[HC] Reno, Treasure Hunter

Reno Jackson is one of the most well known Hearthstone original characters, being a key part of the League of Explorers expansion and creating a well-beloved deck archetype that stretches to this day. Reno had a fun personality, and appeared in many places since.

In HotS, I wanted to bring out the style of a highly conditional support. The abilities all provided several benefits, but require a very specific style of play to bring out their maximum use. The full heal of his card makes its way into HotS as his trait.

Universe: Hearthstone
Role: Support

Summon Mount
Z (Mount) – 4 Second CD
Increases your movement speed by 30% while mounted.

Explanation: There is no need for a special mount.

Unstable Artifact
Trait (90 sec Cooldown)
(Passive) Every 3 seconds all basic abilities are off cooldown, Reno drops an artifact within 2 range of him which persists for 4 seconds. If an allied hero or Reno walks over the artifact, they are healed for 8% of their missing health.
(Active) After a 1.25 second channel, instantly heal an allied Hero within 5 range for 100% of their maximum health. This effect is reduced by 25% per allied Hero within 8 range of the target ally (Reno Jackson does not count). Reno cannot use this on himself. Every time Reno deals ability damage to an enemy Hero, the cooldown is reduced by 1 second.

Explanation: Unstable Artifact was an attempt on what it might look like to bring his card effect to life in HotS. While quite powerful, it can easily be diminished in a teamfight, and can be interrupted with its large channel. It is very similar to a Rehgar Ancestral Spirit.

Forgotten Torch
Q (3 sec Charge)
Reno throws a torch to a target .5 radius area within 6 units which deals 135 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies hit. In the next 1.5 seconds, Forgotten Torch becomes Roaring Torch, causing it to deal 310 (+4% per level) damage instead. If Roaring Torch is used, the cooldown is increased by 3 seconds. This has 2 charges.

Explanation: Reno Jackson makes a cameo on the Forgotten Torch card, and I wanted to bring its mechanic into the game as a conditional charge mechanic. If you want to maximize your over time effectiveness, you have to wait until the ability returns from Roaring Torch to Forgotten Torch. Roaring Torch offers far more burst damage and (when talented) utility, however. Several talents mention either Forgotten Torch or Roaring Torch. Note that they are different abilities.

Rolling Boulder
W (12 sec Cooldown)
A boulder falls at a target location within 7 units after .5 seconds, dealing 265 (+4% per level) damage to enemies hit and stunning them for 1 second, which then starts to roll towards Reno’s start location. Any enemy hit along the way is dealt damage and stunned for 1 second as well. The boulder rolls for 7 units past Reno’s start location, and if Reno is moving away from the Boulder in the area, he gains 20% increased movement speed.

Explanation: How can you have an Indiana Jones-type character without including a Rolling Boulder? The Rolling Boulder is included in his escape fight in the solo adventure, and I wanted to include it here to offer more disruption and some escape.

Heroism
E (12 sec Cooldown)
Reno grants both him and an ally 20 Armor for 4 seconds. Whenever Reno and his ally receive a combined 120 (+4% per level) damage, the armor value increases by 3. If Reno and his ally receive a total 600 (+4% per level) damage (35 Armor), the armor is removed and both Reno and his ally are healed by 275 (+4% per level) health.

Explanation: Heroism is one of his core abilities, and one of my favorites in the design. Very few supports grants simple armor boosts to allies, and I thought it would be interesting to have an ability that, at its core, granted armor instead of healing. The ability is at its best if you and your ally take enough damage to activate the healing (healing most of the damage you took to activate it, if you split the damage), emphasizing the conditional nature of Reno.

Djinn’s Lamp
Heroic #1 (60 sec Cooldown)
Reno calls upon the Djinn’s Lamp, granting him a wish based on which ability is used next. If his Q is used, all nearby allied Heroes gain 25% increased basic attack and spell damage for 5 seconds. If his W is used, all nearby allied Heroes gain 20% increased movement speed for 5 seconds. If his E is used, all nearby allied Heroes are healed by 65 (+4% per second) every .5 seconds for 5 seconds.

Explanation: Djinn’s Lamp offers a huge boost to your teamfighting presence depending on what your team needs at that moment. If healing is needed, use E. If you need more damage, use Q. If you need a quick escape or transition, use W. It is incredibly versatile.

Rod of the Sun
Heroic #2 (80 sec Cooldown)
Reno throws the Rod of the Sun to a target location, which channels its power into the nearest allied Hero with 6 range, granting them Protected and healing them by 40 (+4% per level) every .5 seconds. The Rod lasts for a total of 5 seconds.

Explanation: When I first set out to make Reno, I knew I needed Rod of the Sun, and it went through many incarnations. This one brings out the pair nature of Reno, and can be very effective depending on team coordination, cementing his conditional nature. I wanted it to feel different from Tyrael’s Sanctification.

