AEU-3118 by TheHereticOne

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AEU-3118

By: TheHereticOne
Last Updated: Nov 16, 2015
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AEU-3118

The Probe as a Hero

If you really know me, you KNOW I'm a fan of being able to not have to be like the other heroes (which, I think, makes me a special snowflake. Oh well, can't please everyone.), and so, a builder hero seemed like a really nice idea for me. Sure, sure, sure, sure, it may seem a little too complex for a casual game like heroes of the storm, where everyone is clearly too stupid to be grasping mechanics that are a little more complicated than "Press Q, click somewhere, win.". (Said with uttermost sarcasm and eyeing heavily towards some people.)
Now, the idea I had of the probe as a hero would be a specialist that does not under any circumstances fight by himself, and to have him as a lost vikings like hero -- with the ability to soak every lane. BUT, to avoid making him better than the lost vikings at what they do, they only soak 70% exp, which is applied to everything. Structures also do not soak exp from hero kills, as I forgot to mention -- Only non heroic targets. It was interesting to think about the uses the probe could have -- all five cannons and two shield batteries could be set up in the jungle, within bushes, to allow allies to bait enemies in there (where the probe's team would be at an advantage), and win because the enemies let themselves be baited into the heavy firepower of cannons and the support of shield batteries. Of course, this could be played around by players who have clairvoyance, or Rexxar's flare, tyrande's owl, or even heroes with some map awareness -- If you do not have the probe's structures in your sight, you can safely assume they're out there somewhere in the jungle, awaiting a team fight to turn around.
I'm not going to be looking too heavily into his abilities now, as we will be doing a review of his kit, after the talents are all showcased.

Talent Tier 1 [Level 1]

Build Gateway
Builds a Gateway at the target location. The Gateway spawns, every 10 seconds, a zealot that will push down the nearest lane, as well as having the Gateway require power to function. Do note that structures not in the primary kit will not benefit from the heroic ability "Powered by the Nexus" and will still require power to function. Zealots last 30 seconds before warping away, after a 3 second cast. A zealot grants the same exp as a warrior minion when killed, but does not grant any exp when "killed" by having him warping away. Can have up to two gateways at the same time. 

Prying Eye Scanners
The probe channels for 0.5 seconds, then reveals a large area in a frontal cone shape, revealing everything within the area. Enemies hit by this are revealed for 2 seconds. This ability has a 15 seconds cooldown.

Rich Depot
Increases the bounty the probe gets from killing minions to 15 minerals per kill, and makes in sort that photon cannons get a bounty on kills of 5 minerals.

Occupied Demolitionist
The probe's auto attacks now deal an extra 45% damage to structures and destroy 2 ammo. However, if the probe has attacked or taken damage within the last 3 seconds from any sources, structures deal an extra 60% damage to it.

Talent Tier 2 [Level 4]

Multishock
The probe's basic attack now cleaves towards 2 extra targets for 55% damage when attacking a non-heroic target.

Specialised Strikes
The probe's auto attacks now hit for 250% more damage against structures that weren't created by a player.

Gas Banking System
Augment your gas limit by 75%.

Superiority
Reduce Damage taken from Minions and Mercenaries by 50%.

Talent Tier 3 [Level 7]

Emergency Reactors
If the probe still has at least 30 gas, consume it automatically upon reaching 0 shields to restore them back to 60% of their total value. Note that there is no time between the moment where they reach 0% and the moment where they are healed, so no health damage is taken during that. If the probe is not mounted, this effect also gives him an extra 30% movement speed for 3 seconds. This effect has a 60 seconds cooldown and cannot be activated manually.


Initial Boost
The Probe can reactivate his mount within the first 2 seconds of being mounted to double his gas consumation for 3 seconds, but gain a 70% movement boost instead of his 30%.

Calldown : Repair Bots
The probe calls down one repair bot for every structure that he has on the field. Each repair bot is warped in at the probe's location. After 1 second of warping in, the bots go and rush towards their assigned structure. Upon impacting with it, they are destroyed, healing the hull for 40% of its value and granting it a regeneration of +3.5/second for 5 seconds, as well as healing the shields for 50% of their total value. This ability has a 70 seconds cooldown. Each Repair Bot has a movement speed that is 50% faster than a normal heroe's walking speed, and has a health bar of 100(+10/level). The Repair bots can be destroyed, and take 50% extra damage from structures.

Teleportation Modules
The probe can blink away after a 0.1 second cast, at a medium range (same range as zeratul's blink). The Teleportation costs 15 gas, 40 minerals, and has a 13 seconds cooldown.

Warp In Forge
Warps in a forge that requires power to function that increases the damage of all the minions of the nearest lane by 25%, and makes them take 10% reduced damage from all non-heroic sources. If there is an allied Zealot on the upgraded lane, makes its shields take 25% reduced damage instead, and allows the zealot's attacks to stun an enemy lane minion for 0.5 seconds, but both attacks stun (each attack has 0.25 second in between each other).

