5 Characters Heroes of the Storm Needs .

One of the main things that separates the decent MOBAs from the truly excellent ones is an interesting pool of characters. Dota 2 has the added advantage of essentially copying the first true MOBA, which has an amazing following of players who have grown to know its heroes over the years. League of Legends continually updates its lore to create an exciting story that brings its world to life. Blizzard, on the other hand, has an almost endless supply of beloved characters that it can import into Heroes of the Storm.

The next three characters, and a much later fourth, have already been revealed for Heroes of the Storm, which means it’s unlikely we’ll have any surprises for a least a few months. The most interesting is the two-headed ogre Cho’Gall, but the Worgen Greymane and Dryad Lunara are also scheduled to arrive in the Nexus shortly. However, it seems odd that Blizzard has chosen to add secondary characters and create new heroes when it has a large variety of first-class options still available. Below are five characters that I feel would make an excellent addition to Heroes of the Storm.

 

Infested Stukov

Currently, the StarCraft representation in Heroes of the Storm is overwhelmingly Terran-based. We have iconic characters like Jim Raynor, Nova Terra and Tychus Findlay, as well as the new additions of Sergeant Hammer and Lt. Morales. However, the Zerg and Protoss forces only have three heroes each.

Although not the most prevalent character, Alexei Stukov has been around since StarCraft: Brood War and has played a pivotal role in a handful of missions. The choice between Terran Stukov and Infested Stukov seems like a pretty easy choice. We already have Nova as a ghost and his skill set from Heart of the Swarm would remain fairly viable.

Stukov’s best role would be a ranged-specialist that focuses on sieging enemy structures. His passive could be a regeneration aura that slowly scales throughout the game. For abilities he could spawn Infested Terrans, fire Corrosive Blasts, and gain control of enemy structures by infesting them.

 

First Ascendant Alarak

If Zerg is getting another unit then Protoss needs one as well. Introduced in the latest expansion to the StarCraft universe, Legacy of the Void, First Ascendant Alarak of the Tal’Darim might possibly be the single most powerful Protoss in the game. Without spoiling too much of Legacy of the Void, it’s safe to say that Alarak is a certified badass with a horribly arrogant personality. He’s able to disarm Matriarch Vorazun without much effort and demonstrates exceptional power in the story missions.

His abilities from Legacy of the Void would also translate well into Heroes of the Storm. Wave of Destruction launches a huge wave of energy at enemy forces and slightly knocks them back. He could also have a charge ability, a channeled ray of energy, and a passive that heals Alarak when enemies in the area die. For a Heroic ability, he could declare Rak’shir on an enemy hero that would force the two to duel for a set amount of time. This could either create a barrier around the two or act similar to Poppy’s Diplomatic Immunity ability from League of Legends.

 

Imperius, Archangel of Valor

As the strongest of the archangel’s, the biggest weakness of Imperius is his pride. Quite possibly stronger than Diablo in his original form, Imperius holds an incredibly amount of power. Diablo simply makes Imperius look weak during his assault on Sanctuary because he has become the Prime Evil at that point. We never really get a taste of Imperius’ true power until Diablo III: Reaper of Souls when he dispatches waves of minions without much effort.

Armed with Solarion, the Spear of Valor, Imperius would likely be a melee assassin with abilities centered around his weapon. It would be necessary for him to fill a different role than Tyrael because having two tanky angels is a bit redundant. Furthermore, Imperius is generally focused on attacking and avoiding damage as much as possible. His Heroics should be focused on dealing large amounts of area-of-effect damage. The most obvious choices would be an ability which allows Imperius to hurl his spear at enemies and another similar to Falling Sword, which seems to be his key move throughout the Diablo series.

 

Belial, Lord of Lies

We already have the other bosses from Diablo III, with the exception of Malthael, and Belial could utilize some very interesting design choices. What was so unique about Belial in Diablo III was that he focused on deception instead of raw strength. He used illusions and manipulations to pick off his enemies one by one. His Heroes of the Storm character should definitely be a caster with a focus on manipulating or deceiving enemies on the battlefield.

An interesting idea for a passive ability would be to have minions and mercenaries ignore him altogether. This would allow for early game pressure and not having to worry about getting unmounted while roaming the map. His main abilities should consist of Fly Swarm, Summon Veiled Sentinels, and a dash or teleport. A transformation, similar to Illidan, would be an appropriate Heroic ability except he should gain a new set of skills related to his third phase in Diablo III.

Tirion Fordring, The Ashbringer

Supreme Commander of the Argent Crusade, Highlord of the Silver Hand, and overall champion of Azeroth, the Nexus would be a perfect fit for Tirion Fordring. After leading the Ashen Verdict into the Icecrown Citadel and falling into Arthas’ trap, Tirion is eventually breaks free from his ice prison to shatter Frostmourne and release the souls trapped inside. There are very few other humans in World of Warcraft that rival Fordring’s tenacity and dedication to stopping the Scourge.

As the second paladin in Heroes of the Storm, Tirion Fordring would make an excellent Warrior. Where Uther focuses on Holy abilities, Tirion would more likely fill a Protection/Retribution role. Abilities like Consecration, Holy Wrath, Reckoning, Hammer of the Righteous, Judgement, and Lothar’s Might would all be a good fit. A passive based around his signature weapon, Ashbringer, would make the most sense in order to mirror Arthas’ Frostmourne.

If there are any characters that you would really like to see added into Heroes of the Storm, please let us know in the comments below!