It's a new week and that means new free-to-play rotation! Here's who you should look into based on your skill level:
Novice
Anub’arak – Kinkiest of all angry crypt lords, Anub’arak comes with the best escape of any tank. He also deals impressive amounts of damage through his scarab underlings and has the option to self-heal through annoying clouds of tiny gnats. Though he’s not incredibly tanky, he gives you a great feel for which percentages of health mean it’s time to dive back behind ally lines.
Nova – Between the two stealthies, Nova is the best for the person trying to learn the stealth mechanic. Like Raynor, she also doesn’t really even need to try to do a lot of damage as even a mediocre Nova will top damage charts. Most importantly, though, is how she teaches you skill shots and who to target to best cripple the enemy forces.
Intermediate
Azmodan – Azmodan bumps up how much you have to manage in-game, making him a good bridge in terms of mastering new but essential skills. He forces you to take on minimap control with his General of Hell. He teaches you positioning because he can get body blocked so easily. He teaches you enemy movement prediction through his Globe of Annihilation. Though not the easiest Hero to master, he is one that will make you a better player overall.
Uther – Uther feels like Blizzard wanted a healer that could tank. What better choice than a paladin? On his own, Uther’s a decent healer. He doesn’t have the spammability that Li Li and Malfurion are so famous for but that’s what makes him great. Much like any Paladin would want, he teaches you to be patient and conserve your energy for the right moment. He also has stuns, and a team with a great stunner in their midst is usually victorious.
Expert
Kael’thas – Though he might seem like an intermediate pick, the sheer number of people that play him and play him decently because of the meta means that you need to have damn near perfect game play. He’s got no escape. He needs to activate his trait to bolster his attacks. But you shouldn’t always do that because then you’ll be stuck with cooldowns at inopportune moments. You need to know how to cast and what to cast together in order to do the most damage. Kael is a busy guy.
Dear DrmDestryr,
How do you make less played Heroes more viable?
-Byrd
Dear Byrd,
We all have that one Hero that sits at the back of our roster simply because people generally don’t like having them on their team. For me, this is Murky. The few times I’ve pulled him out for HL, we’ve won, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel an absurd amount of pressure to play him well. Since he’s kind of an oddball, I know I have to be at the tip top of my game to make sure I’m pulling an entire Hero’s weight with one that might only be at 50% of the team fights.
As far as making them viable HL options, you have to really know these Heroes.
You need to know what maps you’re good with them on.
Don’t choose Kerrigan for Infernal Shrines if you only have a 30% win rate there. Save her for maps that are above 50%. Whether you know why you win better on certain maps can be explored later. Right now, however, it’s about playing to your strengths.
You need to know what Heroes are hard counters.
If Zeratul and Nova are on a team against you, Murky is usually not a good pick. You’ll be sniped a lot. Your egg will be hunted. Similarly, don’t pick your questionable Hero first. This gives the enemy team five chances to counter your choice. As fun as it is to get first pick, keep this choice relatively meta.
You need to understand what your team composition needs.
How much damage will your team bring to the field without you? How much damage will you be up against? How much healing will the other team be enjoying? How much healing can you expect? Trying a make a Hero viable doesn’t mean picking them just because you felt like it. Save that selfishness for QM where it’s expected. In HL, your team’s needs are far more important than your own.
You need to play said Hero better than the average player.
Finally, understand that the pressure is real. Many who see a questionable pick might be cool with it, but they’ll definitely be hyper aware of your deaths and if you’re doing what you’re supposed to. When it comes down to it, making a Hero viable simply means playing better than most of your teammates and the enemy team, even during losing situations.
-DrmDestryr
Ask DrmDestryr is your weekly Q&A/advice column for Heroes of the Storm. Have a question for DrmDestryr? E-mail her your mental musings at drmdestryr@gmail.com or send happy twoughts her way @DrmDestryr.
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