A Beginner's Guide To Heroes of the Storm's 5 Easiest But Most Powerful Heroes

If you're competitive like myself, then you hate losing. Thankfully, with a game like Heroes of the Storm you can do a lot to give yourself an advantage on the battlefield, one of which is finding a hero you're comfortable playing.

Check Out: Heroes of the Storm Hero Tier List

Blizzard has labeled its heroes with a difficulty rating, but in most cases it's inaccurate— i.e. Kael'Thas isn't even close to being Easy. As a seasoned veteran I'm going to introduce you to five of Heroes of the Storm's most simple yet effective heroes.

E.T.C.

Role: Warrior

Description: E.T.C. has consistently been one of the most effective Warriors in the game. His high utility toolkit grants him mobility and the ability to take damage, making him a pesky hero for enemies to deal with.

Best For: The player who likes to be in the front line tanking with lots of utility.

Abilities:

Powerslide – Slide to a location dealing moderate damage and stunning enemies hit for 1 second.
- This ability not only helps you tackle players who are running away, but lets you switch to a new target quickly during team fights. The stun can particularly useful for interrupting casts from ranged heroes.
Face Melt – Deals moderate damage to nearby enemies, knocking them back.
- This ability can be used in many ways, one of which is to push enemies away who may be attacking your vulnerable teammates. This should be used first and foremost for its knock back, not its damage.
Guitar Solo – Regenerate a small amount of Health each second for 4 seconds.
- As if E.T.C. wasn't strong enough. He can heal himself often with it, just be sure to watch your mana pool.
Mosh Pit (Heroic) – After a short delay, channel to stun nearby enemies for 4 seconds.
- This Heroic can turn a team fight and is regarded as one of the best Warrior abilities in the game. Its short range and delay makes it difficult to land on more than one opponent, but with practice you'll be able to completely shut down several players with it allowing your Assassins to clean up.
Stage Dive (Heroic) – Leap to any location. Deals heavy damage to enemies in the area, slowing them for 3 seconds.
- This Heroic makes E.T.C. very mobile, providing him a means to essential teleport anywhere on the map at any given time. It's easier to use effectively than Mosh Pit, which may make it the more desirable option for new players.
Rockstar (Trait) – When you use a Basic or Heroic ability, give 20% Attack Speed for 3 seconds to all nearby allies. Minions gain half the bonus.
- With this Trait in mind, you should be conscientious of the positioning of nearby creep and teammate to ensure that you're buffing them as you use abilities.

Recommended Build:

Level 1 – Pwn Shop Guitar
Level 4 – Double-Necked Guitar
Level 7 – Guitar Hero
Level 10 – Mosh Pit
Level 13 – Show Stopper
Level 17 – Speed Metal
Level 20 – Tour Bus

Build Explanation: This build focuses on E.T.C.'s mobility and sustain by improving his Powerslide and Guitar Solo. Your goal should be to be the first to enter a team fight, taking hits to keep your more vulnerable teammates alive. Landing Mosh Pit on two or more enemies should be your priority in team fights once you reach level 10. Positioning with Mosh Pit and Face Melt will take some practice, but can make the difference between a win and a loss.

Lili

Role: Support

Description: LiLi foregoes damage output to be a useful companion to teammates with powerful and easy-to-use healing as well as damage mitigation potential. Her trait makes her a very difficult target to take down.

Best For: The player who likes to keep players alive with heals.

Abilities:

