My Top 10 Heroes Of The Storm Characters (4.0)

Welcome to the last of these lists fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Yep, this is the last of these ranking lists that I’ll be doing. Thanks in part to Blizztivision, this game got hit hard with a lot of B.S.. E-Sports for HotS got taken out, and with the development team getting partially cut & moved to other games (“Cough” Diablo Immortal “Cough”), it’s obvious that the game is now effectively on life support. However, I’m going to give it one last shot of love in the arm, and show all of you one last time what some of my favorite people are. From 10 to 1, you’ll see even more of the individuals I use or fight alongside. So for a final time, here are my top 10 Heroes of the Storm characters!

(To keep things simple, any characters released under the newer system I will put into what I think are their respective roles.)

10) Valeera (Spotlight)

I felt like this list should have been called the “Warcraft Apology Tour” list. While they’re not on every spot, characters from Blizzard’s first ever franchise are going to show up a few times, and to start things off with have the Blood Elf rogue that strikes from the shadows! Released a month after Zul’jin back in 2017, I confess that I found her to be strangely forgettable. I always thought that Greymane was a better Rogue to play, and I still think so to this day. That said, when you get into a groove with her, Valeera can actually be a powerhouse. If you manage to catch the other team offguard, you can take out one or two players with ease. I don’t play her often, but when I do, I manage to get some success.

9) Raynor (Video)

I’m somewhat surprised when I looked through all of my prior lists, never once did I mention the very first character you actually play! Despite being the butt of jokes for a while, it wasn’t until last year where he got a huge overhall (Despite getting some smaller changes in prior years), and the leader of Raynor’s Raiders finally became something of a threat. Raynor can carry his team far more effectively than in prior versions, he can dole out far more pain than past editions, and can fight alongside other high-damage assassins on equal footing. If you wanted to play this stoic space marine but were turned off by his past abilities, then now is a perfect time to do so.

Also, this will be the only time on the list that I acknowledge anybody from Starcraft. Again, this final list is going to be weird!

8) Medivh (Spotlight)

Released before the iconic Gul’Dan back in 2016, it took me a while to get used to this powerful mage. Medivh has something of a difficulty curve to him, and it shows. All of his skills feed off each other in some way, and coupled with the ability to turn into a Raven & fly all over the map, it’s obvious that this Specialist is designed to play in a more cerebral manner. He was definitely playable, but I never felt I completely grasped him. In the time since he came out, there were updates & changes to his playstyle that made it easier for me to take control of his power. He’s not one of my favorites in the Specialist class, but he’s definitely one of my top picks for when I want to confuse the other team.

7) Anduin (Spotlight)

The first of the characters released under the new system, the King of the Alliance brings some potent healing magic to the Nexus. In a way, he’s similar to Uther in terms of his role, but while the previously mentioned hero has a melee kit, Anduin is more ranged & strategic. He the kind of Support character that needs at least 1 other player near him to be truly effective, even though he can take full advantage of his healing gifts all by himself. As the first of the new system characters, he does a great job at what he does, and shows the potential for further releases in 2019.

6) Leoric (Trailer/Spotlight)

There are a host of iconic villains from the world of Diablo, but outside the titular Lord of Hatred, the fallen king of Tristram is most certainly one of the most famous bad guys the series has produced. Encountered not once but twice in the franchise, his might and his mastery over the undead is brought over pretty well into the Nexus. Leoric can drain health & smash things with his mace while he’s “Alive”, and haunts the battlefield as a ghost whenever he manages to be defeated in a fight. He even seems more like his original self in the original Diablo in terms of vibe & personality, and that’s a plus in my book!

5) Whitemane (Spotlight)

There have been plenty of Support characters that have graced Heroes of the Storm since it’s release back in 2015, but none have ever made me feel confused & conflicted quite like this lady of the Scarlet Crusade. Upon watching her spotlight once or twice, I almost thought she was a copy of Auriel, and in a sense she is. In order to heal her teammates, she’s got to be in the frontlines, and constantly attacking the enemy. Whitemane is a little tougher to use however, since she has to rely on herself to build up the energy needed to be useful. If you can manage her mana properly, she can actually be pretty powerful. You’ve got to manage your mana & other players in your vicinity, but as long as you keep an eye on things, you’ll definitely keep people alive!

