2.0 (07/06/2024)
Edwin was reworked across the board and had the vast majority of his Abilities and Talents changed or replaced. Here is a list of the most notable changes:
- Defias Bounty (D) was adjusted to be fully passive and can no longer be activated;
- Sabre Slash (Q) and its proc Main Gauche were changed from semi-circular slashes to a 1-2 dash combo, Broadslide and Strike Through, now (E);
- Killing Spree (R1) was removed, as much of Edwin's mobilty now comes from his E
- Fire in the Hole (W) was simplified and buffed and is now a Heroic (R1);
- Rupture is now (W)
- Chain Shot (Q) is a brand new Basic Ability replacing Fire in the Hole
- Talents were reworked to match the new Abilities, while trying to keep some of their previous themes.
1.5 (12/14/2022)
BASE
Maximum Health reduced from
2125 to
2050.
ABILITIES
Defias Bounty (D):
Can no longer be consumed by Basic Attacks.
New, redisigned functionality for
Dispatch: Activate to consume any fully stacked Defias Bounty from enemy Heroes, increasing the damage of Edwin's next Basic Attack against them by
50%, and increasing his Basic Attack range by
4 for
1.25 seconds per Hero affected. Basic Attacks do not apply Defias Bounty while it is on cooldown.
Following some feedback, I redesigned the previously automatic consumption of Defias Bounty by Basic Attacks to a more controlled version, removing the potentially accidental and frustrating loss of stacks. Basic attacks also no longer apply Defias Bounty for a small duration after activation, mostly to prevent Edwin to enter a fully ranged AA cycle against a single Hero.
TALENTS
Some Basic Attack related talents have been slightly altered to match the changes to Dispatch.
Deadeye (lvl 1):
Range bonus is now fixed, but was reduced from
1.5 to
1.
Gambit damage bonus reduced from
75% to
60%.
Gambit penalty per death reduced from
15% to
12%.
Clear the Deck (lvl 20):
Damage bonus reduced from
60% to
40%.
Additional funtionality: Remove the cooldown of Defias Bounty.
1.4 (11/10/2022)
ABILITIES
Defias Bounty (D):
Duration increased from
8 to
12 seconds.
This makes Defias Bounty easier to use against multiple Heroes, by giving more time to refresh it on targets with less uptime.
Sabre Slash (Q):
Additional functionality:
Main Gauche generates
1 Lunge charge if hits an enemy Hero.
My original intention was for Main Gauche to grant Lunge exactly like Sabre Slash, I just forgot to specify it previously. I took this update as an opportunity to rebalance it a bit by limiting the charge generation to 1 regardless of the number of Heroes hit beyond the first.
Killing Spree (R):
Cooldown increased from
70 to
80 seconds.
TALENTS
Playing with Fire (lvl 4):
Adjusted functionality: Increases range and speed by up to
40% based on the time Playing with Fire remains active.
Bloodshed (lvl 7):
Additional functionality: The effect is tripled instead of doubled if Dispatch hits an enemy Hero unaffected by Rupture.
Tricks of the Trade (lvl 13):
Duration reduction per Basic Attack reduced from
1.5 to
1.
As a result, the Rupture damage loss from its duration reduction per Basic Attack is now smaller. The trade-off (for an earlier Armor bonus on expiration) was always intentional, I just felt it was too negative for a talent.
Main Droite (lvl 16):
Damage reduced from
6% to
5% of target's maximum Health.
Cooldown reduction increased from
1 to
1.5 seconds.
Make It Personal (lvl 20):
Additional functionality: Vendetta now affects all of Edwin's damage against the target.
Clear the Deck (lvl 20):
Damage bonus increased from
40% to
60%.
1.3.1 (07/17/2022)
ABILITIES
Defias Bounty (D):
Now visible to affected Heroes and their allies.
TALENTS
Deadeye (lvl 1):
No longer grants
1 additional Basic Attack.
Adjusted functionality: The initial Basic Attack of
Dispatch also gains bonus range against Heroes at
3 stacks of Defias Bounty.
The new version of Deadeye makes Dispatch easier to trigger instead of granting it bonuses after triggering it.
Light 'Em Up (lvl 1):
Reworded the last setence to
refunds a stack of Defias Bounty on the initial target.
1.3 (06/09/2022)
ABILITIES
Fire in the Hole (W):
Now has a
1.25-second delay before becoming attackable by Edwin.
Killing Spree (R):
Specified that repeated uses have no cost.
Additional functionality: Killing Spree applies Defias Bounty, but cannot trigger it.
TALENTS
Deadeye (lvl 1):
Damage bonus increased from
50% to
75%.
Damage bonus penalty per death increased from
10% to
15%.
