Heroes of the Storm Guide - How to use Elite AI to improve your gameplay by GetEquipped

Alright, so I haven't wrote too much of a constructive/helpful post in a while, and until the meta settles a bit, I really can't make any guides.

I've been trying to get back into this game, but the feast and famine nature of QM (Stomped or get stomped) is just discouraging, and I don't feel like I'm getting better playing, just frustrated.

So, I started to use the Elite AI option to complete quests, and I'll tell you right now, it is no joke.

They enemy AI will group 4-5 deep from go. Chain CC properly, body block, rotate for objectives, and even cheat as they ignore stealth and fog of war.

Not only that, but your teammates will follow your cues and orders. If you ping for Boss, or ping on an enemy hero, they will do their best to rotate or focus. You can also force them to follow by just pinging on your allies.

So here are a few things in specific to watch out for, and what you can learn.

• Never roam alone without vision.

As I said, the Enemy AI will roll deep from the start. Meaning as soon as you're spotted, you're pretty much dead meat. This teaches you to pay closer attention to the map, and use better judgment/predictions. If a merc camp was just taken top, then you're free to push out bot, but if you don't have vision, you'll very quickly learn not to stick around.

• Teamfighting 201: For tanks, how to engage, for assassins, how to teamfight, Support, Priorities.

Since the AI loves to teamfight, knowing how to win a 5v5 is really important. And you will learn the hard way.

As a tank, because of the AI loves to chain CC to completely lock you down, it teaches you when to use what abilities, what cooldowns, what do I need to be active, how close should the team be to be effective, and most importantly, when the hell to pull out.

For Assassins, it's all about positioning and staying safe. Knowing which target is the best to attack. And the AI rarely misses skillshots. So, over extending a bit, just means you're going to a Muradin Stun or Stitches hook.

For Supports/Healers, You will learn how to target swap. When to focus on healing the tank, peeling for the assassin, debuffing, vision, and mana management. Thankfully there's a lot less babysitting, so you can focus on your own gameplay.

• Rotations and Objective control

Every now and then, on Spider Tomb, I'll notice that the AI, times the Mercs and turn in to the point where Knights, Siege, and the objective all crash at the wall at the same time, then rotate and shove another lane, creating two points of pressure.

Looking at the replays, despite a bit of derpiness, you can see that it was very calculated. They funneled one person to have the gems, usually the with tankiest one or the one with the most mobility. The AI kept bottom shoved, so the roamer can swing bot and take that siege camp. Allies had no vision past the gate, so we were caught unawares. and before we know it, we were pinned in.

This shit is nearly critical to learn and pick up. Noticing those opportunities to use objectives for pressure instead of just taking them because you think you can.

They are also very aware of timers, meaning if a camp is about to respawn, they're either going to posture to push you off, or may be in the vicinity hoping to make a pick.

• AI Teammates; showing you what you're doing wrong!

Your teammates are no slouches either. They will move out of the bosses slams and stun, rotate on objectives, switch out boss aggro. Even stuff that really can't be taught, like how to disengage and fan out after a bad fight to minimize causalities, or just when they back, despite being half health and mana. (Hint: It's because an objective is spawning soon.

Even just looking at their play, you can see the difference, pretty quickly. They save hard engages for when they have all cooldowns and the team, they CC the back line, and peel if an assassin dives on a high value target.

• Shotcalling and Reposibility

This is pretty much two teams of the same skill level going at it. Only difference is you. And you need to make the most of it.

Your teammates won't argue with you, your teammates aren't trolling, they will comply to their best ability, and you can ping them for fervent loyalty, dying along side you.

So, when you ping a camp, and the team starts rotating down, but the enemy AI spots you and dies, then, who do you have to blame?
When you ping all4 to follow, and start a fight 2-3 levels downs, and get wiped, then who's fault is it?

This is two fold. First off, it helps you think about the "macro" game. You can ping to have all 4 to follow, but be prepared for a massive counter push on the other side of the map. But you can delegate. You can ping one person to follow, ping "Defend" or "Push" and the two closest will comply.

Granted, they will won't always follow your direction or carry out to your exact intentions, but it teaches you to communicate without words, pings only.

And lastly, responsibility. Now as soon as there's a deficit, the blaming starts. Who did what wrong, why this person picked this talent, why did no one peel for you. But when you're in an AI game... it's just you. You need to take that look inside and ask "How did I fuck up?" Did you pick a fight at the wrong time, did you use the wrong abilities on the wrong target, did you not give a clear ping on who to focus.

Remember, two equal teams, you're the deciding factor.

• Conclusion

If you're looking to brush up on a few things, polish the fundementals such as positioning, focus, or rotation, or are just tired of QM being a crapshoot; how about knocking out a daily quest or two in 
VS AI against the elites. You may realize how much room you have to grow as a player.

Feel free to leave comments, feedback, suggestions below.

SOURCE

Heroes of the Storm Guide - Medic is not mana hungry. Quicktips to overcome your mana addiction by GetEquipped

She's really not, you just need to know how to play healers with a short CD/Cast time.

Now in MMOs, I raided as a healer a couple of time, wasn't my bag, hated staring at lifebars instead of the fight.

But, here's something I learned the hard way, through failure. Not everyone needs to be topped up at 100% all the time. I used to overheal and waste mana like crazy. Healing Surge and Flash Heal are not your friends.

And that's what I see a lot of Medics doing they waste mana. They waste it in lane, they waste it on fights, they don't toggle off their Q.

