#406 - Into the Nexus: “Heroes Sandwich”
• Garrett • Kyle • NotParadox or Guest
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Intro: Welcome to Into the Nexus! The Heroes of the Storm podcast!
The final episode of 2021, this is Into the Nexus, your Heroes of the Storm podcast. Garrett and Kyle emerge from their Holiday hibernation, enjoy the results. Johanna has the lane clear back, so where did the big rework take her? Does Malfurion need a rework? Nova? Thrall and Alexstraza? How about some off topic questions.
What is Johanna?
Text
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Emails
MrImStuck
Alright, Malfurion is a boring healer but can bring a lot to the table. His skill relies on making sure everyone on your team has a leaf over their head, it empowers so many of his other talents including his Heroic at 10. The problem he runs into, aside from misnamed abilities (regrowth should be rejuvenation), is that he is a great sustain healer, but a poor burst healer until 20 where Regrowth finally gets its heal before providing a HOT.
Suggestion: Tranquility - provide 50% of the healing in a burst to allies in the area around him when cast, and then provide the other 50% over the 8 seconds to allies in the affected area while providing that 10 armor to anyone affected by regrowth. This would give him burst healing, and have an impactful heroic at 10 that could turn around a fight while keeping the sustained healing theme intact going. Then at 20, I would fold the Lifebloom text into tranquility, and just provide another option at 20 to replace Lifebloom.
Also, can we get a Tauren Druid like Hamuul Runetotem? If not a D2 Druid would be my next want for a Druid, but I really want another Tauren.
Thank you for your consideration,
Chad
I haven’t found the right buzzword for this…. Reverse buff? Simple buff? Ham fisted buffs? I dunno. For example, it’s something like this:
This isn’t how every hero should be balanced, but there is a place for it. However, sometimes balance changes tinker with far too much, overcomplicate or even fundamentally change a hero’s playstyle. We’ve seen this game disable heroes if something is broken or even do a hotfix. If only one thing is changed at a time it could easily be dialed down. For example, let’s say they increased Thralls HP by 10% and he’s just running away with it and overpowered AF. How hard would it be to turn that dial from 10% down to only a 5% increase, or 3%? Since only one dial is being turned at a time, it’s easy to adjust. It's not like they’d have to rework an entire talent tree.
Same with Alexstrazza. Instead of a complicated hero rework lets turn one of these dials and see if it helps. If it was too strong then change the activate time to 2.5 seconds instead of 2.
Probius as well, Let’s say the base 5% movespeed doesn’t do anything and his winrate is exactly the same, or even lower for some reason. No harm no foul on a hero that has a 1% popularity rate and try something else.
Do either of you guys have a "simple" rework idea for any heroes?
MNC Dover
I was listening to the recent ITN podcast talking about Probe not feeling very thematic to StarCraft, and I 100% agree. I feel that Nova is the same as well. So I whipped up a rework for her and would love to have you two put it through the "Exciting/Overpowered" filter.
Pinning Shot [W]
Removed (choose a W at level 1 like Xul or Kharazim)
Holo Decoy [E]
Removed
Nuclear Strike [E]
Nova launches a Nuclear Missile similar to the ones found in Warhead Junction (damage TBD). Charges like Dva/Tracer from dealing damage to minions, structures, and mercs. At 100% charge, the Nuke becomes available.
Permanent Cloak [D]
Now called Personal Cloak
Adjusted functionality: Activate to gain Stealth (25 mana + 2 mana per second while moving). Cooldown 3 seconds.
Ghost Protocol [1}
Removed
Comscan [1]
Reveal an area of the map for 6 seconds. Similar function to Tassadar's talent. 60 CD, full map range.
These changes make Nova a more thematic Ghost from SC. She has to be conservative with her cloaking, but some talents help with that. Nova goes from a boring ranged assassin to a map control/support unit, although she still has her Snipe build stuff.
Level 1 Talents:
Long Shot, Covert Ops, and Advanced Cloaking removed.
New Talents:
EMP Rounds (W): Skill shot AoE that deals small damage to an area with a large extra damage amount to Shields and depletes 5% mana.
Lockdown (W): Deal small damage, slow an enemy by 30% and freeze their ability cooldowns for 2 seconds.
Irradiate (W): Target enemy takes poison damage over 4 seconds. Nearby targets take the same damage.
Yes, Irradiate is a Science Vessel ability, but it would help Nova with some much needed lane clear for her new Nuke ability. :)
I won't go into a full talent rework, but they would be more focused on improving her base kit. Stuff like an increase in % gain on E, auto-charge E (20 talent), an extra W charge, increasing minion/merc stats while nearby, cloak energy usage reduction, faster mana gain out of Cloak, extra ComScan charge + CD reduction, and so on.
I think these changes would make her feel way more like a hybrid Ghost from SC1 and 2, while making her more impactful in SL. Obviously, if anything is too strong, number tweaks would be in order.
Anyway, hope you both have a nice holiday season!
Holiday Q&A
HOTS-Related
Lodvar @LODVAR
Hi guys. Do you think we’ve seen the last hero and that it’s all reworks and balance-changes from now on? Or, do you think there’s still a hero or two to come
HugeMurloc
What's your opinion for the uprise of the Hots esport scene? We had a LAN event the last summer and 2 more scheduled for this Summer. Do you believe Blizzard will ever do something like HGC again?
Off Topic
DomSithe
What's your current favourite movie of all time? Also why
Valk asked to expand this to a Top 5.
DiscoBiscuit9
How did the two of you meet, and does Kyle also love Green Day?
Zatoichi
Kyle, You can pick one comedy movie to be key in your son's sense of humor development going into adulthood, what movie would you pick? He can be any age so don’t get hung up on his present age.
Daxx
I love Sandwich Discussion.
De La Soak
What's the most underrated cocktail
Deelawn
Last year it was Indian or Japanese--this year i'm asking if you are feeling Mexican or Italian FOOD
Lear
Thank you for reading my Donut Kael'thas idea! I forgot to mention that the inner circle could be big as a hitbox of an average hero. So, for example, a Raynor can easily dodge a Flamestrike if he dares to stand still.
Moving on.
Here's an idea for a Nova rework:
Nova's Holo Decoy is now replaced by a drone. The drone is invisible, reveals enemies and marks them for additional damage. Talents for the drone could include things such as debuffing enemies in its AoE, buffing allies, as well as granting temporary invisibility. Nova's basic attack against enemy heroes marked by her drone can proc additional effects.
Nova's Snipe now no longer stacks. Instead it pierces through targets. The damage is reduced on targets that are hit after it pierces through an enemy. Talents could include things such as cooldown reduction when hitting multiple heroes, or damage over time when hitting only one target.
Hope you guys have a happy holiday and Merry Christmas!
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