Brakk was created with the sole intent on bringing the fantasy of an evolving primal zerg into the game. I took heavily from the Dehaka co-op commander, both from Dehaka as a character and from the Tyrannozor unit.
In HotS, Brakk is a Starcraft Bruiser that grows ever stronger as the game continues and he kills enemies. His incredibly flexible talent tree is complimented by his evolution when he kills enemy heroes. I decided to maintain his 4 talents to compliment his trait, allowing a diversity of builds.
Universe: Starcraft
Role: Bruiser
Primal Hunt
Z (Mount) – Passive
Brakk naturally has 15% increased movement, which is doubled when he damages an enemy below 50% health for 1.25 seconds.
Explanation: I was really debating between a Diablo-eque special mount and something more unique. I decided to emphasize the Zerus cinematic where the primal zerg was hunting down its prey. I figured a mount like this would add some flavor to Brakk’s play.
Mutation
Trait (Passive)
At each talent tier besides 1, 4, and 7 (levels 1, 10, 20), Brakk can choose two talents. At every level past 20, Brakk can choose another talent from any tier besides 1, 4, and 7. In addition, whenever his team reaches a talent tier beyond tier 1, he becomes 5% bigger, increasing his basic attack and ability ranges and radiuses by 5% as well. Every time Brakk kills or assists in a kill of a Tank, he gains 5% increased health.
Explanation: Mutation is one of the premier reasons I wanted to make Brakk. I wanted to capture the feeling of evolution and adaptation, and one of the key factors in that is a greater choice of the player on the types of talents they want to chose, surgically increasing the strength of Brakk as he continues to grow stronger and stronger.
Devouring Leap
Q (12 sec Cooldown)
Brakk leaps to a target location, dealing 200 (+4% per level) damage to enemy heroes. If an enemy minion or mercenary was in the impact area and was below 40% health, it is instantly devoured, restoring 7.5% of Brakk’s maximum health and granting 50% increased experience. No matter how many enemies were devoured, Brakk always restores health equal to one. Every time Brakk kills or assists in a kill of a Ranged or Melee Assassin, the range of Devouring Leap increases by 5%.
Explanation: Devouring Leap combines two abilities from Dehaka in co-op into one, which offers to Brakk a number of benefits. It is an engage primarily, but it can also serve as a useful sustain tool and farming tool in lane.
Intimidating Roar
W (12 sec Cooldown)
Brakk howls, fearing all nearby enemies for .5 seconds before reducing their attack speed by 40% for 3 seconds. The first time Brakk basic attacks an enemy effected, they are feared again for .75 seconds. Every time Brakk kills or assists in a kill of a Support or Healer, the attack speed reduction is increased by 1% (maxing at 90%).
Explanation: Intimidating Roar offers Brakk a useful defensive tool that doubles as a disruption tool, able to selectively disable an enemy while protecting himself against character that prioritize basic attacks.
Thrash
E (12 sec Cooldown)
Brakk charges 3 units in a target direction. If Brakk hits an enemy Hero, he grabs them and tumbles with them for 1.5 units, and then slams them on the ground, stunning them for 1 second as he stares them down. The enemy is dealt 305 (+4% per level) damage when he hits them. Every time Brakk kills or assists in a kill of a Bruiser, he gains 1 Armor while pinning the enemy down.
Explanation: Thrash is a more unique skill that focuses on pure disruption. This can be a very powerful tool to selectively kill a single enemy. It is important to note that Brakk is also unable to take actions while pinning the enemy down for the duration.
Rampage
Heroic #1 (60 sec CD)
Brakk starts to rampage, channeling in place for up to 3 seconds. Every .5 seconds Brakk channels, he slams the ground, sending a shockwave around him which deals 55 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies hit and slowing them by 20% for .5 seconds, as well as shifting them .75 units to the side of the direction they were moving. If an enemy is hit by the first five shockwaves, the last one stuns them for 1.25 seconds. In addition, Brakk gains 50 Armor while Rampaging.
Explanation: Rampage offers Brakk some massive area disruption with a brand new form of disruption. Using Rampage, Brakk can shut down an area, and the increased Armor will help him survive. Rampage is particularly prone to CC, however.
Primal Wurms
Heroic #2 (75 sec Cooldown)
Brakk calls up three Primal Wurms at a target location in a triangular formation, each Wurm 4 units away from the other. Primal Wurms have 600 (+4% per level) health and spit acid at the nearest enemy, dealing 22 (+4% per level) damage and reducing their armor by 5 for 4 seconds (up to -25). Each Primal Wurm can target its own enemy and has its own health and range (being 5.5 units). Primal Wurms last for up to 8 seconds.
Explanation: Primal Wurms offers Brakk a damage option as opposed to a disruption option. The Primal Wurms can quickly reduce several enemies to the armor minimum, and put out large damage. They can be killed with heavy AoE damage, however.
Tier 1
• Need to Evolve: For every Evolution talent Brakk chooses, he gains 5 Armor against the last attack type he received (either physical or spell). In addition, he gains 1 Attack Damage each time he kills an Assassin, 1.5% increased maximum health if he kills a warrior, 4% health and mana regen if he kills a support, and 1% movement speed if he kills a Specialist.