A lot of heroes, especially warriors, have ways to get health back. I see medics trying to heal any and all harass, even if there are no enemies near them, or healing an Illidan in lane (If alone) when they forget Illidan has passive life steal.

So here's how to properly use the healing beam.

• Once they dip below 60%-ish or if they're getting focused, then you put the beam on them. You don't need to keep it up just because you see people at who aren't at full health. Let them regen a bit, let the orbs regen do their work.
• Use Safeguard with a purpose. Don't use it on CD. I personally use it as a "buffer" if I need to heal person A, and person B is eating harass (Or I see the Shield Break animation from vulnerability) then I throw B to just put a band-aid on them.
• If some is under INTENSE focus, then throw the guard and beam on them
• Grenade is slow and does piddling damage. Safe it for peel, not for harass.
• After a fight, either go back to tap the fountain or mana. A lot of Medics often stay on the field because they're at full health because of their trait, but you still need mana as well.

Alright, I hope this helps a few of you aspiring Medics out there.

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Heroes of the Storm - "Who should I buy?" Spending your gold wisely (Monk Patch) by [GetEquipped]

PREFACE: THIS IS NOT A TIER LIST. This is more of a buyers guide for people wondering how to get the best heroes for their gold. They will be judged not just on their ability to complete their role, but also in how many comps they can fit in, how many comps they can counter, the difference between skill floor and skill ceiling, and how likely they are to be tuned in the next balance patch. So if you ask "WHY DIDN'T YOU MENTION KAEL'THAS?!" It's because they're going to patch out his Living bomb soon.

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As more people play the game, and level up and prepare for Hero League, a question I often see in chat is "Hey, who I should I buy?" and then people give a wide array of answers, from personal preference, to "Flavor of the Month" (Hence forth abbreviated to FotM) to just trolly suggestions.

I know it takes a long time to farm up that 10K gold, and the decision to fill out your roster isn't easy, so I'm writing this post to help people who are still on the fence.

I will be breaking down heroes into 4 catagories, slightly different than the ones Blizz uses, and even different than what I have used before. (Instead of "Shield" or "Mace" for warrior, I may just say Tank. For "Flex" supports, I may even call them a DPS)

These will be

• Tank
• Healer
• Damage Dealers (R/M)
• Flex/Fill

Further more, I will use 3 categories. The "Best Buy" pick, which is usually more expensive, but you will get your gold worth, the "Value Buy" pick, a cheaper pick, probably off the meta, but still performs well, and the "Buyer Beware," heroes that I believe, or even have been specifically mentioned of being tuned very soon. These are picks that may be top right now, but may be trashed by balance changes or just a very high skill cap, and may not be ideal for a person unfamiliar with the role.

And finally, I want to say, that these are only suggestions. The choice is ultimately up to you. If you really want to get Kael'thas because you think he's awesome, or played a Belf Fire Mage in WoW, go for it. If a playstyle doesn't work for you, as if you're more of a Defensive player, and I recommend a highly aggressive melee DPS, stick to what you enjoy.
Let's get started.

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TANK! Get everybody and their stuff together. OK, three, two, one let's jam.

This is, from my own experiences, the least desired role in Hero select. People will rush to a DPS, people may even highlight a healer, but no one wants to be the Meat Shield. Which is odd, because this is probably the best role to "lead" from. You decide when to engage, who gets locked down, when to retreat. Granted, not everyone will use their best judgement, but if you do your job well, then you can be the factor that tips the scales.

• Best Buy: Johanna Price: 10K Gold

She has everything. Strong Initiation, peel, immune to CC, blind, a 60% slow, huge shield, great talent diversity, huge tracts of land! She fits into almost any comp and shuts down almost any other. Her biggest weakness is lack of mobility. She's a bit of a glacier and can be a pain to reposition in the heat of battle. But being overlooked by 2 balance patches, and the rise of Leoric hindering her winrate, it's safe to say, she'll be a top pick for the forseeable future.

• Value Buy: Elite Tauren Chieftain, Muradin Price: 2K Gold

"BUT ETC IS TERRIBLE RIGHT NOW!" No, no he's not. He's still incredibly effective at creating space. What "sucks" is he can't push or clear waves, which is kind of important on larger maps or if they're tied to the objective (Infernal Shrines, Spider Queen) He still has great CC, good initiation, good sustain, and mobility. He just can't shove anymore until 16.

Muradin is another great choice. With the rise of Auto-Attack based assassins and the nerfs to "Imposing Presence," his "Reverberation" talent will really shine. He also has good CC, Avatar and Stoneform are great, his leap still makes him "unstoppable" but again, he suffers a bit with the prominence of Leoric, Which brings me to my last one

• Buyer Beware Leoric Price: 10K Gold

Leo's rise caught a few people by surprise. Seemingly designed as a "tank buster" to counter the double tank meta, he really shown his potential as of late. MVP Black put him to amazing use at MSI, and people may see him as a "must buy" now. But his winrate seems a bit too high, he does his job a bit too well. Even though nothing has been mentioned, I have a feeling some of his defensive stats may be tuned down. But if you're about the FotM, and want a strong pick for TODAY, then I would probably get this guy above Johanna.

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HEALER! Doctor! Doctor! Can't you see I'm Burning! Burning!
Another role no one wants. A good support is hard to find, and if you main support, you probably own them all anyway, and don't need this guide. You also probably have color coordinated all your skins with mounts, because you need to find some solace from the idiocy of your teammates ("No, Illidan, don't go back in, I JUST HEA- and he's dead... and now he's raging... well, at least my pony matches.")

