Maghda, the Leader of the Coven and the Merciless Witch has had quite a diverging reception. Some look at her as a cool boss, some think she was a poorly thought out character. Regardless of her questionable story implications, she is still one of the big and memorable bosses in Diablo III, and has a unique look and unique feel. I wanted to capture her disregard for the life of her followers.
In HotS, Maghda is a summoner support who focuses on keeping a single ally alive by dealing damage. She brings moderate disruption to her team, and literally rips the life from her allied units to heal her allied heroes.
Universe: Diablo
Role: Healer
Moth Wings
Z (Mount) – 4 Second CD
Increases your movement speed by 15%, and Maghda ignores unit collision. After casting an ability, Maghda instead gains 30% increased movement speed for 2 seconds.
Explanation: Maghda shouldn’t mount around, as she flies everywhere using her moths. I decided to add in the movement boost after casting an ability to make it feel more unique than other similar mounts.
Sinful Devotion
Trait (Passive-ish)
Maghda chooses an allied hero as a figure of worship at the start of the game, and then she can use this to choose a new one when that ally dies. While near that ally, Maghda gains 25% increased ability power. 65% of the damage she deals to enemy heroes (15% of damage dealt to all other enemies) heals the ally, no matter where the ally is.
Explanation: Sinful Devotion is where the core of her gameplay comes from. She must choose a lord to worship, and cannot change it until that lord dies. This choice defines how Maghda will impact the game. She offers great benefits to this singular ally, healing them continually as she deals damage to the enemy team, and gaining bonus power (and therefore bonus healing) while near that ally. This is similar to Whitemane’s trait, but it is passive, global, and only applies to a single ally.
Swarm of Flies
Q (8 sec Cooldown)
Maghda calls forth a swarm of flies at a 1 unit radius area location within 6 units that deals 30 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies hit every .25 seconds for 3 seconds. If Maghda holds down the ability on cast, the swarm’s radius will grow by 100 every .25 seconds spent holding (up to 1 second), but its duration decreases by .5 seconds per .25 seconds expanding. All enemies in the swarm are blinded.
Explanation: Swarm of Flies has never really been explored in a MOBA to my knowledge, and I thought this level of control over her abilities made sense for Maghda. When using this, she must decide whether she wants a bigger area, or a longer lasting effect, so correct use is key. For clickers, this is how long they hold down the mouse. For keyboard users, this is how long they hold down the key.
Vessel of Chaos
W (14 sec Cooldown)
Maghda summons a dark cultist at a target location within 5 units that appears after .5 seconds, then channels dark magic into enemies, dealing 15 (+4% per level) damage every .25 seconds and slowing them by 25%. If no enemy is nearby, the Dark Cultist will push down the nearest lane. The Dark Cultist has 400 (+4% per level) health, and prioritizes heroes.
Explanation: Supports don’t really summon, but Maghda is based around it. Her Dark Cultists are more for the slowing effect than the damage, but the damage will send a steady stream of healing into your worshipped ally none the less.
Flesh to Flesh
E (6 sec Cooldown)
Maghda rips life essence out of an allied minion or Dark Cultist within 6 units, dealing 50% of their current health in damage and healing the nearest allied Hero within a 8 units range for the 150% of the amount. Cannot be used if no damaged ally is nearby.
Explanation: I was worried about this ability, and I know it is already kind of claimed by people lie Tosh, but I thought it fit too perfectly to not add. This is her core way to heal her non-worshipped allies. You can heal up your allies be consuming the life essence of your minions or Dark Cultists. It is important to note that the damage dealt to the minions heals the worshipped ally, and the healing given to the nearby allied hero it based on the current health of the minion, so using this on high health minions will elicit the best results. Maghda cannot kill allied units with this.
Dark Berserker
Heroic #1 (60 sec CD)
Maghda summons a Dark Berserker at a target location within 5 units that will apply a curse to all nearby enemies in a 4 unit radius around its summon point, decreasing their movement speed and healing received by 25% for 4 seconds. It will then follow Maghda and attack nearby enemies, prioritizing enemy heroes, dealing 65 (+4% per level) damage every .1.25 seconds. The Dark Berserker has 900 (+4% per level) health, and can be targeted by Flesh to Flesh. The Dark Berserker regenerates 10% of its maximum health every .5 seconds after not attacking enemies or being attacked for 5 seconds. The cooldown continues to tick down while the Dark Berserker is active, but only one Dark Berserker may be active at a time. Reuse the ability to direct the Dark Berserker to a new location, though it must remain within 10 units of Maghda.
