Can't do a whole lot to the vikings. Just be aware if he has divine storm. Don't let him hit all 3 of the vikings!!
2
Murky
You can rekt his fish quickly and shouldn't take too much damage from him.
2
Anub'arak
His CC can be tough but should be able to kite away.
2
Kerrigan
Easy to dodge her combo especially with Jump!
2
Sonya
Strong AoE and tanky..like the other tanks.
2
Tyrael
Shields and some AoE damage. Rather annoying to deal with.
2
Brightwing
If Brightwing goes Emerald wind she can cause a lot of problems splitting the vikings up. If you Longboat raid as it is triggered you won't be pushed back!
2
Abathur
Honestly you have to be somewhat careful. A bush full of nests can destroy a roaming Erik and possibly Baleog. Send Olaf in the front.
2
Malfurion
Nightmare and roots are really all you need to be careful of. Silence will hurt you a lot and so will a roots that allows his teammates to follow up.
3
Raynor
Annoying but nothing too difficult. Don't leave the vikings in a line for raynors skill shot.
3
Azmodan
Be aware of his Q as it can destroy Erik and Baleog. Otherwise not too tough.
3
Arthas
If he snares you he can probably kill Erik. The others should survive.
3
E.T.C.
One Vikining should be able to stay out if he has mosh. He is super tanky though so you can't really fight him straight up.
3
Muradin
Difficult to kill.
3
Stitches
Strong AoE and sustain. Tanky.
3
Thrall
He can kill or deal a lot of damage to one of the Vikings. Still strong
3
Tyrande
Lunar flare and starfall. The damage is enough to cause some issues and you have to be aware of all the vikings
4
Gazlowe
Somewhat annoying just note that Erik out ranges his turrets unless he gets turret range increase
4
Falstad
Not really a big problem. Dodge his hammer and pull the viking that is getting static charged away.
4
Tassadar
The shield can be annoying to deal with and same with storm. Try to dodge as best as you can.
4
Rehgar
Feral lunge can chunk Erik and almost kill him outright. Be careful if this talent is taken. Also the slow and lightning shield can be annoying.
4
Li Li
The blinds can hurt and so can water dragon if you don't split the vikings up. Also her passive makes it near impossible to catch her and kill her.
5
Nazeebo
His damage is strong but Erik and Baleog can escape his zombie wall.
6
Jaina
Her AoE can decimate the Vikings but just dodge it with Jump! or move out of it
6
Sgt. Hammer
The range can be a problem as well as her thrusters and knockback. Just tough.
7
Zagara
Pretty annoying with her summons and damage. Pull the viking back that has hydra on it and kill it with the others.
7
Tychus
The AoE and disengage is tough for the vikings. Kind of like Valla in a sense.
7
Sylvanas
Same as Valla and Tychus, annoying range and disengage as well as AoE damage.
8
Illidan
His dodge and aoe damage is strong against the Vikings. He can stick on them really well. The vikings can do some work to him though as well if played right.
8
Valla
Her AoE is strong and she can keep her distance. Also Strafe and rain of vengeance can do a number on the vikings.
8
Chen
Can't really deal with him drinking. Not a strong matchup for the Vikings.
9
No Threat
10
Nova
She can sneak up and snipe Erik or Baleog very quickly. Without a lot of stealth breaking it makes it difficult to try and prevent it. Just be aware of where she is! Try to use Olaf to eat her shots.
10
Zeratul
Same as Nova, he can sneak up and destroy the vikings very quickly. Play well and try to be aware of where he is. Olaf is a great meatshield for the other two vikings.
Same Threats still Apply to all the other heroes in the other build
2
No Threat
3
No Threat
4
No Threat
5
No Threat
6
No Threat
7
No Threat
8
No Threat
9
No Threat
10
Nova
She can sneak up and snipe Erik or Baleog very quickly. Without a lot of stealth breaking it makes it difficult to try and prevent it. Just be aware of where she is! Try to use Olaf to eat her shots. Also remember you have Jump! so you can use that to save the Vikings!
10
Zeratul
She can sneak up and snipe Erik or Baleog very quickly. Without a lot of stealth breaking it makes it difficult to try and prevent it. Just be aware of where she is! Try to use Olaf to eat her shots. Try to use Jump to avoid damage from Singularity Spike
My name is Jonathon "MrJPickles". I've played many hours of Dota and Dota 2 as well as playing League of Legends since release. I have reached Plat 1 for two seasons running, more-so as a joke than actual skill. I wanted to show that you can have fun with the game and still play well to reach high ranks. I played League until I had access to Heroes of the Storm(which I am very very grateful to have access to as LoL is just....bleh). I now play competitively in the community and plan on sticking with this game for many years to come. I hope to teach players a good mindset for gaming as well as solid gameplay and skills! I am a former member of 2ARC Iliad playing as their tank/initiator. This is my first guide here out of many to come ^_^
I will make sure to keep this and all other guides updated as frequently as possible.
