King Ymiron has been a recurring villain across world of warcraft, first appearing as the resurrected King of the Vrykul in Wrath of the Lich King. After his subscription to the Lich King’s plans, he was slain by adventures and ultimately has his soul claimed by Helya, being forever changed. I thought this thematic was really interesting, and wanted to take a crack at such an immortal character.
In HotS, Ymiron is a very unique aggressive warrior who has a single life at full power. After he dies, he is reduced to a weakened but more aggressive assassin for the remainder of the game. He combines a mix of utility and damage in his base kit to compliment both playstyles.
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.
Gift of Fallen Kings
Trait (Passive)
Ymiron gains permanent 15 Armor, and deals 20% increased basic attack damage. Every 2 minutes, Ymiron gains a bonus effects, up to 8 minutes. These effects last until death. Upon death, this trait is turned into Curse of Helya. At 2 minutes, his ability damage is increased by 20%. At 4 minutes, he gains 300% increased health regeneration. At 6 minutes, his ability cooldowns are decreased by 15%. At 8 minutes, if he dies, he respawns normally, with a reset Gift of the Fallen Kings.
Explanation: Gift of Fallen Kings is crucial to what makes Ymiron unique. His first life is by far the most powerful, forcing the player to play cautiously in order to keep their immense power. As the game progresses, the player will get more powerful, until finally, after 8 minutes, they become able to die without heavy burden.
Curse of Helya
Trait (Passive)
Ymiron’s death timer is reduced by 25%.
Explanation: When Ymiron loses his first life, he converts from a durable bruiser to a semi-suicidal aggressive assassin. He is still more than capable of dishing out pain, but he loses much of his defensive capabilities.
Dark Slash
Q (6 sec Cooldown)
Ymiron slices a 4 unit long, 100 degree cone, dealing 180 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies hit. If at least one enemy hero was hit, he then slices a 6 unit long, 30 degree cone after a .5 second delay, dealing 180 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies hit. If Ymiron has Gift of Fallen Kings, he is healed for 50% of the damage done. If he has Curse of Helya, he slows enemies hit by 20% for 2 seconds, stacking up to 2 times.
Explanation: Dark Slash offers a powerful damaging ability that can be used frequently to beat enemies down. It also specializes Ymiron into dealing with heroes as opposed to minions/mercs. In his first life, Ymiron heals himself, adding to his sustain, but while Cursed, he can stick to his enemies better to ensure their demise.
Bane
W (12 sec Cooldown)
(Gift of Fallen Kings) Ymiron enshrouds himself in darkness for 4 seconds. Every .5 seconds, he arms himself. When he is dealt damage while armed, he expels darkness around him, dealing 44 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies within 4 units.
(Curse of Helya) Ymiron spawns four motes of darkness that rotate 1 unit away from him quickly for 4 seconds. If an enemy touches a mote of darkness, they are dealt 66 (+4% per level) damage and all enemies within 4 units of Ymiron are dealt 22 (+4% per level) damage (consuming the mote).
Explanation: Bane changes vastly between the two incarnations. Bane during his first life punishes enemies who focus him while nearby, allowing him to deal large area damage if he is the center of attention. While cursed, Bane is transformed into a more aggressive, single target damage tool that Ymiron can proc when needed.
Fetid Rot
E (14 sec Cooldown)
(Gift of Fallen Kings) Ymiron infects all enemies within 5 units with Fetid Rot every second for 4 seconds. Enemies infected with Fetid Rot take 11 (+4% per level) damage every second for 4 seconds, and have their healing received reduced by 10%. Fetid Rot can stack up to 4 times, refreshing with each application.
(Curse of Helya) Ymiron infects himself with Fetid Rot, dealing 22 (+4% per level) damage to himself every second for up to 8 seconds. While active, all enemies within 5 units are dealt 44 (+4% per level) damage every second and have all healing they receive reduced by 40%. Ymiron can reactivate this ability early to instantly end its effects.
Explanation: Fetid Rot is similar between the two forms, but it has a couple important distinctions. Primarily, while cursed, Ymiron will be taking damage over time while using Fetid Rot, but its damage and effects are far more front loaded than his first life’s version. The first Fetid Rot is excellent at bullying enemies in the solo lane, while the second is a powerful team damage dealing ability, though it puts him at a risk.
