Malfurion is a versatile support hero with a primary focus on healing and crowd control. His playstyle revolves around sustain healing, providing strong area control, and creating utility for your team through abilities like Entangling Roots, Moonfire, and his powerful Ultimates. Malfurion thrives in longer fights where his abilities can build up and where his healing over time shines. His playstyle can be broken down into the following:

[*] Sustained Healing: Malfurion excels at healing over time, especially when there are extended engagements or prolonged team fights. His Regrowth and Moonfire help him keep his allies alive, especially in multi-phase fights.

[*] Area Control and Utility: Through Entangling Roots and his Twilight Dream, Malfurion can lock down enemies, control space, and provide utility to his team by ensuring they can reposition or escape.

[*] Late-Game Scaling: Malfurion’s healing output and damage scaling increase significantly as the game goes on, especially with his level 16 and level 20 talents that boost his abilities or offer incredible power spikes like Tranquility's upgrade.

Sleep

(E) - Analysis
[*] Pseudo-Stun Functionality: Sleep can act as a form of crowd control, essentially adding another layer of CC onto already controlled enemies. However, Malfurion's root is most effective when it follows up damage from other team members, and Sleep can sometimes get in the way of that. The sleep duration and timing are both important — it is almost a pseudo-stun (much like a Muradin stun in terms of root duration), but this sleep actually extends the window in which your team can follow up their damage. In essence, Malfurion requires a "shoot first" team to make this work.

[*] Timing Issues with Sleep: The root’s duration (1.25 seconds) is quick, but the fact that Sleep comes after adds a second layer to the CC, which provides an extended window for follow-up damage. However, this can also backfire if your team isn't ready. The Sleep duration doesn’t halt all incoming damage, meaning that while a target is asleep, the enemy team could still apply pressure, which can lower the follow-up window and increase the risk of being interrupted. This could be problematic with mages, who have long cooldowns on burst abilities (like Kael’thas's Q). Sleep could potentially allow the enemy team to recover by reapplying crowd control or burst damage before your team can capitalize.

[*] Team Impact: The biggest issue with Sleep is that it essentially creates a false sense of security. If you don’t take Sleep, your team is forced to consistently follow up on damage after the root, and that can help to improve their play consistency. The Sleep talent can indirectly encourage a lack of coordination from your teammates, causing them to feel like they don't need to follow up properly because they’re relying on the Sleep's extended CC duration. So, by not picking Sleep, you indirectly push your team to execute better, which leads to a more consistent follow-up playstyle.

Treant

(E) - Analysis
Root + Treant Synergy: At level 0, the baseline root deals 117 damage over 1.25 seconds, which is comparable to other stuns like Muradin’s. However, Treant automatically attacks right after the root damage hits, which allows Malfurion to immediately benefit from follow-up damage. When you use Treant, it adds an additional 58 damage per auto-attack that can significantly boost the overall damage output. The Treant’s damage is not level-dependent, it simply gets extra bonus damage from stacking, so you get immediate value.

Scaling with Stacks: Over time, as you gain stacks of Treant damage (for example, by level 10, stacking 10+ times), Treant turns into a powerhouse. For example, by level 20, the root will do 257 damage, and the Treant will deal 268 damage per auto-attack. If you get two hits from the Treant, that’s essentially like hitting a target with three roots, which provides a 200% damage increase on the root. This is where Treant shines. Even in the early game, Treant can deliver 50-75% more damage, and as you gain stacks, the damage scaling becomes extremely effective.

Mid to Late Game Power: As mentioned earlier, at level 20, Treant can deal 268 damage per hit, and with around 25-30 stacks, the extra damage from Treant means that you’ll essentially triple your root’s damage output. This scaling, combined with the high base damage of the root, makes Treant the best talent for maximizing damage output and peel. The Treant's ability to auto-attack immediately and follow up with another hit gives Malfurion immediate reward, and even a single hit early on can rival the damage of some burst abilities, like Kael’thas's Q, for reference.

Peeling and Utility: The peeling that Treant offers is also valuable, especially when the enemy isn’t focusing Malfurion. This means that while Treant might be dealing solid damage, it also provides utility for Malfurion's team. You could use Treant to assist in peeling for your allies when enemies try to dive in. This makes Treant especially good in a team that has good CC or isolation capabilities. Tanks like Arthas, Garrosh, and Muradin all synergize well with Malfurion because they have CC layers or sustain that allow them to capitalize on Treant’s bonus damage. These tanks can isolate or disrupt enemy backliners, enabling your Treant to hit hard and consistently, improving Malfurion’s overall presence on the battlefield.

Limitations with Hook Heroes: With Stitches, for example, Treant doesn’t add much value because the hook already guarantees a kill. Malfurion’s follow-up is unnecessary when the hook lands, and Treant won’t really improve this interaction much.

Conclusion: Which Talent Should You Pick?
Sleep (E): Sleep works well in scenarios where you’re trying to control a diving or roaming hero for future follow-up, especially in setup-heavy compositions. However, if you choose Sleep, it requires your team to already be in position to follow up, otherwise, you risk wasting mana and reducing the follow-up window. The sleep duration, while extending your CC window, can also reduce overall execution time for certain heroes. If you don’t pick Sleep, your team will become more consistent over time at following up their damage.