Light 'Em Up (lvl 1):
Reworked
Old version:
Motherlode deals an additional 12 damage per second to enemies hit, increased by 100% per stack of Defias Bounty currently on them. Fire in the Hole barrels also deal this damage to nearby enemies while on the ground, and they Slow enemies hit while rolling by 30% for 2 seconds.
New version:
Fire in the Hole barrels Slow enemies hit while rolling by 35% for 2 seconds, and deal 50 damage per second to nearby enemies while at their destination. Additionally, Motherlode refunds a stack of Defias Bounty.
Tricks of the Trade (lvl 13):
Reworked.
Old version:
Rupture reduces the target's damage to all allied Heroes. Hitting a Hero affected by Exsanguinate with Sabre Slash reduces its duration by 2.5 seconds, dealing 70 damage and granting Edwin 30 Armor for 3 seconds.
New version:
Rupture reduces the target's damage to all allied Heroes and grants Edwin 25 Armor for 3 seconds when it ends. Basic Attacks against the target deal 50 bonus damage, but reduce Rupture's duration by 1.5 seconds.
Gouge (lvl 13):
Rupture damage bonus to Blinded enemies increased from
15% to
40%.
No longer increses Basic Attack damage against Blinded enemies.
No Quarter (lvl 20):
Reworked
Old version:
Reduce Killing Spree's cooldown by 5 seconds every time it damages an enemy Hero, and increase its maximum duration by 6 seconds. Additionally, Edwin is Unstoppable for the first 2.5 seconds of Killing Spree.
New version:
Killing Spree can now trigger Defias Bounty, and it makes Edwin Unstoppable for the first 2.5 seconds.
Defias Bounty : No Quarter: Reduces the cooldown of Killing Spree by 10 seconds and resets its damage reduction effect on the target.
Snake Eyes (lvl 20):
Cooldown increased from
25 seconds to
30 seconds.
1.2.1 (04/25/2022)
TALENTS
Tricks if the Trade (lvl 13):
Now reduces the remaining duration of Rupture by
2.5 seconds instead of consuming it.
Deals a fixed
70 damage instead of
65% of remaining damage.
Kick (lvl 13):
Damage reduced from
70 to
40.
1.2 (04/24/2022)
BASE
Basic Attack:
Attack Speed reduced from
1.30 to
1.20.
ABILITIES
Defias Bounty (D):
Reworked.
Old version: Basic Attacks against Heroes apply Defias Bounty, increasing the duration of the next Rupture used against them by
0.75 seconds or the next Fire in the Hole Stun against them by
0.25 seconds. Stacks up to
4 times and lasts
12 seconds.
The new version of Edwin's Trait adds some complexity to his "rotation" by giving him more sources of Defias Bounty generation and consumption. To reach his full potential, he now has to actively track his stacks on enemy Heroes and decide which Ability (or even Basic Attack) to empower against them. Edwin can still consume Defias Bounty without paying attention, which never results in an actual loss, but doing so might waste some potential value.
Sabre Slash (Q):
Reworked.
Cooldown reduced from
8 to
7 seconds.
Old version: Slash twice at enemies in an arc, dealing
120 damage on each hit. Hitting the same enemy Hero with both slashes causes Edwin’s next
2 Basic Attacks to become Ranged and allows him to dash away from them by reactivating Sabre Slash.
The new version now slashes once instead of twice initially, with the second slash reworked and moved to the new Defias Bounty part of the ability. The conditionnal dash was converted into its own ability, Lunge, which gives Edwin his much needed mobility in a more simple form.
Fire in the Hole (W):
Reworked.
Mana cost increased from
55 to
60.
Old version: Toss a powder barrel that rolls to its destination over
3 seconds. After
1.5 seconds, Edwin's Ranged Basic Attacks can make it explode, dealing
190 damage and stunning enemies hit for
0.75 seconds.
The barrel stays on the ground for up to
3 seconds after reaching its destination.
The new version no longer has a set rolling time and arming time. Instead, it behaves like a generic projectile until it reaches its destination, where it stays for a slightly longer time that before. The garanteed explosion from Light 'Em Up at lvl 1 was moved to Fire in the Hole baseline.
Rupture (E):
Cast time increased from
0.125 to
0.25.
Range increased from
3.0 to
3.5.
Width increased from
0.8 to
1.25.
Height reduced from
4.5 to
3.0.
Missile speed increased from
15 to
18.
Damage over time reduced from
360 to
300.
Additional functionality: Deals
70 damage instantly.
Additional functionality:
Defias Bounty : Exsanguinate: Lasts
40% longer and reduces the target's damage to Edwin by an additional
10%.
