Tier 1
Conjurer's Pursuit
This talent was slightly nerfed in the last patch which removed the base +0.5 MPS and smoothed the bonus +MPS per regen globe. This makes the talent weaker for the first few levels until the extra MPS kicks in as you collect globes. Pro-tip: collect ALL GLOBES possible. Be sure your teammates are also scooping globes for you. Seriously, this talent makes Uther's end-game mana very abundant, which allows for sustained healing.
Tier 2
Hammer of the Lightbringer
Hit something with your auto-attack and get 8 mana. When danger is low, Uther should be on the front lines whacking any minion, Hero, merc, or structure to regen his mana. Over time, this ability gives Uther a crazy amount of mana, but it's worthless unless you're smashing something.
Tier 3
Wave of Light
Most builds will have have Uther take
Cleanse, but I prefer the mana return and cooldown reduction. This even works if Uther only uses it on himself. On maps where team fights are common, this talent can basically let Uther heal everyone forever. Positioning is key, so when you see a good opportunity, you'll need to be able to target your team. This takes some skill and predictive aim - you'll get very good with practice. Bonus points for doing damage to enemies. Cleanse if the better option if you aren't good/comfortable targeting multiple friendly heroes.
Tier 4
Divine Storm
Both of Uther's heroic abilities are strong and work well. I find
Divine Storm to be useful in almost all situations - lane pushing, capturing or killing mercs, team fights, etc. If timed right, a well-placed Divine Storm can knock out most or all of the enemy team. The extra stun gives Uther some chase-down ability because most players aren't expecting double stuns. Again, this talent pick is intended to be used in an aggresive manner, so be sure you time it just right for maximum effect.
Tier 5
Spell Shield or
Shrink Ray
Ok, there are several talent picks here that are good. I prefer the set-it-and-forget-it
Spell Shield, but
Blessed Champion and
Shrink Ray are strong as well. If Uther is being targeted heavily,
Spell Shield will give you some initial relief from potential massive damage. Assuming uther is on the front-lines, which he should be, you'll likely be targeted with a strong opening attacking, making Spell Shield very effective as you attempt to back away.
Shrink Ray can do some nasty things, and usually causes enemies to immediately flee. Useful in 1v1 and peeling scenarios, but Uther should never find himself in 1v1 situations.
Tier 6
Hardened Focus or
Benediction
Tier 6 has some very good talents, but
Hardened Focus is my go-to pick as long as i feel that I can avoid damage, or the enemy team is not focusing Uther. If you select this talent, Uther will now transition to a more traditional "heal-from-the-back" healer. Your goal is to only engage when threat of damage is low to Uther. Positioning is key, and this should be fairly obvious. The 50% cooldown reduction is unreal and when paired with
Conjurer's Pursuit,
Hammer of the Lightbringer, and
Wave of Light should basically turn Uther into a non-stop healing machine and make a core push much easier. If the enemy is bursting targets,
Benediction is a solid choice. This will also make Uther even more mana efficient.
Tier 7
Divine Hurricane or
Storm Shield
You really have two viable options here.
Divine Hurricane is my go-to pick because Uther can now engage his massive interrupt from a greater distance or reach more enemy heroes.
Storm Shield is useful if the enemy team is spreading damage around with AOE damage during team fights. I am not a fan of
Redemption because, as Uther, you should be very good at running for your life at a moment's notice. Even if you come back, you're either going to be too late to be effective alone, or you'll simply be killed if you hang around the enemy (presumably to keep healing the teammates who are likely dead).
Uther is a defensive oriented melee hero with good survivability, potent heals, and interrupts in the form of stuns. If you want to play Uther to his full potential, you need to get comfortable with being in the thick of battle for most of the fight, especially in the beginning. As the battle progresses, Uther will likely take more of a "backseat healer" role, especially if your team has momentum.
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