As you can probably tell the difference between these two builds are the level 4 and 7 talent choices. I really enjoy Baleog and how he attacks and really enjoy split pushing with him. This can cause some issues though when team fights arise as he probably won't be able to get full use out of the talents but I feel they can still be applicable.
About the builds on their own.
Safer Vikings
This talent build basically removes Baleog's personal talents and is more team based. You take Spin To Win! which provides nice mercenary clearing as well as Jump! which provides a nice escape mechanic as well as evasion to incoming damage! You can still clear mercenary camps but the golem/boss is a little bit more difficult. You see this build much more in competitive play as more teams will target the Vikings down not allowing them to get as much auto-attack damage in. Also it is just safer to have because you will live longer which will allow you do more damage and achieve more objectives.
Who Needs Abilities?
These talents are more for a split pushing and mercenary capturing type play. With Baleog receiving the level 4 and 7 talents he can clear waves, push, and capture mercenary camps on his own. He does require some help on the bruiser/knight camp abut you can take the other vikings away after a little bit of help. Taking the giants requires a little help from Olaf to tank but in the later game Baleog can capture them alone. Also with these talents you can solo the golem/boss with some careful micro. I don't have a definite level but I have done it before. Usually 10 is a safe bet so you can also Longboat raid if you have to. It is difficult and takes some time but it is nice to take this while the rest of the team achieves something else on the map. I enjoy this build mainly because you can still achieve strong team fight potential but you are more vulnerable especially without Jump!.
As always be aware as to what the enemy team has and what you need in order to survive and achieve victory!!
As for what the colors mean in the talents below here is a key you can go by.
Green = Solid talent picks.
Yellow = Variable talent picks.
Red = Avoidable talent picks.
Orange = Still testing but applicable in some cases.
Olaf the Stout
I prefer this talent if the enemy team has a lot of heavy hitters such as Sgt. Hammer, Raynor, Tychus(with Odin), and heroes basically like that. It is better than a normal block and can help give him extra survivability in lane which is always nice when trying to soak. This talent is probably the strongest now on this tier.
Spy Games
If the enemy team has any stealth detection or can break stealth in some way you are almost just waiting for him to die. The enemy team can also see you took this talent and can just try to find you if they so choose. Better talents on this tier IMO.
Explosive Attacks
If you'd rather buff Baelog this talent is really nice as it is easier for him to sit in lanes and push. Not a great talent but not a bad talent either. Comes down to preference and what the enemy team has. If you need wave clear or heavy pushing then take this. If you need more survivability then take Olaf the Stout.
Viking Bribery
If you plan on playing with the vikings more split then this talent is great as you can easily gather stacks. The downside is that the enemy team can easily punish you for this and it may turn out worse than better for you. I was hoping this bribe would be a bit better like Raynor's Raiders Recruitment but really it is just a normal bribe :( Blizz plz. Overall a rather meh talent.
Pain Don't Hurt
I really like this talent if I plan on trying to split push with Baleog while the other two vikings push elsewhere and then the team is in another location. Basically try to split the team up as much as possible! Also helps taking mercenary camps especially when you take Baleog the Fierce. Also this talent is probably the best talent on this tier. Possibly better to take Erik the Swift for more speed and survival.
It's a Sabotage!
Great in theory but to spend a talent that will only help destroy ammo really hurts the other aspects that you need to fulfill such as fighting with the team and taking mercenaries. Eh talent
Erik the Swift
It's nice to see Erik get some sustain but you do sacrifice the sustain talent that is Jump!. I prefer Jump! a lot more and would suggest the same. You can send Erik back to base and return him with the other Vikings very quickly so I don't believe you need to sack a talent for it.
Baleog the Fierce
More split pushing power and mercenary capturing power!! I enjoy this talent if I plan on just letting Baleog do his own thing while the other two vikings are being used elsewhere. You do sacrifice a lot of survivability though so be careful about that!
Mercenary Lord
It is nice to push with the mercs but most of the time the mercenaries will force a few enemy heroes to defend. I'd rather use the mercenaries to draw the enemies and then push elsewhere. Unless the team plans on pushing with them! But overall I wouldn't worry about this talent. Your survival is more important!!
Spin to Win!
At first I wasn't a big fan of this talent but the late game potential of this talent is super strong. It can help you clear camps as well as minion waves but you have to group the vikings up closely to get full value out of it. If you don't plan on auto attacking Baleog then take this talent. It is good and can really dish out damage against heroes that are in close proximity to your Vikings.
Norse Force!
They nerfed the shields a lot but lowered the cooldown and now really makes you decided if you want survival or damage. I personally am a fan of damage but this talent is nice if you need that little extra shield to keep you in the fight.
Longboat Raid!
With this talent now having a longer duration and lower damage, it almost punishes the Vikings due to the fact that this now gives the enemy time to kill the boat stunning the Vikings. I still like this ult but have started playing around with Play Again!. Both ults varying in playstyle really makes it a choice based upon the map size and how the team fights are playing out or seem to play out. If you really need the damage on your team take this talent, but Play Again! can be strong as well if played properly.
