Alexstrasza and Hanzo, the Dragons descend onto the Nexus!
After the Junkrat patch saw the second consecutive Overwatch hero added to Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard announced at Blizzcon the arrival of two dragons, Alexstrasza and Hanzo, to the Nexus. On November 13, Alexstrasza, the Binder of Life from the Warcraft universe, will join the game. Then on December 4, the archer Hanzo Shimada will join the Nexus from Overwatch. Alexstrasza becomes the second Warcraft dragonflight hero, following Chromie, while Hanzo is the eighth Overwatch hero. They will be classified in the Support and Assassin roles, respectively, in HotS. On that note, let’s see what Alexstrasza and Hanzo can do.
Alexstrasza, the Life Binder
Alexstrasza, the Life Binder and the aspect of Red Dragonflight, is the guardian of all life in Azeroth. Her power comes from the titans who became impressed by her and the other protodrakes’ willingness to sacrifice themselves. Thus, the Titans granted her power that allowed her to evolve above her and turned her into a Dragonaspect. Her titan-patron, Eonar, granted her a portion of power thus entrusting to Alexstrasza the task of protecting all life of all the titan’s creations.
In Heroes of the Storm, Alexstrasza is a ranged healer similarly to Ana but has more self-sustain than the latter. She can transfer her health to other allies while also capable of dealing heavy damage against her enemies when transformed into a dragon. Her Trait Skill (D), Dragonqueen, allows her to become a dragon for a few seconds during the game. While in this form, she has reduced slow time and has increased health which makes it harder to just CC her down.
Unfortunately, Alexstrasza appears to be weak against Divers and Peelers like Artanis, Dehaka, and Diablo. Her heals also won’t do much if focused down since she’s the first hero who relies on percentage healing. She also appears to be weak against backline harassers like Nova, Valeera, and Zeratul.
For more info, check out the hero spotlight for Alexstrasza from Blizzard here:
Hanzo, Master Assassin
Being raised to handle the Shimada clan’s empire, Hanzo was bound by duty to succeed his father in the Shimada clan. At a young age, he showed excellence in martial arts, swordsmanship, and bowmanship. He also had a natural understanding of strategy and tactics which led to his excellent skills in leadership. Upon the death of his father, Hanzo assumed rule but ultimately gave it up when the clan elders demanded he kill his younger brother, Genji.
As he joins the Nexus, Hanzo appears to be more of a strafer similar to Sylvanas and Valla. A bow user, Hanzo will require players to often rely on stutter-stepping in order to out-kite his enemies. Like some of his Overwatch colleagues in the Nexus, Hanzo is capable of moving around certain terrains to enhance his mobility and survivability.
The Master Assassin from Overwatch, Hanzo also debuts his famed ultimate from Overwatch as one of his Heroic Abilities. Dragonstrike sends his two dragons to thrash through enemies dealing 52 damage for every quarter of a second. For those enemies standing in the middle of the Dragonstrike, they also take increased damage. Unfortunately, some of his basic skills, like Storm Bow, appear as though he needs to stand still for better damage. Thus, faster snipers like Nova may be able to Triple Tap him first.
Ready for Alexstrasza and Hanzo?
With Alexstrasza and Hanzo making their way to the Nexus, the scales are definitely going to tip. More Support and Assassin type heroes are entering the Nexus, granting more balance and versatility to the game. Alexstrasza and Hanzo intend to look far beyond their universes and to engage in new challenges in the Nexus. And just to whet your appetite for the two dragons, let’s leave the Blizzcon Trailer Video here. Enjoy the show!
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