Healing Brew – Heal lowest Health ally (prioritizing Heroes) for a moderate amount of Health.
- As long as an enemy is within a short distance from you, you'll immediately heal them upon casting Healing Brew. It's the easiest heal in the game to land, effectively making LiLi the most welcoming Support.
Cloud Serpent – Summon a Cloud Serpent on target allied Hero that automatically attacks nearby enemies, doing light damage. Heroes can only have 1 Cloud Serpent at a time. Lasts for 8 seconds.
- Use this on a melee hero during engagements with the opposing team to assist in dealing damage. It is the lowest priority of your abilities, but still useful.
Blinding Wind – Throw a cloud of Blinding Wind at the 2 nearest enemies (prioritizing Heroes), dealing moderate damage. Targets miss their next 2 Basic Attacks in the next 4 seconds.
- This should be alternated with your Healing Brew to provide sustain for your team. If timed well, you will greatly reduce incoming damage with it.
Jug of 1,000 Cups (Heroic) – Rapidly tosses brew to the most injured nearby allies, prioritizing Heroes, restoring a massive amount of Health over 6 seconds.
- During team fights this huge AoE heal will help keep your teammates alive, frustrating the opposing team in the process. Be sure to pay attention to your positioning to ensure that teammates are being healed.
Water Dragon (Heroic) – Summon a Water Dragon that after a delay hits the nearest enemy Hero and all enemies near them, dealing heavy damage and slowing their Movement Speed by 70% for 4 seconds.
- This Heroic allows LiLi to have offensive presence. It is usually less useful than Jug of 1,000 Cups, but may be a good option if your team has two Supports.
Fast Feet (Trait) – Upon taking damage, gain 10% movement speed for 1 second.
- Between this Trait and LiLi's active abilities she is very difficult to lock down. She regularly escapes dangerous situations thanks to the burst of speed.

Recommended Build:

Level 1 – Conjurer's Pursuit
Level 4 – Mass Vortex
Level 7 – The Good Stuff
Level 10 – Jug of 1,000 Cups
Level 13 – Shrink Ray
Level 17 – Two For One
Level 20 – Kung Fu Hustle

Build Explanation: This build is all about focusing on LiLi's strengths: healing and debuffing. With it, she can heal teammates consistently in battle and reduce incoming burst damage with Blinding Wind. Jug of 1,000 Cups makes her an invaluable Support during team fights.

Muradin

Role: Warrior

Description: Muradin is as straightforward as Warriors come. His ability to stun, slow, and chase enemies gives him a great presence on the battlefield.

Best For: The player who likes to control the battlefield from melee range while being able to survive through tons of damage taken.

Abilities:

Stormbolt – Throw a hammer, dealing moderate damage to the first enemy hit and stunning it for 1.5 seconds.
- Stuns are hard to come by in this game, and Muradin has arguably the best since it's ranged and on a relatively short cooldown. Use it to interrupt opponents, peel melee off your vulnerable team mates, or stop a running foe.
Thunderclap – Deals moderate damage and slows enemies by 25% for 2.5 seconds.
- Without Talents this ability isn't particularly effective, although its slow is great to combo with Stormbolt during chases. It can become much more powerful with talents.
Dwarf Toss – Leap to target location, dealing moderate damage to enemies on landing.
- You can use this to initiate a battle, catch up with a foe, or in most cases avoid death by jumping out of a tough situation. It ignores terrain and structures. Combo'd with Stormbolt you can secure big kills from running heroes.
Avatar (Heroic) – Transform for 20 seconds, gaining a massive amount of Health and causing your Basic Attacks to stun enemies.
- Every player, new and pro, hates dealing with an Avatar Muradin. This Heroic makes him a real pain to deal with.
Haymaker (Heroic) – Stun target enemy Hero, and wind up a punch dealing massive damage and knocking the target back, hitting enemies in the way for moderate damage and knocking them aside.
- Haymaker is very difficult to use well, but can be great for picking off enemies. It isn't recommend under most circumstances.
Second Wind (Trait) – Restore a moderate amount of Health each second when you have not taken damage for 4 seconds. When below 40% Health, Health restored per second doubles.
- This Trait allows Muradin to avoid going back to base to heal. Combined with Fountains he can remain on the battlefield throughout the game.

Recommended Build:

Level 1 – Infused Hammer
Level 4 – Thunder Burn
Level 7 – Battle Momentum
Level 10 – Avatar
Level 13 – Thunder Strike
Level 17 – Heavy Impact
Level 20 – Unstoppable Force

Build Explanation: This build gives you a ton of damage and control. Its balance allows you to shut down enemies with several stun options at your disposal and lowered cooldowns. Avatar provides tankiness for surviving even the most dangerous of situations.

Raynor

Role: Assassin

Description: Raynor might be the least potent on this list, but he deserves a spot for being the easiest hero to play well. His abilities are simple-to-use yet effective, allowing him to consistently dish high damage no matter who is behind the keyboard.

Best For: The player who just wants to kill enemies.