• Best Buy Uther Price: 7K Gold

For those that read my support guide, this shouldn't come as a surprise, for those that haven't read it, why not? Here it is. READ IT, AND LET YOUR HATRED CONSUME YOU!.

Uther is everything you need in a man, supportive, dependable, bearded. While he doesn't get a 10 on anything, being solid 7s in every area is enough to make him a top pick. He has good single target helas, CC, utility, an AOE heal which can be surprisingly effective DPS, and can even be a bit tanky, but not recommended. His two heroics shore up any gap your team might have, be it good engage, to protect the squishy

• Value Buy Malfurion Price: 2K Gold

Malfurion lacks in a few key areas, mainly burst heals and cc/interrupts (Twilight Dream competes with Tranquility.) He makes up for it in sheer output. The amount of healing this guy can put out is second only to LiLi with Kung Fu Hustle, with the added bonus of being able to AIM HIS DAMN HEALS! He can talent into good wave clear with "Moonburn," Innerv is always desired, and can pick up MULE at 7 which is a must on Sky Temple. Personally I would pick this guy over Uther in drafts, as he's a lower skill cap, lower CDs, and you can pull off some cheese with "Hardened Focus."

• Buyer Beware Rehgar Price 7K Gold

"BUT REHGAR IS AMAZING, AND HE JUST GOT REWORKED!" I know, I know, but he is a bit higher skill cap than other healers. His big heal has a delay, he lacks any CC outside a slowing totem. You need to know how and when to use your passive and lightning shield to it's fullest potential, and he doesn't have access to some key talents like MULE and Shrink ray, which can make some fights an uphill battle. But hey, he's free this week, try him out, and see if he's right for you

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DAMAGE DEALERS! "Killing is my business and Business is good!"
Note: I'm going to list 2 per, as damage dealers (Not just "assassins") are a bit more situational. I'm also throwing melee and ranged in here as almost all melee not named "Zeratul" are a bit undertuned. I might change this format on the next one I do, breaking them apart.

You know, I'd rather deal with Attack Damage Carry (ADC) mains in LoL than Assassins mains in this game. Yeah, both are whiny and spoiled brats with a superiority complex, but at least ADCs were expected to have good mechanics and knowledge. You miss a skill shot in a critical fight; well, "gg, can't hit arrows." You don't know how to position and don't know target priorities? "gg, no focus" You position poorly, split push, get caught trying to solo a camp, "gg, ADC won't group." Assassins here will find any excuse to blame teammates. Vaulted in 1v4? "Johanna won't engage!" Died trying to contest a point for no reason while everyone is soaking "I guess my team doesn't know what objectives are!" Get's nailed by a Stitches Hook because of poor awareness "Stitches is so OP!" (RIP Buddy ;n;)

Anyway, if you're reading this, then you're not one of those cunts, because you have no idea which assassin to buy. Well, here are my suggestions.

• Best Buys Sylvanas and Jaina Price: 10K Gold

I see Jaina as Anti-personnel (Team fights with protection, prolonged conflict, objectives close to lanes/forts) , Sylv as a Shock troop. (Solo, high risk "behind enemy lines" work, sabotaging and disabling. Think of maps where you want 0 attention, like Spider Tombs)

Both of these lovely ladies have recently received nerfs, but they're still very strong. Jaina can still kite, burst, clear waves, and her water elemental is still tankier than Stitches! (Sorry buddy.) Only downside is that she's squsihy, but that's how most assassins are. At least you have a permaslow on Jaina.

Sylv is a bit different, while she can do a considerable amount of damage, and can take care of herself; she's not a "team player." She has 1 AOE damaging ability on her W, the upgrade reduces the range by 25%, she can't target her Q, and E is an escape. But her silencing arrow is amazing initiation. But she works best in the shadows, when people are distracted. This is the character you want to give all the Spider gems and coins to. When a fight breaks out, she's able to turn in while the fodder go at each other's throats over a watch tower.

• Value Buys Tychus and Zagara Price: 4K Gold and 7K Gold, respectively

I'm surprised Tychus hasn't seen more play. He's the "tankiest" of all assassins, having the one of the highest health pools for a ranged damage dealer, access to Regen Master, First Aid, Stone Skin, great wave clear, a short dash, self peel, can go Ability build or AA build. I think people are still reeling over his massive nerfs, but right now, He's slightly above average, and that's a great place to be.

As for Zagara, she has seen a ton of play. Great harass, vision, can shove lanes and merc camps hard, Maw is a poor man's Void prision. Only issue is that she's made of something flimsy, like paper mache... or Radditz. But ganks are very easily avoidable with just tumor placement. Get vision on your sides, and cover your escape for the speed boost. Tumor Clutch at 4 is criminally underrated, lowers CD and removes mana cost. Just remember, A.B.C.!

• Buyer Beware Kael'thas and Zeratul Price: 10K

BUT THEY'RE SO GOOD RIGHT NOW! PICK OR BAN EVERY GAME! YOU'RE AN IDIOT IF YOU DON'T GET FREELO! Well, yeah, they are strong, but Kael is getting is chain bomb stacking explosion nerfe- I mean "fixed", and Zera has been on the devs radar for a really long time. There's a saying, the tallest blade of grass is the first to get cut. They may be the FotM, but all that attention doesn't bode well.

