This post was being worked on before the game was pronounced discontinued. I am finishing it more for myself than anything else.
Ariel Hanson was a prominent member of Raynor’s crew during Wings of Liberty, and became a fan favorite over her divergent decision paths you could take during the campaign. On one hand, she could be a genius scientist that masters the zerg infestation and invents a cure for it. On the other, she rushes her science and becomes an infested herself, eventually being put down by Raynor. While the former is the “canon” translation, I thought a high throughput healer that the enemies could pressure to become an assassin would be incredibly interesting to design around.
In HotS, Hanson is an aggressive healer that can output large amounts of healing and utility for teams that are actively fighting enemies. However, her healing is experimental, and as she heals herself, she slowly becomes infested, eventually losing her healing capabilities and turning into a fast, aggressive melee assassin.
Universe: Starcraft
Role: Healer
Summon Mount
Z (Mount) – 4 sec Cooldown
Increases your movement speed by 30% while mounted.
Explanation: There is no need for a special mount.
Experimental Infestation
Trait (Passive)
Hanson does not use mana. Instead, she has an Infection bar that starts at 0 and maxes at 100. Several of Hanson’s abilities generate Infection. When Hanson’s Infection bar reaches 100, she transforms into an Infested, changing her abilities, which rapidly consumes Infection (5 every second) until she reaches 0, where she will be returned to her base form. While an Infested, Hanson gains 15% increased movement speed but permanently has her physical armor reduced by 15.
Explanation: Consumption is incredibly core to Tosh as a character, but I don’t feel comfortable introducing a way for Tosh to quickly damage his own allied units or even kill them. I decided this would be an interesting ability while also fitting the source material. Partial credit to Labreris for his assistance concepting this.
Metabolic Mutagen
Q (8 sec Cooldown)
Hanson infects an allied Hero or herself with an experimental mutagen that heals them for 450 (+4% per level) health over 30 seconds (in .5 seconds intervals). The target can perform certain actions to remove some healing duration and instantly apply it. Every 1 unit walked applies .5 seconds, every basic attack applies 2 seconds, and every ability cast applies 4 seconds.While Hanson is affected herself, every second the healing is active, she gains 2 Infection.
Explanation: Lady Blaumeux provides the horsemen with speed and disruption. She makes the horsemen a bit faster, allowing them to escape and catch enemies a bit better, and her void zone makes for a good ability to trap enemies for AoE’s.
Reprogrammed Parasite
W (14 sec Cooldown)
Hanson connects herself to an allied hero within 5 units for 1 second (breaking if they move more than 8 units from each other). Afterwards, all debuffs that were on the allied Hero are transferred to Hanson. Hanson can reactivate this ability within 1 second of the transfer to remove all debuffs from herself (even while disabled), generating 5 Infection for each effect removed.
Explanation: Thane Korth’azz provides a damage increase aura that dramatically boosts the damage of the horsemen, as well as offers large damage that is conditional to how many enemies are stacked up. The key is to use it when there are no enemies nearby to split the damage with.
Sedation Drone
E (10 sec Cooldown)
Hanson calls in a sedation drone to drop-pod to a target location within 7 units after a .5 second delay. After arriving, the drone releases gas within a 4 unit radius area of it. Any enemy in the area is slowed by 10% for 2 seconds, stacking every .5 seconds in the area. If they reach 4 stacks, they are instead put to Sleep for 2 seconds. The drone remains for 3 seconds before failing.
Explanation: Sir Zeliak provides the recovery, making sustained damage dealers have much more trouble with the horseman. His full heal can be very potent, allowing one horseman to pester an enemy with relative disregard.
Hunting Drive (Infested)
Q (8 sec Cooldown)
Hanson leaps quickly in a resizable target direction (2-6 units). If she impacts terrain, she clings to it for up to 1 second, and can recast the ability during this time. If she hits an enemy, she slows them by 25% for 1 second and deals 200 (+4% per level) damage. If she jumps off of terrain, her Infection is reduced by 10.
Explanation: Lady Blaumeux provides the horsemen with speed and disruption. She makes the horsemen a bit faster, allowing them to escape and catch enemies a bit better, and her void zone makes for a good ability to trap enemies for AoE’s.
Deranged Sweep (Infested)
W (14 sec Cooldown)
Hanson sweeps in a 1 unit wide, 5 unit long area centered on herself, dragging towards a target direction. Any enemy she hits is dragged along to the end of the area, and if the enemy was slowed by Hunting Drive, the slow is increased by 20% and its duration by 1 second.
Explanation: Thane Korth’azz provides a damage increase aura that dramatically boosts the damage of the horsemen, as well as offers large damage that is conditional to how many enemies are stacked up. The key is to use it when there are no enemies nearby to split the damage with.
Crazed Thrash
E (2 sec Cooldown)
Hanson sweeps in a 2 unit radius around her, dealing 140 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies hit and removing 10 Infection. Each use of Crazed Thrash costs 5% of Hanson’s current health.
Explanation: Sir Zeliak provides the recovery, making sustained damage dealers have much more trouble with the horseman. His full heal can be very potent, allowing one horseman to pester an enemy with relative disregard.
Safe Haven
Heroic #1 (80 sec Cooldown)
Hanson summons a 6 unit wide wall at a target location within 8 units that remains for up to 5 seconds. The wall prevents all Heroes from crossing through it, even with mobility moves, and it stops all projectiles from passing through it as well. Each time any ability or basic attack hits the wall, it will be shifted .25 units either forward or backwards, depending on the direction the projectile or ability was going.
Explanation: Ride On! Is a very potent playmaking tool, carrying with it the ability to instantly group up your Horsemen and engage on an enemy. The slow and damage can shock an enemy when used suddenly. Using one Horseman as a bait and then unleashing the entire force upon an enemy can suddenly overwhelm an enemy.
