Gul'dan · Ranged Assassin
Gul'dan Guide
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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.
Overview
Gul'dan is a ranged Ranged Assassin in Heroes of the Storm. In this guide you play it as Ranged Assassin: your job is to deal consistent damage from range and clear waves. The kit brings crowd control (silence) with Horrify and sustain with Drain Life. At level 10 you choose between the heroics Horrify and Rain of Destruction.
Strengths
- Good wave clear, according to Blizzard's own hero tags.
- Can hold a lane alone.
- Puts pressure on structures.
- Crowd control: Horrify applies a silence.
Weaknesses
- No escape tools: vulnerable when divers reach it.
- Fragile when divers reach it.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Balanced talentsBalancedRecommendedAt each level, the talent that serves more than one plan. A safe default when you don't know the enemy team yet. Built by reading the talent texts; Blizzard publishes no pick rates.
- Survival talentsDefensiveSituationalAt each level, the talent with the most healing, shields or armor. Choose it against dive or heavy burst.
- Utility talentsUtilitySituationalAt each level, the talent with the most control, cooldown reduction or vision. Choose it when your team needs setup more than damage.
Builds
Balanced talents
When to use it
At each level, the talent that serves more than one plan. A safe default when you don't know the enemy team yet. Built by reading the talent texts; Blizzard publishes no pick rates.
Map job
Battlegrounds change every match, so this is its job on any of them.
- Solo lanePriority 2Holds a lane alone so the rest of the team can rotate.
Double soakMainSoaks experience in a lane, usually alongside a teammate, and clears waves fast.- RotateMoves between lanes to gank and help.
- Mercenary campsTakes mercenary camps when it is safe.
- With the teamStays with the team for fights and objectives.
Talents by level
Pursuit of FlameQuest: Hit 30 enemy Heroes with Fel Flame without dying. Reward: Permanently increase Fel Flame's area by 33%.QQuest
Chaotic EnergyIncreases the cast range of Drain Life by 25%, and Regen Globes heal for 50% more. Quest: Gather 15 Regen Globes. Reward: Basic Ability Mana costs are permanently reduced by 20.WQuest
Echoed CorruptionQuest: Hit enemy Heroes with Corruption. Reward: After hitting 40 heroes, Corruption gains new functionality. After the third strike, Corruption strikes 3 times in the opposite direction. Mythic Reward: After 85 hits, Corruption heals for 100% of the damage dealt.EQuest
- 1Fits more than one plan at level 1: utility and survivability.
- 4The most survivability-focused option at level 4.
- 7Fits more than one plan at level 7: utility and damage.
- 10Fits more than one plan at level 10: damage and utility.
- 13Upgrades Fel Flame for more survivability.
- 16Fits more than one plan at level 16: damage and survivability.
- 20Fits more than one plan at level 20: damage and survivability.
Survival talents
When to use it
At each level, the talent with the most healing, shields or armor. Choose it against dive or heavy burst.
Map job
Battlegrounds change every match, so this is its job on any of them.
- Solo lanePriority 2Holds a lane alone so the rest of the team can rotate.
- Double soakMainSoaks experience in a lane, usually alongside a teammate, and clears waves fast.
- RotateMoves between lanes to gank and help.
- Mercenary campsTakes mercenary camps when it is safe.
- With the teamStays with the team for fights and objectives.
Talents by level
- Pursuit of FlameQuest: Hit 30 enemy Heroes with Fel Flame without dying. Reward: Permanently increase Fel Flame's area by 33%.QQuest
- Chaotic EnergyIncreases the cast range of Drain Life by 25%, and Regen Globes heal for 50% more. Quest: Gather 15 Regen Globes. Reward: Basic Ability Mana costs are permanently reduced by 20.WQuest
- Echoed CorruptionQuest: Hit enemy Heroes with Corruption. Reward: After hitting 40 heroes, Corruption gains new functionality. After the third strike, Corruption strikes 3 times in the opposite direction. Mythic Reward: After 85 hits, Corruption heals for 100% of the damage dealt.EQuest
- 1Upgrades Drain Life for more survivability.
- 4The most survivability-focused option at level 4.
- 7The most survivability-focused option at level 7.
- 10Heroic ability focused on damage.
- 13Adds an active ability for survivability.
- 16Upgrades Life Tap for more survivability.
- 20Upgrades Horrify for more survivability.
Utility talents
When to use it
At each level, the talent with the most control, cooldown reduction or vision. Choose it when your team needs setup more than damage.