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FLEX/FILL! Wake up, wake up, it's da first of da month! Get up, get up, so cash yo' checks and come up!

Think of these as 50/50, Half X/Half Y. These are less defined, a bit all over the place, they're almost always be an asset to the team. but don't expect to be received without some abuse if you're trying to fill one of the big three roles with them. I will say, these are luxury picks. They are by no means essential, but if you're looking to round out your hero collection, or fill some gaps, these may be for you.

And for the Buyer beware section, it's more of "heroes I hope are getting buffed soon." Not instabuy, but keep an eye out if they're on sale.

• Best Buys
  
  • Abathur: 10K Gold: Yes, he's very reliant on his team, but he can get work done! He can soak EXP, shove lanes, pseudo-support with symbiote. While he can't carry anymore, he can grind out teams with constant pressure
  • The Butcher: 10K Gold I hate this hero, I hate it when people play him, people who don't know how to cancel their E, don't know how to reset their AA, constantly get caught. But I will say, GODDAMN! He is effective in the right hands. Does amazing damage, point and click stun, can duel anyone besides LiLi (No, I'm not trolling. Lili's blind will destroy him.) Just know when to go in.
  • Brightwing: 7K Gold: "WAHHH BW NERF BAD, WAHHH!" Yeah, she can't outheal stupid anymore, it sucks, but she still brings great utility. Vision, CC, peel, some "off healing," shields, her talented Pixie dust is the ONLY spell shield that can be applied in the game, not to mention global presence. Plus, I think she's due for some love.
• Value Buys
  
  • Tassadar: 4K Gold: Oh Tass, the support that never was. While I don't think he can solo support, his access to almost all the utility support talents means the REAL support can invest all their talents into healing. But even as a "DPS" pick, he does good damage, is incredibly safe, and his Plasma Shield and MULE on Haunted mines makes him Freelo for that map.
  • Murky: 7K Gold: I genuinely believe Murky can fit in any comp. Now, will your teammates? Uhh...? He was left untouched with the "mage nerfs" "Living the dream" is still the same. He can shove lanes, CC lock an opponent, really good damage and as slippery as a slimy frog.
  • Tyrande: 7K Gold: She's probably my favorite support. Good healing, damage, vision, CC, and dat ass! Now I know why Illidan still crazy for that booty. I honestly think she can be a full support in solo queue, but your team might not have faith. Plus, if you already have a healer, more points into OWLS!
  • Raynor: 2K Gold: Ol' "Jimmy" got a little bit of love last patch. Higher base AD, and his old passive at 7, along with Seasoned Marksman buffs and Imposing presence nerf give him a nice niche as persistent ranged damage. He's as Vanilla as you get, but still effective.
• Dark Horses Like I said, these are more of ones you may want to keep an eye on, but no promises.
  
  • Stitches: 7K Gold: Stitches sad, Stitches play too rough, now no one want to play with Stitches =(. I actually think he's going to get buffs soon, mainly because of the Bikini skin.
  • Nova: 10K Gold: Lot of nerfs by association. Wouldn't be surprised if she got some love next patch
  • Sonya: 4K Gold: They're going to fix her eventually! A man can dream!

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Heroes of the Storm Guide - An In-Depth Guide on Supports, playstyles and you! [by GetEquipped]

NOTE: The following with take into consideration the changes upcoming in the PTR, and may be subject to change. This is also incredibly long with no TL:DR at the end.

With the success of my Warrior post "Shield, Spear, and Mace. An in-depth guide on The 3 types of Warriors." as well as by request, this will be a write-up on supports. I was putting it off until I played Monk for a bit, but seeing as I will be out of town for his "Official" release, I decided to put this out a little early.

So you want to Support
Before getting started, you need to ask yourself a few questions

• Do I want to put in a considerable amount of work, but get none of the glory?
• Do I want to get blamed for any and every little thing that goes wrong?
• Do I want to end up hating this game, and all the people who play it?
• Do I like being a hostage to my teammates?
• Am I last pick?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, then supporting may be right for you.

Alright enough of that, let's get down to business. ^{To defeat! The Huns!}

Support: Just a fancy word for Healer
In this game, supports are a bit different than other MOBAs. While in LoL/DotA, they are often jammed with utility, such as vision, CC, buffs and debuffs; in this game, it's far more "healing" focused. Now, while raw healers don't work so well in those games, it's far easier to balance in Heroes due to the lack of "Armor/Magic Resistance." Outside of specialized talents (Block, Imposing Prescence, Hardened Shield), the only thing that separates a Warrior and an Assassin is usually just their health numbers.

That being said, I do think there are different kinds of "supports." I break them down in "Main Healer" "Flex" and "Utility." I will not be covering utility, as it is a really vague concept. It's just someone who helps shore up the weak points in the team. It can be a Tyrael who's spec'd into shielding allies, or an Abathur who's gone full Symbiote and MULE.

In my Warrior post, I was an ardent supporter that most warriors can fit in most roles and team comps; I gave examples on how to make a traditional Mace/Brusier hero into more of a Spear/Engage or /Shield/Tank. So, can the same be said for supports?

Short answer: No
Long Answer: Supports/Healers are designed to save their teammates of their own stupidity, and as much as I love 

Brightwing and Tyrande, they can only counter so much stupid.
Not only that, but your warrior and melees need to have faith and confidence in your ability to perform. This means sticking to the meta. Even though I know I can put out great numbers as Tyrande, if my warrior is hesitant to stay in a fight for fears of not keeping them up; they are going to buckle, and disengage, possibly costing us an objective, or even worse, having the enemy team pick up some kills as your team is routed.