Treant (E): Treant is by far the superior talent for Malfurion. Not only does it increase your overall damage output, but it also provides instant rewards for landing roots, with damage scaling significantly as the game progresses. By level 20, the damage increase is massive, and Treant adds valuable peel for teammates when the enemy isn’t focused on Malfurion himself. This is especially useful in synergy with tanks who isolate targets or have CC layers. Treant ensures that Malfurion is always contributing in terms of both damage and utility, making him much more impactful.

Final Verdict: Treant is the clear winner in terms of raw impact, scaling, and synergy. It provides consistent damage, strong peeling potential, and scales better over time. While Sleep can be useful in specific setups, it can undermine your team's ability to execute damage consistently, and it relies heavily on timing. Thus, Treant remains the optimal choice for maximizing Malfurion’s effectiveness.

Q Talent:

Strengths:
[*] The Q talent provides a fourth charge of your healing ability, and the cooldown for this ability is reduced to 15 seconds. This allows you to keep your team topped off during fights by preparing Qs for them in advance.
[*] The priority should be placing the Q on your hyper-carry first, followed by the tank and then a melee assassin or offlaner (if you don’t have a melee assassin). You should never use the Q on yourself since this talent is meant to maximize healing for your team, especially for heroes that don't need much direct healing themselves.

Weaknesses:
[*] This talent doesn't offer much value when you're being pressured by burst damage. If your team is facing burst damage from ranged sources, this talent won't help you heal your team fast enough to prevent a loss.
[*] If you're playing solo support Malfurion, this talent is only good in non-burst matchups. Against burst-heavy compositions, it doesn’t provide enough healing to save your team. By the time you heal yourself even slightly, the fight could already be over.
[*] Composition: Works best when paired with anti-burst supports (like Uther, Auriel, Medivh, or Zarya) or with heroes who have some natural sustain or the ability to kite. This talent doesn’t help with Malfurion’s own sustainability, so having another support or a tank to peel for him is crucial.

D Talent:

Strengths:
[*] The D talent significantly improves Malfurion's utility by cutting its cooldown in half to 12.5 seconds and granting two charges. This essentially allows for more utility uptime, whether it's for healing, shielding, or peeling.
[*] This talent can have a huge impact on team dynamics. For example, it’s beneficial for tanks that rely on cooldowns for engages, as well as heroes who benefit from faster resets, like self-healers or those with shield abilities.
[*] It gives value across multiple areas of the game — whether it’s more crowd control uptime, faster engages, or more sustained healing and damage mitigation.

Weaknesses:

[*] It doesn't provide direct healing or damage, but focuses on enhancing utility. It’s not effective in situations where you need pure healing output, as its value is more tied to utility and team synergy rather than direct support.
[*] Composition: This works best with compositions that have heroes with abilities that can reset quickly, like self-healers (Blaze, Arthas) or shield-focused heroes. It enhances your team’s overall resilience and provides more options for peeling and controlling the map, making it a good fit in sustained team fights.

W Talent:

[*] Strengths:

[*] The W talent increases Malfurion’s damage potential, especially in the early game, by enhancing the damage dealt to targets that are rooted. This synergizes well with Malfurion’s crowd control abilities.
[*] In the early game, Malfurion can be highly oppressive, dealing roughly 2x the damage compared to a standard Q build, especially when positioning yourself safely to poke and follow up with auto-attacks. If Malfurion is played aggressively and positioned well, this talent allows him to deal substantial damage, even comparable to hyper-carries in some cases.
[*] If you prepped your Qs for teammates and used your last Q on yourself, the auto-attack reset mechanic from your Q can boost your damage output even more. This synergy can result in huge damage increases, especially during the root duration when Malfurion gets to dish out multiple auto-attacks.
The increased damage can potentially be enough to kill squishy heroes or even tanky ones if they’re caught during the root, especially when you have setup crowd control.
[*] Weaknesses:
[*] The talent requires precise positioning and timing to make the most of it. If Malfurion doesn’t play aggressively or position himself in the right spots to follow up with auto-attacks after using his root, the damage potential will be lost.
[*] In the late game, when the game becomes more focused on damage scaling and crowd control resistance, Malfurion might struggle to output the same level of damage he does in the early game.
[*] Composition: This talent is best with a composition that features a tank or bruiser capable of locking down targets for Malfurion to follow up on. It pairs well with a team that can play aggressive rotations, as Malfurion can become a surprising damage threat when played in sync with his team’s crowd control.

Summary:

[*] Q Talent provides sustainability but is only effective in non-burst scenarios. It’s about prep for your team, but it’s not ideal for self-sustenance during high-pressure situations.
[*] D Talent offers utility by reducing cooldowns and improving the frequency of defensive or offensive abilities for the entire team. It's best in compositions with heroes who need quicker resets, offering a balanced impact across healing, shielding, and crowd control.
[*] W Talent makes Malfurion much more aggressive in the early game, allowing for significant damage output when combined with crowd control. However, it requires good positioning and timing to maximize its damage potential, and while it’s strong in the early game, it becomes less effective in the late game as the fight intensifies.

