by JR Cook - 8 years ago     show comments

Heroes has long been a game of comebacks, despite what you may have read in that IGN review. It is one of the things that makes the game fun to play and exciting to watch. No matter how badly a team is being dominated, one late game team fight can completely change the completion of the game. There are even mechanics built into the game to help teams that fall behind in experience to catch up, which in turn makes it easier to win said team fights. However, times change and comebacks in Heroes are no longer as easy as they once were.

As a result of changes in the Guldan patch, getting your team back into the game is no longer as simple as winning a late game team fight. While it is still possible for teams to close the experience gap, it is not nearly as easy to close the Structural gap. In a recent article I discussed the value of Keeps in the current meta, but even I was surprised at how much of an advantage getting first Keep has turned out to be.

^{*These numbers are take from HOTSLogs and are based on Hero League games over the last 30 days. The numbers for Quick Match are almost identical.}

The fact that the team that takes down the first Keep wins nine out of ten times is simply mind blowing, but it highlights the difference between being behind in experience and being behind in Structures.

If you are behind in experience, there is a very good chance that you can close that gap. As mentioned earlier, there is a mechanic actually built into the game to help you do exactly that.

If you are behind in Structures, meaning the enemy team has more Structures remaining than you do, it is much more difficult to regain even footing. Unlike experience, there is no comeback mechanic built into the game for Structures. In fact, you could argue that the recent Minion changes actually function as a reverse catch up mechanic. Once you fall behind, the only way to catch up is to destroy your opponent’s Structures, but that is hard to do when you constantly have to defend against the threat of Minions destroying more of your Structures. It is a classic catch 22 situation. While it is possible to comeback once you fall behind in Structures, it is going to involve your team outplaying your opponents. The game isn’t going to do the work for you.

The purpose of this article is to highlight the need for players to adjust their play early. If you wait until you fall behind to adjust, it may already be too late. The early game is no longer just about soaking lanes until level 10, with the occasional break to contest an Objective. Being able to generate an early push and threaten Structures is now the key to victory. It is much better to be the team apply the pressure, than the team responding to it. Once a team gets ahead Structurally, they are very likely to stay ahead.

These numbers are meant to highlight the need to adjust your play early, not how hopeless it is if you fall behind. It doesn’t mean you should type “GG” and park yourself in the Hall of Storms any time your opponent gets first Keep. It means that you should play more aggressive early to ensure that your team is the one with the Structural advantage. Again, your goal is to be the one applying pressure, not the one responding to it. If you do find yourself behind then fight like hell to even the playing field. Don’t just sit back and defend while they get farther and farther ahead.

Let these numbers influence your play, not your attitude.

GLHF!