However, worth mentioning, two "flex picks/Off healers" can do the job of an off healer, but it would require considerably more work and coordination.

MAIN HEALERS: Main Healers do what is says on the tin. They offer great healing output and have a heroic ability dedicated to saving teammates. There are four I consider main healers: Uther, Rehgar, Malfurion, and LiLi.

• Uther: Best support, hands down. He has a single target burst heal, and an "AOE" moderate heal, along with a stun, access to cleanse, his own form of rewind, and Divine shield, which is probably the best Heroic to save 1 person. I really don't see much of a downside to him. He's the best ATM.
• Rehgar: Another great option. With access to "Healing Surge" and "Tidal Waves" he can keep up an entire team against heavy poke (Kael'thas) with no issues. His Heroic ability, Ancestral heal makes it him able to counter burst or focus, but you need to take in account of the short delay to use it properly. However, he lacks peel, but makes up for it in offense capability.
• Malfurion: Amazing Single target heals, good CC, able to restore mana. Drawback? Healing over time. He lacks burst heals. The HoT nature of his healing, make him better for longer drawn out fights. His Heroic, Tranquility is an AOE HoT, so contrary to what people believe, you want to pop this right after the start of a fight, right when teams have committed. If you try to use it to keep up someone under 20%, it may be too late.
• Li Li: Ugh... Alright, she's not "that bad." She has great heals for the mana cost, lot of talents increase it, and her Heroic is really strong. Thing is, and it's a big thing, she can't aim her heals. Her Q targets the nearest ally with the lowest health, and while this may seem like a good thing, the lowest person may not be the best target. Do I want to heal the Assassin who is already disengaged with 10% health, or the Warrior with 20% standing in between the enemy team and us? Even worse, heroes like "The Lost Vikings" and Murky will almost always be prioritized due to their low health pool. Her Heroic, "Jugs 1000 cups" can be stunned out of, be the range is enough that you can skirt the edge of the back line and not worry about getting hard CC'd.

FLEX PICKS: Consider these "off healers." Now while they can put out great numbers, it's often not the numbers you need, it's the urgency that you need them. Like I said, it's about saving your allies from their own stupidity. If you can't get that clutch heal off to save a teammate, it's just number padding. However, they do have a role. They usually have better damage capabilities, maybe a few more actives, or just bring some utility to the team. This is where I put the other 4: Tyrande, Kharazim, Brightwing, and Tassadar

• Tyrande: Probably the best "Flex" in the game. With great healing output, vision, a stun, and a trait that melts tanks, she can do a lot of work. Her downside is 1 utility heavy heroic (Shadow stalk) and the other is Damage+slow (Star Fall). I've made her work as a solo healer, but I don't recommend it. As I said earlier, it's also about your team having confidence in you.
• Kharazim: The Monk is the new support we're going to get. I played him and you have 2 in every game on the PTR. Puts out good numbers and has a nice heroic that brings an ally back to life, so why is he "Flex?" Positioning. I'll go more in depth later but the area of his heal is really small, meaning to heal the tank, you have to be right next to the tank, that's the one place you don't want the teams lifeline. Also to make use of his passive you need to be in melee range, attacking something, which again, may compromise your position.
• Brightwing: How the mighty have fallen. Used to be the best support in the game, but with some talents removed, she lacks the ability to counter "stupid." Now, she's not terrible by any means, I personally think she can still have great impact on a team. Phase Shift, Pixie Dust, Polymorph all have talents to bring a lot of power to a team. I would highly recommend BW over a 2nd warrior or 3rd DPS in your comp. Shield Dust+Bouncy Dust can negate Jaina/Kael's/Nova's Damage output, while Critterize can help your team focus down a target.
• Tassadar This hero is just disappointing to me. I like shield mechanics, but Tass is just lacking in just output. I would not recommend picking him as a support, but as a "Utility" pick or a "Flex DPS" His Oracle is great for scouting and having your team aware. MULE is good for certain maps, Shrink Ray can negate a dive, and he can be pretty slippery. He's just not a support in my eyes though. Still fun at times.

Activate Talents: More buttons to worry about
Now that the supports are covered, let me go on to Active Talents, the thing that separates a good from a great Support. Worth mentioning and making note of, not all supports will have access to these talents. At times, there will be situational or map dependent, but it's up to you to decide when to pick them up. No one else will even bother.

• Scouting Drone: If you come from other MOBAs, this will be a "ward" to you. Gives vision in an area for a limited time. really good if you need to be aware of your surroundings or enemy position.
• Healing Ward: Heals for 2% of all allies Max Health every second for 10 seconds. Think of it as a 20% heal if you can get it off or people actually stand it. Here's a hint, they won't. Also can be destroyed very easily by AOE. But can be good when defending a point and getting a small reprieve.
• Protective Shield: Grants a shield equal to 15% of the target's max health. Use this if you need the buffer/extra health. It's more valuable on a tank, but can be used to prevent the last few ticks of envenom, chain bomb, or voodoo ritual on a high value target, without using a CD on a heal
• Cleanse: Used to be mandatory, but the nerf to it makes it far more situational and more "clutch." If you have good reflexes and mechanics, it can save a teammate from death, but if you're just a bit shaky, might be better to pick something else.
• MULE: Repairs structures. Incredibly underrated. This is a near must on Sky Temple, Blackhearts Bay, and Haunted Mines. It stops pushes, undoes their progression on an objective capture, and buys you more time to get back into the game.
• Shrink Ray: Reduces movement speed and damage by 50% on a target. It's good... but not great. The range to cast it is pretty short, so you can't hit the back line with it, and the only T1 melee assassin is Zeratul, and you don't have enough time to react. However, if you're dealing with a Butcher, Tyrael or Kerrigan, might be worth picking up to stop their dive.
• Storm Shield: Gives everyone near you a shield equal to 20% of their max health. Another great talent. Use it as your engaging, and it's pretty much a massive health boost to your team. You can also use it defensively to avoid getting cleaned up. It's just really good.

