For the past three days we've been neck deep in the latest Heroes of the Storm Closed Beta patch. After playing dozens of games and analyzing data, we've decided to put together a tier list that shows who is hot and who is not.
This tier list is based on Quick Match, and assumes that players are queuing alone. It also takes into consideration hero difficulty, as it's more uncommon for a highly complex hero to perform well. Overall effectiveness is weighed heavily with each hero, so major exploitable weaknesses affect standing.
Tier 1
- Anub'arak: The improvements to his beetle A.I. in addition to casting delay reduction from Impale and Burrow Charge have made him a force to be reckoned with. Made better, he can be played as a mobile tank or as a punishing Assassin depending on his talent build.
- E.T.C.: Fits well into virtually any team composition, and tilts the advantage in the favor of his team. The recent talent changes have changed him up a bit, but he is still the premier Warrior to have on a Quick Match team.
- Illidan: Capable of high sustained damage without relying on mana. He wrecks ranged assassins who aren't careful with their positioning.
- Muradin: Equipped with a range stun, AoE slow, and a leap, he is a strong main tank for the team. With Avatar enabled, he becomes a massive wall of murder.
- Rehgar: With Ghost Wolf he is the most mobile Support in the game. His Lightning Shield is nice, and his Ancestral Healing turns team fights.
- Valla: This simple hero is capable of devastating damage. Thanks to Vault, she can get away if positioned well after dealing a crushing blow to the enemy team.
Tier 2
- Brightwing: He might be difficult to play, but his toolkit is astounding. His Polymorph, Soothing Mist, and Teleport make him a reliable Support hero.
- Gazlowe: After a length of time of being non-competitive and situational, Gazlowe is now a major competitor. He's great at defense, and is frustrating to play against.
- Jaina: Her low health makes her a premium target for assassins. Thankfully, her natural ability to slow enemies and deal some of the highest burst damage in the game makes her a contender.
- Lili: She is certainly the easiest Support to perform well with. What she lacks in burst she makes up for with consistency.
- Nazeebo: His Zombie Wall is extremely potent when used in a crafty manner. He's difficult to perform well with in team fights, but pushes lanes effectively.
- Nova: In Quick Match most players go around minding their own business, and this is what Nova excels at. She eats unaware players alive.
- Sylvanas: Of all the Specialists in the game she is the most well balanced between pusher and Assassin. Her mobility makes her a great hero to have on any team.
- The Lost Vikings: Extremely difficult to play well, but a highly effective pusher. Despite being nerfed slightly, their Longboat Raid ultimate is still one of the best in the game.
- Thrall: A well-rounded hero with mobility, range, and control. He fits into many Quick Match compositions.
- Zagara: Her Hunter Killer deals remarkable damage, and Devouring Maw is a strong crowd control when aimed well. Since most Quick Match players don't know how to kill her creep, she is able to deploy vision around the map with ease.
Tier 3
- Azmodan: This uncommon hero is an outstanding pusher that can melt faces with All Shall Burn in the right circumstance. He requires support due to his lack of mobility, though.
- Diablo: This latest patch nerfed Diablo's capabilities. His Shadow Charge and Overpower are still strong, and his fast respawns are a great combination with his Warrior role, but his lower health pool and increased mana costs have hurt him.
- Falstad: His ability to pass over terrain and deal heavy Mage-like damage makes him a good choice. He needs support, though.
- Malfurion: His Regrowth and Innervate make him a walking battery, which is good for any team. Entangling Roots can setup kills. He lacks the power of some of the stronger Supports.
- Raynor: This simple hero can deal crushing damage if positioned well. His heavy reliance on passive abilities makes him weak in the utility department, though.
- Tychus: His Minigun mechanic gives him not as great of a primary Assassin choice as some others. He has great control, with Frag Grenade, and Commandeer Odin turns him into a strong pusher.
- Tyrande: She might be able to heal, but her Lunar Flare gives her strong control and damage output. Sentinel provides the best vision in the game, too. She's a good pick for most teams, but can't function well as the primary Support.
- Uther: His Hammer of Justice ensures that he will always be competitive. His lack of mobility is what keeps him from being a top-tier Support.
- Zeratul: For every great Zeratul, there are about five awful ones. This hero is best played as a roaming Assassin who provides debilitating CC with Void Prison during team fights. It's not easy to play as, making him an inconsistent pick.
Tier 4
- Abathur: He is very strong right now, but Quick Match teams rarely communicate well. He requires good communication so that teammates know when they are being supported. The standard play style is to just push a lane hard with him, which leaves the rest of the group to fend for themselves.
- Arthas: He lives and dies by his Howling Blast. He has strong sustain, but only moderate damage capability. Sitting in an off-kilter spot between Tank and Assassin, his bruiser play style doesn't fit well into many Quick Match compositions. who are in more need of a dedicated Tank.
- Kael'thas: He might be capable of top-tier burst, but his lack of mobility makes him the easiest hero to kill in the game. Kael'thas commonly becomes a feeder in games where he isn't able to quickly activate his abilities and passives in a methodical way.
- Kerrigan: Her passive shield helps, but she is still very squishy. For her to perform well the team needs a dedicated Tank, and you aren't guaranteed one in Quick Match.
- Murky: He is great at tormenting the opposing team, but doesn't function well as a fifth team member during team fights which is where many Quick Match games are decided.
- Sonya: The changes to her Whirlwind have made it better for damage output, but her sustain has been impacted by the reduction in healing. Slam builds are effective, but in many cases your team will be better off with a dedicated Tank or Assassin.
- Stitches: How well he is played commonly is the difference between a win and a loss. Many players fail to have a high success ratio with his Hook which leads to him being outclassed by most Warriors in many circumstances.
- Tassadar: Similar to Tyrande, he isn't a good choice as a primary Support. Being effective with Psionic Storm is challenging, making his Assassin capabilities inconsistent.
- Tyrael: Righteousness is great for supporting the front line, and El'Druin's Might allows him to engage well. He can't take hits as well as several other Warriors, meaning he relies heavily on a strong Support.
Tier 5
- Chen: Fortifying Brew is difficult to use effectively. In many cases Chen ends up being nothing more than a minor hurdle that can mistakenly do more harm than good with his Wandering Keg.
- Sgt. Hammer: Low mobility make this hero one of the most common feeders in the game, countered by several heroes that satiate their hunger with slow, low HP enemies such as her.
A special thanks to Josh Orona for assisting me with this guide.
