Patch 20 (09/13/2016) Does not affect any of my builds but should be considered an optional talent if more survivability is needed.

Level 16
Shake it Off (Passive)
New functionality:
Stuns and Roots against Li Li grant Resistant, reducing all damage taken by 25 for 3 seconds. Cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.
Developer Comments: See Greymane’s comment for Relentless changes

This guide will explain each of the build talent selections as well as give some strategies below them.

Li Li has one of the top, if not the top, win ratios out of all of the heroes. She has been in the top 5 for the last month.

While other heroes can heal more than her, Li Li can reliably do more DPS than they do, depending on build and utilization.

She can be crucial to fast laning early game especially when pared with a melee class hero. While the hero is attacking minions, place your serpent on them to help clear the waves faster. When paired with a ranged class hero, her serpent will help add threat to enemy heroes trying to attack your ranged teammate. I feel though she is best paired with your tank first, or any hero that does not have a self-healing ability second. Paring her with another support can help sustain laning as you can heal each other but you wont have as much ability to engage the enemy.

One of the biggest reasons I like Li Li is that she has no skill shots. Im not super great on landing skill shots until I've played the hero for a few games in a row. Her Healing Brew targets the being with the lowest health prioritizing heroes over minions. Blinding Wind targets the two closest enemies prioritizing enemy heroes. This can, however, be a hinderance if you happened to want specific targets.

Click here for extensive lore on Li Li

Stats:

Health 835 (+135/lvl)

Health Regen 1.7382 (+0.2812/lvl)

Attack Speed 1.25 (per second)

Mana 500 (+10/lvl)

Mana Regen 3.00 (+0.0976/lvl)

Attack Range 5.5

Damage 25 (+6/lvl)

Trait- Fast Feet - Increases movement speed by 10% for 1 second while taking damage. This basically helps her escape and reposition during team fights.

Q - Healing Brew - 30 Mana - Cooldown: 3 seconds. Heal lowest Health ally (prioritizing Heroes) for 430 (88 + 18 per level) Health.

W - Cloud Serpent - 30 Mana - Cooldown: 10 seconds. Summon a Cloud Serpent on target allied Hero that automatically attacks nearby enemies, doing 64 (22.2 + 2.2 per level) damage per attack. Heroes can only have 1 Cloud Serpent at a time. Lasts for 8 seconds.

E - Blinding Wind - 40 Mana - Cooldown: 10 seconds. Throw a cloud of Blinding Wind at the 2 nearest enemies (prioritizing Heroes), dealing 290 (43 + 13 per level) damage. Affected targets miss all Basic Attacks for the next 2 seconds.

R - Jug of 1,000 Cups - 100 Mana - Cooldown: 70 seconds. Rapidly tosses brew to the most injured nearby allies, prioritizing Heroes, restoring a total of 3600 (636 + 156 per level) Health over 6 seconds.

R - Water Dragon - 100 Mana - Cooldown: 45 seconds. Summon a Water Dragon that after a delay hits the nearest enemy Hero and all enemies near them, dealing 420 (154 + 14 per level) damage and slowing their Movement Speed by 70% for 4 seconds.

This build not only does really good healing (not the best) but does a pretty good amount of damage. It is just an overall good build to use and easy to play with. The nice thing about Li Li is that her heals auto-target the lowest health ally and prioritize heroes over minions. So all you really have to do is hold down Q in a team fight. I also tend to cast Cloud Serpent on the tanks/warriors as then Lightning Serpent will have a greater effect. As opposed to say casting it on a ranged hero which may not trigger Cloud Serpent's attack by being too far from the enemy.

Level 1 - Conjurer's Pursuit - As healer you never really want to be completely out of mana (OOM) and have to hearthstone back (B) to base for a refill. Having increase mana regeneration, especially late game, will be a huge benefit to your team. It will be in your best interest to also mention in team chat that you need globes. Hopefully then your teammates will wait a little before picking up globes until you get closer.

Level 4 - Mending Serpent - This ability allows you, depending on who you pick, to focus healing on one target while healing another. I will usually place the serpent on the tank so that my healing brew can target ranged if needed. It will also help heal your tanks faster having the added healing power. Why do I pick this over Healing Ward? Because if your team, or teammate, has to retreat the serpent will lag behind and continue to attack which in turn continues to heal the bound teammate. Also healing wards can take damage and are often focused by the enemy once placed.

Level 7 - Lightning Serpent or The Good Stuff - This tier will depend if you want to lean more toward DPS or healing. Lightning Serpent is strictly a DPS add-on that will help out in clearing waves and adding DPS to team fights when targets are grouped. If a team fight happens around an enemy's minion wave, the bounces will help take out those minions to mitigate the damage they do to your teammates. This ability comes into benefit more in the mid game than late game. Getting additional kills mid game can help make for a better late game. If you want to lean more toward healing, then take The Good Stuff. Lightning Serpent had its hay day when the bounces would heal, but they havent for many months now.

