Heroes of the Storm Release Tier List

While Tier Lists should always be taken with a grain of salt, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to know which heroes are strong right now, especially if you’re looking to climb the Hero League ranks. This is not a definitive list – it was created with information drawn from other tier lists, the opinions of pro players, and the consensus of the Heroes of the Storm community. Don’t sweat it if your favorite hero is ranked poorly – the meta is still evolving and future buffs and nerfs may change the equation. Until you get to the very highest levels of competition, player skill matters more than anything.

With that being said, here’s what the Tiers are looking like right now.

Tier One

These heroes are always a safe pick, and in the hands of a talented player can seriously affect the direction of the game. They are, respectively,  the strongest in their class and are generally regarded as strong because of their utility on a team and their ability to secure team fights, objectives, or both.

Specialists:  The Lost Vikings, Sylvanas

Some players disagree, but The Lost Vikings are one of the strongest, if not the strongest pick, for both Quick Match and Hero League – in the hands of a talented player, that is. A good Lost Vikings player can soak multiple lanes, freeing up other heroes to gank or secure objectives,  or roam themselves and put heavy pressure on the enemy team. They do require very good map awareness and micro, so The Lost Vikings are not for everyone.

Sylvanas is also extremely strong, having immense pushing and destruction talents, as well as the capability to singlehandedly win team fights with Wailing Arrow. Less mechanically intensive than TLV, you are likely to see a Sylvanas in every high-level game.

Assassins: Illidan, Jaina Proudmoore, Valla

The Tier One assassins have a few things going for them – extreme damage, mobility or crowd control, and burst.  Illidan is difficult to play, but in the hands of a talented Heroes of the Storm player, can be unstoppable. Valla doesn’t have as much damage as the other two, but has plenty of sustained DPS, high mobility, and access to crowd control from a couple of sources. Jaina has some of the best burst in the game and reliable CC, though her lack of escapes can be an issue and may see her bumped down to a lower tier in the future.

Warriors: Anub’arak, E.T.C., Muradin

The Tier One tanks are there largely because of nerfs to previous high-tier heroes, namely Diablo and Stitches, though Anub’arak’s buffs have made him a serious contender and – at the time of this post – he has one of the highest win rates in the game. ETC and Muradin both bring incredible tankiness and CC and don’t require a special team comp or even a cooperative team to be successful.

Supports: Uther, Brightwing

Tier One supports are a little more fluid, but Uther and Brightwing are the clear winners and obvious Tier One picks because of their on-demand CC and reliable heals.  Hammer of Justice and Polymorph are both rare in that they are targeted crowd control, not skill shots, making them extremely valuable.  The ranking of supports is most likely to shift based on your team composition, but Uther and Brightwing are both very powerful.

Tier Two

Tier Two heroes are still almost always strong picks, but lack the reliability and playmaking potential of Tier One heroes.  In the right hands, many of these will be as strong if not stronger than higher ranked picks, but they have weaknesses that talented teams and players can take advantage of.

Specialists:  Zagara

The only thing keeping Zagara from rising to Tier One status is her lack of mobility or on-demand crowd control, but she is very strong, and on some maps can be a Tier One pick. She has incredible pushing power, good crowd control from Devouring Maw, and with good creep placement, can keep tabs on the entire map. Left alone, Zagara can be a real problem for the enemy team, which unfortunately makes her a prime target for enemy assassins.

Assassins:  Zeratul, Kerrigan, Kael’Thas, Tychus

The assassins in Tier Two are all strong, but lack one or more of the elements required to be guaranteed safe picks. Zeratul is mobile and applies a lot of pressure, but doesn’t do as much damage as Tier One assassins and has a powerful, but tricky Heroic Ability in Void Prison. Kerrigan and Kael’Thas are both very strong, but lack mobility and need to land their combos to be effective, and Tychus can be very dangerous but has a wind-up time and limited mobility. Still, all of these champs can be very dangerous in the right hands.

Warriors: Diablo, Tyrael

Both Tier Two warriors are very strong, but are able to be shut down by experienced teams. Diablo can still make or break a teamfight and has powerful control abilities, but his damage has been hit pretty hard, and Tyrael can be devastating if not countered, but his hard engage makes him vulnerable to good team play.

Supports: Rehgar, Tassadar

Rehgar and Tassadar are both very close to Tier One supports, but are more team-dependent or skill-dependent than higher ranked supports. Each is a strong pick for any team, just be aware that they might require more work to shine.

Tier Three

Tier Three heroes are hit-and-miss – on some teams and in the hands of some players, they can be very powerful, but they need team support or favorable circumstances to perform better than higher ranked picks. Don’t worry about bringing your team down with these heroes, but be aware of their weaknesses and counters.

Specialist : Murky, Asmodan, Nazeebo, Sgt. Hammer

The Tier Three specialists are a lot more map-dependent than those in the higher tiers. Asmodan, Nazeebo, and Sgt. Hammer are all excellent siege and push heroes, but push comps don’t work on every map and these three are vulnerable to assassins and ganks.  Murky is also very strong in the right circumstances,  but he is challenging to play well and can be hard to fit on a team.

Warriors : Arthas, Sonya

Athas and Sonya are actually both in a fairly good place, they just don’t work quite as well as tanks as Tier One and Two heroes do. Both can be built very effectively as bruisers or off-tanks and can perform very well on a two-tank team, just don’t expect them to be your number-one meatshield.

Assassins : Nova, Falstad, Thrall

It might be surprising to find Nova ranked so low, but outside of low-level play, she can be more of a liability than an asset – she is fragile and her damage, while impressive, is unreliable. Falstad and Thrall are both too unpredictable to be safe picks, but some players are making very good use of both heroes – just be aware of their weaknesses and pay attention to your team composition when picking.

Supports: Malfurion, Tyrande, Li Li

Malfurion can be very strong, and probably straddles the line of Tier Two and Tier Three, but he lacks consistency. Tyrande has good crowd control and high damage for a support, but not as much as an assassin, making her a potentially strong, but niche pick. Li Li is a little too easy for the enemy team to shut down, but her healing is exceptional when she’s left alone.

Tier Four

Tier Four heroes are either very situational or in desperate need of buffs. You can definitely pick them, but pay attention to what your team has picked and be prepared to play extra hard to make up for the hero’s weaknesses.

Specialists: Abathur, Gazlowe

Abathur is a very tricky champion to play, and unfortunately extremely vulnerable to the most popular assassin choices. On some teams, he can be incredible, but you can’t rely on your teammates to know how to play around his unique toolset. Gazlowe is, unfortunately, very weak right now, and often placed in his own ‘Gazlowe Tier’. It may not be as bad as all that, but be aware that you’re fighting an uphill battle if you pick him.

Warriors: Chen, Stitches

Chen and Stitches can be situationally strong, but Chen is very vulnerable to crowd control, and recent nerfs to Stitches make him much weaker than before. On the right team, their unique skillsets can be an asset, but you probably need a second warrior or a tanky support to make up for their shortcomings.

Assassins: Raynor

Raynor isn’t in a bad place, but unfortunately he doesn’t do anything better than other assassins, and has very little in the way of utility or mobility. He can be played as a pushing specialist with Raider’s Recruitment and Hyperion, but even then there are specialists that do the job better.

So there you have it, your guide to Heroes of the Storm‘s heroes and their tiers. Be aware that as the meta shifts and as Blizzard release more balance patches, that these rankings are subject to change. Focus on learning the heroes and maps and be prepared to adapt.