HEROES OF THE STORM

I freaking love this game and have been addicted since the open beta. Anyone else play it yet now that it's been "out" for a few weeks?

IF you haven't played HotS and aren't really sure what it is, allow me to explain! HotS is a MOBA, much like Defense of the Ancients or League of Legends, but it strips away with a lot of the bloat and clutter that made the aforementioned games complex and difficult for newcomers to get into. It's also free to play.


I don't even know what a MOBA is!

Well, let's turn to Wikipedia!

Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), also known as action real-time strategy (ARTS), originated as a subgenre of the real-time strategy (RTS) genre of video games, in which a player controls a single character in one of two teams. The objective is to destroy the opposing team's main structure with the assistance of periodically spawned computer-controlled units that march forward along set paths. Player characters typically have various abilities and advantages that improve over the course of a game and that contribute to a team's overall strategy. A fusion of action games and real-time strategy games, players usually do not construct either buildings or units.

So what does HotS do differently?

• Focus On Teamwork: There are no lone wolves, and no overleveled beastly players carrying teams. HotS focuses on teamwork. If you engage the enemy alone, you're dead. If your team does not stick together, you'll lose. There is no such thing as kill stealing in HotS, and everyone on the team gets experience for hero/minion kills. The team levels together rather than everyone on the team leveling up independent from one another. This is a game that is all about working with your teammates and developing a synergy with them.
• Talents: Anyone who has played a modern day MMO, such as Blizzard's own World of Warcraft, will know exactly what a talent system is. Whenever you level up, you get to pick talent that passively upgrades one of your main abilities. You can also choose minor abilities through talents as you level, such as the ability to poison an enemy hero or call down a drone to repair your structures.
• Blizzard's Best: The hero roster in HotS is made up entirely of characters from Blizzard's existing franchises. Diablo, StarCraft, Warcraft and even The Lost Vikings are represented! Full list of heroes is below for those who don't play and are wondering who you can play as.
• Map Objectives: There are several maps in HotS (with more on the way) which feature objectives that periodically activate and can help turn the tides immensely. One map has teams collecting gems in order to summon an army of spiders to attack the enemy lanes while another map has the teams fighting to secure two capture points that allow the team with both points to summon (and control) a massive dragon knight. Map objectives are loads of fun and compliment the gameplay immensely.
• Lights, Cameras, Action!: HotS has much faster gameplay than competing MOBAs. Many players of DotA and LoL have commented that, after playing HotS and trying to go back to other MOBAs, they found the gameplay to be extremely slow and tedious. HotS is a fast paced game with the action occurring almost immediately. Unlike other MOBAs where games typically last 45-60 minutes, a match in HotS usually runs somewhere between 15-25 minutes.

That all sounds fine and dandy, but who can I play as?

Glad you asked! Here are the heroes currently in the game, with more on the way and promised monthly (Diablo themed content phase is underway and The Butcher, Leoric, and the D3 monk class are all on the way).

CLASSIC

• The Lost Vikings
• Zan'Muro (Release Date: TBA)

DIABLO

• Azmodan
• Butcher
• Diablo
• Leoric
• Kharazim (D3 Monk)
• Nazeebo (D3 Witch Doctor)
• Johanna (D3 Crusader)
• Sonya (D3 Barbarian)
• Tyrael
• Valla (D3 Demon Hunter)

STARCRAFT

• Abathur
• Artanis (Release Date: TBA)
• Kerrigan
• Nova
• Raynor
• Sergeant Hammer
• Tassador
• Terran Medic (Release Date: TBA)
• Tychus
• Zagara
• Zeratul

WARCRAFT

• Anub'arak
• Arthas
• Brightwing
• Chen
• Cho'gall (Release Date: TBA)
• E.T.C.
• Falstad
• Gazlowe
• Illidan
• Jaina
• Kael'thas
• Kel'Thuzad (Release Date: TBA)
• Li Li
• Malfurion
• Mekkatorque (Release Date: TBA)
• Muradin
• Murky
• Rehgar
• Rexxar (Release Date: TBA, but likely early/mid September)
• Stitches
• Sylvanas
• Thrall
• Tyrande
• Uther
• Zul'jin (Release Date: TBA)

Understandably, a lot of heroes are from Warcraft since it is such a HUGE franchise with a very, very diverse and storied cast of characters. Blizzard is taking steps to manage this by making sure the next three heroes are from Diablo, but they have openly admitted that Warcraft's hero roster will always be significantly larger than the other series represented. Overwatch characters will also make it into HotS as heroes after its release.

