Heroes of the Storm Abathur

[Damien 1,514]

This thread is for comments about our Abathur build guide for Heroes of the Storm.

[TemplarGR 0]

Nice guide, but this is only one side of Abathur. Actually Abathur can be one of the best solo pushers in the game, with the right build.

 

I have had much success with:

 

1. Survival Insticts

2. Sustained Carapace

3. Networked Carapace

4. Evolve Monstrocity

5. Bombard Strain

6. Locust Brood

7. Locust Nest

 

With this build, especially after lvl7, you can push any lane solo. At lvl7, you get the first power spike (shield to all minions and mercs near your symbiote). Each talent after that, makes you increasingly stronger for pushing.

 

After getting Bombard Strain, you can begin pushing more aggresively, staying in bushes near their side, and Z when in trouble or when its time to push another lane.

 

After lvl 16, no lane is safe with this build. If you have nice map awareness, the enemy will have to dedicate heroes to stop you/hunt you, or lose the game. Simple as that.

 

Benefits of this, is that you can still help in tfs when needed, plus you can push any lane, with no downtime, and switch when it becomes crowded.

 

One think i do in general, is puting the monstrocity on a lane and then symbiote another lane. Preferably both of those empty... Many Abathurs feel the need to control personally the Monstrocity, i generally avoid that with this build. Even if a push the lane where the Monstrocity is, i prefer symbioting a minion. Makes it easier to control and gives you more time/attention to more important things, like map awareness...

 

Another think i also do, is putting a nest in a lane i wont push in general. If you put a nest in one lane, monostrocity in another, and then symbiote a third, you effectively pressure all lanes at the same time, plus you make it more difficult for the enemy to spot you...

 

All in all, i dont understand how Abathur cant solo a lane... Seriously... I think that is a mistake in this guide. It's quite the opposite of this.

[Srey 1]

Nice guide, but this is only one side of Abathur. Actually Abathur can be one of the best solo pushers in the game, with the right build.

 

I have had much success with:

 

1. Survival Insticts

2. Sustained Carapace

3. Networked Carapace

4. Evolve Monstrocity

5. Bombard Strain

6. Locust Brood

7. Locust Nest

 

With this build, especially after lvl7, you can push any lane solo. At lvl7, you get the first power spike (shield to all minions and mercs near your symbiote). Each talent after that, makes you increasingly stronger for pushing.

 

After getting Bombard Strain, you can begin pushing more aggresively, staying in bushes near their side, and Z when in trouble or when its time to push another lane.

 

After lvl 16, no lane is safe with this build. If you have nice map awareness, the enemy will have to dedicate heroes to stop you/hunt you, or lose the game. Simple as that.

 

Benefits of this, is that you can still help in tfs when needed, plus you can push any lane, with no downtime, and switch when it becomes crowded.

 

One think i do in general, is puting the monstrocity on a lane and then symbiote another lane. Preferably both of those empty... Many Abathurs feel the need to control personally the Monstrocity, i generally avoid that with this build. Even if a push the lane where the Monstrocity is, i prefer symbioting a minion. Makes it easier to control and gives you more time/attention to more important things, like map awareness...

 

Another think i also do, is putting a nest in a lane i wont push in general. If you put a nest in one lane, monostrocity in another, and then symbiote a third, you effectively pressure all lanes at the same time, plus you make it more difficult for the enemy to spot you...

 

All in all, i dont understand how Abathur cant solo a lane... Seriously... I think that is a mistake in this guide. It's quite the opposite of this.

Hey TemplarGR,

 

There are indeed multiple Abathur builds, but I feel that the one I've used is the most prevalent and overall most successful. That being said, I am in the process of adding another build to the TL;DR section that I've found to be very good, especially at high levels of play. It is similar to yours, but slightly differs in playstyle.

 

>All in all, i dont understand how Abathur cant solo a lane

 

Abathur can soak a lane alone, but he can't solo a lane, at least not if you want him to have any presence anywhere else.