Killing Spree (R):
Range reduced from
8.0 to
7.0.
Damage reduced from
290 to
250.
Lunge (1):
Added.
Activate to dash a short distance.
Stores up to
1 charge. Unused charges are lost after
3 seconds.
TALENTS
Swashbuckler (lvl 1):
Reworked.
Renamed from
Clear the Deck to
Swashbuckler.
Old version:
!Quest: Hitting 2 or more Heroes with Sabre Slash at the same time grants 1 additional Ranged Basic Attack.
!Reward: After hitting 2 or more Heroes 15 times, Defias Bounty increases the damage of Sabre Slash by 7.5% per stack.
!Reward: After hitting 4 or more Heroes at the same time, Sabre Slash always grants 1 additional Basic Attack and instantly gain all other Rewards.
Deadeye (lvl 1):
Reworked.
Old version:
Increase the range of Edwin's Ranged Basic Attacks by 0.5 and the amount of Defias Bounty they apply by 100%.
!Gambit: Increase the range of Edwin's Ranged Basic Attacks by 1.0. Every death reduces this bonus by 0.2.
Light Em' Up (lvl 1):
Reworked.
Old version:
Fire in the Hole deals up to 80% more damage the longer the barrel stays at its destination. Additionally, the barrel explodes when it expires.
Broadslide (lvl 4):
Moved from level 7.
New functionality: Increase the range and charge duration of Lunge by
33%, and its maximum number of charges by
1.
Old functionality:
Edwin can now dash 20% further in any direction when reactivating Sabre Slash, dealing 120 damage to enemies in the way.
Cut to the Chase (lvl 4):
Moved from level 7.
Renamed from
Hit 'Em While They're Down to
Cut to the Chase (Long live the puns)
Duration reduced from
4 to
3 seconds.
Additional functionality: The duration of Cut to the Chase can be increased by
Exsanguinate.
Playing with Fire (lvl 4):
Added.
Active
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Ignite a powder barrel that Edwin holds for up to
4 seconds, reducing the fuse duration of the next Fire in the Hole used within that time and increasing its range by
20%. If the barrel isn't tossed in time, a Fire in the Hole explosion is triggered on Edwin, dealing
85 damage to him and putting Fire in the Hole on cooldown.
Edwin can still perfom other actions while holding the barrel. Usable only while Fire in the Hole is not on cooldown.
Bloodbath (lvl 7):
Moved from level 4.
Additional functionality: Fire in the Hole and
Main Gauche can also reduce the cooldown of Rupture.
Bloodshed (lvl 7):
Moved from level 4.
Attack Speed bonus reduced from
30% to
15%.
Additional functionality: Hitting an enemy Hero with
Dispatch doubles the effect until it ends.
Expose Armor (lvl 7):
Moved from level 4.
Additional functionality:
Motherlode also reduces the target's Armor by
10. Both effects are independent and stack with each other.
Short Fuse (lvl 7):
Removed.
Reduce the travel time and duration of Fire in the Hole's barrel by
75%, increasing its speed by
300%.
Tricks of the Trade (lvl 13):
New functionality: Rupture reduces the target's damage to all allied Heroes. Hitting a Hero affected by
Exsanguinate with Sabre Slash consumes Rupture, dealing
65% of its remaining damage instantly and granting Edwin
30 Armor for
3 seconds.
Old functionality:
Consuming 3 or more stacks of Defias Bounty with Rupture reduces the target's damage by 25% for 4 seconds, increased to 35% against Edwin. Does not stack with Rupture's damage reduction effect.
Gouge (lvl 13):
Additional functionality: Reduce the cast time of Rupture by
75%. The duration of Gouge can be increased by
Exsanguinate.
Passive: Basic Attacks and Rupture deal
15% more damage to Blinded enemies.
Kick (lv 13):
Slience duration increased from
2 to
2.5 seconds.
Additional functionality: Deal
70 damage to the target.
Main Droite (lvl 16):
Added.
Triggering Defias Bounty on an enemy Hero deals damage equal to
6% of their maximum Health and reduces the cooldown of Saber Slash by
1 second.
Blade Rush (lvl 16):
Renamed from
Deep Lunge to
Blade Rush.
No longer modifies the duration of Rupture.
Range bonus reduced from
25% to
20%.
Additional functionality: Increase the size of Rupture by
20%.
Main Gauche can apply Defias Bounty on enemy Heroes affected by
Exsanguinate.
Packed Tight (lvl 16):
Damage bonus reduced from
20% to
10%.
Radius bonus reduced from
35% to
20%.
Additional functionality: If
Motherlode is triggered, these bonuses are doubled on the next use of Fire in the Hole.
Main Gauche (lvl 16):
Removed.
