Today, Blizzard released the highly-anticipated hero Li-Ming into the main client for all to enjoy. Blizzard itself has stated that Ling Mi might be one of the most difficult heroes to master so far. To coincide with today’s release, we wanted to spotlight some of the other most high-ceiling, APM (actions per minute) intense, and mind-numbing heroes across the MOBA universe for you to enjoy (or despise).
DOTA 2
Meepo
To be honest, I still don’t exactly know what the heck a Meepo is. It looks like some sort of humanoid rabbit that grew up on a farm in Nebraska. At first glance, his abilities seem nothing out of the ordinary: a disable, AOE nuke, and right-clicking passive all seem fairly elementary. Upon further inspection, you see that his ultimate is the reason why this hero is on this list. Meepo’s ultimate, “Divided We Stand,” allows Meepo to create “an imperfect, semi-autonomous duplicate of himself.”
At max level, you’ll have a total of four Meepos under your control on the battlefield — five with an item upgrade. These clones also gain full XP and gold from farming on the map. Seems overpowered, right? Well besides the obvious difficulties of having to manage up to five units at a time, if one of these units dies, all of them perish. While players can teleport Meepo to any other Meepo, a skilled player has to quickly cast skills for multiple units in a short time and not become a burden to their team.
Invoker
Has anybody reading this ever played Magicka? Magicka is a popular indie game in which players control an adorable wizard who can create a multitude of unique spells in a variety of combinations. That’s pretty much Invoker. With a total of 14 spells, his arsenal is unlike any other in the game. What makes him so difficult to master is that each of his spells are unique three button recipes you’ll need to memorize. The speed at which you must process your current situation, pick the correct spell, cast it properly and then follow it up with another combo, is beyond overwhelming to new players. Once you can remember all the spells by heart and execute the ideal combos, this hero is one of the “swaggiest” in the MOBA universe.
Chen
Have you ever wanted to play a Pokémon MOBA? Well, this is as close as you’ll get for now. Playing as Chen, your main purpose and ability is to collect jungle “creeps” and “persuade” them to fight on your behalf. At max level, “Holy Persuasion” allows you to control up to four units, requiring a lot of micro-management. In the early game, Chen’s skillset and each unit’s unique abilities can set up easy ganks and start unstoppable pushes. Most creeps worth persuading have active abilities and can deal more damage than expected if comboed correctly. If you can position and cast all your creeps spells, including Chen’s additional five actives, you may want to consider an esports career.
Heroes of the Storm
The Lost Vikings
The Lost Vikings are three heroes in one. While Heroes of the Storm is generally considered a great introduction to new MOBA players, this hero should be reserved for genre veterans. With Norse Force, an ability that gives all three of the heroes a boost in armor, The Lost Vikings can be a frustratingly durable opponent. Coupled with the heroic ability, “Play Again!,” you can re-summon up to two dead vikings instantly on the battlefield. The difference between a novice and expert Lost Vikings is huge in a competitive Heroes of the Storm match.
Li-Ming
Li-Ming is one of two new heroes joining the Nexus. She comes from Blizzard’s Diablo universe and possesses some very familiar spells from the franchise. Li-Ming in particular has been described by Blizzard as a “very high-skill hero” that will challenge players to master her skillshots to their full potential. Additionally, her trait Critical Mass reduces the cooldown on all of her abilities every time she completes a takedown. With relatively low cooldowns already, a great Li-Ming player can chain kills and find her way to winning teamfights with ease. Li-Ming’s arsenal in capable hands also suggests that this hero will be a pleasure to watch in competitive events as she dances across the screen and wrecks face.
Smite
Ullr
Similar to Li-Ming, Ullr possesses a passive ability that reduces his other abilities. Ullr has four abilities, each with a separate melee and ranged stance component. Casting one ability lowers the cooldown on its other counterpart. It’s not often you come across a character as unique as this in a MOBA. Ullr’s versatility and combination potential is something to admire and a fun challenge to endure. While these abilities might not be the most difficult to understand or execute, mastering and using his passive to it’s utmost potential is something that will take you hours.
Hel
Another SMITE hero with stance abilities, Hel is an interesting damage dealer and healer with abilities that can be described as “light and dark.” Much like Ullr, Hel uses stances to switch up her abilities to offer different attributes and effects. Her skillset is extremely unique in that she can be played a multitude of ways with extreme versatility. Unlike most MOBA characters, Hel is unique in her ability to dish out damage in one instance, and play support in another, before switching back to the offensive. For new players, knowing when to cast spells makes Hel the most difficult to master. Are you quick enough to anticipate dispels while switching back to dealing damage effectively? Fast fingers and a nimble mind can make Hel a force to be reckoned with.
League of Legends
Lee Sin
The Blind Monk, Lee Sin is one of the most difficult champions to master right now in League of Legends. Managing his passive along with his seven active skills makes this champion especially challenging. Positioning is another key factor while using Lee Sin, as his skill shot and ultimate combo can be devastating if landed correctly, sending his opponents flying into his waiting allies.
Zed
One of the more elusive heroes in League of Legends, Zed also takes some time to master. Known as “The Master of Shadows,” Zed’s trademark ability “Living Shadow” creates a shadow doppelgänger of himself… You’ll need to position your shadows wisely and use them for both attacking from unexpected angles and escaping by teleporting to his copies. Skilled kiting and poke separate good Zed players from the mediocre. In the hands of pro-players, Zed’s elusiveness and lethality are amazing to behold.
Azir
Like Zed, Azir is another hero who creates clone-like Sand Soldiers in battle. Noticing a pattern here? However, unlike Zed, Azir’s soldiers are on a tether, becoming inactive if Azi strays too far. Think of Azir as being a dog-walker; you’ll need to keep them on a leash. When Azir attacks, his Sand Soldiers strike out at nearby enemies. Azir can also reposition his soldiers easily, dash to their location, or send out a shield-wall to cut off his enemies. Even his passive, which creates a temporary battlefield tower, requires smart timing and good teamplay. Of course, Azir sounds cool, which he is, but he should probably be left to the pros — most win rates are below 50 percent for any players below Diamond League ranking.
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