HotS offers several ways to play (training, versus AI, quick match, and two ranked options that open up after your player level reaches 20 and 40). There is also the ability to try any of the heroes in the game in the in-game shop before you purchase any. You can either purchase new heroes with real money if that's your thing, or you can save up your in-game currency (gold) and purchase heroes with that. Gold is pretty plentiful and you'll rack it up fairly quickly, so no heroes are ever out of reach if you're aiming to get your favourites first and foremost.

Overall, I'm having a blast with HotS. The community is pretty friendly so far (waaaaaaay less vulgar than in other MOBAs) and the overall gameplay is faster and much more accessible than it is in DotA or LoL. There are no items in HotS and you could argue that there is far less meta game, but the polished gameplay and map variety (complete with objectives) more than make up for that.

To show off what the gameplay is basically like, here is a replay of one of my matches on the Garden of Terror map.




If anyone plays, feel free to say so here! Leave your Battle.net username as well, I'll start a list in this post.

Battle.net IDs (RMN Username: Battletag, Region)

• Trihan: Trihan#2510 (EU)
• UPRC: UPRC#1884 (NA)

Pffft, Tyrael and Uther. Abathur is where it's at! I picked him up last week and am loving him for how much he changes up the basic gameplay. I was saving for Azmodan because I LOVED using him when he was part of the free rotation, but I shrugged and bought Abathur on a whim instead. I have not regretted it for even a single second.

I'm a bit sad that I haven't had a single "wtf Abathur is afk" moment yet, though. Hopefully soon!

I'd also recommend Sylvanas if you're into pushing lanes hard early on. It's insane how easily she wrecks minion waves, and her ability to "stun" forts and towers is ridiculously good.

author=Milennin
-Sylvanas. Disables structures. Blows up minions. Attacks while running. Has an escape. Looks cool. She's got it all.
-Tyrande. Her stun snipe is super satisfying when it helps your team score kills or when you're escaping from an enemy. I like her healing skill, and the scout owl is super useful.
-Tyrael. Initially I disliked melee in Heroes of the Storm. At least until I played Tyrael. Not only does he look awesome, he can teleport, shield himself and teammates and has decent damage output for a Warrior. Also that Judgement skill is cool. :)
-Azmodan. AZMODUNK! Best attack in the game. Also I love the summoning and boosting minion mechanic he's got to support lane waves.

I like your selection there! I'm a bit ho-hum towards Tyrael, but the other three? I love them all dearly. Tyrande and Sylvanas are my most played heroes, though Abathur is worming his way into the mix fairly well (already replaced Arthas as my third most played and is rapidly catching Sylvanas' play count).

This game needs more love on RMN.

Anyway, Leoric came out a few weeks back and he's pretty amazing. He quickly became my third most played hero until I went on a wild bender leveling Sylvanas up to 9 for that lovely 750 gold reward. Kharazim (Diablo 3 monk) is going live probably this week or next and, a few weeks after him, freakin' REXXAR.



Oh yeah, and Artanis is going to be the first StarCraft warrior hero later this year, too.

Actually, the fanbase is pretty decent so far. I don't play the likes of DotA or LoL because of their communities, but HotS is pretty good so far as long as you don't go on Blizzard's official forums (since they're a cesspool, though that's the case for all Blizzard games). I had one game a few days ago where we were literally chilling and telling jokes in chat while playing. You get the occasional screamy idiot (who will probably rage quit the match anyway and be replaced by the surprisingly competent AI), but you'll get those in any game. HotS having a pretty tame community is one of the things a lot of new players say they're impressed by considering the fact that the game is a MOBA.

I usually play between 3-6 matches a day, and I only get a bad seed about once every.... 10 games?