Kate Lockwell by varkarrus

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Kate Lockwell

By: varkarrus
Last Updated: Apr 19, 2017
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Kate Lockwell

Guerilla Reporter

Kate is a bit of an oddball hero. While not powerful in early team fights, she grants great vision and map control, as well a strong baseline Bribe. Kate does best on her own to not attract attention to herself, and she's slippery enough to get away from trouble often. She fits a niche currently not held by any hero in the game, since she brings a different kind of utility than Medivh, and has more utility than damage compared to Murky.

D - Interview / Media Buyout: A two part ability that lets Kate periodically enter stasis alongside an enemy hero. Using this ability grants bribe stacks.

Q - Smile: A conical skillshot that damages, fears, and slows enemies it hits that are facing Kate. Used mostly for escapes. (do note that the slow makes it less effective than a straight up fear)

W - Bailout: A strong utility / mobility ability that acts as a shorter ranged, smaller, and hugely delayed Medivac, but it's untargetable, lasts indefinitely, and can be deployed at range. Best used well in advance so you have an escape route.

E - Paparazzi Drone: A low cooldown revealing ability. If its hits a target, it reveals them and can be recast to damage and blind them. Since it lasts for a while, you can choose the best time to use it.

Z - Guerilla Reporter: Kate moves faster after travelling through a bush, but cannot mount up.

R1 - Breaking News: Locks all but one screen area of the map in Time Stop, as well as slightly empowering allies. A great ability both for team fights, and to stall for time at map objectives.

R2 - Media Blitz: A utility ability that creates a wall that allies can travel through, and gives Kate stealth. Good for team escapes or for trapping enemies.

HP: 1456 +4%
Atk: 88 +4%
Atk Speed: 1.2/sec

Combat Trait

1
Interview
Interviews an enemy hero with just a bit more than melee range for 2.5 seconds, during which both of you are in Stasis. Once interviewed, an enemy hero cannot be interviewed again for 60 seconds. Every usage of this ability grants 2 Media Rep. Kate can hold up to 12 media rep.

"Folks we have us a special guest with us tonight, hold your screams and put your hands together for the Lord of Terror himself!"
"Wʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴛʜɪs ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴀᴍᴇʀᴀ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴄᴇ!"

CD: 10 seconds

Primary Abilities

1
Smile!
Kate takes a camera and snaps a photo of enemies in a short ranged cone, fearing them and slowing by 30% for 1.5 seconds, and dealing 187+4% damage. Only affects targets facing Kate.

CD: 9 seconds
2
Bailout
Kate calls down a media copter at the target location after a 5 second delay that lasts indefinitely. Kate and up to 1 allied hero can become tethered to the copter's rope ladder by right clicking it. While holding onto the ladder, you are not untargetable, and stuns will cause you to be untethered.

Recast this ability to pull all tethered heroes into stasis, move the copter to the targeted location within one screen's width, then deploy the heroes who entered the copter. If nobody is tethered, this instead dismisses the copter and puts the ability on CD.

CD: 16 seconds. Does not start until after being recast.
3
Paparazzi Drone
Kate releases a monitoring drone that reveals the area around it and travels forward until it reaches the target destination, up to 75% of a map's width away. If an enemy hero enters a small radius around the drone, it hovers over the enemy hero instead, revealing them for as long as the Drone exists.

This ability can be recast once to blind the enemy hero with camera flashes for 2 seconds as well as dealing 210+4% damage.

The Drone lasts for up to 12 seconds.

CD: 12 seconds

Secondary Abilities

1
Media Payout
Kate starts with this ability at level 1.

Channel for 2.5 seconds, then bribe a nearby mercenary, costing 3 stacks of Media Rep. Can be channeled for as long as there are nearby mercenaries and stacks of Media Rep.

Heroic Abilities

1
Breaking News
With global range, Kate marks an area and enters stasis. All player's cameras are locked to that location, zoomed out slightly, and absolutely everyone and everything offscreen is put in Time Stop. Lasts 7 seconds.

All onscreen allies deal 10% more damage. All takedowns and towers destroyed during this time award 1 media rep and all forts and keeps destroyed award 3 media rep. This counts both teams.

CD: 90 seconds
2
Media Blitz
Kate creates a rectangular crowd of terran civilians at the target area that both her and allies can move through. Upon travelling through the wall, Kate enters stealth for 3 seconds. She is also unrevealable while in the wall.

The wall lasts for 10 seconds but can be attacked: it has 1000+4% health.

CD: 40 seconds

Special Mount

1
Guerilla Reporter
Kate moves 30% faster after moving through a bush for 4 seconds. She cannot mount up.

Talents

"We have with us today a very special guest from the Shimada Clan. So, Genji, we hear you have a brother. Do the two of you get along?"
"... N? ???????."

Level 1

On The Scene: If an enemy hero dies under the effect of Paparazzi Drone, gain 2 media rep and refund the CD of Paparazzi drone.

Media Internship: Gain 3 media rep after capturing a mercenary camp.

Hottest Buzz: QUEST: Interview all heroes, up to twice each. REWARD: Upon reaching 5 quest progress, gain 1 maximum media rep for each point of further quest progress, up to 5.

Level 4

Plasma Flash Cartridge: Smile's slow persists for an additional 2 seconds

Zoom Lens: Smile now has 50% increased range, but is 20% narrower.

Sponsorship: Mercs captured by Kate deal 50% more damage and take 30% less damage from non-heroic sources.

Level 7

Grassroots Activism: Activate to deal 1,800+4% damage over 15 seconds to target structure. Costs 6 media rep.

Security Camera: Activate to place a security camera at a target location that reveals a narrow cone. The camera turns back and forth over a larger cone. Each camera lasts 45 seconds and can be destroyed in 2 autoattacks. Holds 3 charges, 40 second CD.

Rescue Copter: Bailout can now hold up to 2 allied heroes.

"We have with us a special guest today whose home was ravaged by an invading force. Tell us your story."
"Mrgl'grl!" "How horrible!"

Level 10:

Breaking News
Media Blitz

Level 13:

Bodyguards: Kate now has two War Pig mercenaries with 500+4% health that follow her closely. Each war pig deals 50+4% damage per second to a target within 3.5 range, and will prioritize heroes that have recently attacked Kate, followed by targets Kate has attacked. Each mercenary has its own 20 second respawn timer. They move 40% faster than a hero towards Kate when outside their tight leash.

Complete Disorientation: Paparazzi Drone deals bonus damage equal to 15% of the target's max HP.

Smear Campaign: Target a hero. After a 3 second delay, they are slowed by 50% and lose 25 armor for 3 seconds. Costs 2 media rep. CD: 35 seconds

Level 16:

Selfie Drone: Smile now can be cast at range with vector targeting.

The Story Never Dies: Hitting an enemy hero with Smile restores 10% of Kate's missing health.

Inside Scoop: Reduce the armor of enemy heroes you interview by 10, lasting for 10 seconds.

Level 20:

Scoop of the Century: Breaking News now lasts for 3 more seconds, and increases allied damage bonus to 15%. QUEST: Report on the destruction of the enemy core. REWARD: Pulitzer Prize.

Social Media: Media Blitz now holds 2 charges

Seasoned Reporter: Gain 1 media rep every 30 seconds. Media Buyout's channel time is reduced by 90%.

Where the Story Is: Bailout now has global range both for deployment and travel, but CD increased by 5 seconds.

"So Diablo, I hear you have an archenemy that you sealed under Tristram. Can you tell us if Na'Krul will be entering the nexus soon?"
"W???? W?? ?s ???s "N?-K????" I'?? ????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ????, ????? ?? ?????!"

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