Heroic Talent Tier [Level 10]

See Heroic Abilities

Chrono Boost

Powered by the Nexus

Talent Tier 5 [Level 13]

Higher Supply Cap
Rise the maximum amount of pylons on the field by 3, pylons can now warp in in 2 seconds only instead.

Hybrid Boosters
Reduce the gas consumation of your boosters to 3 gas per second, make your speed bonus 35% instead of 30%

Cannon Rush
Cannons now cost 50 less minerals and 5 less gas, and warp in near instantly (0.5 seconds).

Cannon Blocus
You can now have 6 cannons on the field at all times, and the charges when all cannons are up stop generating at 4 instead. Cannons Now also get a 5% bonus to their damage for every nearby cannon.

Warp In Templar Archives
Builds a Templar Archives that requires power to function, allowing one high templar to warp in every 15 seconds and push the nearest lane. The High Templar lasts forever, but the second High Templar cannot warp in as long as the first is alive, and blocks at the end of the warp in time. 

Talent Tier 6 [Level 16]

Artillery Warp-In
Cannons now have 50% more range (Which brings it to 9.00 range), and deal 15% more damage to targets within the last third of its range.

Warp In Nexus
Warps in a Nexus for free that does not require power. The Nexus is a massive structure that makes the probe respawn within 10 seconds of dying, at the place the Nexus is at. If the Nexus is killed, it grants 50% of a hero takedown's experience, and starts a 130 seconds cooldown. If the probe is respawning when the nexus is killed, respawn instantly with a 40% movement boost and unstoppable state for 3 seconds, with your teleportation modules automatically off-cd, if you picked that ability.

Warp In Robotics Facility
[2 charges, 2 max on the field, 90 seconds recharge per charge, No Cost]
Warps in a Robotics Facility that requires power to function and that warps in an Immortal every 40 seconds. The Immortal deals 75% more damage to non heroic targets, and receives only 65% of the incoming damage to his shields from all sources. The Immortal has a range of 7.00 and lasts for 20 seconds, and has a huge shield bar, as well as dealing hefty damage.

FINAL TALENT TIER [LEVEL 20] [TIER 7]

Time-Bending Technology
Chrono Boost now has 3 charges, the cooldown is reduced by 3 seconds and structures now get the chrono boost for 1 extra second, as well as having a medium-area field giving allies within it the bonuses applied to the structure. Chrono Boost now gets a 50% reduced cooldown for one charge when cast upon yourself, giving you a 35% movement speed boost and a 50% attack speed boost for 4 seconds.

Power Overhelming
"Powered By The Nexus" now doubles the power field's range of your pylons, and your structures always have the "Powered Up" effect, no matter what.

Automated Assimilator
The Assimilator now does its harvest every second, and gets a permanent +5 gas to it, no matter where it is placed. The Assimilator now grants 35 minerals every time it harvests, as well.

Army from Aiur
Replaces the First warrior minion by a zealot with 50% extra health and 15% extra damage and that attacks twice, the zealot looks the same as your gateway zealots, but is weaker (overall).
Replaces the Wizard Minion by a Sentry that continuously grants a protective shield, making allies within it take -15 (+1/level) from every attack, down to a minimum of 10 damage taken. The sentry has 75% more hp.
Replaces the last Archer minion by a Stalker. The Stalker has more range than other archer minions, has also 80% more hp, deals 40% more damage and attacks at a rate of 1.15.

The Probe Explained

His General Playstyle
The way I see the probe being played is as a hero who is never alone laning -- early on in the game, his structures take too much time warping in (time during which they take extra damage) to let him solo lane, and post-10, heroics can easily get him killed. The idea of the probe is a hero who is never out in the open, rather waiting until the enemies aren't looking, to then slip by and mass up on cannons. Once the probe has managed to mass up a certain amount of cannons, he is supposed to be very hard to stop. Maps like the sky temple, dragonshire, or, hell, even blackheart's bay, the tomb of the spider queen, the Infernal shrines, etc -- you get it, anywhere you can set yourself up to control key points. Any map that you can set yourself up nicely somewhere is a map where the probe will excel. However, the probe can also spec to get some MASSIVE support in a lane -- Zealots in the front line, High templars supporting from behind and Immortals dealing their damage. He can also get a level 20 talent, allowing him to change three minions for each wave into a more powerful, protoss version of itself. Despite it being late in the game, it adds more pressure to the enemy team, as it will require them to clear the waves, sooner or later, due to the fact that your waves will be more powerful and won't lose by themselves.

As an FYI, I designed this hero with that in my mind : "A person who is good at this should be able to make the enemy team potentially **** bricks out of fear".
The probe has amazing team fightabiltiy, amazing wave clear, amazing soaking.
But, the drawback is, his 90% damage, tankiness, soakability and wave clearing...
Cannot move.
Yeah. So I mean, sure you can make the enemy team **** bricks, bringing it throughout the whole game, but your team needs to coordinate very well with you, and you need to place your structures very, VERY carefully, as they take a huge (200%) bonus damage while warping in.

