by JR Cook - 8 years ago     show comments

Success in Heroes of the Storm centers around Objectives. While most players understand the importance of winning Objectives, a surprising number don’t seem to understand that it is what you do AFTER you secure an Objective that matters. Capturing an Objective gives your team an advantage, and advantages are meant to be pressed. What is the best way to press the advantage that an Objective gives you? The answer is simple, by supporting it!

On most maps, the advantage from an Objective comes in the form of some type of creature, or creatures, that will assist your team. On maps such as Infernal Shrines and Tomb of the Spider Queen, these creatures are AI controlled. On others, such as Dragon Shire and Garden of Terror, the creature is player controlled. Either way, once you have these creatures on your side you should make a concerted push with them. Two of the of the more common mistakes that players seem to make involve doing something other than pushing, or ineffectively split pushing.

When you win an Objective on one of these maps your number one goal should be to take down structures. While things like the Dragon Knight or a Punisher are powerful, they can quickly be defeated by just one or two defenders if they are not properly supported. All to often I see these creatures wasted because other players decide to go clear minions or chase enemy Heroes, rather than push along with them. This is usually the wrong choice. You can always go back and clear minions once the map mechanic has run it’s course, and a strong push will provide ample opportunity to get Hero kills.

Since the goal is to take down enemy structures, split pushing can seem like a good strategy. It actually is a good strategy assuming you can indeed take out multiple structures, but there are risks involved. The most obvious one is that you overestimate the amount of damage you can do, and end up with two partially damaged lanes instead of one completely destroyed one. This can be especially bad if the opposing team has access to MULE. The less obvious downside is that your team is at a higher risk of losing a team fight when you are split up. Any advantage you gain can be quickly lost if the enemy teams get a couple of kills. As a result, the better choice is often to push a single lane as opposed to split pushing, especially later in the game.

As important as it is to push when you have the advantage, it is equally important to recognize when a push has reached it’s limit. Comebacks are all to common in Heroes of the Storm, and they are often the result of one team wiping after overextending on a push. Be aggressive, but know when it is time to be satisfied with your gains and fall back.

While Objectives are important, team work also goes a long way to determining your success in Heroes of the Storm. As a solo queue player, it is important to support your team even if they aren’t doing the ‘right’ thing. You can try to provide directions with pings or by chat, but if they decide they want to do something else your best bet is to follow along and make the best of it. Even a bad plan can work if everyone is on the same page, and the best plan in the world might not work if half the team is off doing something else.

I know this advice is very simple, but I regularly see teams who win an Objective only to squander it by not having a plan or working together as a team. Help spread the word: when you capture an Objective, support it and push!

GLHF!