I Came in Like a WrecKING Ball [A Lane Roaming Leoric Build and General Strategy Guide] by victorydance

I Came in Like a WrecKING Ball [A Lane Roaming Leoric Build and General Strategy Guide]

By: victorydance
Last Updated: Aug 19, 2015
13 Votes
Build 1 of 2

Leoric

Build: Lane Roaming Leoric

Level 1
Level 4
Level 7
Level 10
Level 13
Level 16
Level 20

Threats to Leoric with this build

Threat
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Threat Hero Notes
1
Arthas Arthas doesn't stand a chance against you early game in lane. Step up on him with a Drain Hope and watch his health die. If he tries to root you with a Howling Blast, just Wraith Walk right out of it.
1
Diablo Diablo's lame little flip move over his head shouldn't give you too much trouble thanks to Wraith Walk, and if you can time it correctly, you can even avoid the annoying charge that sends you flying.
1
Malfurion Entangling Roots? No problem at all for Wraith Walk. All but the dumbest Malfurions will run in fear at the mere sight of you.
2
  No Threat
3
Johanna Johanna's blind is a pain, but otherwise, throw up the Drain Hope and watch her run scared. Try and hit her with the slow from Skeletal Swing after she's used up her Unstoppable.
3
Valla Vault can present some problems for you, so make sure you fire your Drain Hope out when you know it's on cooldown. Otherwise, she's squishy enough that she shouldn't pose a huge problem if you're right up in her face.
4
Nova Nova can be a pain if you're not paying attention for the shimmer, indicating she's nearby. Pick up Ghastly Reach to extend the reach of your Skeletal Swing to help reveal her when you see it.
4
Zeratul As with Nova, try and hit the shimmer with your Skeletal Swing to reveal Zeratul. Try to wait to tag him with your Drain Hope until he's used up his Blink. A quick note: if Zeratul uses Void Prison on your body while in Wraith Walk, it will freeze your Wraith!
4
Muradin Muradin takes some skill to counter effectively. Make sure you're zig zagging all over the place to avoid that Storm Bolt stun, or hitting Wraith Walk right before it lands to prevent the stun.
4
Kael'thas If you can avoid his Gravity Lapse stun, you should be fine. Hit Wraith Walk at the right time, negate the stun, and get right up in his face.
5
Abathur As he does for many heroes, Abathur hurts. If you see a hero with the hat on, approach cautiously and keep a close eye on your health.
6
Illidan Illidan will give you a headache early game if you try to tag him with your Drain Hope too early. Wait until he uses his two flip moves, then hit him while he's out of movement abilities.
6
Gazlowe His turrets can hurt you quite a bit, especially if you don't avoid his bombs. Make sure you're angling your Skeletal Swing to hit as many turrets as you can whenever you dive on him.
6
The Butcher If you see the Butcher's Brand go up on you, back out of there asap, and return when it's on CD. You won't out sustain a Butcher if he's got this ability to use.
7
Falstad Falstad will give you some problems with his proximity-based damage abilities. He can easily escape with Barrel Roll. Not a good target to dive against unless he's low on health.
7
Raynor Beware Penetrating Shot interrupting your Drain Hope as you're trying to throw it up. I've dived many a Raynor thinking I had that link up, but didn't, and ended up paying the price. Also be aware if Raynor hasn't popped Adrenaline Rush yet, as that can make for some problems for you.
8
  No Threat
9
Azmodan Early game, a smart Azmodan will throw up his laser beam and negate the effects of your Drain Hope, and especially if you stick around thinking you can outlast with your heals, you're gonna have a bad time. Hang back if you're one v one.
10
  No Threat

Leoric

Build: Duelling Leoric (In Progress)

Level 1
Level 4
Level 7
Level 10
Level 13
Level 16
Level 20

Introduction Top



Hi all, I'm Victorydance. I have lots of experience playing MOBAs, starting a year or two ago with LoL. I've been playing Heroes of the Storm for just a few months, but have enjoyed it immensely, and rock the !@#$ outta support classes and fighters.