Screams of the Dead
Heroic #1 (90 sec Cooldown)
(Passive) Every time Ymiron takes damage from a heroic source, this gains 1 stack, up to 5.
(Active) Ymiron unleashes a howl after 1.5 seconds (reduced by .2 seconds per stack), stunning all enemies within 5 units for 1.25 (+.1 per stack) seconds. If Ymiron has Gift of Fallen Kings, he gains a shield equal to 50 (+4% per level) health per enemy hero hit. If Ymiron has Curse of Helya, Screams of the Dead deals 150 (+4% per level) damage.
Explanation: Screams of the Dead is a powerful multi-purpose teamfight ultimate that compliments both of Ymiron’s forms. While in his first life, the stun adds to his disruption, and gives him a nice shield to survive the remainder of the fight. While cursed, the shout will keep enemies stunned so he can finish them off, and comes with a nice burst of damage.
Death’s March
Heroic #2 (90 sec Cooldown)
Ymiron infuses himself with death over .25 seconds and begins to charge in the target direction at 150% his current movement speed. Any enemy he passes within 3 units of is feared for 1.25 seconds. If he impacts an enemy, he stops, and deals 440 (+4% per level) damage to them as he stuns them for 1.25 seconds. Ymiron cannot stop his charge, unless he hits terrain, but can slowly and slightly alter his direction (similar to D.Va’s charge). Every second he continues the charge, he gains 10% movement speed.
Explanation: As opposed to the teamfight winning heroic of Screams of the Dead, Death’s March can serve as a powerful initiation tool. If aimed correctly, Ymiron can run down a lane quicker and quicker, eventually entering into the fray with a burst of damage and disruption. The fear and stun are both quite long, and this is his only movement tool outside of talents.
Tier 1
• Press the Assault: If an enemy hit by Dark Slash’s first strike is then hit by the second, the second deals 50% increased damage and stuns the enemy for 1 second if Ymiron has Curse of Helya.
• Immortal Ruination: If an enemy Hero is hit by four instances of Bane, it’s duration is increased by 3 seconds, and if Ymiron has Curse of Helya, he regains 2 motes of darkness. This can only happen once per Bane.
• Ner’zhul’s Devouring: Ymiron is healed for 25% of the damage Fetid Rot deals. If Ymiron is at full health, Fetid Rot’s cooldown is reduced by .25 seconds each time the damage ticks.
Tier 2
• Tor’s Gift: This is a Gift, of which Ymiron can only have 1 active at any one time. Ymiron can switch his active gift to this one with a secondary button, which has a 6 second shared cooldown for all Gifts. For each Gift selected, all his other Gifts are empowered. (Gift) Everytime Dark Slash hits an enemy Hero, they are applied with Wither, which causes their next ability to deal 50 (+15% per other Gift)% reduced damage. This can stack up to two times.
• Death Infusion: 50% of the damage dealt by Bane is additionally stored in the enemy, preventing the next amount of healing they recieve equal to the amount stored.
• Brittle Bones: When an enemy has 4 stacks of Fetid Rot, or after they have been within Fetid Rot for 4 seconds, they lose 25 Physical Armor and are slowed by 15% while Fetid Rot continues.
Tier 3
• Ranulf’s Gift: This is a Gift, of which Ymiron can only have 1 active at any one time. Ymiron can switch his active gift to this one with a secondary button, which has a 6 second shared cooldown for all Gifts. For each Gift selected, all his other Gifts are empowered. (Gift) When Bane expires, Ymiron unleashes a burst of shadows in a 4 (+1 per other Gift) unit radius around him, marking enemies hit for 4 seconds. If a marked enemy dies, all marks are consumed and Bane has its cooldown refreshed. For each other Gift, the explosion heals Ymiron by 40 (+4% per level).
• Vrykul Momentum: If Dark Slash hits an enemy Hero with both swings, Ymiron gains 25% increased attack speed for 4 seconds. Every time Ymiron basic attacks an enemy Hero, Dark Slash’s cooldown is decreased by 1 second. Attack speed boosts cannot stack.
• Unholy Pact: While an enemy is infected by Fetid Rot, Ymiron is healed by the amount that was prevented. For every 60 (+4% per level) healing granted to Ymiron in this way, Fetid Rot’s cooldown is decreased by 1 second, up to 5 seconds maximum.
