Highlord Darion Mograine is an iconic faction leader and legendary character throughout World of Warcraft, having a continual role in the game both of old and modern. Son of the original Ashbringer, Darion played a critical role in Arthas’s defeat, and quickly became the iconic death knight character. It would be powerful to see the character come to Heroes of the Storm, offering players a new way to play a Death Knight once again.
In HotS, Darion is an incredibly complex bruiser who must manage his runes and runic power in order to dominate his enemies. While Darion does have many tools in his toolkit, he must choose which tools to use at which times, and the player can choose to be hard to kill, output high single target damage, or devastate a group of enemies over time. Darion does require good timing, as his total output requires a continual fighting presence to be effective. Darion also brings a DoT damage bruiser into the game.
Universe: Warcraft
Role: Bruiser
Summon Mount
Z (Mount) – 4 sec Cooldown
Increases your movement speed by 30% while mounted.
Explanation: There is no need for a special mount.
Runic Might
Trait (5 sec Cooldown)
(Active) Darion uses Runic Power as his secondary resource, as well as 6 runes; 2 blood, 2 frost, and 2 unholy. Each rune can be consumed by his abilities, and will recover individually 8 seconds after it is consumed. Darion generates 5 Runic Power every time he deals damage with his basic attack.(Active) Darion fires a death coil in a target 6 unit direction that explodes on an enemy, dealing 180 (+4% per level) damage to that enemy. This costs 40 Runic Power.
Explanation: Runic Might is the entire Death Knight unique resource system from WoW baked into his kit, and defines the character. Many players will be able to recognize the rune system, and though it makes him an incredibly complex character, it will allows skilled players to have a blast with their toolkit.
Blood Tap
1 (8 sec Cooldown)
Darion converts up to two of his active runes to Death Runes (which count as any rune) and sets all of his abilities on cooldown.
Explanation: Blood Tap was a necessary secondary ability in order to allow Darion players to effectively access all 6 of their abilities as they need or want. This gives the Darion player a dynamic way to access his rune spenders in times of need.
Pestilence
Q (4 sec Cooldown)
Darion consumes 1 Unholy and 1 Blood Rune to cause a burst of pestilence at a target 1 unit radius area after .65 seconds, infecting all enemies hit with Necrotic Plague for 8 seconds. Necrotic Plague deals 12 (+4% per level) damage every second, which increases by 2 (+4% per level) damage every tick. Every time an enemy is dealt damage by one of Darion’s other abilities, the duration of Necrotic Plague is increased by 2 seconds. While on cooldown or when Darion does not have an Unholy Rune, this ability changes to Blood Boil. Every time Pestilence ticks on an enemy, Darion generates 1 Runic Power.
Explanation: Pestilence is the core of Darion’s damage dealing, and the main representation of unholy in his kit. Necrotic Plague was something players enjoyed back in Warlords of Draenor, and so I thought it would be an interesting way to simplify the DK DoTs as well as make them more unique in HotS.
Blood Boil
Q (1 sec Cooldown)
Darion consumes 1 Blood Rune to deal 143 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies within 4 units of Darion. Darion is healed by 25% of the damage this deals. This generates 2 Runic Power per enemy hit, increased to 5 per hero hit.
Explanation: Blood Boil is the blood rune spender, giving Darion more damage and sustain if he needs it.
Icebound Fortitude
W (4 sec Cooldown)
Darion consumes 1 Frost and 1 Blood Rune to grant him 15 Armor for 4 seconds and reduce the duration of disabling effects of him by 25% while active. While on cooldown or when Darion does not have a Blood Rune, this is replaced with Frost Touch.
Explanation: Icebound Fortitude gives Darion some much needed survivability, and since he needs to be casting his abilities often to make him effective, the disable reduction works nicely on him.
Frost Touch
W (1 sec Cooldown)
Darion consumes 1 Frost Rune to call down icy death on a target 1 unit location within 5.5 units after a .35 second delay, dealing 170 (+4% per level) damage and slowing any enemy hit by 40% for 1 second. This generates 10 Runic Power if it hits an enemy hero.
Explanation: Frost Touch is Darion’s frost rune spender, offering ranged damage as well as a powerful slow effect if he needs to catch an enemy.
Festering Strike
E (4 sec Cooldown)
Darion consumes 1 Unholy and 1 Frost Rune and empowers his next basic attack to deal 220 (+4% per level) bonus damage and generate 20 Runic Power. If the enemy has Necrotic Plague, refresh a random inactive rune as a Death Rune (counts as any rune). While on cooldown, or when Darion does not have 1 Frost Rune, this ability changes to Scourge Strike.
Explanation: Festering Strike is Darion’s main rune refresher, and can output moderate damage on its own.
Scourge Strike
E (1 sec Cooldown)
Darion consumes 1 Unholy Rune and empowers his next basic attack to deal 124 (+4% per level) bonus damage and generate 20 Runic Power. If the enemy has Necrotic Plague, this deals bonus damage equal to twice the enemy’s current bonus Necrotic Plague damage.
Explanation: Scourge Strike is Darion’s unholy rune spender and main secondary damage dealer ability, able to combo well with Necrotic Plague to deal high burst damage.