I've been working through using Leoric and come up with what I think is a very tight build and a bit of unique way to play The Mad King. Leoric is unique in that he can bully lanes like no other, and sustain along with the best of them. His duelling skills are unparalleled, and he even has an escape that when used properly, can also be a great initiator for team fights.

This is just meant to be a unique and interesting take on this hero, and I welcome any feedback you think might improve the build. Leoric is one of the most fun heroes I've played yet, and I hope you enjoy him as much as I do!

And if you've enjoyed this guide, please be sure to vote it up :). I'll update it daily with new strategies and builds. A big thank you as well to those of you who have voted it up so far, I really appreciate the support!

I stream on Twitch occasionally! Check out the stream, maybe you'll learn something: http://www.twitch.tv/viktorydance101

**Coming Soon: Duelling Leoric Build. Stay tuned!**

Abilities Top

Basic Abilities:


Skeletal Swing (Q)


This is your bread and butter damage ability, and clears lanes of minions like they were murlocs. Note two things about this ability: it slows, and it does double damage to anything that's not a hero (that means mercs, structures, and minions :O). It sweeps in a half-circle in front of you, and looks pretty damn fearsome to boot.

Skeletal Swing is also perfect for clearing Abathur mines, revealing and snaring Nova and Zeratul, and taking down gates (one smack will hit both towers plus the gate, for double damage!).

Drain Hope (W)


This is a skillshot that allows you to siphon off the health of an enemy hero and use it to heal yourself. What you do with this nifty transfer, is really up to you.

This ability can the thrown on a hero if you're diving into a puddle of minions, if you're diving into towers, or if you're going in for a kill on that hero (or even a different one). Use it to latch into a hero you know will flee, or even just use it to tell an enemy hero you don't want them near you (often heroes will run away when they see the little leash on them). This can be used in so many creative ways, and should always be on a hero when you're in the thick of minion waves or in a team fight.

**I've noticed several instances where abilities that cause me to be pushed or pulled (for instance, Penetrating Round and Condemn) will actually interrupt my Drain Hope and if it's not already found a target. Keep this in mind if you're up against a hero with these sorts of abilities.

Wraith Walk (E)


One of the most fun abilities in the game, imo, Wraith Walk allows you to leave your body and move around as a ghost, who is Unstoppable and who gains movement speed as time goes on. This can be used as an escape, although it should be noted that enemies can still attack your body as it's left behind. This can also be used as an initiator -- use it to run from the bush right into the middle of the enemy team, and follow up with a Skeletal Swing to set up the big time combos from your teammates. Lastly, it can be used to chase down a fleeing enemy hero with almost no health, allowing you to finish them off.

Note that although you can't move through terrain as a wraith, you CAN move through things like a Zombie Wall, an Entomb, and even enemy gates should you desire to. Be care with this, as it can lead you into dangerous situations as well as getting you out of them.

This ability can be used to negate an incoming stun quite nicely too. For instance, if you can anticipate when a Muradin will throw out his Storm Bolt, hit Wraith Walk and watch as his Storm Bolt lands without stunning, and you're already chasing him down. Although it'll still do damage, that nasty 1.5s stun will have been wasted. Keep in mind that although you can negate incoming stuns like this, it's not useable while actually stunned.

If you happen to be chasing down a Malfurion, watch for the inevitable Entangling Roots thrown up behind him. Hit your Wraith Walk at the right time, and you'll glide right through it! How about that pesky Zeratul Void Prison thrown down behind him to block any chase? Wraith Walk right through that sucker and you're through to the other side! Keep in mind though that if Void Prison hits your body while in Wraith form, you'll still be stuck, and your Wraith will freeze.

Another neat trick is to throw up a Drain Hope on an enemy hero, hit him a few times, then Wraith Walk away as his health gets siphoned off ( Drain Hope will stay with your physical body, not your wraith). The below video is a great example of a Drain Hope/ Wraith Walk escape on a Zeratul gank attempt.


Wraith Walk is also handy in team fights, when you're finding things a little crowded and can't path around heroes. In short, say goodbye to Diablo Overpower + body block :).