Like I said, there's no golden rule when to pick up the talents. Often times, you'll be more "reactive." If they like to pick off one target, Protective Shield and Shrink Ray may be better talents. If there is a lot of fighting on points, or just a large map where you can't move easily, then Healing Ward may give you some healing to stay in the fight. And if you're on Sky Temple, you fucking take MULE... no excuses.

Positioning and You: Wait, there's more?! How long is this shit?!
Being the Support/healer, you're going to have to babysit the front and back line. This means you need to position according and where you can have the most effect without endangering yourself. Here, I may state "Flex" in a different sort. It's just a flexible role. It can be a Zagara, Tyrande, Nazeebo for ranged, and Melee is either a "Bruiser Warror" like Sonya, Anub, or a Melee Support like Monk and Uther.

So below are some incredibly detailed high res images that serve as examples on how to position.

Position 1: Double Warrior
Standard set up. Here you are in between the Tank and the Carry. Notice where the the "Off tank" is and you. Try to stand opposite of him to have him serve as a buffer, or for you to be a human shield if someone tries to get on your DPS (Ranged Assassin and Melee Assassin)

Position 2: Double Support
If you have a Secondary support, have the "Off Healer" hang on the back in between the enemy and carry. If you're the Main Healer, stay a bit closer to the Melee as they will be soaking most of the punishment and will need more attention. If the "Off healer" doesn't have CC, This is when you take protective shield in lieu of peel.

Position 3: 4 Man Chokepoint
If you have a 5th either split pushing, man down, or a Zera waiting for a fight, this is how you want to position. You let the tank lead in the choke point, making sure they need to work to break through. However, you'll be hanging on the back a bit more to make sure no one jumps your ranged assassin. Also, if you need to retreat out of the point, you're not in the way of the tank or other melee. (Body blocks kill)

Position 4: 4 man Engage
This is far more aggressive positioning. You're going to be very near the front on the exposed side, again, focusing healing on the tank. Ideally you want your other side to be covered by a wall. Now, why go on the open? Well, 2 reasons. First, to serve as a buffer between you and the assassin. Remember, they can shove and kill things a lot better than you can. 2nd reason is to fan out if you need to disengage. If you're next to a wall, it limits the places you can run to, here, most everyone can go in a separate direction and minimize the number of deaths on your team.

Counters and Synergy: Why am I doing this again?
I'll try and keep this a bit short. Ideally You want to pick a  
"MAIN HEALER" for your team.

• If they have a lot of poke: Rehgar
• If they have Burst/Pick potential: Uther
• If they have drawn out/AA heavy fights: Malf
• Do you not know what the hell to do?: Li Li

Current meta isn't friendly to double support, but I'll list some examples in case other people wish to bear the burden.

• Anti-Dive - BW+Uther: This is for maximum lockdown if they try to blitz your backline. Uther's Divine Shield will negate the damage, and both supports can CC the engage to pick them off. BW's Emerald wind can also create space if need be.
• The "Fuck your happiness, Illidan" pair - Tyrande+Malf: This is probably the most balanced pairing. Tyrande has good burst healing on a short CD, good CC but lacks AOE. Malf lacks burst and a stun, but has high output. Together they make a very good team. Worth mentioning the combos with Stun+Root.
• Cover up the weak points - Rehgar+Tass: Rehgar doesn't have access to the utility talents such as Shrink Ray and MULE, while Tass lacks everything else you want in a support. The positive side to this is that Tass can shield the Ancestral target to make sure they don't die during the delay.
• Panda Express Li Li+Monk: Normally two position based healers would be a nightmare, but this works surprisingly well. Monk can keep up the front lines without any issue, while Li Li can hug the carry and be safe from any CC. The combo of Jugs and Divine Palm can make it incredibly frustrating for the enemy team to kill a target.

Conclusion: This was way too long

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Heroes of the Storm Guide - An in-depth guide on The 3 types of Warriors [by GetEquipped]

NOTE: This is not a tier list. This is an explanation of the strengths of warriors and how they best work in comps or to counter your opponents picks. While I think tier lists are useful, it's better to learn what works well and how to tell them apart. I may also be mentioning currently underpowered Heroes as examples. Keep in mind, a Hero can fall from oppressive and King to the bottom of the list in one patch (Sorry Stitches.)

That being said, you are now entering the World of the Warrior!

Now, I keep hearing a lot of talk about warriors being tanks, and some warriors not being good enough because they can't tank. And while I have also been guilty of trying to put them all under one label, I've come to accept that each has a role they fit on your team.

And this is where I came up with this analogy; Shield, spear, and mace.