• Hunting Drive: For every Hunter talent Brakk chooses, his basic attack’s slow enemies hit by 4% for 2 seconds. In addition, Brakk deals 1% increased damage for each 1% maximum health an enemy has less than him.
• Survival Instincts: For every Survivalist talent Brakk chooses, he gains a shield equal to 3% of his maximum health when he takes 20% of his health in damage within 8 seconds. In addition, Brakk becomes Unstoppable when he falls below 10% health.
• Apex Predator: For every Apex talent Brakk chooses, his abilities’ cooldowns are decreased by 8% every time he basic attacks a stunned, rooted, silenced, slowed, or feared enemy. In addition, applying any of those effects increases Brakk’s damage dealt by 50% for 3 seconds.
Tier 2
• Expansive Diet: [Evolution] Every time Thrash hits an enemy it didn’t hit with the last Thrash, it deals 20% increased damage and has a 1.5 second reduced cooldown.
• Dominate the Vulnerable: [Hunter] Brakk’s basic attacks no longer fear enemies affected by Intimidating Roar, but stun them and deal 20% increased damage.
• Keen Senses: [Survivalist] Brakk’s sight radius is increased by 15%, and he can see through bushes. Brakk can also see stealthed units within 4 radius.
• Feast on the Weak: [Apex] Devouring Leap’s cooldown is reduced by 30% and refunds its mana cost if Brakk devoured at least three minions or mercenaries.
Tier 3
• What Doesn’t Kill: [Evolution] When Brakk is brought below 10% health and doesn’t die for 6 seconds, he heals by 15% of his maximum health every second for 5 seconds. This has a 75 second cooldown, permanently reduced by 2 seconds every time the healing finishes its entire amount, to a minimum of 45 second cooldown.
• Swallow Whole: [Hunter] Devouring Leap can now devour enemy Heroes under 12% health, instantly healing Brakk for their remaining health and executing them.
• Speechless Fright: [Survivalist] If an enemy affected by Intimidating Roar cast an ability, they will be silenced for the remaining duration.
• Zerus Regeneration: [Apex] Brakk emits a healing aura that restores 5 (+4% per level) health to all nearby allies every 1 second.
Tier 4
• Rampage: Brakk starts to rampage, channeling in place for up to 3 seconds. Every .5 seconds Brakk channels, he slams the ground, sending a shockwave around him which deals 55 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies hit and slowing them by 20% for .5 seconds, as well as shifting them .75 units to the side of the direction they were moving. If an enemy is hit by the first five shockwaves, the last one stuns them for 1.25 seconds. In addition, Brakk gains 50 Armor while Rampaging.
• Primal Wurms: Brakk calls up three Primal Wurms at a target location in a triangular formation, each Wurm 4 units away from the other. Primal Wurms have 600 (+4% per level) health and spit acid at the nearest enemy, dealing 22 (+4% per level) damage and reducing their armor by 5 for 4 seconds (up to -25). Each Primal Wurm can target its own enemy and has its own health and range (being 5.5 units). Primal Wurms last for up to 8 seconds.
Tier 5
• Cowering Insects: [Evolution] Intimidating Roar removes all armor enemies hit have, and further reduces it by 10 while enemies are feared.
• Barrage of Spikes: [Hunter] Every 3 seconds, Brakk unleashes a barrage of spikes around him which deals 73 (+4% per level) damage.
• Challenge: [Survivalist] Brakk gains 4 Armor for every enemy Hero he hits with Leap, up to 20, for 3 seconds.
• Drag Prey: [Apex] Thrash’s charge distance and knockback distance are increased by 20%, and Brakk continues to drag the enemy in the direction charged for 1 second at 25% speed.
Tier 6
• Vital Reaction: [Evolution] When Devouring Leap is used, its cooldown is reduced by up to 5, depending on the amount of enemy Heroes not hit. In addition, for each enemy Hero hit, the next Devouring Leap deals 25% increased damage, up to 125%.
• Crushing Claw: [Hunter] At the end of Thrash, the enemy is dealt 100 (+4% per level) damage, plus 2.5% per missing health the enemy has.
• Chitinous Plating: [Survivalist] Brakk gains a passive 20 Armor, which is reduced by 4 for each 20% health Brakk is missing.
• Tyrant’s Protection: [Apex] Intimidating Roar increases all nearby allies’ armor by 20 for 3 seconds. This does not affect Brakk.
Tier 7
• Rolling Thunder: Brakk can now move while channeling Rampage at 50% speed, and every time an enemy is shifted slightly, it is shifted diagonally away from the direction its moving.
• Acid Streams: Brakk can activate Primal Wurms again on an enemy to have the nearest Primal Wurm channel acid into, dealing 77 (+4% per level) damage every second and temporarily allowing negative armor effects to stack on that enemy. The Primal Wurm will continue channeling for as long as the enemy remains in range, and each Primal Wurm can use an Acid Stream on a different enemy.
• Mammoth Breath: Brakk’s basic attack becomes ranged, dealing 25% of the damage every .25 seconds with a 6 range.
• Pack Leader: [QUEST!] Reach level 22. [Reward] Brakk gains 20% more size and health, as well as being able to chose another level 1 talent.