Heroic Abilities:


R - Entomb


This is a fun, low cooldown heroic that can be used to secure kills or split up the enemy team. It takes some serious practice to use this one effectively, and keep in mind if you screw over one of your teammates with the placement, you can cancel the wall early by hitting R again. This is best used by novices as a way to trap fleeing squishies for easy kills, but more advanced use involves walling off healers away from their team, or blocking off escape through terrain. I've been able to use it on maps like Garden of Terror and Dragon Shire to box in the Terror or the Dragon Knight, allowing the rest of the team to catch up to it. There are a lot of creative uses for it, although it's not the preferred heroic, imo.

Entomb can be used effectively in conjunction with a Jaina or a Kael'thas as well. Throw it up and watch the damage rain down on the entire enemy team. If you have either of these ranged assassins on your team, consider grabbing Entomb to set them up.

R - March of the Black King


This is a fantastic initiator, and a fantastic escape if you've found yourself on the wrong side of the enemy team. I like to Wraith Walk into the enemy team, lay down a Skeletal Swing, then once I've taken some damage, line up my March of the Black King while my teammates clean up the mess. It's not a high-damage type skill, but it keeps you up in thick team fights like nothing else will, and because it makes you Unstoppable, is actually not a horrible escape in sticky situations.

The Talents Top


YES: Reanimation
This is by far the safest choice at this tier, for this build. With all the roaming Leoric can do on maps like Blackheart's Bay, Haunted Mines, and Dragon Shire, you should be focused on picking up globes. Running right into the middle of a fresh spawn, popping off your Skeletal Swing, then finishing off the mage (if not already dead) to get that juicy globe. This also allows you to grab the globes while Undying, and the increased health regen you'll accrue means you'll be swinging your mace again lickity split.

SOMETIMES: Block
Never a bad choice against heroes like Zeratul and even other Leorics. I'll typically grab this if I see two enemy heroes specing for auto attacks, or if you need to be extra tanky for your team's comp.

SOMETIMES: Hopelessness
This is a good pickup if you need to squeeze out the extra damage, or you want to emphasize ganking potential. In general though, Reanimation is just too good to pass up, and for this build we're going with Reanimation every time.

NEVER: Mana Thirst
For this build, Mana Thirst is essentially useless, as you shouldn't be running out of mana ever.

YES: Fealty Unto Death
Hands down the most important talent for Lane-Bully Roamer Leoric is Fealty Unto Death. Besides having a wicked name, this is what's going to keep you from never having to go b back, and rarely ever having to tap a well. If you get low on health, simply find the closest group of tightly clustered minions, stand near them (or help them along a bit :)), and watch your health and mana return. Note this talent works on friendly AND non-friendly minions. This talent also means at the end of the game, when you're sieging the core, you'll never die thanks to all the minions dying around you. An added bonus is that if you're around minions as they die in your Undying form, it brings you right back to life even faster.

NO: Willing Vessel
While this is a popular choice for many damage builds, for this build it just doesn't touch the sustain that Fealty Unto Death offers.

NO: Hardened Bones
Not awful, but as Wraith Walk isn't the best escape as is, your point is better spent elsewhere.

NEVER: Royal Focus
Go home, Royal Focus. You're drunk.

YES: Ghastly Reach
I fluctuate between this talent for the range increase on Skeletal Swing, and Paralyzing Rage for nice ganks. It's a matter of preference. If I'm facing a Nova, I might take Ghastly Reach for the extra reveal ability. Your team is never more grateful than when you smoke a Nova with this skill and watch as she is mercilessly torn apart.

YES: Paralyzing Rage
Nice synergy with Drain Hope, keeping them close to you for extra health return. If you end up taking Crushing Hope in tier 5 like this guide recommends, you'll want your target slowed a little extra, sticking around for as long as possible to proc that 10% extra damage.

NO: Lingering Apparition
This talent is a ton of fun, and I'll frequently pick this up if the match is already well in hand.