Q/W 7 Talent

[*] This talent shines in compositions where Malfurion is paired with another support, as it allows for permanent Qs on your whole team, significantly increasing Malfurion's healing output.
[*] Healing Increase: For the DPS Malfurion build, it provides around 66% increase in healing output (from 3 to 5 Qs). In the Standard Q build, this would be around a 33% increase in healing. The extra Q duration can be crucial for late-game sustainability, especially if paired with Tranquility at Level 20, amplifying Malfurion’s healing potential even further.
[*] Consistency: While it's effective, this talent's true value is dependent on having a team that plays around Malfurion's regen, which can be inconsistent unless the team synergizes well.
[*] Best in: A perfectly coordinated team that takes full advantage of Malfurion's healing through consistent Q uptime.

E 7 Talent

[*] Weakness: This talent has limited use as it only activates upon being stunned. If it also triggered on being rooted or silenced, it would be far more impactful, allowing for a broader range of effective uses.
[*] Situational Value: Stuns are typically used as part of an all-in engage, meaning Malfurion is often too vulnerable in these moments for this talent to provide meaningful protection. Even with this talent reducing root cooldown by 45-50%, the effective root cooldown reduction becomes less useful, as you might not be able to use the second root within the engage window.
[*] Root Scaling: The additional root duration does not scale with damage output from E, meaning it doesn't increase Malfurion's burst damage potential significantly.
[*] Consistency: Due to how engage windows work, even though you might get the second root back after 7 seconds, you likely won’t be able to use it within the 10-second engage window of most tanks, effectively lowering the effective cooldown reduction to around 20% rather than the potential 45-50% reduction.
[*] Conclusion: This talent is weak due to its limited application and inconsistent effectiveness. While it could have some value in specific scenarios where stuns are heavily used, it is otherwise unreliable.

Cleanse Talent

[*] Functionality: This talent provides a soft cleanse, which works against slows, roots, and stuns. While the cleanse can be valuable against hard slows or roots, it has minimal impact against silences or heavy CC chains.
[*] Counterplay: The cleanse is useful against certain one-layer CC abilities, such as Hanzo's Arrow or Arthas' Sindragosa, especially when paired with Malfurion's damage output. It allows him to be more liberal with cleanses, giving him counterplay against specific heroes like Arthas.
[*] Limitation: However, it is useless against multi-layer CC chains (e.g., Varian Taunt, Garrosh Taunt, or general silences), and doesn't work against displacements. It also has limited value if Malfurion is the solo support.
[*] Overall Usefulness: This cleanse offers some flexibility for situational use but struggles in broader engagements where multiple CCs are stacked, making it ineffective in many team fights. It is most effective when facing a single-layer CC scenario, providing a strong counter to specific engage heroes.

Tranquility

Overview:

[*] Tranquility provides solid regeneration and grants your team a reliable health buffer during fights. It gives about +600 health for squishy heroes and +800 health for tankier heroes, thanks to the regeneration and armor boost. This makes it an excellent sustain tool, especially in prolonged engagements.

Strengths:

[*] Offers strong regeneration for both squishy and tanky allies.
Provides a health buffer (+600 health for squishies, +800 for tanks) for your team during the ultimate’s duration.
[*] Excellent for control over objectives or drawn-out fights.
[*] The health buffer acts like a mini "walking sanctification" when used correctly with tanky or self-sustaining allies.

Weaknesses:

[*] Requires the team to reposition and move back into Malfurion’s healing zone, which can be difficult if your team is under heavy pressure or chain-CC.

[*] Not effective in retreating situations, where your team cannot easily reposition into Malfurion's range.

[*] Inconsistent if your team fails to take advantage of the regeneration or if they’re unable to position effectively for the duration of the ultimate.
Ideal Scenario:

[*] Works best with melee heroes that can peel for themselves or are hard to kill, allowing for aggressive positioning while Malfurion provides the sustain.

[*] Most effective in slower fights, where your team can take advantage of the regen while controlling objectives or maintaining the line until a hyper-carry can take over.

Key Takeaway:
[*] While Tranquility is an excellent sustain tool, it heavily relies on your team’s positioning and ability to play around the healing. If your team struggles with coordination, Tranquility might not be as impactful. It's best used when the team can play aggressively while retreating or when controlling the pace of the fight.

Twilight Dream

Overview:

[*] Twilight Dream offers explosive damage and a silence that disrupts enemy divers or aggressive attackers. It deals 680 damage at level 20 (28% of a squishy hero’s max health) and applies a 3-second silence to enemies in its radius. This ultimate is perfect for turning the tide of a fight and creating chaos in the enemy ranks.

Strengths:

[*] Deals high damage (680 damage at level 20) and can chunk a squishy hero’s health by up to 28%.
Silences enemies in a 4-radius, shutting down divers and attackers for 3 seconds.

[*] Can be used to counter dive heroes and peel against incoming damage, especially from mobile heroes like Genji and Tracer.

[*] Versatile utility — it can be used aggressively after landing a root or defensively to disrupt enemies diving onto Malfurion.

[*] Makes it difficult for enemies to escape or respond (e.g., Tyrael or other divers).

Weaknesses:

[*] Requires good timing and positioning to hit key enemies in the radius.

[*] It’s less useful if you’re already overwhelmed or heavily engaged, as the silence can be wasted if enemies are not positioned correctly.

Ideal Scenario:

[*] Best used when Malfurion is able to get the first shot (root or auto attack) in a fight, followed by the silence and damage burst.