4) Chromie (Trailer/Spotlight)

Two things. Number 1.....Chromie is adorable. Perfectly placed freckles, pudgy cheeks, a smile and a voice that lights up the room, & she fits easily in most overhead storage bins. Secondly, this spunky Bronze Dragon is a spitfire in battle! She was fine in her original form, but got some interesting changes in her second edition. She really became a tiny monster just a few months ago when her final iteration was implemented with the class update, and since then is a beast in a fight. Her Sand Blast ability can now hit everything, her Dragon’s Breath can now hit for 3 areas instead of just one, and now she can manually detonate her Time Traps in addition to having enemies trigger them. Regardless of whatever version I play, I enjoyed my time with Chromie, and I think some of you did as well.

3) Mephisto (Spotlight) & Imperius (Spotlight)

Despite Blizztivision treating the Diablo franchise like crap, it seems that the Nexus still manages to show some love & care towards it’s storied cast of characters. Case in point are two iconic powerhouse from D2 & D3: The Lord of Hatred, and the Aspect of Valor. Mephisto definitely knows how to bring the pain, and thanks you his trait, he’s able to bring the pain constantly. Not only that, but the original voice actor from Diablo 2 comes back to embody a role he immortalized so long ago, and that a huge plus. Imperius brings the pain as well, but he’s a bit more methodical than the demon he shares a spot with here. He’s not quite as flexible as many of the other characters on this list (Especially no. 2), but he gains in harder, fiery hits. He’s much more of a tank than Mephisto, and is more likely to survive getting surrounded. Regardless, both characters are fun to play, and there’s something to find in either of them.

2) Orphea (Spotlight)

I still recall to this day the amount of upset players when the first non-franchise character was announced, and I’m still baffled by it all. A huge chunk of the fanbase constantly asks for new character, and they complain when they actually get somebody new! Are you kidding me!?

Anyways, back to Orphea. As the first ever non-franchise character, she’s is quite the powerhouse. Able to dish out hordes of damage, able to heal herself because of her abilities, and is something of a spitfire, this ranged Assassin can easily carry a team. She’s pretty mobile thanks to her first ability, and has plenty of other tricks up her sleeve to move around her opponents. Yes, Orphea is pretty damn good, and for a while she was actually my number one. However, I somewhat wanted to show of all sides of Blizzard’s franchise, which means......

1) Yrel (Spotlight) & Mal’Ganis (Spotlight)

2016's list ended with a Diablo character, 2017's with Overwatch, and last year ended with a tie between two individuals from Starcraft. To end this series of lists, I figured one last tie couldn’t hurt, and I’m giving the top of this list to 2 Warcraft characters I genuinely enjoyed. For starters, there’s the noble Paladin, Yrel. Taking more of a protector/healer stance, the valiant Draenai fights back against the forces of evil. She smites her enemies with her hammer, and keeps her team alive thanks to her control over the light. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the Dreadlord that brought down a kingdom, Mal’Ganis. Unlike Yrel, he’s on the battlefield for himself, stealing life with every claw swipe he does. Minions or Heroes, it doesn’t matter. He will get what he wants, even if he has to fly into a blind rage. Ironically, it’s this greed that actually helps the team out, as he can charge through enemy lines and tears things up. A strange tie to end this list, but one that’s weirdly appropriate.

So that was the final Heroes of the Storm list I’m ever going to do. I will continue to play until the day the game dies, as I’m holding out hope that they’ll turn around & really put effort back into things. In the meantime, there’s more Hair Metal Hysteria to come, so sight tight!


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In case you haven’t read any of the prior lists, here are individual links to each one. Enjoy!

HotS List (2016)

HotS List (2017)
 
HotS List (2018)

Also, whoever thought the class changes back in March were a good idea, and to any of the playerbase that thinks it actually helps the game......“Facepalm”