This hero idea focuses primarily on being able to weave between attacks and abilities, granting additional effects when performed. It’s meant to be a combo-based hero that uses animation canceling and ability interruptions as a more intuitive mechanic for combos.
Note: I am aware that the numbers are definitely not balanced. They are there to give a feel of how the ability fits in. Numbers look so much cleaner than variables or placeholders and more detailed than a simple description. My intent in creating these heroes is to present a scarcely used mechanic and expand on it. I want other fan hero creators to be more inventive with their kit designs.
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Name: Valter
Role: assassin
Position: jungle
Difficulty: easy-medium
Weapon: dual daggers for basic attacks with dual pistols for effects when stated
Perk: Always Another Way Out
Any of Valter‘s abilities and basic attacks can be instantly interrupted by any of Valter‘s other abilities and basic attacks. When this occurs, special effects are triggered. Outside sources, sources from items, move commands, selecting a target out of range, etc. do not count as interruption.
If you have a target selected and your basic attack animation is interrupted (by an ability only), then a projectile is immediately fired instead with an additional 20% WP ratio + 100% CP ratio. Additionally, the ability used to interrupt this basic attack ignores cooldown, but this portion of the perk goes on cooldown for the same duration.
A: Swift Assault
Valter runs in a targeted direction, slashing the first enemy with his daggers.
If the ability is interrupted, then Valter fires 2 shots in the same direction for the remaining distance plus 2 meters. Bullets disappear upon first target hit. Each bullet deals full damage, but if the second bullet hits the same target, it deals 25% of full damage.
Damage: 50/100/150/200/250 + 40% WP + 90% CP
Cooldown: 10/9.5/9/8.5/8
Range: 6/6/6/6/7
B: Blade Flurry
Valter rapidly spins around for a 3 seconds, slashing at all enemies close by at set intervals.
If the ability is interrupted, Valter fires bullets in every direction that slow enemies and deal the unused amount of damage of the ability plus an additional amount.
Number of ticks: 6
Damage per tick: 20/30/40/50/60 + 5% WP + 15% CP
Additional damage: 30/35/40/45/50 + 30% WP + 50% CP
Cooldown: 12/11/10/9/8
Bullet range: 6
Slow strength: 10%
c-c-c-combo breaker sorry I had to
Ult: It’s Raining Metal
Valter blinks on top of an enemy and rapidly fires bullets down on it for 2 seconds, slowing for the duration of ability and dealing damage at set intervals.
If the ability is interrupted, Valter strikes at all nearby enemies, rooting them for the unused duration of the slow and damaging them for the unused damage of the ability plus an additional amount.
Number of ticks: 4
Damage per tick: 50/100/150 + 10% WP + 20% CP
Additional Damage: 25/50/75 + 10% WP + 20%
Cooldown: 10/9/8
Slow strength: 20%
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backstory and thought process
For a while now, I was thinking of combo heroes, even making one of my own a while back. However, I felt that the usual way of “combo-ing” abilities and actions together felt a bit either too restrictive or too slow. The usual way of having one ability be the “gateway” to the other abilities was too restrictive because the ability would be on cooldown at certain times or the ability could not be activated (for example kensei’s kensho (B) or churnwalker’s Hook & Chain (A)) Other more natural approaches forgo direct interaction altogether and focus on how abilities could weave between one another in a more or less predictable order (for example Skye’s A-> Ult → B → A or Idris’s chakram’s mechanic of continuously flying which his other abilities helped reinforce but not limited to). This pattern was also the same in the fan heroes I saw. I’m not bashing for being inferior; I just think that there could be other ways to approach combos that are perhaps more engaging rather than tactical (which the others focus more on).
When creating this hero, I decided to take the existing ideas and stretch it. The idea of creating natural combos through the second approach made me focus on more intuitive methods that make sense or help one another. The idea of a gateway through the first approach was restrictive imo but that was because it was limited to one ability. What if I could make every ability and basic attack a gateway? (Probably failed in achieving this in practice) Something that is both universal and intuitive. That led me to find common attributes of abilities and basic attacks. I chose the attribute of being vulnerable to being interrupted. I followed the footsteps of my previous idea of granting effects when an ally’s casting was interrupted.
I don’t even know where my thought process is going anymore.
My hero’s intended “feel” was meant to be active, quick, and agile with little downtime (sadly, some downtime is necessary to not be op). That led me to include a few dashes and a few “violent” abilities that feel active and speedy (sorry, 3 dashes felt too over the top for me). Additionally, I didn’t want to heavily punish the player for not performing a combo because that would no longer be intuitive - it would be more of a burden created by strategy. That’s why my interruption effects don’t seem to be very different from completing the ability. Hopefully, someone can carry my torch and make the abilities better.
