Kael'thas doesn't have too many choices to pick from. Though those few choices, specifically at level 13, can drastically effect how he will play.

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Level 1:

Mana Addict honestly has the most uses of the choices. It allows you to use more spells in every build which helps soften the issue of Kael'Thas being very mana hungry. This helps with the spellslinger build in that you can throw even more spells out without worrying about mana as often.

Convection adds a bit of damage but makes you much more likely to throw a Gravity Lapse to do damage when you needed to hold it. It can definitely work, but isn't really that big of a damage increase to make it a must have.

Level 4:

Nether Wind is your most often picked talent here because the base range/speed on Gravity Lapse is terrible. This allows you to go for some crazy picks, a much more reliable stun, and gives you a much higher chance at stunning multiple enemies with a Verdant Spheres buffed Gravity Lapse.

Gathering Power is a nice damage boost if you can hold the stacks since it effects all of your ability damage unlike Convection which only effects Flamestrike. Though it isn't a very safe pick since Kael'thas isn't known for having great survivability so you are at very high risk of losing it's worth throughout the entire match.

Level 13:

The level where your play style as Kael'thas will start to change depending on what you pick. Go Flamethrower if you want to be able to throw out very safe Flamestrike s. This is honestly the only build you would pick up Convection since you're pretty much just throwing out Flamestrike s and would allow for them to be a bit more stronger if you end up landing a Gravity Lapse, you will just have to be careful to not go mana dry.

You can also go Chain Bomb which allows for a crazy amount of Living Bombs to go out when paired with the inevitable Ignite you will pick up at level 16. Just lots of bombs.

Then you have the less often picked Pyromaniac which turns you into a spellslinging monster. This talent and Ignite make it so your cooldowns are very low. If you want to relentlessly throw out spells this is the best choice.


Level 20:

Bolt of the Storm is the best option here for most cases. It just gives Kael'thas the survivability he does not have without it.

Presence Of Mind is also a good choice if you are completely comfortable your team can protect you or you have a setup for a wombo combo ( Pyroblast and Grav-O-Bomb 3000 to guarantee a multiple hit pyro).



(Side Note: You can pick up Pyroblast for the stun spam build for some cheecky damage in between Gravity Lapse casts)

- Discontinued. Have to see what they end up doing with him, but I will keep the builds up for Illidan just for the entertainment.

Level 1:

Ambush just gives you so much survivability and makes sure you aren't the first one to be targeted in a fight, it also gives you another very strong burst. Pair it with Hover Siege Mode and you are a death machine ready to appear from anywhere.

Level 13:

Giant Killer is the most consistent damage talent you can pick here, it does a decent amount of damage and there is no downtime on it.

First Strike does much more damage compared to Giant Killer but has huge downtime in that it's very hard to avoid being hit once you begin attacking. Though with Ambush it does allow you for to do a scary amount of burst damage if you are able to get the shots off without taking any damage beforehand.

Barricade is very good at making sure you do not die which can be an issue when you have people trying to rush you down. The issue is that you lose a bit of damage and you can screw your team over by blocking them. It's a nice talent to pick up if you are the main focus and you need to buy yourself a little bit of time so your team can setup a counter attack.

Level 4:

Snowstorm is best when you need more potential AoE damage to other targets.

Envenom is best when you need more kill potential on a single target.

Level 13:

Sprint is just generally a good escape tool and has decent position uses too. A versatile ability.

Improved Ice Block is great when you are the main focus and need a tool to bait attacks, waste enemy abilities, or dodge abilities that are otherwise going to kill you ( Triple Tap, Precision Strike, and Pyroblast).

Level 20:

Precision Barrage allows for more team fight damage and opens up more opportunities for pick offs.

Rewind is very nice for a greater kill potential on a single target.