Edited August 25, 2015 by Srey

[Guest SomeNewPlayer]

I'm a new player, new to Abatur in particular. Is it ever viable to use the mines to draw tower's ammunition or is there always a better use?

[Srey 1]

I'm a new player, new to Abatur in particular. Is it ever viable to use the mines to draw tower's ammunition or is there always a better use?

No, never use mines in this way. They are most effective when placed around the map, providing vision and dismounting rotating Heroes.

[Guest Guest]

As of the recent Artanis update, losing vision on the target area for Deep Tunnel no longer cancels the cast. This change needs to be reflected in that ability's description.

[Srey 1]

As of the recent Artanis update, losing vision on the target area for Deep Tunnel no longer cancels the cast. This change needs to be reflected in that ability's description.

Thanks for the heads up!

[Guest Roy]

Can you update map strategies for the towers of doom map?

Also, it might be handy to provide a small section (not sure where) that summarises when you should go some type of mines/locust build.... you can get a bit of this in various places in this really good guide, but it'd help us to remember it more easily!

[Guest Dinii Antares]

I figured out that Tassadar is quite a conter to Abathur, since his D may reveal you on the map (If you are standing close to the lane) or make you vulnerable if you stand too close to a tower.

 

I still have to learn a lot about positioning with Abathur, any regular spots you would recoment?

[Guest Lord Zeoinx]

Tower of Doom, because of the constant movment of the map, and the small size, i found it effective just to stay in the middle lane base, and provide support that way your mines have almost, if not global range of the genetal playable area. and you can still assist as necessary

 

I ended up winning the game because my team had the entire enemy team distracted at one objective when i wormed over to grab the uncontested one since it was also close to the middle lane. (middle right objective),  Also, dont be afraid to go for objectives with your team if they are good at damage soak and sustain against the enemy team, like curses or something, You can always grab them and deep tunnel to back to your soak lane before the enemy has a chance to counter.

[WebBowser 2]

I find it somewhat odd that the locust build is one of the two recommended builds on page one, yet the locusts talents are almost universally waved away in the talents section. This makes the guide feel rather disjointed. I've seen locust split push builds be used to some success, so there is probably some merit to it, but I do not claim to know whether or not it is viable.

[Niteshadow 20]

On February 25, 2016 at 0:48 AM, WebBowser said:

I find it somewhat odd that the locust build is one of the two recommended builds on page one, yet the locusts talents are almost universally waved away in the talents section. This makes the guide feel rather disjointed. I've seen locust split push builds be used to some success, so there is probably some merit to it, but I do not claim to know whether or not it is viable.

While I don't think I am quite ready to take aby into competitive, the locust split-push build has yielded wonderful results for me. Once you hit level 10, you can add locusts to a lane then clone an ally at the objective while your locusts are (hopefully) getting last hits to gain experience and wearing down enemy structures. This essentially causes the enemy to lose either the gate and two towers, or at least half of the Fort/Keep's health if they let you go uncontested. You can also mine common paths from the team fight to your current location to keep tabs on potential gankers or lane clearers while you Symbiote a minion or ally to further put pressure on the enemy team. Levels 13, 16, and 20 all provide huge buffs to his kit as well; level 13 gives your locusts a huge damage increase (Bombard Strain or Assault Strain both are huge, either one works), Locust Brood almost quadruples what your normal pushes do (keep in mind this powerful push only lasts 25 seconds if not talented with Survival Instincts, and 35 seconds with it), and Locust Nest can be dropped off in a lane to permanently double your pushing power. It also is a good tool for a trap; put it in a bush and put mines all around it from another lane to hurt an enemy trying to hunt you based off locust location while losing no health yourself. While I will admit I am by no means a master at Abathur (or any other heroes, really) I have played a good 30+ quick matches using this build alone to great success (when it works out; he needs a very specific type of team to work well.)