Sabre Slash gains an additional charge and it can affect up to the
4 next Basic Attacks.
Does not increase the number of Basic Attacks affected per cast.
No Quarter (lvl 20):
Additional functionality: Edwin is Unstoppable for the first
2.5 seconds of Killing Spree.
Make It Personal (lvl 20):
No longer increases the damage bonus at
2 stacks.
Adjusted functionality: Vendetta can be used twice on the same target, increasing the amount of Defias Bounty applied to them by
100%.
Clear the Deck (lvl 20):
Reworked.
Renamed from
Dead or Alive to
Clear the Deck.
New version: Increase the maximum number of Lunge charges by
1. Using Lunge causes Edwin's next Basic Attack to deal
40% more damage and cleave in an arc or a cone in front of him, depending on its range.
Old version:
Increase the maximum amount of Defias Bounty stacks by 2, and Fire in the Hole no longer consumes Defias Bounty.
Snake Eyes (lvl 20):
Renamed from
The Right Price to
Snake Eyes.
Defias Bounty disable duration reduced from
20 to
10 seconds.
1.1
Added Ability and Talent properties to their tooltips.
BASE
Health:
Maximum Health increased from
1975 to
2125.
Basic Attack:
Now has a range of
1.5.
Fire in the Hole (W):
Moved to the W key.
Damage increased from
160 to
190.
Rupture (E):
Moved to the E key.
Additional functionality: Now dashes a short distance before dealing damage.
Killing Spree (R):
Damage reduction per stack increased from
25% to
33%.
Vendetta (R):
Now has a
0.5 delay.
Damage bonus reduced from
30% to
25%.
TALENTS
Deadeye (lvl 1):
Attack range bonus reduced from
1.1 to
0.5.
Additional functionality:
!Gambit: Increase the range of Edwin's Ranged Basic Attacks by
1.0. Every death reduces this bonus by
0.2.
Light 'Em Up (lvl 1):
New functionality: Fire in the Hole deals up to
80% more damage the longer the barrel stays at its destination. Additionally, the barrel explodes when it expires.
Broadslide (lvl 7):
Renamed from
Bladed Charge to
Broadslide. (Pun very much intended)
Deep Lunge (lvl 16):
Additional functionality: Consuming Defias Bounty with Rupture increases its damage instead of its duration.
Packed Tight (lvl 16):
Damage bonus reduced from
25% to
20%.
Radius bonus increased from
25% to
35%.
Cooldown reduction increased from
1.5 to
2 seconds, now capped at
10.
Make It Personal (lvl 20):
Damage bonus while at
2 stacks reduced from
45% to
40%.
The Right Price (lvl 20):
Cooldown increased from
20 to
25 seconds.
Duration increased from
15 to
20 seconds.
Heroes of the Storm Build Guides
It's almost the platonic ideal of how a trait should be designed, and creates an interesting scenario where Defias has to decide whether he wants to be a combo hero or a skirmish/value hero. Is there a critical situation where the Bounty version of an ability needs to be used? Well, pop a basic attack and three abilities to get that Bounty effect off, but at the cost of only getting a fraction of the benefit of the other two abilities. At other times, you'll want to play very safely, and only use abilities for their maximum value.
That said, I do have some suggestions to make, as there are a few places I think it could be improved. I think the number one issue being that it shouldn't be possible to consume the stacks using the basic attack, and that maybe Defias wants to be a ranged assassin throwing knives, as he might be forced into a very "in, all abilities, out" playstyle, which isn't as nuanced as he has the potential to be.
Interestingly enough, your point on basic attacks consuming Defias Bounty is one of the things I was trying to fix before posting my most recent update, I just wasn't exactly sure how to approach it. The main red flag is that it can consume hard earned stacks accidentally, which can ruin Edwin's pacing and combos, and that definitely has the potential to be frustrating.
As for Edwin's attack range, the follow-up ranged basic attack granted by Dispatch (and the lvl 1 talent that empowers the mechanic further) plays into the pirate fantasy of using both swords and guns, which is one of the core design elements I chose for Edwin. I wanted his basic attacks to feel like a more dynamic but less focused version of Greymane, constantly weaving between melee and ranged. Also, with his potential AA build and Lunge, Edwin has access to quite a bit of poke and mobility for a melee assassin, so I'm being careful with balancing those aspects of his kit.
That said, I like where Edwin is at the moment, but I do think I can refine it a bit more. I'm currently cooking up another update that makes Defias Bounty activatable for a more deliberate use of his buffed Basic Attack. I'm also looking at ways to give him more ranged-specific build opportunities that could shift his gameplay to a safer, more poke-oriented approach. Stay tuned for the changes! :)