Patch notes: Li Ming and Zagara are nerfed while other's receive some much needed talent options

Talent diversity, design focus, and continued efforts making Heroics more impactful are the most notable changes in this latest patch

Greymane

• Basic Attack damage increased from 138 (+4% per level) to 145 (+4% per level)

• Gilnean Cocktail (Q)

  • Primary target damage reduced from 69 (+4% per level) to 59 (+4% per level)

  • Splash damage reduced from 207 (+4% per level) to 177 (+4% per level)

Developer Comments: Greymane’s Gilnean Cocktail build has been very dominant since the last round of buffs to the Ability. We’re seeking to nerf that build slightly so that it isn’t always the correct choice, and compensate him by improving his Basic Attack builds slightly. Overall, we think this is a minor nerf to the Hero, but nothing substantial.  

Li-Ming

• Magic Missiles (Q)

  • Now deals 50% damage against Structures

  • Mirrorball (Talent)

    • Now also increases the Mana cost of Magic Missiles by 5

  • Fireflies (Talent)

    • Now also reduces the Mana cost of Magic Missiles by 5

• Disintegrate (R)

  • Temporal Flux (Talent)

    • Slow amount reduced from 60% to 40%

Developer Comments: Magic Missiles were not designed with intent on dealing heavy Siege damage, so we are halving it against Structures. Li-Ming’s level 16 Talents are all incredibly valuable and fun to play with, but at the end of the day, Mirrorball added too much power without any kind of drawback; the shifts in Mana costs should help sweeten the pot for players that want to spec into Fireflies. As for Temporal Flux, well, let’s just say we were so in love with Li Ming’s overwhelmingly powerful level 20 Talents that we misjudged how demoralizing a 60% slow could be to play against when its cooldown constantly reset.

Zagara

• Hunter Killer (W)

  • Health changed from 554 (+3% per level) to 471 (+3.5% per level)

• Devouring Maw (R)

  • Cooldown increased from 100 to 120 seconds

  • Tyrant Maw (Talent)

    • Cooldown reduction increased from 25 to 30 seconds per takedown

 

Zagara's dominance in the lane just took a hit. She's still a strong solo-laner but these changes mean there are now other heroes who can push just as well. The cooldown increase to Devouring Maw is a continuation of efforts to increase the impact these types of Heroics can have in the game. 

Kharazim

• Breath of Heaven (W)

  • Heal amount increased from 250 (+4% per level) to 280 (+4% per level)

  • Echo of Heaven (Talent)

    • Second wave Heal amount decreased from 50% to 35%

 

Several supports don't have to make the choice at lvl 7 between Cleanse and a talent like Echo of Heaven, which is so critical to Kharazim's healing output. These changes shift more of that output to his base healing and reduces the punishment for taking Cleanse. 

Sonya

• Wrath of the Berserker (R)

  • Cooldown increased from 45 to 60 seconds

Developer Comments: Wrath of the Berserker is available too frequently, which devalues some of the skill involved with keeping the buff up as long as possible. This should calm her nerves a tad while helping to differentiate players who can manage their Wrath generation from those who can’t.

Abathur

• Symbiote (Q)

  • Carapace (E)

    • Shield amount increased from 137 (+4% per level) to 150 (+4% per level)

• Toxic Nest (W)

  • Vile Nest (Talent)

    • Slow amount decreased from 50% to 40%

    • Slow duration reduced from 4 to 3 seconds

Developer Comments: It’s extremely difficult bartering with a space slug. Abathur refuses to allow us to nerf/devolve him without also buffing/evolving him. In exchange for lowering the overbearing slow amount and duration of Vile Nest, he has gladly accepted a baseline increase to his Carapace Shielding.

These heroes received the most changes in order to improve the quality of life and viability of talents in certain tiers 

Artanis

• Health increased from 2245 (+4% per level) to 2335 (+4% per level)

• Health Regeneration increased from approximately 4.67 per second (+4% per level) to approximately 4.86 per second (+4% per level)

• Shield Overload (Trait)

  • Shield Battery (Talent)

    • Cooldown reduction increased from 6 to 8 seconds

  • Phase Bulwark (Talent)

    • Duration of Ability damage reduction increased from 3 to 4 seconds

  • Shield Surge (Talent)

    • Bonus Shield amount increased from 50% to 100%

• Blade Dash (Q)

  • Templar’s Zeal (Talent)

    • Cooldown recharge rate increased from 75% to 100%

• Twin Blades (W)

  • Amateur Opponent (Talent)

    • Bonus damage against non-Heroic targets increased from 100% to 150%

  • Triple Strike (Talent)

    • Now also increases the cooldown of Twin Blades by 1 second

• Phase Prism (E)

  • Khaydarian Resonance (Talent) removed

  • Chrono Surge (Talent)

    • Attack Speed bonus increased from 25% to 40%

  • Warp Sickness (Talent)

    • Slow duration increased from 3 to 4 seconds

  • Graviton Vortex (Talent)

    • Now also reduces the cooldown of Phase Prism by 6 seconds

Artanis received changes to his baseline HP and a buff to his Q at lvl 4 which will give a much needed boost to his early game survivability. And now Phase Prism can be talented to increase attack speed by 40% at lvl 4 and reduce its cooldown by 6 seconds at lvl 13. This gives him repositioning utility every 6 seconds with powerful follow-up damage. Blizzard has tried desperately to put Artanis in a place of casual and competitive viability. These changes are probably not the key, but they are a step in the right direction.

Falstad

• Hammerang (Q)

  • Gathering Storm (Talent)

    • Damage gained per Hero hit increased from 1 to 2

  • BOOMerang (Talent)

    • Reactivation damage increased from 150 (+4% per level) to 175 (+4% per level)

    • Damage radius increased by 25%, which now more appropriately matches the explosion’s visual effects

• Lightning Rod (W)

  • Charged Up (Talent)

    • Additional strikes increased from 2 to 3

  • Thunderstrikes (Talent)

    • Damage bonus per subsequent strike increased from 15% to 20%

• Barrel Roll (E)

  • Updraft (Talent)

    • Range bonus increased from 30% to 40%

 

Falstad's Mage build received some love however, the question remains whether or not it will compete with his Auto Attack build. These buffs coupled with Hinterland's Blast give Falstad strong burst damage but it's hard to compete with Mighty Gust's offensive and defensive utility.

Valla

• Basic Attack damage increased from 91 (+4% per level) to 94 (+4% per level)

• Hatred (Trait)

  • Basic Attack damage gained per Hatred stack increased from 2% to 3%

  • Punishment (Talent)

    • Hatred stacks gained per Ability cast increased from 3 to 4

  • Manticore (Talent)

    • Damage bonus increased from 50% to 60%

• Multishot (W)

  • Damage reduced from 164 (+4% per level) to 148 (+4% per level)

• Vault (E)

  • Caltrops (Talent)

    • Damage increased from 30 (+4% per level) to 45 (+4% per level)

    • Slow amount increased from 20% to 30%

• Rain of Vengeance (R)

  • Damage increased from 256 (+4% per level) to 350 (+4% per level)

Developer Comments: Right now, the safest way to play Valla (Multishot build) is also the most effective. The changes to her Multishot, Hatred, and Basic Attack damage are the first of many to come that should help to align the efficacy of a Hero’s build with the difficulty in which that build plays. The other balance tweaks are quality of life changes for some of her weaker Talents. 

We're looking forward to seeing how these changes impact HOTS eSports especially as the Spring Championship draws near. The pace at which these patches are released will keep pro gamers on their toes as balancing efforts continue to expand the competitive hero pool.

For more details on the rest of the patch notes here. 

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