The Early Game
The probe's early game would most likely be a difficult stage -- Not much to work with, a lot of people in lane. The best he can hope for is to get a Zagara who can easily push people out of lane. Of course, once he sets himself up in the middle of the lane, it will be very hard for his lane-mate to lose it, as the cannons will be outputting constant damage. Of course, setting yourself up in another place (A sky temple, A dragon shrine, nearby the chests on Blackheart's bay, etc) may be preferrable, as to make sure your team doesn't lose objectives too early. Of course, this means giving up on your lane presence, but in maps where the objectives deal guaranteed damage to structures, this may prove to be the best course.

The Middle Game (Level 10+)
This stage of the game is problematic for the probe -- His team will be fighting all over the map, and the enemy team will probably have heroics, too.Heroes with long range heroics that can reach him from far away will probe more than painful to fight against. A good example would be Illidan -- That sucker can kill you near instantaneously with The Hunt, from a very long distance that forces you to stay out of sight at all costs. Highly mobile assassins will be a good counter to the probe, as will Sylvanas, with her ability to stun non-heroic targets. Of course, it is a very limited scope of heroes (Zeratul, Nova, Illidan, Sylvanas, Valla, maybe a few others) over the 41 heroes currently in the game, but still one that is numerous for the amount of counters a single hero has. At this level range, you may have been speccing towards something specific, which should be enough to tell your team what you will want to be doing.

The Late Game
I don't put level specific restrictions because when the late game starts is unclear, at best, for me. 
The probe's Late Game, if built right and if the player has been doing a good job of managing the structure placement, is potentially terrifying -- If you went with the full lane push build, you have three modified minions per wave, and potentially up to six of your gateway zealots, two high templars and one immortal as well as your usual waves plus the three modified minions pushing. In other words, they'll need MUCH more than a bruiser camp to clear or stem it. 
Of course, you may have went with more structure specific builds, or built for more survivability, which allows the probe to mount up at near no cost, to get 60% of his maximum health back whenever falling at 25%, to teleport on a much shorter cooldown than with bolt, and to, potentially, enhance his teammates in many, many ways.

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TheHereticOne (10) | October 11, 2015 8:30am
Huitzil wrote:

First off: I don't think your contempt for "casuals" is a good idea. Making something complex doesn't mean making it better, and this guy just has way too much going on. Making it have to gather minerals, and gather gas, and keep buildings powered isn't a problem because "stupid casuals" aren't capable of keeping track of those things; they are problems because there's too many layers in between the player and the action. Gathering resources is part of SC2's core gameplay and it's built to make that process streamlined and only relevant when it's interesting; In HOTS, it's just a hoop to jump through in order to make buildings that you can't even directly control.

Second: where's Pylo the Pylon?



First off : I wasn't showing contempt for casuals -- I highly am one myself. I was saying this with a sarcastic tone, as I have seen people criticise concepts and using the "This game's community is way too idiotic for this" argument. I was just telling those people to screw off, pretty much.

Secondly : I don't think you got me right on the resources part. Minerals are just a glorified mana bar -- They regenerate automatically, and you get a tiny bounty upon killing stuff. And killing stuff is what you do, wether or not you get a mana bounty for it usually. As far as gas goes, you don't have to go back to the assimilator to gather it -- You place down the building and it automatically does its harvest, like the automated refinery in the WoL campaign ; you don't even have to interact with it once you placed it down. If you really think about it, that hero isn't overly complex -- You set down a building and set buildings around it. I would be capable of doing that, and if I am, I think that others can :)

Thirdly : Pylo's over there, in the corner.
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Huitzil (2) | October 10, 2015 11:45pm
First off: I don't think your contempt for "casuals" is a good idea. Making something complex doesn't mean making it better, and this guy just has way too much going on. Making it have to gather minerals, and gather gas, and keep buildings powered isn't a problem because "stupid casuals" aren't capable of keeping track of those things; they are problems because there's too many layers in between the player and the action. Gathering resources is part of SC2's core gameplay and it's built to make that process streamlined and only relevant when it's interesting; In HOTS, it's just a hoop to jump through in order to make buildings that you can't even directly control.

Second: where's Pylo the Pylon?
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Chatpelier | September 22, 2015 8:05am
The Probe could have it's movement speed increased while in the Pylon's field, like Zagara with her tumors, it'd help a bit for survivability.
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Vynadrian (2) | September 15, 2015 11:54am
I have got to say, this is the best Builder Hero I haves seen thus far and it looks really fun. If Heroes wasn't such a casual Game I would love this being added, however if I had too change anything it would be the Probes Mobility/Survivability or rather the lack thereof.

I can see the Probe being easily harassed by a Highly Mobile Assassin like Illidan or Valla. I would prefer an Escape tool in the Primary Kit aside from Mount which isn't enough and I would rather not loose any of the current three abilities.
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