Explanation: The Dark Berserker is a powerful summon that can quickly turn a fight in Maghda’s favor, with moderate damage, health, and disruption. It also serves as a pretty much ever-constant source of healing for allies as she uses Flesh to Flesh on it.
Visage of Deception
Heroic #2 (45 sec Cooldown)
Maghda starts to channel in place as she projects her visage to a target location within 35 units. While projecting, the area around her projection is revealed, and she can cast abilities from her projection’s location. Her projection cannot be damaged, but while channeling her body can be damaged. Disabling her body interrupts the effects. Maghda can activate the ability again to end it.
Explanation: Visage of Deception grants Maghda a safe pseudo-global presence, allowing her to assist allies and damage enemies from far away, without needing to leave her own lane or objective. This heroic offers Maghda a unique way to influence the battlefield.
Tier 1
• Donate Power: Maghda now grants her worshipped ally 20% bonus Ability Power while not near them, decreasing her ability power by 5%.
• Moth Dust: Maghda grants her worshipped ally 15% increased movement speed for 2 second whenever she cast an ability. Moth Wings’ movement speed increase is increased in duration to 2 seconds.
• Chosen Speaker: Increases the bonus ability power Maghda receives by being near her worshipped ally from 25% to 40%, and 25% of the damage that ally deals heals Maghda.
Tier 2
• Gathered Swarm: Every .5 seconds the Swarm of Flies is not being expanded, its cooldown decreases by .5 seconds.
• Fleshworms: Flesh to Flesh infects the allied minion or monster with maggots for 5 seconds. If that minion or monster dies while infected, an untalented Swarm of Flies is cast, which cannot be expanded and lasts for 50% the duration.
• Feywing Flight: Increases the movement speed bonus of Moth WIngs by 100% (from 15% bonus to 30% bonus).
Tier 3
• Devouring Insects: Maghda is healed by 40% of the damage Swarm of Flies deals.
• Chaos-Bound: Increases the damage Dark Cultists deal by 50%, and they are healed by 50% of the damage that they deal.
• Sacrificial Lamb: Flesh to Flesh can be used on enemy minions and mercenaries, still healing nearby allied heroes. If Flesh to Flesh is used on an allied minion or mercenary, it heals that ally for the damage dealt after 4 seconds.
Tier 4
• Dark Berserker: Maghda summons a Dark Berserker at a target location that will follow Maghda and attack nearby enemies, prioritizing enemy heroes. The Dark Berserker has very large health, and deals medium damage. The Dark Berserker rapidly regenerates health when not attacking enemies.
• Visage of Deception: Maghda starts to channel in place as she projects her visage to a target location anywhere on the map. While projecting, the area around her projection is revealed, and she can cast abilities from her projection’s location. Her projection cannot be damaged, but while channeling her body can be damaged. Disabling her body interrupts the effects. Maghda can activate the ability again to end it.
Tier 5
• Choking Swarm: Enemies inside the Swarm of Flies are also silenced.
• Dark Thralls: When a Dark Cultist is initially killed, it will revive as a Dark Thrall, which will chase down the nearest enemy hero at high speeds, dealing melee damage as it attacks them. The Dark Thrall loses 20% of its maximum health every second it is active. When it dies, it stuns all enemies in a 2 unit radius for .75 seconds.
• Binding Ritual: Increases the slow of Dark Cultists on enemies inside a Swarm of Flies from 20% to 45%.
Tier 6
• Insect Plague: Every time an enemy is damaged by Swarm of Flies, they gain a stacking damage over time effect equal to 25% of the damage dealt that lasts for 3 seconds, refreshing with each new application.
• Mass Sacrifice: Flesh to Flesh is now a small area targetor, and deals 25% of each minions health as damage to them, healing nearby allies, prioritizing lowest health allies.
• The Coven Beckons: Vessel of Chaos has two charges.
Tier 7
• Unholy Blessing: Dark Berserkers have 50% increased health, and the first time they reach 50% health, they rapidly heal 100% of their health over 5 seconds.
• Reach of Deception: Visage of Deception is now global range.
• Pantheon of Hell: Maghda can switch her worshipped ally at will, and can choose two allies to worship.
• Lies Behind Lies: Maghda can send forth a clone of her down a lane, which basic attacks and acts like her. Upon first being attacked, the clone dissipates and summons a Dark Cultist. This is an activated ability, and has a 45 second Cooldown.