Nova safe build, complete guide by Zazar

Nova safe build, complete guide

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Nova

Build: Main build

Level 1

Level 4

Level 7

Level 10

Level 13

Level 16

Level 20

Threats to Nova with this build

Threat

Low

High

Show all

Threat		Notes
1	Murky	On shot, one... oh sorry 0.25 kill =)
1	Abathur	If you find him, you win
2	Jaina	Burst her
3		No Threat
4	Sgt. Hammer	One of your main targets, kill her while sh's hiding in these bushes !
5	Valla	Can be tricky, just surprise her
5	The Lost Vikings	Kill Erik ! NOW !
6	Nova	Make the best use of your clone !
6	Raynor	Not many HP but his stimpack will probably kill you if you can't burst his last HP
7		No Threat
8	Tassadar	More annoying than really a threat. He can see you with his trait and reveal you with his storm. His Dimensional Shift [icon=dimensional shift] is also a pain when you are using your Triple Tap.
9		No Threat
10	Diablo	This one is for tanks in general, too many HP

Table of content Top

1. About me

2. About Nova and the build

3. Skills

4. My talent tree

5. Strategy

6. Thank you!

About me Top

Hi, I'm Zazar, from France and i've been playing Heroes since the Alpha, so I hope to share with you a bit of my experience in the game =). I used to play a lot of Starcraft II and reached Diamond league as a Zerg so I'm really into E-Sport and Blizzard games. This is my first guide so I hope it will be useful, don't hesitate to post any comment to improve it, I'm not a pro, just someone who loves playing this hero ;).

About Nova and the build Top

Let's introduce our main character. Nova is a terran ghost, she relies, like most of them, on her cloacking ability and on her shooting skills to survive in the Nexus. Some of you may think that Nova is some kind of ADC in Heroes but we will see that's she is really more an assassin than an ADC.
As Nova, you will most of the time try to get the best possible position to snipe your opponents. Nova has a really high burst, you're not here to deal damages on time, you'll just try to deal as many damages as possible in a short amount of time on each ennemy heroes, one by one.
But let's get started.
This is a build I always use in my games with Nova, it changed throughout my experience in Heroes. I feel like it's not the best damage build but it's still good enough, and safer than any "full burst" build, so it's perfect for beginners. I'm almost always top in heroe damages with this build.

Skills Top

In this section I will try to explain each skill that you'll use when you are playing Nova, I will not enter in details on how to use them in this section but it will be explained somewhere else in this guide.

Active abilities

Let's start with the ability you can actually "use", here are the 3 main skills you'll use throughout the game.

Snipe (Q)

Snipe is Nova's main ability, it's your main damage source together with your auto-attacks. This deals a massive amount of damage on a single target (you can upgrade it later to hit multiple ennemies). It's a skill shot, so do your best to hit your target, you'll highly regret it if you miss ! ;).

Pinning Shot (W)

Pinning shot is almost the opposite of Snipe, it does not deal big damages and it's not a skill shot ! You'll most of the time use Pinning Shot to slow your opponent, it's really good to prevent your target from hiding behind his walls/gates before you and your team get a kill. I also use it to finish mobs with really few hp left because i don't want to wait for Nova's slow auto attacks.

Holo Decoy (E)

Now this is a cool skill ! There are countless uses for this ability. When you use it, Nova will create a clone where you cast the skill. The clone has an AI so it will start moving shortly after you created it. The clone will also attack ennemies in range. It will not deal any damage (unless you take a talent for that), but its attacks can still make people fall from their mounts. I will explain a few tips about this skill in another section.

Heroic abilities

Nova can choose between two different heroic abilities, one is a skill shot, the other is not, one is a single target skill, the other is not :)

Triple Tap (R)

This is the heroic ability I usually go for. When you use it on an ennemy hero, Nova will shoot 3 times on this target. The path of the bullets is visible by all and symbolised by a blue line between you and the target. Some things can get in the way and tank your attacks : other ennemy heroes, ennemy buildings, ennemy Nova's clones ;) ...

