Blizzard has revealed that World of Warcraft's Hogger is the next character headed to the Nexus in Heroes of the Storm. Despite being one of the most well-known characters in the lore of World of Warcraft, the terror of Elwynn Forest has been designed for Heroes of the Storm as though he were a Looney Toons character. Some of his abilities feel a bit silly, but they still seem highly effective.
Hogger has been designed as a Bruiser, taking on the role between an Assassin and a Tank, with the potential to stun and block opponents from leaving a fight. Hogger’s active trait is called Loot Hoard, which lets you throw a pile of junk that deals damage in a small area on impact, and more importantly, acts as terrain for five seconds. This means that Loot Hoard can block players from leaving in a narrow space and is sure to be an excellent tool for players who know their maps well. Upon expiration, Loot Hoard will drop a scrap of meat that Hogger can pick up to restore 15% of his maximum health over five seconds.
Hogger’s passive trait is called Rage, which accumulates while taking or dealing basic attack damage. For every two points of Rage, his cooldowns refresh 1% faster than normal, and like other characters, this resource begins to decay after a few seconds of not being in combat. As a result, Hogger is clearly meant to shine in long fights where he can build up his Rage resource, and both self and Support heals will only make him more difficult to deal with.
Staggering Blow is Hogger’s first basic ability, which swings his ball and chain in a wide arc, dealing damage and knocking enemies back. If an enemy collides with any terrain, which includes Loot Hoard, they are stunned for a short duration and Hogger gains 10 Rage.
Ez-Thro Dynamite is Hogger’s second basic ability. This lets you throw a boot full of dynamite with a short fuse, and enemies caught in the blast radius take damage and are slowed by 30% for two seconds. Precision in each toss is rewarded as well, as landing the dynamite directly onto an enemy hero will cause instant detonation and grants 10 Rage.
Hogger’s last basic ability is also his silliest, called Hogg Wild. After a short cast of 0.25 seconds, Hogger becomes unstoppable and spins like the Tasmanian Devil in a targeted direction. Once cast, you lose all control of Hogger, who will bounce off any terrain and smash opponents caught in his path. It looks rather ridiculous, but the potential for massive damage combos is readily apparent when Hogger’s entire kit is looked at in terms of crowd control.
Both of Hogger’s heroic abilities look solid as well. Hoardapult will launch Hogger directly into the action, slowing enemies for a short duration and providing more meat for self-healing. Shockwave is a more traditional Heroic Ability, where Hogger slams the ground, dealing damage in a short line and stunning opponents that it hits.
Hogger is currently available for testing in the PTR of Heroes of the Storm, and despite being a little silly in his design, his overall kit looks to be formidable for any opponents who stray away from their teams or overextend even a little bit.