My Top 10 Heroes of the Storm Characters

Hi there, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Although the Summer of Thrash has started here on the Heavy Metal Otaku blog, today’s a special anniversary. One year ago today, Heroes of the Storm was introduced to the public, and changed the MOAB genre. Taking what makes MOABs fun, and pulling out what makes the game style irritating, Heroes of the Storm is an entertaining game that anybody can learn. Perhaps it’s biggest strength lies in it’s cast of characters. Spread out across 4 different class types (Warrior, Assassin, Specialist, Support), Blizzard has taken individuals from across all their franchises, and put them into a brawl-for-all that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is easy to learn.

So to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of this game’s release, I’m gonna put down my top 10 favorite Heroes of the Storm characters. Normally I would put an honorable mention section on this list, and given the fact that there’s 50-plus characters, I could have easily done so. However, I wanted this to be a more “Pure” kind of list, and as such I’m not putting one on here. With that out of the way, here are my top 10 favorite Heroes of the Storm characters.

Also, blame my friend Amanda for getting me into this game.

10) Murky (Trailer) & Abathur (Video)

I start off this list with two of the most annoying characters in Heroes of the Storm. Murky, the Baby Murloc (Yes, that’s his description), and Abathur, the Evolution Master of the Swarm. These two couldn’t be more opposite: Murky likes to get in close, and Abathur prefers to stay out of combat. However, what makes them annoying is their skills. Murky practically can’t die, as he can come back to life just 5 seconds later from his egg, and Abathur can lay toxic nests all over the map in places where you least expect it, not to mention bond with another hero to channel his power. Despite their annoyance, the two can actually be quite strong, provided you know how the two work. For me, they’re not my favorite to use, but once in a while......they’re all right in my book.

9) Anub’arak (Trailer)

There are two kinds of warriors in this game, tanks & bruisers. Tanks are the kind of warrior that go in swinging, soaking up damage, and taking out as many targets as possible. Bruisers are somewhat different: they charge in just like tanks, but for a bruiser it’s more to do with disrupting the other side. Anub’arak is the best example of a bruiser-style warrior: large & beefy, but requires a little more thinking when it comes to fighting the enemy. You’ll definitely want to target weaker foes when playing this insectile lord, as they’ll go down more quickly than a larger opponent. It’s always a lot of fun when you can take out a group, especially with the right build. 

8) The Lost Vikings (Trailer)

The only character (Characters, actually) to not belong to any Blizzard brand, The Lost Vikings were more of an impulse buy for me. I hadn’t seen them on the free rotation for a long time, and I bought them, simply due to frustration. They’re actually a tricky character to play, as they’re actually 3 characters in one. There’s Olaf the Stout, a rather large man with a shield. Baelog the Fierce, with swords on his back that he throws. Finally, there’s Eric the Swift, a small man with a slingshot, and is faster than his two companions. You can either play all 3 on their own, or group them together to take down a target quickly. Definitely one of the more challenging heroes available, but also one of the most satisfying!

7) E.T.C. (Video)

A giant cow person, playing an axe guitar & using it as a weapon, who also wields the power of Heavy Metal music.......I’m sold!!

Okay, A little more of an explanation. A little after the time that my friend Amanda introduced me to this game, I was intrigued by some of the more exotic heroes in Hots.......E.T.C. was not one of them. My first impressions of this game were because of this warrior of metal, and just outlandish he was. For god’s sake, he can stage dive a group of enemies, or he can start jamming to force the other side to dance! How can you not like a character such as E.T.C.? However, as fun as he was, another character surpassed him....

6) Zagara (Trailer)

Around the same time as I acquired E.T.C. (Might have been the same day), I snagged Zagara, the Broodmother of the Swarm. Zagara embodies the properties of the Swarm: ruthlessness, cunning, & ferocity. Despite being a ranged character, she can bombard fortifications with hydralisks, banelings, and roaches, not to mention devour enemy heroes with a monstrous mouth. She can even slither around the battlefield through nydus worms, appearing where she’s least expected. Zagara was one of the other characters that influenced my view of this game, and thus became an immediate acquisition.

5) Tracer (Spotlight & Trailer)

It only makes sense that the first ever character from Overwatch makes it on this list. Tracer can be a tricky character to play: her kit requires a little learning, she’s rather squishy (Even at higher levels), and new players may die often when first playing her. However, when you grasp at what she can do, you’ll find that Tracer’s quite powerful. Just go over to the Heroes of the Storm general discussion forum, and you’ll see plenty of angry posts about her, saying she’s too OP, etc. Ignore that: Tracer has a lot of power behind her, but if she’s overextended, she die almost immediately, and because of this is quite balanced. She’s even got her bubbly attitude straight from Overwatch, perhaps more so. If you want a fun character, Tracer’s your girl. Speaking of fun.....

4) Lili (Trailer)

Adorable panda girl, check. Bubbly personality, check. Fun kit, check!

Truth be told, I almost had another tie here. It would have been Lili & Lt. Morales here at the number 4 spot, but as I thought about it, I decided that just the niece of Chen Stormstout deserves to be here. Unlike Lt. Morales, Lili can heal herself as well as her allies, and actually can hold her own if she has to. Much like Lt. Morales she has some offensive abilities, but there’s a little more versatility to how Lili can damage the enemy. If worse comes to worse, you can simply out-cute the enemy with Lili. With how adorable she is, it’s amazing that the individuals of the nexus haven’t had heart attacks!

3) Xul (Spotlight)

When Xul was first hinted at a few months ago, a wave of nostalgia came over a good portion of the Hots player base. Many of us were big Diablo 2 fans way back when (Myself included), and seeing one of the iconic classes come to the Nexus, made us smile. When he finally arrived back in early March, I immediately picked him up, and was happy with who I acquired. More effective than a majority of the specialists in the game, Xul can push a lane & fight up-close with the best of the them, and oozes D2 nostalgia as he does his job. Definitely a character you need to pick up!

2) Cho’Gall (Spotlight & Trailer)

Out of all the characters introduced into Heroes of the Storm, none are more unique than Cho’Gall. Despite raising a stink among a chunk of the fanbase, this guy (Or guys) is silly & stupid fun. Unlike all the other heroes out there, you’ve got to have a friend to tag along as Cho or Gall, as you can’t play either of them solo. When you’re in a game, you & your partner have to be highly coordinated, or if you’re my friend & I, play Cho’Gall like you are Beavus & Butthead. I can’t explain much more, other than Blizzard made a unique character/s in this two-headed ogre.

1) The Butcher (Spotlight & Trailer)

Hey Amanda, are you surprised by this one?

I don’t hide my love for this character. With perhaps one of the greatest character trailers ever made, it brought back a lot of what made The Butcher so great in the original Diablo (A lot of people thought he was lacking something in D3), and I’ve always been fond of demons in fantasy. Playwise, despite being an Assassin, I can go toe-to-toe with just about any of the other heroes. Despite being squishy, I can just brand my target, and slice off some health with each attack. As I’m wandering the battlefield, harvesting fresh meat, I’m slowly gaining strength. Then, when it’s time, I unleash my full fury, crashing down my massive cleaver, and roasting them alive with a blast from the furnace! Simple characters are sometimes the best, and The Butcher stand above them all.

So these were my top 10 Heroes of the Storm characters. As more heroes come out, chances are I might change the list, but it’ll be a while. In the meantime, let’s get it on with some Thrash Metal, so next week we’ll be looking at one of the founding fathers of the genre. See you then!