Uncontrollable Bioform
Heroic #2 (90 sec Cooldown)
Hanson infects an allied or enemy Hero with a Bioform for 2 seconds, either healing or dealing 50 (+4% per level) damage every .5 seconds. Afterwards, the Bioform will leap to the nearest enemy or allied Hero within 6 units, applying the effects as well and immunizing the target it left for the remaining duration of the Bioform. Hanson can never be immunized and every time it leaps into her, it grants her 25 Infection instantly.
Explanation: Mark of the Horsemen gravely prioritizes sticking together, giving the horsemen a massive damage boost as long as they stick together. By choosing damage, your soaking ability and map mobility is greatly diminished.
Tier 1
• Immunological Savant: If Hanson has not been damaged by an enemy Hero within the last 5 seconds, she starts to lose 2 Infection every second.
• Comorbidity: Metabolic Mutagen no longer grants Infection to Hanson for the first 5 seconds. However, after the first 5 seconds, the Infection amount granted is doubled.
• Antibody Transfusion: If Sedation Drone successfully puts an enemy Hero to Sleep, it will then return to Hanson and reduce her current Infection by 15.
Tier 2
• Healthy Carrier: Hanson is healed by 10 (+4% per level) health every second. When an allied Hero within 5 units falls below 50% health, they will be applied with an untalented Metabolic Mutagen that heals for 50% more and has 50% the duration. This has a 20 second cooldown.
• Local Anesthesia: Allied heroes in the area of Sedation Drone take 50% reduced damage. 50% of the prevented damage is dealt over 6 seconds.
• Patient Zero: When Hanson reaches maximum Infection, she applies an untalented Metabolic Mutagen to all allied heroes within 7 units of her, including herself. Her first Crazed Thrash each time she transforms into an Infested applies an untalented Metabolic Mutagen to allied Heroes that do not have it.
Tier 3
• Incubation Cycle: While not Infested, Hanson’s cooldowns are reduced by 25%, but generate 50% increased Infection. While an Infested, Hanson deals 20% increased damage and her abilities remove 50% increased Infection, but she loses 1% of her maximum health every second.
• Calcifying Agent: Allied heroes affected by Metabolic Mutagen gain 5 armor for every 6 seconds of healing that has been applied. While Hanson is Infested, Hunting Drive deals 30% increased damage, and reduces enemy armor by 15 for 3 seconds.
• Vitals Transplant: When Reprogrammed Parasite ends, the linked Hero with more health is dealt 5% of their maximum health in damage, and the linked Hero with less health is healed for 200% of this amount. While Infested, Deranged Sweep heals Hanson by 60 (+4% per level) for each enemy hit.
Tier 4
• Safe Haven: Hanson summons a 6 unit wide wall at a target location within 8 units that remains for up to 5 seconds. The wall prevents all Heroes from crossing through it, even with mobility moves, and it stops all projectiles from passing through it as well. Each time any ability or basic attack hits the wall, it will be shifted .25 units either forward or backwards, depending on the direction the projectile or ability was going.
• Uncontrollable Bioform: Hanson infects an allied or enemy Hero with a Bioform for 2 seconds, either healing or dealing 50 (+4% per level) damage every .5 seconds. Afterwards, the Bioform will leap to the nearest enemy or allied Hero within 6 units, applying the effects as well and immunizing the target it left for the remaining duration of the Bioform. Hanson can never be immunized and every time it leaps into her, it grants her 25 Infection instantly.
Tier 5
• Emergent Symptoms: While above 50% Infection but not Infested, Hanson gains 40% increased attack speed and gains 10% increased movement speed. In addition, her basic attacks deal an additional 25% increased damage, which is increased to 40% while Infested.
• Death Pulse: All allied heroes that have Metabolic Mutagen on them deal 8 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies within 4 units of them. When an allied hero within 7 units of her kills an enemy Hero, they are instantly applied with an untalented Metabolic Mutagen.
• Selective Re-infection: Hanson can now use Reprogrammed Parasite targeting her Sedation Drone, even while disabled, instantly removing all negative effects on her. If the link remains its full duration, all enemies in the Sedation Drone area will be applied with all negative effects.
Tier 6
• Biotic Stimulant: While Infested, Hanson’s healing dealt is increased by 50%, and she consumes 5 more Infection every second. When Hanson reaches 10 Infection while Infested, all allied heroes with Metabolic Mutagen active are healed for 400 (+4% per level) health.
• Emergent Medications: When a Metabolic Mutagen expires, all of Hanson’s cooldowns are decreased by 40%.
• Medical Relief Drone: Hanson now has a Relief Drone that follows her around. If Sedation Drone is on cooldown or Hanson is disabled, Hanson can activate it to send her Relief Drone in its place, which acts exactly as a normal Sedation Drone. Relief Drone lasts 100% longer than a normal Sedation Drone, can be activated while disabled, and has a 20 second cooldown.
Tier 7
• Haven’s Fall: Allied heroes within 4 units of Safe Haven gain 25% increased damage dealt and are healed by 20% more. Enemy heroes within 4 units of Safe Haven are slowed by 20% and have their Armor reduced by 25.
• Virulence: Uncontrollable Biomass now leaps to nearby enemies or allies after 1 second, but still continues to heal or damage over the full 2 seconds.
• Meinhoff Variant: Metabolic Mutagen has a 25% reduced cooldown. All talents that apply untalented Metabolic Mutagens now apply talented versions instead.
• Queen of the Infested: Hanson’s Infection bar is halved. While Infested, Hanson gains 10 Armor instead of losing Armor, becomes immune to slows and roots, and Crazed Thrash deals 50% increased damage.