Auriel - Quick Guide (Build, Counters & More)

Introduction

Auriel is the Hero that our Heroes of the Storm boosting team has high expectations from and hope she will climb and stay on top of our Heroes of the Storm Tier List.

Her kit is somewhat original, she uses stored Energy instead of mana that you gather via your passive. This means she can sustain long if played well, for instance on maps like Infernal Shrines. She gains energy by attacking herself and by using a passive on her allies, meaning she relies heavily on her team actually doing something if they want heals. She also has very low escape and mobility, meaning she really really relies on her team to attack and peel for her to make her useful.

Pros & Cons

PROS

- A lot of sustain due to no mana mechanic

- Amazing heroic abilities

- Has some CC

- Able to buff a single most useful ally on Level 16

- AoE healing

CONS

- Using Resurrect makes you a sitting duck

- Relies heavily on team

- No "oh-shit" abilities

- No escapes, vulnerable to CC

- Detainment Strike requires practise

Auriel Abilities

Bestow Hope (Trait) - This trait allows you to gather your primary resource, Energy. You simply put it on one of your allies and while they deal damage to heroes and non heroes, you gather Energy and store up to 505.

Sacred Sweep (Q) – Auriel's damage ability, you sweep the area in front of you dealing moderate damage, and higher damage to people caught in the center.

Ray of Heaven (W) – Auriel's healing ability, you consume your Energy in order to heal allies in the target area.

Detainment Strike (E) - This is our HotS boost team's favorite ability, damage + knockback on the first target hit, and additional 1.25s stun if they hit terrain, highly rewarding for skilled players.

Crystal Aegis (R1) - Targeted Ice Block, that's how I like to call it, you put your ally in statis for 2 seconds and after it breaks, it damages heroes around it.

Ressurect (R2) - This is the first time we see such ability in HotS, you channel for 3 seconds and ressurect the dead ally at the spot where they died with 50% health.

Auriel Build

Level 1: Swift Sweep

Level 4: Majestic Span

Level 7: Emphatic Link

Level 10: Crystal Aegis

Level 13: Converging Force or Blinding Flash

Level 16: Will of Heaven

Level 20: Shield of Hope or Angelic Flight

Counters

- Tracer: She can run quick to you, smash your ass and run away.

- Illidan: Classic melee assasin that eats heroes like you.

- Butcher: Just like Illidan.

- Greymane: Read above.

- Kerrigan: Read above.

- Thrall: Read above.

- Sonya: Read above.

- Anub'arak: One of those tanks that dives you.

- Diablo: Read above.

Auriel Tips

1. Use Bestow Hope on high damage targets, preferably long range auto attackers or poke mages.

2. Dont spam heal if not needed, only "spam" it if you're constantly full energy, best bang for your back is if you have more energy.

3. Try to use your heal when you can heal as many targets as possible.

4. Be careful when using Detainment Strike, you need to know if you will need it for peel.

5. Try to position near terrain when peeling yourself so you can knock people into walls.

6. Clear waves with Sacred Sweep at all times.

7. Don't use Resurrect like a retard.

8. Use Crystal Aegis ultimate when you have a dive team and/or when playing on a map like Infernal Shrines.

9. Positoning, positioning, positioning.

10. Your passive has a 1.5s cooldown, keep swapping it between high damage targets.