NO: Ossein Renewal
A great talent for tanky builds, but since we've got sustain for days as it is, and tons of time knocked off our death clock already with Reanimation and Fealty Unto Death, don't bother with this.

This is totally up to you. I prefer March of the Black King in MOST instances, however on certain maps, or if the enemy team is still very spread out, I like to pick up Entomb to grab a few stragglers. However, it takes far more skill to use, and doesn't help your tankiness or your engage. More about these choices above in ability descriptions.

YES: Crushing Hope
This is nice when paired with the slow of your Skeletal Swing, and really adds a lot to your ability to duel. This is a great pickup for maps like Dragon Shire, where you're typically one on one and your opponent has to stand on the capture point.

SOMETIMES: Spell Shield
Obviously a nice pickup if you're facing Jaina or Kael'thas and having a bad time of it.

NO: Drain Momentum
Nice when you're trying to pick off stragglers with your Drain Hope, and is sometimes a good pickup if you didn't take Paralyzing Rage, but for the most part I'd avoid this in favour of other talents.

NO: Burning Rage
I personally don't ever take Burning Rage, only because the other talents here are just too good, and minions rarely last through your Skeletal Swing anyways.

YES: Consume Vitality
My go-to at this tier, almost exclusively for how fast it brings you back to life while Undying. Run up on a group of heroes, or even a big group of minions, and just like that, with your other sustaining abilities, you're able to bring your death timer down to 25 sec at level 20. That's pretty insane, and allows you to be a bit more aggressive without worrying about that death timer.

SOMETIMES: Renewed Swing
If I'm looking for that extra bit extra lane clear (it will clear all minions on the second swing) or the extra damage for end game I'll pick this up, but only if I'm finding I'm not dying a lot.

NO: Unyielding Despair
I find this to be a bit weak for this build, but not a terrible pickup for other duelling type builds.

NO: Imposing Presence
Something I'll always stay away from, but not awful against Zeratul or Illidan.


This is the last tier that's completely up to you, and should be situational.

YES: Death March
Getting too deep with March of the Black King? Grab this talent. Fantastic for the big late game fights, vastly increases your damage AND your tankiness. A real gem of a talent.

SOMETIMES: Spectral Leech
Only grab this if you still find you're duelling, like on Dragon Shire because it gives that extra bit of help one-on-one. As a very slow hitter, you won't end up getting as much sustain out of this as you think, and although the extra damage is nice, it's wasted if you're playing against a heavy stun comp.

SOMETIMES: Hardened Shield
Pick this up if you're dying too fast in late game fights, and that'll change in a hurry.

NO: Buried Alive
I'm hesitant to grab this when I take Entomb, but only because I pick up Entomb for the utility, and the damage isn't necessary.

General Strategy Top

Early Game:


As explained, this Leoric build is meant for those who want to bully their lanes, keep experience up for their team, and initiate fights like a badass.

At the start, pick up your Reanimation talent and head to your lane. It's nice to have someone else with you in lane, however it's not necessary, and in fact you can easily bully two enemy heroes straight out the lane with your abilities. Run into a minion group and find the mage (the mage drops the regen globe, if you didn't know that). Hit him and his group with a Skeletal Swing, then follow up on him with an auto attack until he drops. Grab the orb and clean up the rest of the minion wave. This will be your combo to deal with minion groups in each lane.

If you have someone else in lane with you, and you're on a map with close lanes like Blackheart's Bay or Tomb of the Spider Queen especially, rotate down and see if you can do the same combo on a different lane. Grab the orb, rinse, repeat. Let the laner know you're headed down, too. It's not uncommon to score a kill if you rotate down and land a Skeletal Swing and your Drain Hope. If you have nobody else in lane with you, because your flesh is rotting away from your skin and quite frankly, you're rude, then stay in lane and repeat on the waves that come, sneaking in a Skeletal Swing on the gate when you can.

Now what about the enemy heroes? Easy. Throw up a Drain Hope on them when you run into the minion wave and either they'll back right off you, or they'll stay and feel the pain while you stay good and healthy. Once your Drain Hope wears off and they're back in for more, back off a bit, as by now you should have already gotten the orb. Once your Drain Hope is back off CD, rinse and repeat. Make sure each time you're using your Skeletal Swing you try and hit the hero as well, as it'll hurt and it'll scare the bejeezus right up outta them.