Level 10 - Jug of 1,000 Cups - the best heroic ability if you are going for healing. This can make or break a teamfight in most instances. Also, leaning how to time when you pop this ability is a must. Too soon as its nearly wasted on full health heroes as it doesnt overheal. Too late and you will end up teammates below half health. Be careful to stay clear of enemy heroes that have stun abilities as it will disrupt and end this ability.

Level 13 - Elusive Feet - I've been using this talent a lot more than any other in their tier because of the increase survival.

Level 16 - Serpent SideKick - Doubles your serpent's damage output, potentially, and especially when paired with Mending Spirit so that you also get a small heal. When also paired with Lightning Serpent you will clear minion waves very quickly.

Level 20 - Kung Fu Hustle - The cooldown reduction applies to all of you abilities, including your heroic. I pick this over the 2nd heroic as you will be able to cast your heroic more often. It also makes it nice that it will decrease the cool down on healing brew & blinding wind.

If you are going against a team that has a lot of auto-attacking (sustain damage) heroes then you will want to help mitigate their damage output. Heroes like Raynor, Valla, Tracer, etc are the specific types you want to use this build against but you also want to target the warriors. Any hero that uses their auto-attacks as their primary attack can be countered with with this build. The increased vortexes of Blinding Wind will help target more heroes.

Level 1 - Timeless Creature - As healer you never really want to be completely out of mana (OOM) and have to hearthstone back (B) to base for a refill. Having increase mana regeneration, especially late game, will be a huge benefit to your team. It will be in your best interest to also mention in team chat that you need globes. Hopefully then your teammates will wait a little before picking up globes until you get closer.

Level 4 - Mass Vortex - Unfortunately both Mass Vortex and Lingering Blind are intentionally in the same tier. I think it would make Li Li a little too overpowered as a counter if they weren't. So I chose Mass Vortex over Lingering Blind as you want to make sure a cloud hits as many of the auto-attackers as possible. The clouds prioritize the closest heroes.

Level 7 - Situational - This tier is really difficult to say on any particular talent to pick over the others. Pitch Perfect can be skipped due to taking Conjurer's Pursuit at level 1 but if you are having trouble managing manage even after taking it, then this talent can help in that regard. For instance, if you are unable to harvest a lot of globes. Lightning Serpent can also be skipped unless you need added DPS. The Good Stuff is a decent talent to take as it will add more healing but remember it is healing over time (HoT). [color=#ffff00Cleanse[/color] is always a good pick when playing against heroes that have root, stun, or slowing talents (crowd control).

Level 10 - Timeless Creature - I never really play a DPS Li Li so I almost always pick this heroic unless playing on a team with more than one healer. As I stated in the other build, this is your biggest healing ability and would be silly to take Water Dragon.

Level 13 - Surging Winds - This tier has two viable options. Hindering Wind acts as a great escape and pursuit talent while Surging Winds will buff your abilities (does not buff serpent damage). I have a tendency to take Surging Winds over Hindering Winds because the buff can be applied to your heroic. So in a team fight, casting Blinding Wind right before your heroic will add considerably high heal potential especially when paired with Mass Vortex.

Level 16 - Two for One - I like this talent more than the others in this tier as it increases your healing output but the other talents are decent depending on the situation. If you need more DPS however, you can take Serpent Sidekick. If the enemy team has a lot of stun abilities then Shake It Off is a good pick to avoid being taken down with chain stuns. And Safety Sprint/color] is good if the enemy team has a lot of slowing talents.

Level 20 - Kung Fu Hustle - Like in the above build this 2nd heroic is, in my opinion, best as it will allow you to get off all of your abilities, including your heroic, more often. Storm Shield can be helpful if the enemy team is heavily comprised of casters such as Kael-Thas, Jaina, Azmodan, etc who rely on burst damage abilities. However this build is more focused on teams with primarily auto-attackers.

This build emphasizes healing over DPS.

Level 1 - Conjurer's pursuit - Mana mitigation is one of Li Li's downfalls if she needs to use her abilities a lot. As long as your match has a good laning phase, this will help manage mana and is the 2nd most picked talent per hotslogs.

Level 4 - Mass Vortex or Mending Serpent - Now hear me out. While Mass Vortex doesnt add to healing early on, it will stack with Surging Winds later. It also helps reduce autoattack damage. If you are facing an enemy team comprised of good autoattack damaging heroes, this will help more. So this choice really depends on when you want to emphasize your healing as both have pros and cons. Mending Spirit helps healing moreso early to mid game where Mass Vortex will help more late game when combined with Surging Wind. Now there is something to be said about healing ward too. It does good healing but is a stationary circle of effect and a 60 second cool down.

Level 7 - The Good Stuff - Whereas Lightning Serpent is strictly a DPS add-on, The Good Stuff will be strictly healing. The Good Stuff also scales so will be of more benefit toward the late game than Lightning Serpent.

