The Heroes rotation is over Overwatch, but we aren’t

Are we all over Overwatch yet? No? Well, okay, but you’re going to have to be over it at least for the duration of this post because Overwatch week in Heroes of the Storm is over. Our only Overwatch hero is off rotation and the next hero coming up is Warcraft’s Medivh (on June 14). Perhaps more Overwatch heroes are on the agenda afterwards, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Ongoing, however, is the Heroes anniversary celebration which offers 50% bonus XP through June 14th — making it a good time to level those heroes (and reap the gold rewards).

And in the meanwhile, we have another free hero rotation. Let’s take a look.

Assassins

Butcher (Slot unlocked at Player Level 7)

Alex: I love playing the Butcher. If you play him right, he’s a wrecking ball. Don’t FRESH MEAT into an unwinnable situation (for example, when you’re solo and the entire enemy team is headed your way), don’t FRESH MEAT so far out of position you end up taking fire from three towers and a fort, and on and on. You can use it to dive in, but think about where you’ll end up when you’re done charging. If you have a Support keeping you alive, charging a mile out of their range is also a bad idea. Oh, and by FRESH MEAT I mean Ruthless Onslaught, of course. And Butcher’s Brand exists to keep you alive, but think about where you’re applying that, too. Put it on a target who can’t immediately escape/kite you. Butcher’s Brand on Tracer is not going to help, because she’s going to be out of melee range instantly.

Jaina

Anna: Jaina is still a favorite of mine, but she’s fallen off the map a bit in the competitive scene. I don’t think this is her fault, per se… in a vacuum, Jaina has fantastic wave clear and pretty decent burst DPS. The thing is the newer mages blow her out of the water. The thing is the vast majority of players are never, ever going to hit the skill ceiling the pros see with their skill shots and questing talents and techno music, so Jaina is a pretty solid choice for the rest of us.

Lunara (Slot unlocked at Player Level 12)

Anna: Lunara Pro: You get to frolic! Lunara Con: No Star Chariot or Wonder Billie. Learning how to spread your DOTs around has a bit of a learning curve, too… I definitely recommend an AI match or two just to get a handle on her poisons and her movement.

Raynor

Anna: To play Soldier: 76 well, you’ll rely mostly on his regular old attack. The thing that really separates 76 from other DPS is his heal. Learning when to back out and activate it and when to stand and deliver is a tough thing, learned mostly through practice. Oh, was this the Heroes rotation? Well, I’m not backspacing so it’s a good thing this all applies to good ol’ Jimothy Raynor as well.

Specialists

Azmodan

Alex: I don’t really get Azmodan. I understand the theory of Azmodan — he’s a siege specialist who should excel at pushing lanes and burning down forts. But in practice, I’ve never managed to avoid getting bullied out of lanes. He seems useless in a fight (especially a team fight) unless you can score a lucky dunk. Maybe he was more formidable back at launch and the new heroes have eclipsed him, I don’t know, but I don’t understand the Azmodan hype I see so often. Maybe someone else can enlighten me.

Gazlowe (Slot unlocked at Player Level 5)

Support

Uther

Kharazim (Slot unlocked at Player Level 15)

Warriors

Artanis

Alex: I hated Artanis when he first launched, but I’ve warmed up to him. I can’t nail down why and it isn’t the baseline Zealot’s Charge, because I loved him before they added that. He has a presence I can’t really define. He isn’t the highest damage dealer, but he’s quite the bruiser as Warriors go. He influences the battlefield in immediate, noticeable ways, and those are the sorts of Warriors I love. If you’ve never played Artanis, don’t default to choosing Purifier Beam as his ult because it’s the one which does damage. I used to do that. It’s far too easily avoidable against players who are paying attention. Suppression Pulse is much more effective at keeping you and your team alive while you mop up your Blinded opponents.

Muradin

Anna: Muradin is a favorite at all levels of play, it seems. I mean, who doesn’t love playing a leaping, self-healing dwarf with a magnificent beard? I’ve seen newbie pugs many a time fall into the trap of getting too thirsty and trying to chase Muradin for a kill, only to have him Second Wind and then stun their poor little newbie faces off. Muradin can punish an overeager DPS very well, and can even use Dwarf Toss to escape for a bit and give himself a second (and third, and fourth…) chance at a takedown.

This week’s freebies should be going live soon, so jump online to take advantage of them. And, as always, we’ll see you in the Nexus!