diagonally to creep waves for maximum collision efficiency
- Always have mana reserves for emergency Rearm or escape
- Defense Matrix provides crucial survivability in clutch situations
Tinker rewards mechanical skill and game sense. Master the art of split-pushing and you become a strategic nightmare for any team.
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Secure Bottle and Boots of Travel while controlling lanes Key: Use Laser conservatively for defensive blind against divers; March diagonally to maximize creep collision efficiency; Control runes with Bottle for mana sustain; Farm jungle stacks when lanes are pushed Items: Boots of Travel (Priority #1); Bottle for mana management; Magic Wand against spell-heavy laners Tips: Set auto-attack to 'Never' to avoid revealing position; Practice shift-queueing stop commands after Blinking; Use fountain aura immediately after Keen Conveyance for extra spells; Avoid competing with carry for same lane resources
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Map pressure through split-pushing and item progression Key: Constantly move between lanes to apply pressure; Farm dangerous locations others can't access; Use Dagon配合Rearm for instant kills; Fake Keen Conveyance to scare enemies Items: Dagon levels for burst damage; Blink Dagger for positioning and escape; Additional mana regen items Tips: Always maintain mana reserve for emergency escape; Shift-queue Blink during Keen Conveyance channels; Use Glyph offensively to save creeps during fights; Target Underlord's Fiend's Gate with Keen Conveyance
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Singlehandedly control map and secure objectives Key: Solo defend against multiple creep waves; Use Refresher Orb for multiple fight presence; Coordinate with team for objective control; Maintain constant pressure to draw enemy responses Items: Refresher Orb for double ultimate presence; Scythe of Vyse for lockdown; Shiva's Guard for team utility Tips: Dagon can instakill most enemy illusions; Activate Shiva's Blast during TP channels; Consider Dominated Harpy for vision control; Never completely empty mana pool to ensure escapes
Tips & Strategies
March Technique
- Cast March diagonally to creep waves for maximum robot collision efficiency - the angle affects hit probability dramatically.
- Position yourself downstream of March to avoid damage, then walk between robots to dodge completely.
- Practice timing and positioning to maximize farm efficiency without taking unnecessary damage.
Keen Conveyance Mastery
- Remember: Keen Conveyance is a spell, not a TP - silences cancel it and it costs less mana.
- Use fountain aura immediately after TP for instant spell consumption and Bottle charges.
- Target invisible allies to show TP silhouette at cast position, not their current location.
Rearm Efficiency
- Always keep 150+ mana in reserve for emergency Rearm or Keen Conveyance escape.
- Practice shift-queuing actions during Rearm for optimal movement and spell combos.
- Consider mana efficiency - sometimes it's better to escape than greedily spam one more spell.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Null Talisman for mana regen and damage boost, Tango for lane sustain, Branches for stats and early wand building.
Null Talisman, Tango, Iron Branch x2
Core Items
Bottle for rune control and healing, Boots for mobility, maxed Dagon for instant kills with Rearm spam.
Bottle, Boots of Travel, Dagon 5
Situational Items
Shiva for AoE control, Bloodthorn for lockdown, Scythe for single-target control, Linken's against silenced.
Shiva's Guard, Bloodthorn, Scythe of Vyse, Linken's Sphere
Counter Guide
Good With
Tinker excels with heroes who benefit from his constant pressure and map control. Nature's Prophet creates dual split-push nightmares, forcing enemies to choose between multiple lanes to defend. Anti-Mage becomes more effective as Tinker creates space and farms resources. Sniper benefits from the chaos Tinker creates, picking off distracted enemies from safety. Templar Assassin can use the freedom Tinker provides to farm and gank effectively. Heroes who can capitalize on the space Tinker creates while defending against split-push work best. The key is heroes who can either split-push alongside Tinker or benefit from the global pressure he applies.
Bad Against
Tinker suffers against heroes who can counter his mobility or vision advantages. Clockwerk can reveal Tinker in trees with Rocket Flare and initiate from across the map. Zeus with Aghanim's Scepter provides global instant stun that disrupts Tinker's positioning. Storm Spirit and Spirit Breaker can chase Tinker across the map with their superior mobility. Silencer ruins Tinker's game plan by canceling Keen Conveyance with global silence. Rubick can steal crucial spells excluding Rearm. Heroes with vision tools, silences, or superior mobility make Tinker's life difficult. The pattern is heroes who can disrupt his spellcasting, reveal his position, or hunt his mobility advantages.
Good Against
Tinker dominates heroes who rely on summons, illusions, or static positioning. Phantom Lancer and Naga Siren illusions melt under March of the Machines and Dagon combinations. Meepo clones are easily picked off by focused Laser and Dagon spam. Broodmother and Lone Druid lose their summon-based advantages when March clears spiderlings and kills the bear. Heroes who defend high ground suffer as Tinker can pressure from multiple angles and wear down defenses. Position-dependent carries like Sniper become vulnerable when Tinker can establish vision advantage. Heroes who need to stand still or rely on minion units become primary targets for Tinker's AoE damage and mobility.