Tier 1

• Light the Way: Forgotten Torch, when it does not hit an enemy, becomes an immobile torch for 20 seconds, revealing the area around it within 5 range. Torches can be walked over to be destroyed.
• Reckless Explorer: Rolling Boulder has a 3 second reduced cooldown, but now damages and stuns Reno. In addition, it moves 10% faster. If Heroism is active, Reno cannot be stunned by Rolling Boulder, but still takes damage.
• Dungeoneering Knowledge: Heroism provides an additional 30 Armor against mercenaries, and its duration is refreshed when he captures a mercenary camp.

Tier 2

• Kill It With Fire!: [QUEST!] Every time an enemy Hero is hit with Roaring Torch, the damage is increased by 10. All stacks are lost on death or missing a Roaring Torch. [Reward] Upon reaching 150 bonus damage, stacks can no longer be lost and the cooldown increase of using a Roaring Torch is reduced from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
• Rollout: [QUEST!] Every time an enemy is stunned by Rolling Boulder, the movement speed bonus of Rolling Boulder is increased by 1%, up to 20%. [Reward] After increasing the movement speed bonus by 20%, Rolling Boulder moves an additional 10% faster, and stuns enemies hit for .5 seconds longer.
• True Valor: [QUEST!] Every time an allied hero is healed by Heroism, the healing amount is increased by 5, up to 100. [Reward] Upon reaching 100 bonus healing, activating the heal no longer removes the armor benefit, and instead grants the full armor value for the remaining duration of Heroism.

Tier 3

• Phantom Flames: Enemies hit by Forgotten Torch are slowed by 20% for 2.5 seconds. Enemies hit by Roaring Torch while slowed are dealt 25% increased damage, removing the slow.
• Undaunted Bravery: Heroism reduces the duration of slows, roots, stuns, and fears on allies by 25%.
• Arcing Power: Unstable Artifact now creates a 5 unit radius area around the target which slows all enemies in the area by 75%, and reduced their damage dealt by 25%.

Tier 4

• Djinn’s Lamp: Reno calls upon the Djinn’s Lamp, granting him a wish based on which ability is used next. If his Q is used, all nearby allied Heroes gain 25% increased basic attack and spell damage for 5 seconds. If his W is used, all nearby allied Heroes gain 20% increased movement speed for 5 seconds. If his E is used, all nearby allied Heroes are healed by a medium amount every .5 seconds for 5 seconds.
• Rod of the Sun: Reno throws the Rod of the Sun to a target location, which prevents all allies in the area from falling below 1 health. All damage dealt to allies below 1 health in the area is instead stored in the Rod. After storing enough damage, the Rod becomes drained, stopping the effects and granting all nearby allies Protected for 1 second. The Rod lasts until destroyed, but the damage storage cap becomes 1 after 8 seconds.

Tier 5

• Abrasive Heat: Forgotten Torch reduces an enemy’s damage dealt by 20% for 2 seconds. Roaring Torch removes this debuff and instead pacifies the enemy for 1 second.
• Altered Passage: If Rolling Boulder hits terrain, it will redirect its direction along the hit terrain in the direction of Reno, and will continue rolling for the remaining length. In addition, the cast range and total rolling range is increased by 25%.
• Dynamic Duo: Heroism heals either Reno or the effected ally by 30% more, depending on who had the lower health.

Tier 6

• Explorer’s Boon: When Heroism is active and Forgotten Torch hits at least 1 enemy Hero, its duration is increased by 1 second.
• Secure Vessel: If Unstable Artifact is channeled on an ally effected by Heroism, that hero is granted an additional 10 armor and the healing reduction per nearby ally is reduced from 25% to 15%.
• Explorer’s League: All allies in between Reno and the ally effected by Heroism also are granted the armor bonus.

Tier 7

• Wish for More Wishes: Djinn’s Lamp now grants two wishes, based on your next two abilities used.
• Blessing of the Sun: The allied hero furthest from the Rod of the Sun that is still within the range is also granted the effects.
• Cast at the Darkness: Forgotten Torch has 2 additional charges, and hitting an enemy with a Forgotten Torch reduces the recharge cooldown by 1 second. Roaring Torch reduces the enemy’s armor by 15 for 2 seconds.
• Ghastly Gambit: (Activate) Reno takes a chance on an allies judgment, and uses an ethereal artifact to bind their lives, gaining 35 Armor while they remain alive. If they die, Reno dies as well. This lasts for 180 seconds and has a 180 second cooldown.

4 Likes

Its a good Build, having varied buffs and damage. Maybe not as advice, but a possibility, but i could see him being having his trait being buffed as Forgotten/Roaring Torch and being possibly being based on Basic Attacks in that way.

Some people pointed out that Reno needed a way to heal his allies out of heavy combat, at least somewhat. I debated how to tackle this issue, and have now added an additional passive trait to absolve this issue and make him more of a true healer.

1 Like