Bruisers can include main-tank builds that make the tank more bruiser-like. Please show your work
Rexxar, Imperius and Thrall.
3 Likes
Cho’gall is, but then again that’s because I count him as a bruiser, not as a tank.
Rexxar is currently the strongest all-around bruiser. Or at least was, not sure how the recent nerf affected him.
Leoric is a very strong niche bruiser, Artanis is a strong carry bruiser at high ranks when not countered.
My personal experience with Imperius would put him here, but the data doesn’t seem to support it. This is probably because Imperius falls off at 20, since his 20’s aren’t quite as strong as some carry’s are.
Varian. He is my go to for when I feel the need to try hard. It’s just so easy to go taunt and still pull top dps numbers - great healing - and stupid damage ranked numbers.
6 Likes
D.Va always. always D.Va
4 Likes
I think Ragnaros is pretty good. He can offer quite a bit of push with lava wave and he is strong enough to solo camps by himself.
He can offer quite a bit of counter push as well with molten core trait.
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It depends on the situation and potential counters, but the requirement is a decent DPS build with some sustain/mitigation, ability to camp, general flexibility, or else very strong utility (e.g. Imperius is so-so at camping, but in exchange he gets a tank’s level of CC). Sometimes whichever one you’re most comfortable with is the way to go.
Artanis, Varian, Imperius, Leoric, Rexxar can all work.
A worked-through example: The enemy team has a lot of auto-attackers, maybe even high-rate AA’s like Zarya. You can probably make a lot of things work, but Taunt/TB Varian with Overpower at level 1 nullfies that source of damage and turns it into a lot more damage going into the enemy. You can solo kill or severely bully lone autoattackers with this, delete out of position AA heroes in team fights, clear camps, and have a pretty big impact on the outcome. Maybe in another situation it’d be a different bruiser with a different build, exploiting some other aspect of map/comp.
3 Likes
Rexxar and Leoric are probably the best all-around bruisers, as they are strong at all levels of play, can do pretty much everything from laning to point control to team fighting, have fewer counters, and fit on any map and in any comp.
1 Like
Imperius is more bruiser than tank, but his damage is pretty busted right now.
Mal’Ganis, Garrosh (Displacement God), Johanna, Arthas, Varian (semi-capable of main tanking, but requires a dedicated effort), ETC.
Leoric W build can carry team fights. Loads of self healing, aoe damage and becomes pretty much unkillable with level 20 march upgrade.
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I find myself to carry with Malthael a lot better than with other Bruisers, as he has more overall damage and a tool to finish targets of. Then again I am biased, because I main him and realisticly speaking he lacks in utility and survivability, to make him a good carry bruiser in general.
The Bruisers I found to be the strongest/most-carry-like in general are Imperius, Leoric, Thrall, Dehaka and Arthas. All of them have a very strong lane presence aswell as game-changing teamfight abilitys, be that CC or big single target damage.
Ragnaros, Thrall, Arthas, Imperius.
I would say arthas as you can build him as MT or offlane so he is an efficient hero to learn then imperius.
All around bruisers would be leoric rexxar and dehaka.
Thrall is also a must because you have a range poke response to eventual ranged solo laners.
Pro/semi pros solo laners currently pick leoric and rexxar quite a bit.
Imperius is bonkers right now. Playing with and against him i am always shocked how much damage he can output and still stay quite healthy.
1 Like
I quite like Dehaka. He’s a deceptively good duelist with the right talent choices, a fine ganker and can shire up MT duties if need be. He works very well with a carry playstyle (he can operate quite effe tively outside of team but brings benefits to team).
I mean, he won’t instagib the enemy team when ahead, but he will be incredibly difficult to kill and will easily take on most opponents 1:1. He also provides the threat of tongue and isolation and wel ltimed of these can swing a TF, particularly when you isolate a healer.
Also burrow is awesome for dodging big nukes which might otherwise end you when people focus you
Nothing more satisfying than baiting people with your low HP towards you team, burrow and trait and pop back on full health.
In the solo lane like dragon shire / braxis: Arthas AA build/Rexxar, Imperius
In a large open map: Malthael Yrell Thrall Leo, dehaka
A high intensive fight map like Volskaya: Zarya, Blaze, leo
I have to add, you need to know how to play yrell before locking her
for me, it’s sonya and ragnaros, simply because of their presence on the battlefield. sonya and ragnaros have 1 thing in common: PUSH THEIR CORE LIKE IT’S THE END OF DAYS. sonya can stun and heal herself whilst doing incredible damage. ragnaros can use his ult and wash the enemy with lava, or throw a hammer the size of a 3 story building on em. EITHER WAY he excels with pushing peeps back and through their keeps and forts. not to mention that if all goes wrong and u are being set back, go molten when theyre soo close to the destroed fort / keep that its too late to go back
THEN? BY FIRE BE PURGED
1 Like
+1
Dehaka is one of tank-like bruiser. He has tank level of hp and one of highest self-healing. His self healing is semi reset with “Hero Stalker” talent. He also have two CC and globe. He just need some help with engage.
2 Likes
I’d say Varian, due to his protected on 5 sec CD, % lifesteal, armor, charge, etc…
Twinblades can survive insane amount of things and unless counterpicked, got a free win most of the times.
Second would be Arthas. Froustmourne Arthas hits like Butcher, has slow, root, selfheal, more selfheal with ultimate…
I love the brushstalker at 1. Engage is less an issue when you run faster than a mount, all you need to do is brush through a Bush and it’s pretty difficult to stop dehaka marching up to the enemy. I’ve never had big issues engaging this way and I always encourage my teammates where we are picking fights to make sure so bushes are close to the general area.
I mean his global with this means he can engage enemies from behind very quickly if they’re unprepared. I love that, it totally panics them when you pincer them. No need for his increased regen talent, the extended duration and speed on brushstalker is far more valuable and also makes him far more aggressive, able to tongue more easily and body block initial attempts to escape.
1 Like