[*] Works excellently against high-mobility heroes (e.g., Genji, Tracer) or enemy frontliners that dive too deep or over-extend.

[*] Effective in disrupting the enemy team, especially if you can isolate key players for the damage and silence effects.

Key Takeaway:

[*] Twilight Dream provides Malfurion with more flexibility and a higher ceiling of counter-play. It's a powerful tool for both offensive and defensive playstyles, allowing you to disrupt enemy formations, peel effectively, and punish over-aggressive enemies. This ultimate offers more control and counter potential than Tranquility, making it the preferred choice for most situations.

Q 13

[*] This talent grants Malfurion the potential to gain 6% increased active movement speed for the duration of Moonfire (Q). However, several issues make this talent unreliable.

Key Highlights:

[*] Q build dependence: The talent hinges entirely on Q, requiring preparation as part of a standard Q build for Malfurion.

[*] Limited duration: With a maximum movement speed of 124%, the speed boost lasts for only about 5 seconds, after accounting for the Q's 20-second cooldown minus 15 seconds for 3 consecutive casts.
Coordination issues: If your team isn't positioned properly, you lose the benefit of this speed boost as fleeing teammates add an extra delay, reducing the impact of this talent.

[*] Requires active play: To make the most of this talent, you need to position yourself carefully to recast Q and manage APM (actions per minute) effectively.

[*] In essence, this talent forces you to play more actively, but often makes the game harder. Q 13 is better suited for dodging specific skill shots, but it’s inconsistent and unreliable in most teamfights.

D 13

[*] This talent enhances Malfurion's ability tracking and mana sustainability, especially when paired with D 4. With D 4, Malfurion can regain 3 D’s over a span of 12.5 seconds, giving him about 45% of his total mana back, bringing him up to around 65% total mana with natural mana regen and mana globes.

Key Highlights:

[*] Cooldown reduction: The talent redces the cooldown of W and Q based on the time D is used on an ally, benefiting both Malfurion and his team.

[*] Maximized uptime: This allows Malfurion to essentially get a free Q every time D is used, resulting in a 6-second window where Malfurion can spam Q across his team, boosting his healing and DPS by about 33%.

[*] Risk factor: The talent thrives in prolonged engagements but makes Malfurion more vulnerable to focused attacks, especially in chaotic teamfights where Malfurion can be easily targeted.

[*] While D 13 offers a huge power spike in terms of sustainability and output, it’s best suited for "win-more" scenarios or games with prolonged teamfights. D 13 makes Malfurion stronger when you’re already ahead, but it doesn’t offer much in fast-paced, burst-heavy fights.

W 13

[*] W 13 is arguably Malfurion's strongest talent at level 13, offering a massive boost to both individual gameplay and team synergy. It boosts DPS, healing consistency, and provides immense utility for the team by enhancing the slow on W.

Key Highlights:

[*] Reliable long-range slow: Malfurion’s W now applies a 25% slow for 3 seconds with a 100% uptime, punishing both melee and ranged heroes.
[*] Team utility: The slow aids your tanks, carries, and team mobility, making it easier for them to kite and engage. Tanks can engage more effectively, while carries can punish fleeing targets.
Effective across both fast and slow fights: W 13 ensures that Malfurion can contribute to both high-tempo fights and more drawn-out skirmishes. It’s a perfect tool to control enemy positioning and support your team.

[*] This talent makes Malfurion an essential support hero in teamfights, offering significant utility, engage power, and crowd control. W 13 also helps with team coordination, allowing your team to outmaneuver enemies and sustain control over the fight.

Conclusion

Q 13: While it offers potential movement speed, Q 13 is unreliable due to its dependence on team coordination and positioning. It’s difficult to consistently maximize its effect and is more useful for dodging skill shots than for teamfights.

[list=2]

[/list]D 13: D 13 shines in prolonged skirmishes, offering mana sustainability, cooldown reduction, and an increase in healing and DPS. However, it makes Malfurion more vulnerable to focused attacks, and is better suited for win-more scenarios or when your team can handle prolonged engagements.

[list=3]

[/list]W 13: By far the most impactful and consistent talent at level 13, W 13 boosts Malfurion’s DPS, healing, and team utility. It provides a reliable long-range slow that empowers your team to better kite, engage, and control teamfights. This talent makes Malfurion the most valuable asset in both fast-paced and drawn-out teamfights.

Q 16:

[*] This talent primarily synergizes with the Q 4 talent, where you focus on maintaining high health and utilizing the Q heal over time. It works best with heroes that have natural regeneration and can be evasive, such as Tracer. The idea is that by staying healthy, you’ll get consistent value from this heal.

[*] However, the issue with this talent arises when enemies attempt to focus you, or if you're dropped below a certain health threshold. The talent becomes ineffective unless you can regain health above 75% of your max HP. If Malfurion drops below about 800 HP, this talent loses all value, especially since there are numerous poke spells that can easily deal that amount of damage in one go. For example:

[*] Tychus' Grenade (with W 1, 7, and 16)
[*] Hanzo's Q or W
[*] Li-Ming's W
[*] Zagara's Summons
[*] Greymane's Q (with Q 7)

[*] This talent is most effective when your team has reliable defenses, allowing you to play aggressively without needing to rely heavily on your W. If you don't use your W effectively, Malfurion becomes a less impactful hero, as he's not designed to be a pure "healbot" unless the fight is already won, which is when this additional healing will matter the least.