Play Again!
With the changes to the vikings as well as Longboat Raid! receiving some heavy changes, this talent is pretty dang good! You do sacrifice your vikings but if done properly you can send 2 in to deal massive damage, resurrect them, and then get back into the fight! If you are playing on a massive map you can also split push then summon them to the team fight that breaks out. I feel this talent better supports the auto attacking Vikings but is still strong with Spin To Win!. Try it out for yourself, definitely an awkward ult un comparison to the straight damage of Longboat Raid!.
Hunka' Burning Olaf
It's alright. It is just burning rage except for Olaf. Can be nice at times but overall it's rather meh.
Nordic Attack Squad
If you are against a lot of massive health damage dealers or just want more auto attack damage then this one is for you. With Jump! on the same talent tier however it is tough to pick anything else but that though.
Jump!
Just an awesome talent. The survivability is soooooo great with this talent. Getting Impatience Is a Virtue as well to help lower the cooldown helps and just gives them the survival tactics the vikings need. Overall this talent is the strongest talent the vikings have and is pretty much a must pick to keep the Vikings alive.
Large and In Charge
If you need to lock down squishy targets then picking this up will help secure the kills. If you have more abilities though or just want overall more consistent damage given that your team has a lot of CC, then I would look towards the other talents in this tier. This is a nice flex pick though if your team lacks CC and if you feel you don't need cooldown reduction.
64 KB Marathon
Not the survivability I was talking about here though. Yes it is nice to be able to get out of roots and runaway faster or of course go charging into battle. If you need to do either of those though you can Jump! and then Go Go Go!. Essentially the same thing. For true survival one more down is what you want.
Impatience Is a Virtue
If you are running a lot of abilities then this talent is for you. If you take Play Again! you can teleport around the map and really apply a lot of pressure as well as pick fights more frequently. If you find you have few abilites and need more damage in other manners then look to Large and In Charge to lock enemies down or Executioner to get that extra damage with teammates.
Executioner
If you have a lot of CC on your team then this talent is really strong! Giving the Vikings that extra bit of damage always helps and with a few other decent talents on this tier it is a nice flex pick if you have that extra help for damage.
Ragnarok 'n' Roll!
If you pick up Longboat Raid! then this talent is overall the greatest talent to pick. If you don't take Longboat Raid! however then look for the other talents!! :D
Checkpoint Reached
This talent is really strong if you can get back to the fight in time after coming back to life. In a losing or winning team fight it is nice to be able to come back to life to either finish the fight or be alive to try and defend the push and apply map pressure. Definitely an interesting and different talent than normal but it is strong when used properly.
The Sequel!
Now that the vikings don't have that passive res timer reduction, this talent has some appeal. I feel if you go Longboat Raid!though then you will just want to upgrade the damage and range of it, if you take Play Again! then you will want to upgrade it or possibly look to Viking Fury of the Storm for more damage.
Viking Fury of the Storm
With this talent receiving some changes it has become more appealing and really adds a nice bit of damage to the lost vikings. In combination with Play Again! you can really dish out a lot of damage from fighting, coming back to life, and then returning to the fight to deal more damage. If you find the fights are ending quickly giving Checkpoint Reached minimal value then take this talent to dish out more damage to win the fight!
Try to get as many Vikings close enough to the enemy target when using Spin To Win! to deal the most damage. Be careful as this can put you in a bad location.
Use Jump! to negate the most damage possibly or to get out of a bad situation and placing yourself in a better one. Sometimes following up with Longboat Raid!.
Careful of heroes with Gathering Power. They will get a stack for each Viking they kill so it is easy to farm off Erik and Baleog. Try to keep an eye out for them, especially stealth units.
Make sure to start grouping the Vikings up and grouping with the team once level 10 is achieved. The Viking's power scales immensely once hitting level 10.
Don't trigger Longboat Raid! too soon as it can just be burst down very quickly. Also try to make sure you have all three Vikings when popping the ultimate for MAXIMUM DAMAGE!!
Be aware of what the enemy team has. If they have a lot of burst then be ready to use Jump!. Also work with your team. You can't win the game alone!
Be patient when playing with, as, or against the Vikings. They are difficult to manage and take time to master.
Try not to use your boat right in the middle of the team. The stun when they break it will destroy the vikings very fast!
When taking Play Again!, make sure you are close enough to the fight that you can get back into it quickly but also in a safe location so you can channel it. If you are too far away then you may get to the fight as it ends and if you're too close you may just not be able to cast it if they notice you!
The vikings really have a lot of flex talents, mix and match to find your playstyle but also make sure to take note of how the team fights are going. React to the enemy team and your team's playstyles.
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Offline
Spin To Win!
Jump!
Raiders Recruitment
Play Again!
Impatience Is a Virtue
Go Go Go!
Viking Fury of the Storm
Gathering Power
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