Tracer is the obvious news, but the latest Heroes patch has changed the game in other noteworthy ways.
Tracer is a bold addition to Heroes of the Storm and it's almost impossible to ignore the presence she brings to a match. Some pros have already prepared a seat for her in the top tier club, and personally, I think the hero is incredibly strong.
Everyone knows about Tracer, but what about the other changes? Here are some of the things you may have skimmed over in the latest patch.
Quick Match matchmaking
- The matchmaking system will now account for each player’s Hero level in order to better define match quality and calculate win probabilities more accurately when attempting to create Quick Match games.
This is an interesting change in an attempt to create balanced games. Its effectiveness is yet to be seen, but practical experience has a lot of players (including myself) a little doubtful. Sure, playing on a hero that is only level 1 implies you won't be very good, but that doesn't help determine a player's overall skill. Newness with a hero doesn't change a player's map-awareness, objective timing, and lane rotations, and most can agree that those type of skills are far more important indicators of who will win the game.
The second new hero
Clearly there isn't a second new hero, but some players claim there is. He is a Protoss Zealot who is powerful as early as level 1 thanks to his ability to charge to an enemy every 4 seconds.
Twin Blades (W)
- Artanis’ next Basic Attack now also causes him to charge forward a short distance, equal to approximately half the distance provided by the previous iteration of the Zealot Charge Talent
This change may be the smallest change that buffs a hero in the biggest way. Artanis plays, without a doubt, like an entirely new hero. His power level is real and if you haven't tried playing Artanis since his release, I highly recommend him now. Base Zealot Charge means more attacks and more attacks mean more shields. Not only is Artanis a lot more durable, but he does more damage too.
Subtle buffs and nerfs
- Illidan’s Betrayer’s Thirst Trait will no longer provide cooldown reduction for Basic Attacks that miss due to Blind or Evasion effects.
- Sylvanas’ Mind Control will now properly cancel Abilities that are being channeled by the target, such as E.T.C.’s Mosh Pit and Li Li’s Jug of 1,000 Cups.
It's easy to miss these changes, but they are pretty big. For one, Illidan just got a lot weaker against blind effects. As a result, Li-Li, Johanna, and other reliable blinders (even Artanis) are stronger picks against a top tier hero like Illidan.
The other subtle change that is a pretty sizeable buff is Sylvana's Mind Control now disrupting channeled abilities. This not only makes Mind Control a stronger ability, but also makes Sylvanas a viable pick against heroes with powerful Channeled abilities. Unlike wailing arrow, you can't miss Mind Control, so it might be the more reliable option now when trying to interrupt channels.
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