Sun Wukong, the Monkey King: Skills and Item Build Guide — DotA 1

Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, is a highly elusive, melee Agility carry defined by his unparalleled mobility and capacity for sudden, explosive combat initiation. With a kit designed for deception and vertical maneuvering, he excels at controlling the battlefield from the treetops, punishing mispositioned enemies with critical strikes, and turning team fights into chaotic arenas where he thrives. His ability to manipulate the environment makes him a constant threat, forcing enemies to watch their positioning at all times.


Base Stats & Attributes

Hero Attributes

Attribute Base Value Growth (per level)
Strength 19 +2.8
Agility 22 +3.7
Intelligence 20 +1.8

Statistics & Mechanics

Statistic Value Mechanic Value
Damage 51-57 Base HP Regen 0.25/s
HP 580 HP Regen +2.15/s
MP 290 MP Regen +1.01/s
Armor 4.1 Turn Rate 0.6
Move Speed 305 Base Attack Time (BAT) 1.7
Attack Range 300 Attack Animations 0.45 / 0.2

Hero Skills Breakdown

1. Boundless Strike

Monkey King enlarges his staff and slams it against the ground, stunning enemies in a line and damaging them with a critical hit. The attack utilizes normal attack mechanics, allowing it to trigger on-attack effects.

  • Damage Type: Physical (Attack Damage)
  • Targeting: Directional Line
  • Spell Immunity: Does not affect spell immune enemies
  • Accuracy: Attack cannot miss
Level Stun Duration Critical Strike Cooldown Manacost
1 0.7 seconds 150% 22 sec 100
2 1.0 seconds 175% 22 sec 100
3 1.3 seconds 200% 22 sec 100
4 1.6 seconds 225% 22 sec 100

2. Tree Dance

Monkey King leaps to a tree and perches atop it. While perched, he gains access to a channeled leap attack that damages enemies and slows their movement speed upon landing. If the tree he is perched on is destroyed, he falls to the ground and becomes stunned.

  • Ability Type: Channeling (Leap)
  • Interruption: Damage from player-controlled units or Roshan while on the ground triggers a cooldown
  • Mobility: Allows vertical travel between trees
Level Max Damage Movement Speed Slow Cooldown Manacost
1 140 20% 1.4 sec 0
2 210 40% 1.4 sec 0
3 280 60% 1.4 sec 0
4 350 80% 1.4 sec 0

3. Jingu Mastery

Monkey King's attacks awaken the power within his staff. Upon landing a specific number of consecutive hits on the same enemy hero, Monkey King earns a set of empowered attacks that deal bonus damage and grant lifesteal.

  • Activation: Passive (Triggers on 4th hit)
  • Buff Duration: Charges last for a limited time, but duration refreshes upon successful attacks
  • Restriction: While charges are active, debuffs cannot be placed or incremented on targets
Level Bonus Damage Lifesteal % Cooldown Manacost
1 40 15% Passive 0
2 70 30% Passive 0
3 100 45% Passive 0
4 130 60% Passive 0

4. Wukong's Command

Monkey King creates a wide, circular formation of soldiers that spread out from his current position. These soldiers mimic his attack behavior and exclusively target enemy heroes within the formation, while Monkey King gains defensive armor for the duration.

  • Area of Effect: Circular formation
  • Targeting: Enemy Heroes Only
  • Behavior: Soldiers disperse if Monkey King leaves the area
Level Bonus Armor Duration Cooldown Manacost
1 12 13 seconds 120 sec 100
2 18 13 seconds 100 sec 100
3 24 13 seconds 80 sec 100

Item Build Guide

Phase Recommended Items Strategic Purpose
Early Game Phase Boots, Orb of Venom, Magic Wand Phase Boots provide the speed necessary to stick to targets, while Orb of Venom adds a layer of slow that helps secure kills early on. Magic Wand is essential for survival during trades.
Core Items Echo Sabre, Desolator, Black King Bar Echo Sabre helps stack Jingu Mastery charges rapidly. Desolator provides significant armor reduction for raw physical output, and Black King Bar allows Monkey King to fight uninterrupted.
Late Game Abyssal Blade, Daedalus, Eye of Skadi Abyssal Blade gives him the lockdown needed to secure targets inside his ultimate. Daedalus scales his critical strike potential, and Eye of Skadi provides survivability and a slow to keep enemies from escaping.

Quick Gameplay Tips

  • Ultimate Positioning: Remember that Wukong's Command disperses instantly if you leave the circular formation. Always cast your ultimate in a location where you can reliably fight, and avoid engaging in high-mobility skirmishes that force you out of the radius, as this will effectively nullify your ultimate's impact.
  • Maximize Procs with Boundless Strike: Because Boundless Strike uses your normal attack mechanics, it acts as a delivery system for any on-attack effects you have itemized, such as lifesteal or critical strikes. Use it as an initiation tool to apply damage and lockdown simultaneously.
  • Charge Management: Jingu Mastery is your primary source of sustain and burst damage. Focus your attacks on a single target to ensure you reach the fourth-hit threshold. Once the charges are active, play aggressively to utilize the lifesteal, which can turn around lost trades instantly.