Map job
Battlegrounds change every match, so this is its job on any of them.
- Solo lanePriority 2Holds a lane alone so the rest of the team can rotate.
- Double soakMainSoaks experience in a lane, usually alongside a teammate, and clears waves fast.
- RotateMoves between lanes to gank and help.
- Mercenary campsTakes mercenary camps when it is safe.
- With the teamStays with the team for fights and objectives.
Talents by level
- Pursuit of FlameQuest: Hit 30 enemy Heroes with Fel Flame without dying. Reward: Permanently increase Fel Flame's area by 33%.QQuest
- Chaotic EnergyIncreases the cast range of Drain Life by 25%, and Regen Globes heal for 50% more. Quest: Gather 15 Regen Globes. Reward: Basic Ability Mana costs are permanently reduced by 20.WQuest
- Echoed CorruptionQuest: Hit enemy Heroes with Corruption. Reward: After hitting 40 heroes, Corruption gains new functionality. After the third strike, Corruption strikes 3 times in the opposite direction. Mythic Reward: After 85 hits, Corruption heals for 100% of the damage dealt.EQuest
- 1Upgrades Drain Life for more utility.
- 4Upgrades Drain Life for more utility.
- 7Upgrades Drain Life for more utility.
- 10Heroic ability focused on utility.
- 13The most survivability-focused option at level 13.
- 16Upgrades Life Tap for more damage.
- 20Adds an active ability.
Abilities
- QFel Flame1.5s75 mpRelease a wave of flame, dealing 210 (+4.5% per level) damage to enemies.
- WDrain Life10sDrain the life from an enemy over 3 seconds, dealing 132 (+4% per level) damage per second and healing Gul'dan for 188 (+4% per level) Health per second.Basic ability — heals. Time it for the enemy's burst, not for chip damage.
- ECorruption14s80 mpCall forth three bursts of shadow energy, dealing 204 (+4.5% per level) damage over 6 seconds. Corruption can stack up to 3 times on an enemy.
RHorrifyHeroic80s90 mpAfter 0.5 seconds, deal 120 (+4% per level) damage to enemy Heroes in an area and Fear them for 2 seconds. While Feared, Heroes are Silenced and are forced to run away from Horrify's center.Heroic — applies a silence and hits an area. Save it for priority targets or to interrupt a channel.
RRain of DestructionHeroic70s80 mpAfter 1.5 seconds, summon a rain of meteors in an area for 7 seconds. Each meteor deals 165 (+4% per level) damage in a small area.Heroic — hits an area and summons units. Plan your fights around its cooldown.
Life TapTraitGul'dan does not regenerate Mana. Activate to restore 25% of Gul'dan's Mana.
Strategy
1Early game
Early, soak experience, clear waves quickly and poke the enemy from a safe distance. Don't trade health you can't get back. Trade at the edge of your range, and walk away as soon as the enemy starts to close the gap.
- Early talents: Chaotic Energy and Consume Soul.
2Mid game
At level 10, Horrify or Rain of Destruction becomes your fight-winning tool. Stay behind your frontline and deal damage without being reached.
- Heroics: Horrify and Rain of Destruction.
3Late game
Late, you're a priority target: keep your distance, respect the enemy's heroics and never walk ahead of your tank.
- Level 20: Haunt.
4Team fights
Hit the closest target you can reach safely: your damage only counts while you're alive.
Tips
- Choose between Horrify and Rain of Destruction depending on the enemy team.
- Arrive at map objectives and mercenary camps before they start: the team that is there first chooses the fight.
- Before each fight, check which key abilities the enemy has available.
- Look at the minimap every few seconds: most deaths come from enemies you didn't see.
Matchups
Strong against
Blizzard classifies The Butcher as a Melee Assassin, and they have to close the gap before they can do anything to Gul'dan, who fights at range.
Blizzard classifies Valeera as a Melee Assassin, and they have to close the gap before they can do anything to Gul'dan, who fights at range.
Blizzard classifies Zeratul as a Melee Assassin, and they have to close the gap before they can do anything to Gul'dan, who fights at range.
Weak against
Wailing Arrow silences Gul'dan, whose damage comes from abilities.
Ogre Rage silences Gul'dan, whose damage comes from abilities.
Temporal Loop lets Chromie reach Gul'dan, who has no escape in the kit.
Changelog
- Updated for patch 2.57.0.98304.
- Updated for patch 2.57.0.98297.
- Updated for patch 2.57.0.98285.
- Guide created for patch 2.55.17.98025.
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