A shield is focused on heavy defense, a mighty aegis for your team, the immovable stone wall. What they lack in offense or mobility, they make up with it in tenacity, resolve, and the ability to protect their team.

A Spear is all about engage potential. They thrust themselves into combat, at times accurately plunging themselves into a vital area of the team, disabling it. However, due to their aggressiveness, they may lack defensive or protective options.

Finally, the Mace. A mace was a weapon designed to combat plate armor. If you could not piece or cut through, you smash and apply such force that it would warp and cave in. This is a very middle ground, but specializes in taking out other fortified heroes.

Each warrior as all three aspects to some extent, or can be talented into it, A primarily "Shield" hero can go full offensive, and the same goes for a "Mace" focusing on defense, so in my example section, I may list a Hero as both a Shield and a Spear (ETC for example) But I will tell you where the talents are different so they can fit that role.

There also isn't a clear cut Rock>Paper>Scissors design where victory is guaranteed, but seeing their strong points will make it easier to see how they fit your team, how to play with them, and how to play around them

Shield Heroes: Sadly Captain America isn't one of them.

When you read "We need a tank" in the draft screen this is what people default to without thinking.

These are primarily the walls of meat and CC. They specialize in protecting the back line, they stay huddled to a high value unit, pinning down and punishing anyone who dares go near them. But as I mentioned before, they lack mobility, they can't re position fast enough if their protectee wanders off because they saw a flower. (in other words they can't save you if you get caught out.)

When to Pick a Shield:

Even though it seems as if you can never go wrong, there are instances when you do and don't want to pick them:

Do:

• Small maps or maps with a lot of choke points. Their abilities work best in tight areas where there is limited room for the opposing team to maneuver. (Spider Queen, Haunted Mines, Cursed Hallow due to the Curse spawns)
• If you have Long Range, High Damaging, low mobility units that will die if someone sneezes on them. (Kael, Hammer, Zagara. )
• You have no idea what you're doing. If you're forced to tank for your team and you have little if any experience, you really can't go wrong by just picking someone with a ton of health that needs to hug the squishies.

Don't:

• Enemy team has a lot of mobility. You're not going to catch the Zera or sylv, just stop embarrassing yourself
• The enemy team has Long range sustained damage. Again with the lack of mobility, you're going to eat a lot of damage before you close the gap. And even if you do, you leave your entire back line exposed for a Zeratul or a half decent Nova.
• Big wide open maps. Do you see a pattern here. The more options they have to run to, the less effective your skills are.

Examples of Shields:

• Johanna - Definitely the best at this role, with Condemn and Punish, she can easily lock down nearly anyone who dares run past you.
• Muradin: With Avatar, Reverb, and Stone Form. Again, just a massive wall of health and CC. doesn't have the same lockdown potential, but with Dwarf leap he can reposition a lot easier than most.
• ETC: Loud Speakers, Face Smelt, Encore. ETC is a very versatile hero. He can reposition quickly if need be (At the cost of using his stun as mobility or Heroic) and can provide peel for days. The massive knockback and 60% Slow from Face Smelt will make sure whoever touches your backstage honey will leave in a body bag.
• Stitches: Tenderizer, Gorge, Pulverize. The terror of darkshire lived up to his reputation when he entered the Nexus, but Stitches play too rough and no one wants to play with Stitches. He's someone I think is undertuned, but is still pretty good. Even if you can't land a hook to save your life (Bronze mechanics over here), you can easily be a bodyguard. Tenderizer is a perma-on hit slow, Pulverize is still a great AOE "root" and Gorge isolates one person dumb enough to over extend.

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Spear Heroes: For when "Just the tip" isn't enough

This is when you go all in, thrusting yourself into the heat of battle, Representing the Spirit of Longinus as you impale the teams only hope, forcing yourself upon some unfortunate soul with your throbbing hot justice... penis.

These Warriors specialize in diving in, the ones that start the fight. Usually by singling out one person, or just CCing the entire team. They often have the highest mobility. Many have ways not only to get in a fight, but also survive and bail out if need be.

When to pick a Spear:

If someone says "We need HARD engage." OK, It's out of my system, I swear. But

Do:

• When you need to get on the back line as soon as possible to minimize the damage that can be done to your team
• You need to cover ground quickly. Either due to objectives or to chase high mobility assassins
• You just want to YOLO in, because real Warriors overextend... and then blame their support ("WTF TEAM!")

Don't

• Opposing team has a lot of burst healing or immunity. Seriously, if your target can be full healed from 1%, it may not be the best idea. Or if they have Zeratul with Void Prison, as they can ensure no one on your team will follow up. (Not like they were going to anyway!)
• They have an extreme amount of burst in a very short time. If your target can kill you in one rotation, they will do it. Like Jaina, Water Ele, into CoC, into, Blizz, into frostbolt, and you'll be dead before you can blame the BW for not TPing with you.
• Your target has more mobility than you. This is more of a guideline But I say this because if you do engage, and they juke your follow up, or even the actual ability. you'll be in a very bad spot.

