HoTS needs more heroes with ability synergy.

After playing both LoL and HoTS, I definitely understand why someone would prefer LoL over HoTS and vice versa. I for one, play this game a lot (2.5k+ games) and thus have high hopes for the future of HoTS. However, I noticed that HoTS has a distinct lack of ability/spell synergy within a hero which I think could improve to refine the game's complexity and thus lead to greater player gratification.

In HoTS, one of the most iconic ability synergy heroes is Jaina. Her trait Frostbite increases the damage of her next ability if an enemy was previously hit by one of her spells. This leads to high level Jaina players executing perfect skillshot cycles to maximize her damage output. This is part of the reason why she is pretty hard to play correctly and newer players make the mistake of using Blizzard preemptively. There are a few other heroes in HoTS that utilizes skillshot cycle mechanics like Zeratul, Kerrigan and Illidan which are by far the best designed heroes imo. However, excluding those few heroes, there aren't a lot of rewarding heroes that utilizes this mechanic. Li Ming, Chromie, Tracer and even Greymane are very straight-to-the-point type of heroes. Sure, one can argue that Greymane has cycle mechanics like "Hitting heroes in human form and using e when they are low" but the complexity of that hero derives from the timing of the cycle and not the mechanic itself, if you know what I mean. What I want to see in future HoTS heroes are champions like Fizz, Yasuo, Fiora, Riven, Jax, Kindred or hell, even Annie. Those heroes require good skillshot cycles, and the abilities synergize, whether it be Annie's simple stun mechanic or Riven's insane ability cooldown management shenanigans. They are so much more rewarding when you make a play with one of those heroes than it is to land a W Q with Li Ming. I actually find it sad that the community views Chromie as "hard to play and rewarding" when she is literally the epitome of a boring skillshot mage stereotype.

To summarize, we need more heroes that utilize complex skillshot/ability/trait cycle mechanics that allow players to gain an advantage if they can properly manage those cycling mechanic. Heroes like Illidan that require insane finesse to use Dive for block charges followed up by Evasion to maximize the heroes survivability thus damage output is what HoTS needs to attract the more competitive demographic of the gamer population.

Added information for those who don't play LoL

Annie's trait: 4th ability stuns the target briefly. (Simple, yet requires you to "think" before charging in - Should I go in now or rotate my spells for the stun first?)

Riven: Abilities have no cost, only CD. Thus, perfectly managing your CD to produce the most damage is critical.

Fiora: Trait makes you deal extra damage and heals you only if you attack the enemy champion in the correct direction (front/back/top/bottom). Her basic abilities, like riven, require rotational uses.

Posted May 29, 2016, 8:33 PM UTC

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