I think that almost every wc3 player agrees that there are plenty of spells that are almost never used or their effects are doubtful. I suggest to start from nontvern heroes and reconsider following abilities.
Orc
Blademaster
• Mirror image
The only usage of this spell is to dispell negative effect (sometimes used vs Elf) . There are absolutely no reason to lvl it up to 2 or 3. And I think dispell is not the initial idea of this ability.
Suggestion: make illusions deal x% damage and work only when BM is nearby (prevent illusions run far from BM or make them disappear).
It will provide some variety:
If u want more damage in fight and faster creeping - get illusions.
If u focus on scouting, stealing and following - u get windwalk.
• Bladestorm
Make it deal physical damage
Think about making damage partially attack dependent
Think about it proc crits
Think about mirror image illusions cast bladestorm effect aswell (dealing %damage)
Decrease mana cost and cd
Tauren Chieftain
• Shockwave
Just think about making this spell an alternative to stomp. Currently stomp is 99% a choice.
Suggestions: (or/and)
Make it cost less mana
Add some negative buff to damaged units
Increase damage cap
Farseer
• Farsight
Reveal and scout sounds good, but Its not enough it to be an alternative or another option.
Suggestion:
Add passive effect to this spell, that slightly buffs another abilities.
For example:
Chainlight: deals more damage, or adds minor shock, debuff effect
Spiritwolves: attacks decrease armor by 1/2/3 or wolves get evasion or sth like this
Earthquake: increase radius
This will provide an option to get farsight and improve one of the combat spells, or get two combat spells
• Earthquake
What about damaging ground units aswell?
Night Elves
Demon Hunter
• Immolation
Current efficiency of this spell is really close to zero. Even vs mass low hp units.
Suggestions: decrease damage tick time (like 0.1 secs), increase damage, increase AoE, decrease mana cost.
Also it has 0 synenrgy with ultimate ranged from. Suggestion: additionally apply some kind of immolation effect on attack target or area for tiny period when in demon form
Priestess of the Moon
In general I would like to see this hero unique making its spells more effective at night. But I understand it will affect balance too much, so let’s focus on obvious things
• Scout owl
Lvling this spell feels really weird, and even if u play on large map and learn it for some reason, u kind of forced to press this spell by CD, making it kind of stressfull (IMHO)
Suggestions: I feel like this spell should be totally reworked and there are many options. Some ideas: make owl kind of a single familiar/summon autofollower that provides some bonuses (heal, auto scout in bigger radius, enemy blinding etc). Probably replace this spell with some healing/blessing effect spell, so Night Elves will have alternative to Alchemist.
• Starfall
Okay, some would say it’s the strongest ultimate, but on practice it’s almost impossible to use effectively.
I would suggest it to be buffed a little bit:
For example minor damage increase, duration decrease, AoE increase, cooldown and mana cost decrease
Keeper of the Grove
• Thorns
Okay, this passive is not useless, but what about rethinking it a bit?
It could return both ranged and mellee damage (but different numbers ofc), or damage return may be dependent on the distance from keeper, sth like this.
Warden
I have no specific ideas, spell effects seem okay but I feel there are sth wrong about blink lvling, mana costs (this hero is way too mana potion and manapool item dependent) and ultimate mechanic.
Human
Archmage
Brilliance aura effect is way too good to refuse to choose this hero. Probably all caster units should have their own mana regen increased, or their updates should give more mana regen bonus, or this aura should give another effect (cdr?). But its effect is way too significant at the moment.
Paladin
• Divine shield
IMHO, efficiency of leveling 2, 3 of this spell feels doubtful.
What about reworking it to sth like this:
Creates a guardian shield for some time that absorbs part of damage in small AoE around hero?
• Resurrection
What about making it last for some time? Like paladin summons guardian angel for N seconds that resurrects up to MAX_COUNT ally units.
Bloodmage
• Mana syphon
This hero is not very popular, but this spell is really annoying to play versus. It’s not that broken, it’s just annoying (it’s probably the second most annoying spell after mana burn). Suggestion is totally remove it, decrease other spells mana cost and replace it with a new spell or passive.
Undead
Cryptlord
• Spiked carapase
Noone wants spending points into this ability. It fits to hero, but effect is not comparable with Beatles and Impale.
Suggestions: additionally to current effect add bonuses to other spells
Beatles: gain weker version of spiked carapace, probably give burrow ability here
Impale: increase AoE or distance or add bleeding effect
Not sure if it should buff ultimate. A little bit - why not?
DeathKnight
• Death pact
Not sure if it feels reasonable at the moment to level up this spell. You always want coil and aura. You learn this spell once only in case to have additional save. Suggestion is to add additional effect, not only heal. It may be buff to hero, depending on hp absorbed, or creating some plague area at the place of sacrified unit
• Raise dead
This spell is just a joke with zero efficiency.
Suggestion: totally rework this ultimate.
For example: Surround death knight with presence of death for N seconds, preventing up to MAX_VALUE undead ally nonhero units die while they are in radius of effect.
Lich
• Frost armor
Leveling to 2 and 3 feels doubtful.
Suggestions:
make slow effect level dependent
Decrease mana cost with lvling
• Dark ritual
What about adding some additional effects to this spell, not only mana restore? Minor regen, few attacks bonus damage, summon after N rituals or sth like this?
• Death and decay
Make this ultimate usable in fights
Remove damage on buildings
Decrease mana cost and cooldown
Make it not channeling
What about: Lich curses an area, curse exists N seconds. Cursed area spreads and increases in directions to random/closest enemies, and every enemy on area takes some damage/debuff
DreadLord
Not sure, but I feel like hero is too mana and tactics dependent. Sleep effect scaling is just mana reduction, that feels wrong. Think about vampiric aura providing bigger effect to dreadlord, maybe add healing effect to ranged units aswell, but decreased or distance dependent.