Precision Strike (R)

Precision strike is a good skill for teamfight situations, you'll us it somewhere in range, this will create a zone in which (after a few seconds) a laser will strike all the enemies in the area. Really good to use when your ennemies are stacked and can't escape. I personally never take this skill but i'ts still a good choice, i believe it's a matter of taste.

Passive ability

The last but not the least, the skill that you'll love and your ennemies will hate...

Permanent Cloak, Sniper

Yes, you are invisible... all the time... almost all the time. Whenever Nova does not take any damage or does not attack for 3 seconds, she will become invisible. It will allow you to get the best possible position to OneShot this annoying support the ennemy team loves so much! Nova can still move while cloacked. With this trait, she also has a better range and vision than the other heroes.

My talent tree Top

Level 1 :

Conjurer's Pursuit : This talent will give you a better mana regeneration. I don't really see the point of this one, you're here to deal damage, you're not a healer ;)

Psi-Op Rangefinder : With this talent, you'll increase the range of your Snipe and also reduce it's Cooldown. I usually go for this one. Many people will prefer the next one but, with this talent, you have more chances to kill a running ennemy and you will also quickly recover if you miss a Snipe.

Ambush Snipe : Most people will recommend you this talent. If you Snipe someone when you are cloacked, (which happens pretty often) you will get incresed damages on this Snipe. The amount of damages dealt can be really surprising for the ennemy. Chosse this one or the previous.

Tazer Rounds : This one will increase the duration of you're Pinning Shot's slow. It can be useful in some situations but i don't think it's as powerful of the two previous talents.

Level 4 :

Perfect Shot : This is the talent I used to take in my first games with Nova. It's viable, you'll get some mana everytime you hit a Hero with your Snipe, with the Cooldown reduction you can get from the previous level, it can be great to Snipe over and over again.

Remote Delivery : I never took this one. Particularly if you are new to Nova, don't take that, if you're not going to use the clone well, don't upgrade it.

Gathering Power : This is what I take most of the time. If you're good enough to not die everytime, you'll get a crazy amount of AP and your Snipe will decimate the ennemies.

Envenom : Really powerful, but i never use that. I don't see the point with a hero like Nova. Maybe it's a... "lore" thing but, you're a sniper, you want kill the target NOW, not see your ennemy slowly dying from poison. Some people still use it, it's not a waste anyway =).

Level 7 :

Explosive Round : An aoe for your Snipe. I never used this, i prefer to focus on a really "single target" build.

One in the Chamber : A good talent i used to take in my first games (until i noticed the next one :p). Everytime you use an ability, your next basic attack will be more powerful. It's good, but you have to instantly attack after your snipe, you'll see now why i prefer the next one.

Anti-Armor Shells : My personal bread and butter : your attacks now deal 250% damages (but are also 250% slower). If you use it just after a Snipe, it's just like a double Snipe! Now you're the Sniper I'm talking about, you can now One-Shot this Abathur after slowly sneaking in his base!

Covert Ops : When you're cloacked, your Pinning Shot will slow more. Not that bad, but compared to the two previous skills, I think it's a waste, remember : you still need more damages :).

Level 10 :

Time to choose your heroic ! Here, it's more a strategic of personnal choice, I can't really tell you which one is the best. I prefer Triple Tap, but it's just because I like killing a lost ennemy when he's farmingfar from his team :)

Triple Tap : One target, one click, three shots... one kill!
If you see an ennemy often far from his team, teach him to stay with his friends.

Precision Strike : "Nuclear lauch detected" Oh no my drones ! ... ahem sorry, an old nightmare. Use this if you see the ennemy team always stacked. Really useful with some skills like ETC's Mosh Pit which can block a lot of ennemies while you take your time to aim.

Level 13 :

Lethal Decoy : Your clone deals damages... nothing more to say, some people like it, if you're new to the game it can be cool because you don't have anything to "handle", your clones have an AI, but I don't think it's a good choice.

Advanced Cloacking : This will give you higher move speed and health regen while cloacked... oh wait... you're always cloacked! For me this is a must have, you can chase, you can run away, and you can heal... Nova, what else ?

Headshot : Reduces your Cooldowns when you kill a Hero. Why not, if you feel comfortable with it you can use it to reset your Snipe and maybe get another kill. But this feels really situational.