Level 10 - Jug of 1,000 Cups - Just as with the Jugs O'Serpents build, this is the talent you want to take when you are in a healing role....and really, when is Li Li not in a healing role?

Level 13 - Surging Winds - The 8% AP buff applies to healing abilities as well but does not buff cloud serpent's damage. When paired to Kung Fu Hustle you will be able to reapply this buff more frequently. Combine with Mass Vortex and you can potentially double your healing output if all 4 blinding winds hit. Get all 4 stacks, pop your heroic, and your healing will be massive. That is, provided that your heroic isnt disrupted by a stun. Surging Winds also lasts for 6 seconds so can benefit out of combat for a short time whereas Mending Spirit only aids while in combat.

Level 16 - Two For One - Since Herbal Cleanse was removed from this tier then Two For One is the only healing focused talent.

Level 20 - Kung Fu Hustle - this talent will benefit all of your abilities. Shorter cooldowns means more opportunity to heal and reduce enemy damage output.

This build emphasizes DPS over healing. I would only use this build in quick match solo queue when you end up with two healers. Communicate with your team at the start so you dont both end up going DPS.

Level 1 Gale Force - Gale Force will help for bust damage especially early game allow you to make the other enemy players in that lane have to go back more often to replenish their health or mana if they are a healer. It stacks nicely with Mass Vortex

Level 4 - Mass Vortex - will come into benefit more in the mid & late game but nice to be able to hit 4 instead of 2 if you need to. See surging winds at level 13.

Level 7 - Lightning Serpent - The only ability in this tier that contributes toward DPS. But if find yourself too squishy, you may want to take The Good Stuff.

Level 10 - Water Dragon - Li Li's DPS heroic. Especially nasty in team fights due to AOE & good CC. Try to cast when the enemy heroes is closer to each other. Especially nice when you can time it to hit right after gazlowe's grav-o-bomb as it will help keep the enemy team in a nice hit box. Also, cast Blinding Wind before casting this ability to increase the damage it causes.

Level 13 - Surging Winds - increased damage (and also healing) which is stackable and pairs nicely with Mass Vortex.

Level 16 - Serpent Sidekick - Like at level 7, this is the only DPS talent in this tier. If you are finding yourself too squishy or targeted a lot then consider taking Shake It Off or Safety Sprint/color].

Level 20 - Kung Fu Hustle or Double Dragon - I tend to pick Kung Fu Hustle over Double Dragon. I do this because once the first dragon hits, the enemy team tends to move away from the hero that was initially hit. Due to that, I feel being able to cast your heroic more often will contribute better overall.

With Li Li's trait, Fast Feet, you can make for faster escapes. However, if you are having troubles with getting pursued a lot, I recommend taking Hindering Winds. I once followed the garden terror up to the enemy core where the terror was killed, and ran back all the way to my own core, while being pursued by Thrall & Zagara. I also had taken Mending Serpent. So while I was being chased I was spamming Healing Brew and always had my serpent on me and would recast when off cooldown.

Most of Li Li's concerns, for any map, will be watching your positioning so you dont end up being attacked by multiple enemies

Battlefield of Eternity - Watch your positioning both around enemy heroes & AOE dished out by the immortal.

Blackheart's Bay - watch your positioning when defending the turn in point. Positioning can be crucial when taking the boss merc. You can get easily ganked from behind by an ememy team trying to deny your team from capturing the boss. Dont solo chests unless you know for certain you can take it without an enemy hero challenging you.

Cursed Hollow - again, watch your positioning. You can easily end up the target on a 2v1, 3v1, or more in a moments notice.

Dragon Shire - Leave yourself an out when capturing the control points. Use your range to your advantage.
Blinding Wind will blind the dragon knight.

Garden of Terror - Watch the terror's AOE, run around gathering the seeds & regen globes while throwing your healing brew. If you have Mending Serpent, cast your serpent on whomever has the terror's aggro (seed gathering terror). Avoid the polymorph's at all cost.

Haunted Mines - Lightning Serpent can help take out groups of the undead for getting skulls faster as well as mercs. Just like in Garden of Terror, cast your serpent on whomever has the golem's aggro.

Infernal Shrines - Lightning Serpent comes in handing killing guardians. Avoid becoming the target of the punisher at all cost.

Sky Temple - It is very unwise to try to control a point solo. This can be a gank heavy map as well. So just never try to be caught solo.

Tomb of the Spider Queen - watch your position in the lane so you dont become the target of a gank. Try to let your teammates gather the gems instead of you. While channleing during the turn in you become an easy target as well as being unable to heal your teammates. Since the spiders spawn with two companions, Lightning Serpent can come in handy for clearing them.

07/06/2016 - Long overdue updates. All builds have been changed to some degree especially since Herbal Cleanse was removed.

11/13/2015 - Changed talents on Jug's & dps build, added video link in DPS build chapter. Added Serpent of the Rose build.

11/13/2015 - Added icons and formatting

11/13/2015 - Added threats, statistics, and link to lore in the introduction

11/26/2015 - fixed a typo