Tier 4
• Screams of the Dead: (Passive) Every time Ymiron takes damage from a heroic source, this gains 1 stack, up to 5. (Active) Ymiron unleashes a howl after 1.5 seconds (reduced by .2 seconds per stack), stunning all enemies within 5 units for 1.25 (+.1 per stack) seconds. If Ymiron has Gift of Fallen Kings, he gains a shield equal to 50 (+4% per level) health per enemy hero hit. If Ymiron has Curse of Helya, Screams of the Dead deals 150 (+4% per level) damage.
• Death’s March: Ymiron infuses himself with death over .25 seconds and begins to charge in the target direction at 150% his current movement speed. Any enemy he passes within 3 units of is feared for 1.25 seconds. If he impacts an enemy, he stops, and deals 440 (+4% per level) damage to them as he stuns them for 1.25 seconds. Ymiron cannot stop his charge, unless he hits terrain, but can slowly and slightly alter his direction (similar to D.Va’s charge). Every second he continues the charge, he gains 10% movement speed.
Tier 5
• Haldor’s Gift: This is a Gift, of which Ymiron can only have 1 active at any one time. Ymiron can switch his active gift to this one with a secondary button, which has a 6 second shared cooldown for all Gifts. For each Gift selected, all his other Gifts are empowered. (Gift) [QUEST!] Every time an enemy Hero is hit with both swings of Dark Slash, the damage is increased by 5 for each swing. This can stack infinitely. This can stack regardless of which Gift is active, but only benefits Ymiron while it is the active Gift.
• Titanic Gift: If Ymiron has Gift of Fallen Kings, he gains the benefits from the kings every 90 seconds, rather than every 2 minutes. If Ymiron has Curse of Helya, Ymiron’s deaths only grant 50% of a kill to enemies, and Ymiron gains 50% mounted movement speed for 5 seconds after respawning.
• Plaguebringer: Every second Fetid Rot is active, Ymiron gains 7.5% increased movement speed, up to 30%. This persists for 3 seconds after Fetid Rot ends.
Tier 6
• Bjorn’s Gift: This is a Gift, of which Ymiron can only have 1 active at any one time. Ymiron can switch his active gift to this one with a secondary button, which has a 6 second shared cooldown for all Gifts. For each Gift selected, all his other Gifts are empowered. (Gift) While Bane and Fetid Rot are active, each one deals 40 (+10 per other Gift)% increased damage.
• Brutal Cleave: Dark Slash deals an additional 8% of the enemy’s current health in damage on each swing if he has Gift of Fallen Kings and 8% of the enemy’s missing health in damage on each swing if he has Curse of Helya.
• Might of the North: Every time Ymiron basic attacks an enemy Hero, his damage dealt is increased by 2% for 5 seconds, stacking up to 20 times. Each consecutive basic attack within 2 seconds of the last doubles the amount of stacks gained.
Tier 7
• Unbridled Agony: Every time Ymiron is dealt heroic damage while Screams of the Dead is on cooldown, its cooldown is decreased by .5 seconds.
• Val’kyr’s Descent: Death’s March can be reactivated to cause Ymiron to leap into the sky and smash down at a 4 unit radius area within 6 units, dealing impact damage and stunning enemies for 1.25 seconds.
• Primordial Swoop: This can be activated by using his trait key. (Active) Ymiron calls down a primordial drake to fly through a target 7 unit long vector within 5 units and breath fire, dealing 260 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies in the area. If Ymiron was in the area, he is picked up and carried to the end of the vector. 90 sec Cooldown.
• Odyn’s Redemption: Upon selecting this talent with Curse of Helya, instantly convert it to Gift of Fallen Kings. [QUEST!] While Ymiron has Curse of Helya, participate in the takedown of 6 enemy Heroes without dying. [Reward] Convert Curse of Helya into Gift of Fallen Kings.
• Lich King’s Promise: (Activate) Ymiron can activate his trait to instantly gains the bonuses of all Gifts from his talents that he has unlocked at the same time for 6 seconds. This has a 60 sec Cooldown. Naturally decreases the cooldown of switching Gifts by 3 seconds.