[*] The numbers don’t quite check out either. Malfurion’s Q heals for 880 HP over 20 seconds, and this talent would increase that by 660 HP, equating to a 33 HP/s increase. When you consider that some heroes can deal over 2k damage in a second, the boost becomes negligible. Even if you're running the Q build with 4 Q's up, this only brings you an extra 132 HP/s, which, in focused damage scenarios, just doesn’t cut it.

W/Burst 16:

[*] This talent is more consistent and offers better value in scenarios where it's harder to land multi-hit W's.

[*] It’s especially useful when the enemy comp has ranged heroes, who are typically harder to engage with Malfurion's W, as opposed to melee heroes who would be easier to heal through W due to their proximity.

[*] In a Q build, W/Burst 16 increases W's healing by 80%, which essentially makes each W feel like two W's in terms of healing. At Level 20, W heals for 285 HP, and with W/Burst 16, this increases to 513 HP. That’s a 227 HP difference per W.

[*] This talent provides the most value when you're focusing on the enemy frontline, as their larger hitboxes make it easier to land your W. Coupled with W 20, this can be a significant healing tool in teamfights.

[*] If your team has D 13 (for the 1-second cooldown reduction), you can land multiple W's more consistently, which can lead to about 513 HP/s if you hit all targets, potentially increasing to 2052 HP/s with full synergy (including Q 4 and D 13). But the issue here is that Malfurion's W healing, while strong on a single target, doesn’t scale much in terms of health percentage. For example:

[*] On a 3k HP target, W is about a 17% heal.
[*] On a 7k HP tank, it’s about a 7% heal.

[*] If you miss a W or don't have D 13, the potential for healing drops significantly. This makes W/Burst 16 more unreliable in situations where Malfurion is being pressured by ranged poke or heavy CC.

W/Q 16:

[*] This is by far the best talent mathematically, as it provides an outstanding synergy between Q and W, maximizing Malfurion's overall healing potential. It boosts both Q's healing and W's effectiveness, making it a well-rounded option in prolonged fights.

Here’s why W/Q 16 shines:

[*] Increased Healing from Q:

[*] The talent grants 5 additional ticks of healing from Q, which at Level 20 translates to 210 extra HP healed per target. This is substantial, especially when combined with Q 4, which boosts Q healing further.

[*] Increased Area of Effect (AoE) for W:

[*] W/Q 16 also increases the radius of W by 25%, which results in a 56.25% increase in area coverage. This makes it much easier for Malfurion to land multi-target W heals in chaotic teamfights, especially against melee heroes who often cluster around Malfurion or his teammates.

[*] Improved Healing Output:

[*] Compared to W/Burst 16, W/Q 16 provides a 53.3% increase in healing, which is effectively like having three extra Q's in a teamfight. The increased area ensures that W is more reliable and consistent, whereas W/Burst 16 heavily depends on hitting W accurately.

[*] Consistency and Versatility:

[*] With W/Q 16, Malfurion is more consistent in his healing output, as the larger radius makes it much easier to land hits on multiple targets. This talent also helps Malfurion stay more aggressive in fights, as the increased Q healing means he can poke while sustaining his team.

[*] Late-Game Power:

[*] The extended healing duration and increased area make W/Q 16 an incredibly powerful choice in the late game. Malfurion can help sustain his team much better in extended teamfights, especially when Malfurion can focus on hitting multiple targets at once. This talent also provides significant map utility, allowing Malfurion to heal allies who have gone off to soak other lanes or rejoin fights with full health.

Conclusion:

[*] Q 16 offers solid sustain for those who can maintain health but is highly situational, especially when faced with high burst damage.

[*] W/Burst 16 is more reliable when you can land W hits but is limited by healing scaling and positioning.

[*] W/Q 16 is the most consistent and powerful talent, increasing both Q and W healing, with a significant 56.25% increase in area, making it the go-to choice for sustained healing and effective map control.

[*] There are only a few talents in this tier that truly shine for Malfurion, and they include W 20 and the Ultimate upgrades. Among these, W 20 is by far the most picked for its reliability and overall utility, as Malfurion thrives when he can consistently apply his healing and damage. Here’s an in-depth breakdown:

Tranquility Upgrade:

[*] The Tranquility Upgrade offers a substantial boost to Malfurion’s healing power, enhancing its effectiveness by increasing the healing to a whopping 65%. This upgrade is particularly strong for reversal situations, providing massive value in mitigating burst damage. Here’s why it’s so powerful:

[*] Healing Potential: With this upgrade, Malfurion grants an extra +600 HP on squishies and +900 on tanks, resulting in a 40% increase in the effective HP buffer. This makes it one of the best ultimate upgrades in the game, and Malfurion's best anti-burst talent. The massive healing buffer ensures that your team can withstand significant incoming damage.

[*] Strategic Impact: Tranquility’s utility shines when used to stall the game, offering additional survivability until the next team fight. Whether you're up against heavy melee comps or need to re-engage, this talent ensures your team survives long enough to reset and fight again.

[*] Best for Aggressive Melee Drafts: The huge HP buffer combined with increased healing makes this upgrade especially effective for melee-heavy compositions. It turns Malfurion into a massive frontline support, allowing your team to withstand more damage and stay in the fight longer.