[Valks 2,375]

17 hours ago, Niteshadow said:

(when it works out; he needs a very specific type of team to work well.)

I think both this and map type are incredibly important to the success of Abathur. Some maps are extremely taxing to perform well on as Aba, while some can be rather chilled out to play through.

[Niteshadow 20]

48 minutes ago, Blainie said:

I think both this and map type are incredibly important to the success of Abathur. Some maps are extremely taxing to perform well on as Aba, while some can be rather chilled out to play through.

I agree. I generally will stay away from taking this build if the enemy has a global (Brightwing, Dehaka, Falstad, Illidan with the hunt, E.T.C. with stage dive, etc.) just because they can delay your push and force you out of aggressive positioning. I also do not take it on small maps like towers of doom or maps with multiple control points (namely Dragon Shire and Braxis Holdout) as you cannot effectively position yourself to do what you do best without getting ganked.

[Valks 2,375]

26 minutes ago, Niteshadow said:

I agree. I generally will stay away from taking this build if the enemy has a global (Brightwing, Dehaka, Falstad, Illidan with the hunt, E.T.C. with stage dive, etc.) just because they can delay your push and force you out of aggressive positioning. I also do not take it on small maps like towers of doom or maps with multiple control points (namely Dragon Shire and Braxis Holdout) as you cannot effectively position yourself to do what you do best without getting ganked.

You seem to have a decent understanding of when to or when to not use Abathur's builds, so maybe you ARE ready to play him in competitive! ;D

[Niteshadow 20]

Just now, Blainie said:

You seem to have a decent understanding of when to or when to not use Abathur's builds, so maybe you ARE ready to play him in competitive! ;D

I'm actually fairly new to the game, I just understand some of the basics! (I believe I just started sometime earlier this year)

[Niteshadow 20]

Just a question for the split push build; When your team is being completely shut out and can't go out far from their structures, how do you respond? Do you still position aggressively in a lane or push the lane back? Thanks!

[Valks 2,375]

On 11/27/2016 at 6:21 AM, Niteshadow said:

Just a question for the split push build; When your team is being completely shut out and can't go out far from their structures, how do you respond? Do you still position aggressively in a lane or push the lane back? Thanks!

I think it's still fair to position aggressively, but depending on your own abilities. If you can't keep an eye on your own team constantly, you won't be useful. You need to be ready to assist, regardless of what is happening around you.

If you don't trust yourself, take a more relaxed stance and just push the lane back.

Also, don't get caught.

[Straften 24]

On 11/26/2016 at 10:21 PM, Niteshadow said:

Just a question for the split push build; When your team is being completely shut out and can't go out far from their structures, how do you respond? Do you still position aggressively in a lane or push the lane back? Thanks!

Try to sneak outside in a lane that is being ignored. Push out and body soak as long as possible. Place your Toxic Nest in such a way that you will be able to see enemies who are coming for you. Once you are in position and set up, use Symbiote on your team and rely on the minimap to see danger coming toward your body. If someone is getting close, use Deep Tunnel to get away to a safe position. You may also use Ultimate Evolution to remove your body from the battlefield, but you will be placed back in the position you cast it from when the clone is killed or expires.

Your goal is to force someone to come deal with your push. As soon as they do, your team has an opportunity to do something. For this reason, it is important to use Ultimate Evolution, or Symbiote immediately after using Deep Tunnel to safety. This way you will help your team to outnumber the remaining enemies. It takes practice to get the timing down, but you want to stay pushing as long as possible before fleeing. This forces the enemy Hero(es) who come for you to commit to the lane change. If you leave too soon, they can more quickly rejoin their team. If you leave too late, you die. 

[Guest Hashmer]

What is the best choice between monstrosity and evolution. Logically, if you go symbiote build you will stay using that for team fights or you lose value from choosing those talents compared to the locust ones. I guess this leads to the symbiote build being obsolete as in team fights, evolution is better therefore one should go for a split push build.