Late Game:


Late game, stay with your team, but while you're on the move, always be looking for minion waves to one shot with Skeletal Swing and a few auto attacks. If you're initiating team fights, Wraith Walk in, lay down a Skeletal Swing, then throw up your Drain Hope on whoever you can and swing away. If you need to press, or you're not doing so well health-wise, hit your March of the Black King either into the group or out of the fray. Don't be afraid to use this defensively, just make sure you hit a few heroes on the way out, or you're sure to drop without the life steal.

If you're rocking Entomb, find a squishy like a healer or an assassin and wall him off from the rest of his or her group. Hit em with a Drain Hope, a few auto attacks, then a Skeletal Swing right before the walls drop and let the rest of your team finish them off. Walling a melee assassin is a great strategy, but beware of escapes like Bolt of the Storm, Blink, and even Wraith Walk from other Leorics.

Keep in mind that if you use Wraith Walk to get right into the middle of the enemy team, it'll likely be on cooldown if you need to get out, or chase down an enemy hero. This is where Royal Focus comes in handy, but as I've explained, it's just too competitive of a tier to pick that up.

Unique Map Strategies Top

Eternal Conflict


Since this is such a unique map for lane roamers, I decided to write up a unique strategy for this map.

Early Game


You'll be laning with a few others in this map, typically at least one other, and because waves get cleared relatively fast, there's no need or advantage to running down and scooping up orbs. The lanes are also relatively far apart, and the middle is a scary place to be.

Stay in your lane, and if you see a hero overextend, jump on him with a Skeletal Swing and a Drain Hope. Your teammates will respond to this right away and it should be an easy kill. I've seen many a Muradin jump in, miss his Storm Bolt on me, and get absolutely destroyed. Clean up the waves of minions as they come, and then when the Immortals are incoming, head to the centre and gather with your team.

Typically, I like to get in a few hits on the enemy Immortal until I see the health of my own drop significantly, at which time myself and a few others in my group will head over to defend. Throw up your Drain Hope right away on whoever seems like the biggest threat, or whoever happens to be close, and swing away with Skeletal Swing. You should be able to snare a good deal of the enemy team with this, especially if you're fighting right on top of your own Immortal, and the slow means a good deal more of those Immortal stuns should land. Once you're Drain Hope is done, or you're in too deep, just hit Wraith Walk (make sure you're triggering it a little preemptively) and race back to your team. The great thing about Leoric is that if he overextends or is out of position, it's very easy to get your *** back!

A few things to note in each Immortals phase: try and aim your Skeletal Swing so it hits the enemy Immortal as well whenever possible. It does massive damage to him, and free, massive damage is always nice while you're trying to take out an enemy hero. Ghastly Reach is nice to pick up for this phase, especially if a Zeratul is bugging you defending his own Immortal.

Once an Immortal is close to half, especially if it's in your team's favour, do what you do best: roam! Pop over to the nearest lane and smoke the minion wave there, revealing that juicy orb and leaving the rest of the minions almost dead. You can soak the rest of the minions for your team if your team is behind on exp, or just leave them for your creeps to clean up. Do this whenever you can to grab those orbs and that precious soak.

Make sure you remember that if you're successful taking down the enemy's Immortal, there will be two regen globes that spawn in the centre. Don't forget about these, as that's a free, permanent +3 HP/sec!

Mid and Late Game


The name of the game is staying with your team after the first Immortal or two, so stick with your guys and make sure you're always throwing up that Drain Hope on the nearest hero to keep you alive. I really like to pick up March of the Black King on this map, as I find the clumps nice and easy to hit while in the centre of the map.

As Leoric, you're capable of soloing most of the merc camps throughout the map starting around level 10, so if you think it's safe, start on a camp and spam your Skeletal Swing to take them down. If you get into trouble, just Wraith Walk right outta there.

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