Abilities:

Penetrating Round – Deals heavy damage and knocks enemies back.
- This is Raynor's only way to create space between himself and an encroaching foe. Save it for defensive purposes.
Inspire – Gain 25% bonus Attack Speed for 8 seconds. Nearby allies gain half of the bonus.
- With a short cooldown, this ability can be used during most engagements to increase Raynor's outgoing damage.
Adrenaline Rush – Automatically activates to heal for a large amount when you are below 30% health.
- Raynor is one of the most difficult Assassins to take down thanks to this. It applies automatically and heals for a high amount.
Hyperion (Heroic) – Order the Hyperion to make a strafing run dealing light damage each second, hitting up to 4 enemies. Also occasionally fires its Yamato Cannon ton Structures for massive damage. Lasts 12 seconds.
- This Heroic is devastating against new players during team fights as they have difficult with positioning when Hyperion is running through the battlefield. It is most effective during engagements at enemy structures as it's highly potent against forts and buildings.
Raynor's Raiders (Heroic) – Summons two cloaked Banshees that attack a targeted enemy. Each Banshee deals light damage. Lasts 22 seconds.
- This Heroic is great for assassinating a foe as they will chase an enemy down at high speed no matter where the target goes. The foe will be unable to mount and won't survive without heals.
Advanced Optics (Trait) – Basic Attack range is 20% further than other ranged Heroes, and you see 10% further than other Heroes.
- Added range allows Raynor to keep a safe distance from targets.

Recommended Build:

Level 1 – Seasoned Marksman
Level 4 – Focused Attack
Level 7 – Revolution Overdrive
Level 10 – Raynor's Raiders
Level 13 – Giant Killer
Level 17 – Berserk
Level 20 – Nexus Frenzy

Build Explanation: This build makes Raynor a dangerous assassin. His damage is amplified tremendously with each new talent, with Berserk and Raynor's Raiders allowing him to threaten the life of any foe no matter their health pool.

Valla

Role: Assassin

Description: Valla is one of the best Assassins in the game. She is regularly used by pros despite her ease-of-use due to her well-rounded abilities and trait.

Best For: The player who likes to dish damage and use skill shots.

Abilities:

Hungering Arrow – Fire an arrow that deals moderate damage to the first target hit, then seeks up to 2 additional enemies dealing half the initial damage. Can hit an enemy multiple times.
- This ability's "homing" nature makes it quite easy to land on enemies. While it only deals decent damage, Repeating Arrows allows you to shoot two in a row provided you Vault in-between.
Multishot – Deal moderate damage to enemies within the target area.
- This is great when used to hit two or more enemies, and can be effective in clearing groups of minions.
Vault – Dash to the target area.
- Valla is easy to shut down, so careful positioning and deliberate use of Vault is vital to survival.
Rain of Vengeance (Heroic) – Launch 2 waves of Shadow Beasts that deal heavy damage to enemies within the target area, stunning for 0.5 seconds per wave.
- The short delay and staggered nature of this Heroic makes it difficult to land. However, it is absolutely catastrophic when used well due to its high damage and double stun.
Strafe (Heroic) – Rapidly attack nearby visible enemies with each hit dealing light damage, prioritizing heroes over minions. Valla is able to move and use Vault while Strafing. Lasts for 4 seconds.
- Stafe makes Valla deal outstanding AoE damage. It isn't great against a single foe, but during team fights it is highly potent for dealing consistent damage to more than one enemy.
Hatred (Trait) – Basic Attacks grant a stack of Hatred, up to 10. Each Hatred stack increases Basic Attack damage by 2% and Movement Speed by 1%.
- This Trait encourages Valla to stay in-combat to retain its stat benefits. When at full stack she becomes a dangerous force that needs to be shut down by enemies.

Recommended Build:

Level 1 – Composite Arrows
Level 4 – Puncturing Arrow
Level 7 – Repeating Arrow
Level 10 – Strafe
Level 13 – Frost Shot
Level 17 – Blood for Blood
Level 20 – Bolt of the Storm

Build Explanation: This build improves both Hungering Arrow and Multishot, allowing the latter to hit from farther away and slow enemies who may be running away. The last two talents provide much-needed surivability so that Valla can punish enemies before retreating to safety if needed.