Twilight Dream Upgrade:

[*] The Twilight Dream Upgrade may be underrated, but in the right hands, it’s an incredibly dynamic and disruptive ability. It provides massive range and the potential to catch enemies off guard in key moments.
Here’s why it’s a game-changer:

[*] Increased Range & Blink Mechanics: The blink range is increased to 7.2, granting an 80% range increase compared to the standard version. This makes it possible to outrange most backliners, positioning Malfurion as a surprise disruptor in team fights.

[*] Duration & Silence: Malfurion gains an additional 2 seconds of silence after the blink, which can disrupt enemy abilities and prevent critical reactions. This makes him a threat in team fights, as it allows him to shut down key enemies who rely on their ultimate abilities.

[*] Blink into Dangerous Situations: An often-overlooked feature of this talent is the ability to blink into high-value zones like E.T.C’s Mosh Pit or Brightwing’s Emerald Wind, providing an opportunity to silence and disrupt these powerful team-fight tools. This can turn the tide of a fight and create chaos for the enemy team.

[*] Strategic Considerations: While this upgrade offers massive potential, its effectiveness is contingent on vision control. If the enemy team has good vision and can react to your blink, you may find yourself punished before you can capitalize on the surprise. However, when you control the map vision, this becomes one of the most aggressive and game-winning tools in Malfurion’s kit.

[*] Winmore Potential: Twilight Dream Upgrade is generally more effective when Malfurion’s team is ahead and can secure vision. When behind, this talent becomes a high-risk, high-reward play, and if the enemy team has control of vision, you may struggle to get the same value. However, when used well, it can flip fights in your favor with ease.

W 20

[*] W 20 is arguably the most reliable and consistent talent Malfurion has at level 20. Here’s why it remains the most popular pick:

[*] Cooldown Reduction & Healing Output: With 1 second less cooldown on W for each hero hit, Malfurion sees a 33.3% increase in both his healing output and damage potential. When combined with the 60% increase from 3 stacks, this results in a staggering 93.3% DPS boost.

[*] Damage Scaling: At level 20, Malfurion’s W damage scales up to 316 DPS (with D 13 fully stacked). This rivals other significant talents like Leoric’s Burning Rage (W 20). The damage boost can hit squishy targets for 10.5% of their max HP every 1-2 seconds, while tanks still take about 5.1% damage per W.

[*] Consistent Value: Unlike the Ultimate upgrades, W 20 provides consistent value every fight. Whether you’re healing or dealing damage, the DPS increase is always relevant. This makes it a solid, no-risk pick that can scale with your team’s needs.

[*] Synergy with Other Talents: W 20 works especially well with D 13, as it amplifies Malfurion’s sustained damage while offering him additional healing. This synergy allows Malfurion to fit into a variety of team compositions and be a consistent threat.

Summary

[*] Level 20 talents truly define Malfurion’s late-game potential, with each option offering unique

[*] strengths:

[*] Tranquility Upgrade provides massive burst healing, especially against high-burst compositions, making it a perfect choice for aggressive melee drafts.

[*] Twilight Dream Upgrade offers an extremely dynamic tool for disrupting fights, with an extended blink range and increased silence duration, making it powerful when Malfurion can initiate unpunished. It’s a game-changer in the right scenarios, but relies heavily on vision control.

[*] W 20 remains the most consistent and reliable choice, providing a massive DPS increase while improving Malfurion’s healing capabilities. This talent delivers value in every game and is ideal when you want to maximize his impact in any team composition.
Each of these talents fits into specific team dynamics, but W 20 is often the safe, reliable choice for players who want consistent power.

1. Early and Mid-Game Strengths

[*] Proactive Playstyle: Malfurion excels when the game is still in its early stages. You’ll want to be aggressive with your crowd control, especially using Entangling Roots (W) to lock down enemy heroes, creating opportunities for your team to secure kills or disengage. This is where Malfurion can make a significant impact with his healing and utility.

[*] Healing and Utility: Prioritize positioning to ensure you're staying within range of your team to heal them with Regrowth (Q) and Tranquility (R) while using your Moonfire (E) for poke damage. Malfurion is effective in controlling the tempo through consistent heals and CC.

[*] Pressure the Enemy: In the early game, Malfurion can cause havoc with his Roots and Moonfire combo, especially against fragile or squishy heroes. This makes him highly impactful in securing early kills, especially if your team has good follow-up damage. Malfurion promotes aggressive plays through his crowd control, setting up kills, and healing his team to make them sustainable throughout trades.

2. The Ideal Playstyle: Flexibility and Control

[*]

Crowd Control First:

Malfurion is at his best when he can freely use his Entangling Roots and Twilight Dream as follow-up tools to control the fight. He can shut down high-impact enemy heroes with his silences, stuns, and root effects. Use Moonfire to poke from a distance while keeping Regrowth on your team to sustain them.

[*] Healing Management: You want to balance your healing. Don’t just focus on the raw healing numbers; position yourself so that you can maximize your heals across multiple targets with your Regrowth. During engagements, consider using Tranquility early to boost your team's survivability. Tranquility also serves as a strong anti-burst ability, so it’s particularly good against compositions with strong burst damage. It allows you to reset the fight by giving your team a major health buffer.

