Dear DrmDestryr,
Is the treasure goblin mount worth the 20,000 gp?
-MLadle
Dear MLadle,
Initially I was torn between it and the soon-to-be retired money pig. After all, the pig turns food into gold while the goblin doesn’t. However, in honor of my love for Diablo and the mount’s Green Goblin color scheme, I was swayed. After all, what's better than getting to ride around on a Spiderman villain without having to hog tie him with hand-crafted webbing I can assure you I do not have?
So the decision was made and after a quick transaction of 20,000 gold pieces earned with obsession and high blood pressure, my entire Heroes roster now sits upon the mighty bag-throne of the largest goblin in existence. Rumors circulate that he is some kind of mutation that should be set free for the betterment of goblin-kind, but I bought him. He's mine. Respect for innocent creatures be damned. I would never have been so careless as to throw a sock at my house elf.
Thus far we've had some great adventures. He disappears as soon as there's danger and reappears when it's gone. Because of this, I've named him The Deserter. All attempts at finding out his goblin name result in the same giggles that make me assume he's actually some sociopath whose secret I'd better never discover. Changing his species does nothing to stem this so I'm convinced he has the color changing powers of a chameleon mixed with a cuttlefish combined with a rather sizeable wardrobe.
At the end of the day, though, he's a busted goblin. Not once have I seen him open a portal to escape like his Diablo brethren and sistren. Because of this, I like to assume we have a bond now. A bond that formed when I first handed over currency in exchange for his reigns. They say if you love something, let it go. If it leaves, it was never yours to begin with. If it returns, you can keep it.
And, well, he always comes back.
-DrmDestryr
Dear DrmDestryr,
It’s Leoric week! Tips, tricks, thoughts?
-KingCallan
Dear KingCallan,
It’s time to shake off your sanity and start rattling!
Leoric Basics
King Leoric, aka “The Mad King”, had a reign that began in blood and ended in bone. He was a weak-willed king that fell to the persuasion Diablo, guided into further misdeeds by the evil not-Jafar. You can now pick up the risen body of this tragic king and must defend your fellow Heroes against the onslaught of enemy attacks.
Unfortunately, literal madness makes playing him a bit hard. You really do need your wits about you to play him to the best of his abilities.
Tank-wise, he feels and moves very much like Muradin and Johanna. He walks heavy and feels slow. Though this can feel odd when placed in the hands of someone that enjoys sprightlier Heroes, it is an attribute that marks him as 100% tank. What does this mean for you? It means you should plan on standing proudly at the front instead of hiding in the back waiting for an opportunity.
Skeletal Swing
This empowers Leoric with lane-clearing ability a bit more powerful than Sonya’s whirlwind. It also has the potential to be a great slow if talented into. When dead, this slow is great for giving your team the upper advantage on Heroes that are trying to run away.
Drain Hope
This ability is arguably the reason why he is a hard Hero to play. It is a skill shot and a very precise skill shot at that. When landed, though, you move fast enough to follow the victim through the ability’s full length. This means you need to know who to target. Valla? Bad idea. Zeratul? Bad idea. Anyone with an escape is a bad idea. Together with his Swing, these two abilities are the reason he is often seen laning by himself while objectives and team fights are non-existent.
Wraith Walk
This escape is my absolute favorite of any Hero’s. Your body kneels down while your spirit can head anywhere, namely out of range of the danger. You have to be careful, though. The timer for Walk is fast, and you can die to Hero attacks if you don’t get out of there fast enough.
Entomb
When you’re with a wombo-combo team, you need a great Leoric that knows who the best Heroes are to Entomb. Muradin? Bad idea. Zeratul? Bad idea. Any Hero with a full escape can get out of this no problem, leaving you with an empty graveyard and crushed dreams. Secondly, make sure you step into the tomb area itself. Nothing is more embarrassing than letting a trapped Hero escape through the front door.
March of the Black King
If you don’t have a wombo-combo group, damage is the best gift you can give. The secret here is to make sure you have great targeting since most Heroes can casually stroll out of your reach when they hear the death knell.
Leoric & Death
Now, we all know Leoric doesn't really "die" in the traditional sense. Instead, he immediately comes back as a spook that can slow and reduce his death timer through said slows. Simultaneously the best and worst part about him, you can die 10 times and feel like you haven't died once. Even so, dying is inexcusable. Your deaths don't count as partial deaths like with Murky or Lost Vikings. They are full deaths. So while you can still slow as a dead guy, you've given the other team XP. For this reason, learn how to avoid death at all costs.
-DrmDestryr
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