Spell Shield : Ok if you're always getting in trouble when you break your cloack, but you're not really supposed to take damages as Nova, so I don't recommend it if you want to improve.

Level 16 :

Railgun : Your Snipe now goes through people. The first target gets full damages while the other take 50%. And your Snipe Cooldown is reduced by 1 second for every target. I always take this one, it helps you against big minion pushes, make you better in teamfights and help you reduce your Snipe Cooldown.

Crippling Shot : Your Pinning shot increases by 25% the damages your target will endure. Why not, it can be really good against a tank, the more HP your target have, the more effective this will be.

Double Fake : You now spawn two clones with hollo decoys. Unless you took Lethal Decoy , this one is not really worth it.

Overdrive : Empower your abilities for extra mana. I don't like the fact that the mana cost increase is really higher than the bonus damages.

Level 20 :

Not dead yet ? :D

Fast Reload : Your Triple Tap Cooldown will reset if you kill a hero with it : I only recommend that for people really comfortable with Triple Tap, don't miss!

Precision Barrage : Two charges on Precision Strike. Why not but remember there is a Cooldown between the wo charges, so be sure that the teamfight will be long (and that's a lot of mana)

Rewind : This does not reset your Heroic, but still good if you want another Snipe.

Bolt of the Storm : A blink... this thing is always good :)

Strategy Top

Now that we saw everything about her skills, let's see how to survive with Nova.

Positioning and line of sight

Basics
As Nova, everything is in your position. For instance, if your target is hidden behind his minions, you'll never hit it with a Snipe. Try to go behind him then Snipe. Be careful with that because, when you're behind him, you'll probably be closer to his base/allies, run away after your Snipe and your basic attack, unless you're reallly sure you can kill him.
You must try to find the best possible position, somthing close enough, with a good sight of your foes but something safe, I think that's the hardest part in playing Nova.

Will you really use those walls ?

Yes, destroy your ennemies' walls. They don't need it anyway and it will reduce their chances to hide behind them when you Snipe or Triple Tap.

The egg and the larva

Abathur and Murky, you probably now those two. You may even hate them. Remember that they have no HP and you are cloacked.
For Murky, if you can locate from which direction he always come after dying, try to search other there for a second and make you an omelette with his egg. Then find him and OneShot him, yes you can.
For Abathur it's almost the same thing. "Wow, locusts are coming from this bush, let's check", follow the locusts, find him, kill him. Your team will thank you, trust me.

Clone tips and tricks

I don't have any video for this part yet but I will consider making some if this build get any success =).

The clone wall

Whenever an ennemy is throwing something at you, (Muradin's Hammer, Nova's Triple Tap, Thrall's stunning wolf...) try to anticipate it if it's an instant skill and place your clone just behind you and your ennemy, it will tank the attack and leave you safe. Be still aware that your clone now have an AI so it will start to run away soon. Try to follow it if you want to avoid every attacks of a Triple Tap for example.

The bush trick

You must think : "who would be stupid enough to think that this puppet is me ?!". And you're right, most people will not be fooled by this. But you can make use of some situations to brain them. When I'm chased, I always try to pass through a bush. As soon as I enter in the bush, i spawn a clone in it. Your ennemy will loose you for a second when you get in the bush, and when he'll get in it too, he'll see two Novas, with no clue of who is who. It will not last long, as soon as he will see your clone dealing no damages, he will now, try to get out really quick, sometimes even from when you came, it can work.

Don't even dare to drink this fountain !

You just let an ennemy run away behind his walls with like... 1% HP ? Yes, that's sad, but there is still a way ! Get as close as you can from the wall, spaw a clone to the other side of the walls, yes in their base (most of the time, near the fountain, because these basterds will try to drink it !). This will giv you enough vision to land a Pinning Shot and a basic attack. As soon as you are done with this, run away, because your clone will soon die from the turrets attacks, and so will you.

Thank you! Top

Thank you for reading this guide, I hope you liked it. I put some efforts in it and hope it will help people play this hero. Don't hesitate to post a comment if you have any suggestion =)
See you in the Nexus !

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Nova safe build, complete guide by Zazar