[*] Early Objectives: Malfurion shines when pushing or controlling objectives. With his sustain and CC, he can help secure control of maps like Braxis Holdout, Tomb of the Spider Queen, or Dragon Shire, where good positioning and healing can turn the tide in objectives. Malfurion can help secure objectives while contributing to key team fights or stalling enemy objectives by preventing enemy heroes from diving in or using their abilities.

3. Positioning and Map Awareness

[*] Positioning: Malfurion is frail, so positioning is key. Stay at the backline or in positions where you can easily escape if enemies dive onto you. Use Moonfire as a poke tool and Entangling Roots as a zoning tool to control choke points or prevent enemy heroes from diving into your team. With his Twilight Dream upgrade, you can blink into the fight and silence enemies before they can react.

[*] Map Control and Awareness: Malfurion should always be aware of vision control. His Twilight Dream is incredibly effective when used to shut down an enemy initiation. If you know the enemy doesn't have vision or is over-extended, you can blink in and use Twilight Dream to silence the enemy team, turning the tides of battle in your favor.

[*] Adapt to Threats: Always adapt your talents and positioning to the enemy team composition. If the enemy team is mobile and hard to hit with roots, focus on keeping your Regrowth up and using Moonfire to keep their health low while positioning defensively. If they have high burst damage, try to use Tranquility to heal through that burst.

4. Late Game and Ultimates

[*] Ultimate Decision-Making:

[*] Tranquility Upgrade: This upgrade should be used in late-game team fights where your team is likely to take a lot of burst damage. Timing it right is crucial; Tranquility allows you to reset your team’s health, providing a significant anti-burst tool, especially against teams with high poke damage.

[*] Twilight Dream Upgrade: This is a more aggressive, risky ultimate. Use it to disrupt enemies, especially if the enemy team is clumped up. Twilight Dream can be a game-changer, allowing you to silence key enemy heroes and buy your team time to capitalize. It’s great when your team is engaging and you want to deny enemies from reacting to your team’s initiation.

[*] Endgame: In the late game, Malfurion can feel a bit frail, but his Twilight Dream and Tranquility make him a team fight disruptor. Ensure you’re using your Entangling Roots and Moonfire as zoning tools. Twilight Dream should be used to silence key enemy heroes (like a mage or assassin), allowing your team to overwhelm them.

What Malfurion Promotes

[*] Control and Disruption: Malfurion is best when he's able to disrupt enemy strategies with his CC and silence. He prevents high-damage burst or strong engage compositions from fully executing their plan, giving his team a much-needed advantage.

[*] Sustainability and Aggression: His healing potential allows him to sustain his team while they engage or trade. His Regrowth and Tranquility keep his team alive, and his Moonfire and Entangling Roots can set up opportunities for kills or help disengage from dangerous situations.

[*] Team Play: Malfurion thrives in team-based situations where his utility can be fully leveraged. He promotes team play by offering both healing and CC that make team fights easier to win.

Summary:

[*] Early to Mid-Game: Malfurion should focus on aggressive positioning to lock down enemy heroes with his crowd control, using Regrowth and Moonfire to heal and poke. He should excel in controlling objectives.

[*] Mid to Late Game: In team fights, Malfurion should use Tranquility as an anti-burst tool, ensuring his team can survive through heavy enemy pressure. Twilight Dream should be used strategically for team fights, ideally to silence key enemy heroes.

[*] Positioning: Stay at the backline, using your tools to peel for your team and disrupt the enemy team’s plans. Malfurion thrives when he can safely heal and control fights from a distance.

[*] Overall, Malfurion is a support that requires good timing, positioning, and synergy with the team. When played correctly, he can be a game-changing support that influences the outcome of battles with his crowd control, healing, and ultimate abilities.

[*] Melee-Drafted Teams & Bruiser Compositions: Malfurion thrives in melee-draft compositions where he can leverage his root and healing. These melee-heavy teams benefit from Malfurion's ability to zone, heal, and apply consistent CC to follow-up on all-ins. Melee comps with high sustained damage and dive potential are ideal for him. Bruiser compositions, in particular, can work well because bruisers often have self-peel and damage mitigation tools that allow them to stay alive while Malfurion provides utility and healing. Additionally, bruisers generally deal good damage during the early and mid-game, helping create strong pressure before hyper-carries come online.

Examples of Strong Melee Comp Allies:

*Illidan, Sonya, Malthael (all can dive and dish out consistent damage while benefiting from Malfurion's healing and crowd control)

*Tyrael (who can be played as a DPS while also providing engage and Unstoppable protection with the usage of Sanctification)

[*] Artanis, Leoric, or Diablo (who can self-peel and engage reliably while Malfurion offers healing and CC)

[*] Double Support Drafts: Malfurion fits well into double support drafts, where he plays as the solo sustain/support healer. However, because Malfurion lacks a direct Unstoppable cleanse, he’ll need a secondary support that can provide hard CC or cleanse (e.g., Brightwing, Rehgar, or Uther). This allows Malfurion to focus on healing and utility without worrying too much about missing an Unstoppable.

