Karnok

Monstrous Hunter

Karnok fills a Rage meter and Enrages. He had the lowest 10-win rate (22.1%) in the Hotfix 19.3 table; Patch 20.0 reworked Lost Blade, Runic Claymore and Dual Reaver to separate their roles.

10-win rate (19.3): 22.1%, 8 of 8
Win rate (19.3): 56.3%, 7 of 8
Access: Paid game (Upgrade The Bazaar)

RageEnrageFriendMax HealthWeapon

Season 20 builds

Runic Claymore
Core pieces
Any reliable Haste: the self-Slow package, Beast Call, Leather Jacket
Why it wins
Reworked in 20.0: 300/600 Damage, Lifesteal. Each time you Haste, your items gain 10/20% Crit Chance, and the Claymore gains Damage equal to 5 times its Crit Chance.
Weak points
It fails without Haste. Mobalytics (9 Nov) builds Karnok's Crit around it; Kripparrian's 12 Nov video says single-lane Crit is Karnok's winning path this patch.
Lost Blade
Core pieces
Self-Slow core, Heal sources
Why it wins
Reworked in 20.0: cooldown 6, Multicast 2, Damage equal to 10% of your Max Health, +50/100 Max Health when you Heal or Slow.
Weak points
It needs enough Heal or Slow triggers to grow its Max Health.
Wild Bear
Core pieces
Hydra Tree
Why it wins
Max Health stacking with percentage damage. Hydra Tree lowers the Rage needed for Enrage by 25 and gives +1 Multicast while Enraged.
Weak points
It fails if Enrage comes too late; see Rage and Enrage.

Dual Reaver now gains Crit when Hasted or Slowed. King Bitey loops on Karnok were strong in 20.0 (SeanTempo, 7 November). Hotfix 20.1 then cut it to cooldown 7 and 40 Damage, so treat that run as a pre-hotfix example.

From Mobalytics' Season 20 meta list (9 November 2026); order is not a ranking. Sources and the other heroes: Season 20 builds. When to switch from an opener to a carry: day-by-day plan for 10 wins.

Mechanics

Rage
Karnok starts with the Karnok's Rage skill. Item uses build Rage; at the threshold you Enrage. Hydra Tree (19.0) lowers the requirement by 25 and gives +1 Multicast while Enraged. Rules in detail.
Max Health
Lost Blade (20.0) deals 10% of your Max Health and gains Max Health when you Heal or Slow; Resistance Band gives flat Max Health for the fight since 20.0. Rules in detail.

Hero-only encounters and notes

Other heroes can be offered Karnok's basic Rage skill at Level Up if they hold an item or, since 12.2, a skill that needs Rage.

Changed in Season 20

8 Karnok cards changed in Patch 20.0 and its hotfixes. The full Karnok ledger has all 66 cards changed since Patch 14.0.

Dual Reaver
Large cardKarnokLast changed 20.0
1. 20.0Nov 4
  - Damage 50was 25
  - When you Haste or Slow this, gain 10/20/30% Crit Chancewas ~~when you Haste > 5/10/15~~
Flamespitter Frog
Small cardKarnokLast changed 20.0
1. 20.0Nov 4
  - CD 7was 10
  - Poison 5/10was ~~10/20~~
Flare
Small cardKarnokLast changed 20.0
1. 20.0Nov 4
  - CD 7/6/5was ~~6/5/4~~
Lost Blade
Medium cardKarnokLast changed 20.0
1. 20.0Nov 4
  - This item and Runic Claymore have been a little lost in Karnok’s kit while sharing similar properties
  - Changes to this, Runic Claymore and Dual Reaver are intended to differentiate these items and gives them a more specific identity/fit
  - CD 6
  - Multicast 2
  - Deal damage equal to 10% of your Max Health
  - When you Heal or Slow, gain [50/100] Max Health
Resistance Band
Small cardKarnokLast changed 20.0
1. 20.0Nov 4
  - CD 5was 6
  - Gain 25/50/100 Max Health for the fightwas 1%
Runed Amulet
Small cardKarnokLast changed 20.0
1. 20.0Nov 4
  - CD 4was 6
  - Damage Buff [6/12/18/24]was ~~[10/20/30/40]~~
Runic Claymore
Large cardKarnokLast changed 20.0
1. 20.0Nov 4
  - CD 7
  - Damage 300/600
  - Lifesteal
  - When you Haste, your items gain [10/20]% Crit Chance
  - This has +damage equal to 5 times its Crit Chance
Waystones
Medium cardKarnokLast changed 20.1
1. 20.1Nov 6
  - Corrected an issue where this was not counting the Tiny World Expedition for its quest

Other heroes

Win rates side by side: hero win rates.