Also, the guide seems to be contradicting itself as some talents are not reccomended yet have positive descriptions and vice versa.

Love to hear any one's thoughts. 

[Voltorocks 40]

Been playing a lot of the slug recently, actually, so i'll weigh in from somewhere around a silver/gold level casual-ish player (I take the game very seriously as a hobby but I'm a dad and just don't have time to grind ranks or improve my twitch to move up...) Point by point:

On 2/22/2017 at 5:43 PM, Guest Hashmer said:

What is the best choice between monstrosity and evolution.

It honestly depends entirely on the map and how the game is going. for big maps where split pushing can win games, monstrosity can be a super strong choice (but watch out for opponents with global mobility). That said, evolution is *very* often the better choice.  For new abathurs especially I always recommend going evolution when in doubt - though this does require decent knowledge of other heroes' kits, so take this with a grain of salt if you're super new to the game overall.

On 2/22/2017 at 5:43 PM, Guest Hashmer said:

Logically, if you go symbiote build you will stay using that for team fights or you lose value from choosing those talents compared to the locust ones. I guess this leads to the symbiote build being obsolete as in team fights, evolution is better therefore one should go for a split push build.

There's *some* truth to this, but I would caution against this line of reasoning: 1st off, your body disappears for the duration, so locust based builds are also "useless" during the evolution. Secondly, one of the main benefits of the clone is that it can act completely suicidally to secure a kill or save a teammate - therefore it is very common for it to die first during a fight, at which point your talents all come back online. Lastly, many of the maps abathur excels at call for many smaller skirmishes rather than big 5v5 confrontations: in these cases, you evolution is unlikely to be available for every fight, so the symbiote build will come in to play to pick up the slack.

[Elininja 0]

So I noticed Tyrande isn't listed under counters... xDRanger

[Valhalen 1,484]

You guys should add Volskaya Foundry as one of Abathur's strongest maps, because Toxic Nest move on the conveyor belts.

 

[Morcalivan 86]

I used Abathur as part poke, part burst, part medic. And I bounce around between teammates constantly.

3 Regenerative Microbes

4 Adrenal Overload

1 Needlespine

1 or 2 Evolution or Monstrosity

3 Spatial Efficiency

2 Adrenaline Boost

1 or 3 Link or Hivemind

 

Boosting attack speed is always fun and using Blade Dash from Artanis to get behind a wall or just into a group to Spike Burst is a neat trick. But, the cloning of an expendable Zul'jin or Sgt. Hammer can be pretty cool too. Butcher has to be one of the best candidates though, helping him survive and collect meat, then riding the wave as he connects with new targets. You can blink and miss your shot to do any damage with Butcher though.

I tried the shield build and the locust build but hated them both. Locust bombing the core as a late game tactic might grow on me, but meh, not too excited for it. Too much early game and team support sacrificed.

[Morcalivan 86]

Still using this build, aside from always getting Hivemind now, but starting to think about a mix of trapping, net shields and locust nest for Towers of Doom. That map is just horrible for Abathur. The extra trap damage and charges could really mess with the other team. Placing them in bushes off start is always the first thing to do in any Abathur build, but Towers of Doom is so small and you're so protected by gate that you can place five trap bundles anywhere on map to surprise finish or severely wound opponents, without global talent.

The thing is. This needs coordination with team to reduce trap explosion downtime. They need to be made aware of the traps and the need to lure opponents into them. Otherwise the use of the traps is random.

The shorter maps and ability to safely place and replace a locust nest means that it may have an affect on more than just xp. The fact that you can move to a lane, locust nest it, add a monstrosity, then trap the opening nearest to their tower can be pretty effective against the player sentbto stop you.

The downside is that you don't turn your teammates into killing machines. But for this map, I think it's just too small for Symbiote to have the huge impact it normally does. Switching between heroes and helping them kill or survive just doesn't get done quick enough on this small map. The lack of ability to cap altars or sappers indepedantly is too much for my Symbiote build.