Examples of Spears:

• Tyrael - Best one, hands down. Judgement not only is a massive gap closer and stun, but it also knocks everyone around the target away, absolutely decimating their positioning and formation.
• ETC: Rolling like a stone, Double Neck Guitar, Most Pit, Show Stopper This is all about getting a good Powerslide in and Ulting the enemy team. You can also go Stage Dive if the target outranges your slide (Hammer for instance, if she ever comes back into the meta)
• Sonya Shot of Fury, Composite Spear, Leap, Nerves of Steal I love Sonya, just going out there and saying it, she is very undervalued. With Leap she has an AOE stun, and can follow up with a secondary stun on her spear. She also has a suprising amount of burst even if she isn't talented for it. With Mystical spear, she can also get a lot of mobility, even going through terrain to chase. The issue is her low health pool, so if you go in, you better be sure you kill their main source of damage before the CC wears off.
• Anubarak: Underking, Urticating Spikes, Locust Swarm, Burning Rage I always tell new Anub players, "your E is not an engage" but I should say "It's not an engage, unless you have your heroic is up." Much like Sonya, he has a long range AOE stun, with a follow up stun, and a tiny health pool. The difference is He can't get stunned out of his regen. He also does a fair bit of AOE damage and his beetles can protect you by blocking some of those skill shot abilities they use as a counter attack.

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Mace Heroes: Mace: Not just for protesting hippies

The tank busters, often refered to as brusiers. When they see a heavily armored opponent, clad in the strongest steel, they aren't deterred, they just see a casket you put yourself in.

These Heroes will outduel, outtrade, outsustain and even use their opponents strengths against them. They may not provide the control of battle that may be desired, but you know what they say. Death is the best CC.

I will say, these are my favorite type of Warriors. They get a lot of flack and brushed off by saying "They can't solo tank!" Yeah they can, they can very easily take the hits just as well as the rest. What they can't do is bail people out of their own stupidity, like the Valla who uses vault as an engage, or the Illidan who Hunts into the enemy team. How is that my fault to begin with? I didn't know I had to babysit you and peel when you decide to get caught out. I bet you're just fucking dying to make some snarky remark on how I made the bad pick, if you had no fucking faith in me, then you shouldn't have instalo- Oh wait, right, back to the guide.

When to pick a Mace:

While these are often seen more fringe, they are just as effective in achieving your goals, may not be the cleanest victory though.

Do:

• If they have a low damage frontline. You can make quick work of those that invest heavily in defense.
• Your damage dealers can take care of themselves. If you have a really competent assassin, or just one that isn't going to die in a global cooldown, It may not be a bad idea to go for the extra damage
• PvE Maps: Due to their nature, the Maces don't mitage damage as much as they just sustain or heal themselves back up. This means they can easily solo objectives if need be, such as Garden Terror, Sky Temple, and Haunted Mines.
• You wanted to play an assassin, but you don't want to learn, positioning, and mechanics, and safety.

Don't

• You have a weak healer. Due to your lack of mitigation options, you going to take a lot of hits to the face. You do have ways to heal yourself up, but they are CD dependent.
• They have a lot of Hard CC. A lot of Maces need to be attacking or using abilities to keep themselves topped off. A poly, into a stun, into a second stun, into a LiLi blind, will make sure you won't get an edge in
• Your team lacks peel. I fucking hate assassin mains. They could be a naked orange and still bitch about not getting peeled. Seriously, learn to position and how to dodge a skill shot, not hard, red circle=bad!

Examples of Maces

• Leoric - Drain Hope into Crushing Hope is the best tank killing ability in the game. Spectral leech just further cements him as this. He can also punish "Shields" with his two Heroics. Lack of Mobility means they ain't going nowhere!
• Sonya Warpaint, Ferocious Healing/Follow Through, Wrath of the Berserker/Leap(Only with Crater at 20), Imposing Presence/Nerves of steel. Sonya is again, a very undervalued Hero. She puts out a lot of damage, which means a lot of healing. Her fury resource (not mana) and regen talents means she will never stop attacking unless you manage to kill her. With her Crater talent, you can also isolate and pin down a low mobility tank (Don't aim for the assassin if you have this talent, they're just going to blink out of it, and you're going to look like an idiot.) She also never has to B back, meaning after a teamfight, she can just start pushing lanes, backdooring, soloing boss, soloing core. Seriously, she's amazing, try her out.
• Arthas Eternal Hunger, Rune Tap, Immortal Coil Arthas used to be the King, woke up, still King. OK, not so much anymore, but he's still very good. He has some lockdown in a root, the AOE slow, and very nice damage. While he still has to worry about mana, and has low mobility. His kit makes sure any opposition can't move either. He does work best with a heavy engage, but he can also work in those tight corners and choke points "Shields" love to fight in. And as the winter sets in, as they grow numb from the cold, their blood chills, and with their last visible icy breath, they will whisper "Arthas"... Until Uther divine shields them. Fuck you Uther!
• Diablo Essence of the Slain/Demonic Strength, Life Leech, Continuous Overpower, Lord of terror Yeah, this guy is still in the game, and despite many people considering him a joke , he's still really strong. He has the ability to charge in and isolate a target. Pulling them from safety and knocking them back into his team. (Again, I point to the "Shields" I mentioned earlier as good targets) He has a very good amount of CC as well to follow up on the back line if he chooses to, or he can scrap with the tank, the Life Leech talent means he'll probably never lose a 1v1, and Lord of terror can be used as clutch heal.

In Conclusion: Yes! I'm finally done!
I hope this guide helped you guys out to better recognize strengths and weaknesses to having certain warrior types. This will hopefully aid you in making better decisions in draft mode, either to compliment your allies or counter your opponents.

I do want to reiterate, that the warriors are incredibly flexible in their talent selection and can be tailored to fit a role that the team might need.
 
Now go out there, and be the Ultimate Warrior!

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