Kel'Thuzad by CaptainMinion

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Kel'Thuzad

By: CaptainMinion
Last Updated: Feb 17, 2017
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Kel'Thuzad

Lord of Naxxramas

The lich Kel'Thuzad, lord of the flying fortress of Naxxramas, has served the Lich King faithfully through many years, deaths and ressurections. His live is protected by his phylactery, a magic item that he can reform from after each time he dies. He commands his allies and denies his enemies any escape. You can't feel safe, even when he's on your team. After all, your usefullness will end one day.

My version of Kel'Thuzad is an aggressive Support, who specializes in securing kills. I know that making Kel'Thuzad a Support is a controversial decision, but in my opinion this playstyle fits him quite well. I talk more in depth about how he'd be played at the end of the page.

Combat Trait

1
Lich's Phylactery
Activate to give a target allied hero your Phylactery. This ability cannot be activated while any player has the Phylactery. The Phylactery is destroyed when the hero that has it dies, after which this ability is put on a 60 second cooldown, after which you can give the Phylactery to any allied hero again.
If any hero has the Phylactery you'll be able to respawn at his postition 5 seconds after your death by activating this ability. Your death grants reduced experience while the Phylactery is active.

Primary Abilities

1
[Q] Frost Nova
Cost: 80 mana
Cooldown: 8 seconds


After a 1 second delay, deal 200 (+3% per level) damage to all enemies in an area around target enemy and reduce their movement speed by 40% for 3 seconds.
2
[W] Frost Armor
Cost: 50 mana
Cooldown: 6 seconds


Grant the target ally a Shield that absorbs 450 (+4% per level) damage over 4 seconds. While the shield is active all Basic Attacks against this ally reduce the movement speed of the attacker by 70% for 0.5 second.
3
[E] Grasp of Death
Cost: 100 mana
Cooldown: 10 seconds


After a 1 second delay root the target enemy for 2 seconds. 2 seconds after the root ends, stun it for 3 seconds.

Secondary Abilities

1
[1] Dark Ritual
No cost
Cooldown: 4 seconds


Kill an allied minion and gain mana relative to its health percentage, up to 150 mana on 100% health.

Heroic Abilities

1
[R] Chains of Kel'Thuzad
Cost: 100 mana
Cooldown: 60 seconds


Chain all nearby enemies, reducing their movement speed by 50% and your movement speed by 30% for 1.5 seconds. Enemies who get too far away from you break free from this effect. Those who don't are stunned for 2 seconds when the effect ends.

Kel'Thuzad's death doesn't break the chains.
2
[R] Death and Decay
Cost: 30 mana per second
Cooldown: 15 seconds


Channel to deal damage to all enemies in target area, equal to 4% of their maximum health every second.

Mounts

Kel'Thuzad, similarly to Azmodan, Anub'arak and similar, has a mount only he can use. That mount is basically just him flying faster (he already hovers all the time) with some additional frost visual effects. He can also use mounts that can be stood on, like Hearthstone Card or Magic Carpet.

Playstyle

Kel'Thuzad is an agressive support. He goes best in a lane with one or multiple allies with strong early game. His Q and E give enough CC to secure some early kills, while his W and Phylactery allow him to often overextend while chasing kills. Dark Ritual lets him attack often despite high mana costs on his abilities.

Kel'Thuzad's goal should be to play aggressively at the start of the game, quickly getting an experience advantage with kills. He's not really good at instantly turning those kills into progress, as he needs to sacrifice hs own minions to avoid running out of mana. Because of that he should focus on getting kills.

That playstyle requires the correct team composition to work well - he needs someone who can do a lot of burst damage early (won't kill enemies with just CC) and he also needs allies that can effectively use an experience advantage. His heroic abilities help keeping and using that advantage - Chains of Kel'Thuzad forces enemies to a teamfight and Death and Decay can secure many teamfights if someone else can keep the enemies immobilized.

Even if that startegy fails, Kel'Thuzad is still quite useful - Shields form his W can help minimise loses, Death and Decay deals percentage of health as damage so enemies having more health isn't a problem for it and CC is always useful.

Talents

LEVEL 1

Frost Culmination - When Frost Nova hits an enemy hero, the slow amount is increased by 10% for each hero hit. Hitting one enemy hero results in a 50% slow, hitting 2 gives a 60% slow. Hitting 5 gives a 90% slow.

Freezing Presence - All enemies near you are always slowed by 10%.

No Escape - Grasp of Death stuns 1 second earlier but for only 2 seconds.

Scouting Drone - Places a Scouting Drone at target location, revealing a large area around it for 45 seconds. This drone cannot be hidde and is killed by enemies with 2 Basic Attacks. Stores up to 2 charges. Cooldown: 45 seconds.

LEVEL 4

Frost Flow - Frost Nova heals you for 50% of damage it deals.

Frost Massacre - Frost Nova deals 200% damage to minions

Crushing Frost - Frost Nova reduces the Armor of targets it hits by 10 for 2 seconds, increasing damage they take by 10%

LEVEL 7

Ghostly Presence - While you're dead your spirit can wander around freely and cast Frost Nova but doesn't deal damage.

Dark Efficiency - Dark Ritual grants 50% more mana.

Advanced Phylactery - The cooldown of Lich's Phylactery is reduced to 30 seconds.

Frostbolt Mastery - Your Basic Attacks reduce the target's movement speed by 15% for 2 seconds.

LEVEL 10

Chains of Kel'Thuzad (Look above)

Death and Decay (Look above)

LEVEL 13

Frost Durability - Frost Armor also gives the target 50 Physical Armor against the next 2 Hero Basic Attacks for 6 seconds, reducing the damage taken by 50%.

Anti-Magic Shell - Activate to grant an ally 25 Spell Armor for 3 seconds reducing damage taken from spells by 25%. Cooldown: 15 seconds.

Unholy Empowerment - Frost Armor also grants the target 20% Life Steal, healing it for 20% of all damage it deals while the Shield is active.

Dark Harvest - Dark Ritual can be used on enemy minions, granting 50% less mana.

LEVEL 16

Naxxramas Reinforcements - Whenever you use an ability, summon a Ghoul that behaves like a minion and last for up to 30 seconds. It is a viable target for Dark Ritual

Spreading Death - When Grasp of Death stuns an enemy, the ability spreads to all other enemy heroes nearby. The secondary rasps do not spread.

Hardened Focus - While you are above 80% health, your Basic ability cooldowns regenerate 50% faster.

LEVEL 20

Chain Pull - When Chains of Kel'Thuzad stun an enemy, it's also pulled to Kel'Thuzad's location.

Residual Decay - After Death and Decay stops affecting an enemy, it deals 12% of their maximum health as additional damage over 3 seconds.

Bolt of The Storm - Activate to teleport to a nearby location. Cooldown: 70 seconds

Ice Block - Activate to place yourself in Stasis and gain Invulnerability for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.

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