Ideal Allies in Double Support Drafts:

[*] Brightwing (for teleportation and cleanse against Silence, having a global ability on her Z is a plus aswell to control the early- and mid-game experience contribution, especially on larger maps; Cursed Hollow, Garden of Terror, Alterac Pass)

[*] Rehgar (for additional sustain and burst heal)
Uther (for strong crowd control with E 16 and a direct cleanse, have nice synergy with Melee heroes that can go in as you can give them W and he clears waves and camps in the early- and mid-game (could be played as offlane)
[*] Auriel (Mainly her Aegis at level 20, providing 75 armor for 5 seconds after the ultimate expires, plus her AoE heals and damage potential)

Hyper-carries and Scaling Damage:

[*] Malfurion works exceptionally well with hyper-carries that can capitalize on his mana regeneration (D ability), which helps them stay in fights longer, and he can also create windows for them to dish out damage. Malfurion is at his best when supporting hyper-carries that need scaling damage and mobility for late-game pressure.

Ideal Allies for Scaling Damage:

* Valla, Raynor, or Lunara (these heroes scale heavily with time and need mana for extended fights, something Malfurion can provide)

* Mephisto or Kael'thas (high-damage spellcasters that need reliable healing and CC uptime)

* Zul'jin (excellent for his regen with E, great all-in potential, and synergy with Malfurion’s sustain)
Raynor (a fine hyper-carry who can also benefit from vision control in the late game)

Independent Heroes for Vision Control:

[*] Malfurion works well with heroes that can independently clear waves and maintain vision control, especially in maps with heavy rotations or objectives that require strong map presence. Vision control is vital for maximizing Malfurion's effectiveness with Twilight Dream and positioning his root in the ideal location.

Ideal Vision Control Allies:


[*] Raynor (for his Raider providing vision and map control)
Lunara (with her mobility, long-range poke, and strong macro game)

[*] Tyrande(with vision, sustained damage and burst damage capabilities, and strong map presence)

Tanks and Independent Heroes:

[*] Malfurion also works well with certain tanks that are capable of peeling for themselves or creating opportunities for strong engages. Independent heroes can handle their own survival while Malfurion focuses on keeping the team healed and providing utility.

Ideal Tanks and Independent Heroes:

[*] Tyrael (when played as DPS) or Diablo (who can peel and be a frontline anchor)

[*] Garrosh, Muradin, Arthas or Stitches (can create opportunities for aggressive playstyles while Malfurion focuses on healing)

[*] Zeratul or Tracer (independent and mobile enough to take advantage of Malfurion’s vision control and healing)

Kerrigan and Maiev Synergy:

Kerrigan: Kerrigan benefits greatly from Malfurion's crowd control and healing. When Kerrigan dives in with her Primal Grasp and engages on the enemy team, Malfurion’s root provides an additional lockdown to follow up on Kerrigan’s dive. Twilight Dream also gives Kerrigan the chance to burst the enemy after she's used her combo. Additionally, Tranquility can heal Kerrigan during her aggressive engages, enabling her to sustain longer in fights, especially when she dives deep into the enemy backline. Malfurion's mana regeneration (from his D ability) also supports Kerrigan’s heavy ability usage during extended fights, allowing her to use her cooldowns more liberally.

Maiev: Maiev synergizes well with Malfurion due to Maiev’s mobility and engage potential. Maiev’s Containment Disk and Slide abilities create perfect windows for Malfurion to follow up with root and Twilight Dream. Maiev's Blink allows her to dive into the enemy team, while Malfurion can provide healing and CC to disrupt enemies trying to retaliate. Additionally, Maiev's escape potential makes her a solid partner for Malfurion, who needs to stay safe but also take advantage of the aggressive positioning of his allies.

[*] Teams with Heavy Dive and Burst: Malfurion is frail and relies on his positioning to stay alive. Teams with heroes like Genji, Tracer, or Zeratul who can burst him down or dive onto him quickly will make it harder for him to play his full role.

[*] Sustained DPS with Auto-attacks: Malfurion's mana-based healing and positioning-heavy kit struggle against sustained DPS, especially when he can't get space to heal. Heroes with consistent auto-attack damage like Greymane, Lunara, or Sylvanas can force him to either use his healing on himself or waste his abilities early, leaving his team without healing.

[*] Hard CC and Silence: Malfurion can’t rely on his Unstoppable cleanse, so he's vulnerable to any heroes that can easily silence him, like Anub'arak, Malfurion (enemy), Medivh, or Varian. These silences can stop him from using his key abilities at the right times, making him very susceptible to being taken out of a fight.

[*] Melee-heavy, dive, and bruiser teams are best for Malfurion, as they can handle their own peel while benefiting from his healing and crowd control.

[*] Reliable stuns/CC are critical for Malfurion’s team to capitalize on his root and Twilight Dream.
Vision control is vital since Malfurion thrives in the mid-late game when he can surprise with his Twilight Dream upgrade, and good vision means he can get more consistent root hits.

[*] Sustained damage heroes benefit from his D ability (mana regeneration), enabling them to stay active throughout fights.

[*] Independent tanks and high-octane bruisers allow Malfurion to focus on healing and CC without needing to babysit his frontline.

[*] Malfurion struggles against burst-heavy, dive, and silencing teams that can shut him down early or disrupt his abilities.

By building these synergies and compensating for his weaknesses, you can ensure that Malfurion is an asset for your team, turning the tide of fights with his crowd control, healing, and ultimate abilities.