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Tyrael: Angelic Justice

by - 7 years ago

Tyrael has seen a great deal of play recently inside the Nexus in both casual and competitive settings. So we’ll take a look at a build that I like that should give you and your team a good leg up in your games.

Abilities

Trait Archangel’s Wrath

Upon death, you turn into a spooky ghost who will then explode for a massive amount of damage, starting at a base 572 after 3.5 seconds. Granted, this isn’t the best trait in the Nexus, but you can even the score by either getting that post death kill or forcing someone out of a fight by exploding in their face.

Q El’Druin’s Might

Tyrael decides its in his best interest to throw his sword at you dealing 114 base damage and slowing you for 25% for 2.5 seconds. Its not a bad slow for its length. However the main benefit of this skill is he can teleport to the sword after throwing it. I’ve seen many players throw the sword behind them when a team fight starts, and use their other abilities to fight, then teleport to the sword if things go south. This can be a wonderful escape or a chase down tool in your kit. The cooldown is a little high at 12 seconds, but with the build we’re about to get into, we’ll fix that.

W Righteousness

Be shielded by the holy purity of Tyrael’s existence. When you pop this skill, you gain base 332 hp as a shield on top of any nearby allies gaining a base 133 hp as a shield. This has a 10 second cooldown, so its not the worst in the world for the amount of extra sustain it gives you during laning or team fights.

E Smite

Tyrael hits an AOE arc in front of him that damages people caught in it for a base 149 damage. Now granted that’s not the best damage in the world, however this skill grants a sweet 25% movement buff for 2 seconds for any ally that passes through the glyph on the ground. Amazing for chase down or escape and at a 6 second cool down, you’ll be using this skill the most out of all of them.

Heroics

Judgement

After saying a short 0.75 second prayer to the Heavens Tyrael charges at his target and stuns them for 1.5 seconds and deals a base 104 damage. Any nearby enemies are also knocked a short distance away and take a base 52 damage. You’ll see this talent get picked a lot more at the lower to mid levels of gameplay to isolate that stupid Nova that keeps taking pot shots at your team. Stupid Nova. Go away.

Sanctification

Ah yes, Sanct. The team fight changer. After a .5 casting time. Tyreal creates a field of energy that makes anyone in its radius Invulnerable. This skill cannot be underestimated at all. I’ve seen people do some absolutely clowny stuff with this, from nullifying entire enemy team heroics to securing Tributes, Dragon Knights, and anything else that requires a channel time. This Heroic is absolutely wonderful.

The Build

Level 1 Regeneration Master

Now, for this build, I’m going to assume you’re the solo tank. So you want as much sustain as you can muster. Regen Master brings that to the table in spades, just make sure you keep up on your globe farming. Now if you’re not the solo tank, grab Even in Death. The extra bit you can bring to a team fight in those final few seconds can be a massive boon, not to mention securing your trait explosion on someone by teleporting to them using El’Druin’s Might at the last second.

Level 4 Amplified Healing

Pretty standard for the solo tank again. You want that sustain. Again, I’m assuming you’re the solo tank. If you’re not, take a look at either Swift Retribution or Horadric Reforging. The bump to a 35% movement speed buff that lasts for 3 seconds that Swift Retribution brings or the 5 second cooldown every time you hit someone with Horadric Reforging shouldn’t be underestimated. They’re both good talents under the right circumstances.

Level 7 Zealotry

The extended duration on Righteousness is fantastic but you’re mainly taking this for the cooldown reduction. Having your shields up more often mitigates more damage from actually touching you and as a tank you always want that sweet sweet damage mitigation.

Level 10 Sanctification

Please see Heroics section

Level 13 Angelic Absorbtion

So, this adds even more sustain to Tyrael via his Righteousness. Now, when someone attacks you with your shields up, you end up recovering a base 455 health over 4 seconds. Remember, shields come off before health so that’s free health you’re getting. You love the sustain as a tank.

Level 16 Holy Ground

God this ability is so annoying. So, after teleporting to an area with El’Druin’s Might, you create a sanctified circle that enemies cannot pass through for a few seconds. You can secure an escape for your team or pin someone into a corner while your enemies go to town. Too many times have I seen this ability secure 2-3 kills on a team for the simple act of the enemy trying to take a camp and Tyrael Holy Grounding them into a corner, unable to escape.

Level 20 Hardened Shield

Never take Heroic Upgrades. Hardened Shield is going to be amazing come late game, allowing you to soak up a few Heroics through your shield and still have enough HP in the tank to keep beating your enemies in the face with El’Druin.

Strategy

You are a tank. Not the tankiest tank to ever tank, but you are a tank at your core. Your early game should be to put pressure on your enemies with your right clicks, grabbing health globes where you can, and pushing your creep waves as hard as you can with Righteousness for your creeps and Smiting your enemy’s creeps. Don’t shield your creeps as they come up to the tower if you’re enemy laner is around, sure that can soak and extra cannon shot or two, but that also gives a chance for your opponent to come back and begin soaking that experience up.

Tyrael lacks a stun, so get some practice in body blocking with your El’Druins in combination with using Smite to help your teammates get away if there is an incoming gank on them. After your Heroic comes online, you want to make sure you’re with your team at all times at objective fights. Even if you’re there early, and your enemies are not for channeling Heroics, if your Sanctification is off cooldown, you can easily secure it for your team by popping Sanct when your enemies do show up and your channeler is still securing the Objective. It sounds goofy, it is goofy, but it works.

Once your team hits 16, that’s when this built hits its full stride, with Holy Ground, your pick off/escape potential is through the roof. Any ability that limits your enemies movements is king in this game and Holy Ground’s radius is annoying large. Abuse it. Melee heroes will be unable to attack you, giving your ranged assassins and supports ample opportunity to shred them safely. Seriously, Holy Ground should be a Heroic. Its that wonderful.


JR Cook

JR has been writing for fan sites since 2000 and has been involved with Blizzard Exclusive fansites since 2003. JR was also a co-host for 6 years on the Hearthstone podcast Well Met! He helped co-found BlizzPro in 2013.


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