Gargoyle
Heroic #1 (60 sec Cooldown)
Darion consumes all remaining Runic Power to summon a Gargoyle at a target location that will attack the lowest health enemy within 6 range of it’s spawning zone every second for 15 seconds with a 5.5 ranged attack, dealing 48 (+4% per level) damage. The Gargoyle will deal 1% increased damage for every Runic Power spent. The Gargoyle can increase the duration of Necrotic Plague by 1 second with each attack. The Gargoyle has 600 (+4% per level) health.
Explanation: Summon Gargoyle has been with Death Knights for a long time, and considering the lack of runic power spenders in his natural kit, it seemed perfect to bring in this iconic ability. While the gargoyle has low health, it can be used to output moderate damage and increase Necrotic Plague upkeep on enemies.
Empower Rune Weapon
Heroic #2 (60 sec Cooldown)
Darion unleashes the power of his runic weapon, causing his basic attack for the next 6 seconds to refresh a random inactive rune and generate double Runic Power.
Explanation: Empower Rune Weapon increases Darion’s uptime and can serve as a powerful teamfight cooldown if he can land his basic attacks, refreshing his abilities continually and making him much more powerful in general.
Tier 1
• Blood Stance: Darion is healed for 15% of the damage he deals to Heroes, and his basic attacks deal 10% increased damage.
• Frost Stance: Darion gains a permanent 10 Armor (which stacks with other Armor effects) and his abilities deal 20% increased damage against enemies who are slowed, rooted, or stunned.
• Unholy Stance: Every time Darion uses an ability. All inactive runes have their remaining cooldown reduced by 1 second. Darion has 15% increased attack speed.
Tier 2
• Plague Leech: If Darion hits an enemy with Necrotic Plague with Festering Strike or Scourge Strike, it is consumed on the enemy to restore 1 Unholy and 1 Blood Rune, and refresh the cooldown of Pestilence. In addition, the next Pestilence will have a 100% increased radius and start with 3 stacks of Necrotic Plague.
• Virulence: Every 4 seconds Necrotic Blight persists on an enemy, it will spread to all other enemies within 3 units of that enemy at its current damage value.
• Outbreak: If Blood Boil hits an enemy with Necrotic Blight, it will spread to all enemies hit by Blood Boil at its base damage value.
Tier 3
• Blood Mastery: Blood Boil and Pestilence heal Darion for an additional 15% of the damage they deal, and Icebound Fortitude grants Darion a 100 (+4% per level) health shield for 4 seconds.
• Frost Mastery: Frost Touch’s slow now lasts for an additional second, but the slow cannot stack. Icebound Fortitude reduces the duration of disabling effects by 40% instead of 25%, and festing Strike now refreshes an additional Death Rune if it hits a slowed, stunned, or rooted enemy.
• Unholy Mastery: Necrotic Plague deals 25% increased damage, Festering Strike adds 3 stacks of Necrotic Plague to enemies who have it, and Scourge Strike adds 4 seconds instead of 2 to Necrotic Plague’s duration.
Tier 4
• Gargoyle: Darion consumes all remaining Runic Power to summon a Gargoyle at a target location that will attack the lowest health enemy within 6 range of it’s spawning zone every second for 15 seconds with a 5.5 ranged attack, dealing 48 (+4% per level) damage. The Gargoyle will deal 1% increased damage for every Runic Power spent. The Gargoyle can increase the duration of Necrotic Plague by 1 second with each attack.
• Empower Rune Weapon: Darion unleashes the power of his runic weapon, causing his basic attack for the next 6 seconds to refresh a random inactive rune and generate double Runic Power.
Tier 5
• On a Pale Horse: Darion’s mounted speed is increased by 15%. After exiting his mount, he retains this effects for 4 seconds.
• Ebon Walk: Darion cleanses himself of all slow effects and gains 20% increased movement speed while under the effects of Icebound Fortitude.
• Chains of Ice: Frost Touch deals 50% reduced damage, but its slow amount is increased to 75%.
Tier 6
• Dark Fervor: Runic Might’s active effect grants Darion 20% increased damage dealt for 5 seconds, which can stack up to 2 times.
• Curse of Heigan: Runic Might’s active effect refunds 20 Runic Power if it hits an enemy with at least 10 stacks of Necrotic Plague.
• Pandemic: Runic Might’s active effect explodes on hitting an enemy with Necrotic Plague, dealing the damage to all surrounding enemies as well as twice the current damage of Necrotic Plague.
Tier 7
• Ebon Plaguebearer: Every time the Gargoyle attacks an enemy, it is applied with Ebon fever for 3 seconds, dealing 8 (+4% per level) damage every second. Ebon Fever can stack up to 8 times. Ebon Fever deals 50% increased damage if the enemy also has Necrotic Plague.
• Runic Empowerment: Every time an active rune is refreshed with Empower Rune Weapon, it is refreshed as a Death Rune (which counts as any Rune).
• Soul Reaper: If an enemy dies from Necrotic Blight, Festering Strike, or Scourge Strike, all of Darion’s runes are refreshed and are converted to Death Runes (count as every Rune).
• Deathlord: Blood Tap now refreshes inactive runes and converts them to Death Runes instead of converting active runes to Death Runes.