Johanna · Tank
Johanna Matchups and Counters
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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
This guide covers Johanna's matchups and how to adapt to them. Blizzard publishes no matchup statistics, so the matchups below come from each hero's role, range and kit: crowd control, mobility and sustain. They describe an advantage on paper, not a measured result.
Strengths
- Good wave clear, according to Blizzard's own hero tags.
- Crowd control: Condemn applies a stun.
- Mobility with Falling Sword.
Weaknesses
- Low damage by itself: it needs its team to finish kills.
- Low damage on its own.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
Builds
Against dive
When to use it
When the enemy has several heroes who jump on you: the survival picks at every level.
Map job
Battlegrounds change every match, so this is its job on any of them.
- Solo laneHolds a lane alone and wins it.
- Double soakPriority 2Soaks 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 teamMainStays with the team: it wins fights, not lanes.
Talents by level
Zealous GlareShield Glare gains 1 additional charge, and deals 70% more damage.E
Divine FortressBasic Attacks grant 10 Physical Armor for 4 seconds, stacking up to 40. Gambit: Gain 25% bonus maximum Health. Every death reduces this bonus by 5%.PassiveQuest
Laws of HopeActivate to heal 20% of Johanna's max Health over 5 seconds. Quest: Every 10 Regeneration Globes gathered increases this heal amount by 5% of Johanna's max Health.ActiveQuest
- 1Adds an active ability for survivability.
- 4Upgrades Iron Skin for more survivability.
- 7Upgrades Punish for more survivability.
- 10Heroic ability focused on survivability.
- 13Adds an active ability for damage.
- 16Upgrades Shield Glare for more survivability.
- 20Upgrades Shield Glare for more survivability.
Against mobile heroes
When to use it
Slows, roots and stuns first, to pin down heroes who would otherwise escape.
Map job
Battlegrounds change every match, so this is its job on any of them.
- Solo laneHolds a lane alone and wins it.
- Double soakPriority 2Soaks 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 teamMainStays with the team: it wins fights, not lanes.
Talents by level
- Zealous GlareShield Glare gains 1 additional charge, and deals 70% more damage.E
- Divine FortressBasic Attacks grant 10 Physical Armor for 4 seconds, stacking up to 40. Gambit: Gain 25% bonus maximum Health. Every death reduces this bonus by 5%.PassiveQuest
- Laws of HopeActivate to heal 20% of Johanna's max Health over 5 seconds. Quest: Every 10 Regeneration Globes gathered increases this heal amount by 5% of Johanna's max Health.ActiveQuest
- 1The most survivability-focused option at level 1.
- 4Upgrades Punish for more utility.
- 7Upgrades Condemn for more utility.
- 10Heroic ability focused on utility.
- 13Adds an active ability for utility.
- 16The most utility-focused option at level 16.
- 20Upgrades Shield Glare for more utility.
Abilities
QPunish8s40 mpStep forward dealing 113 (+4% per level) damage and Slowing enemies by 60% decaying over 2 seconds.
WCondemn10s50 mpAfter 1 second, Johanna pulls nearby enemies toward her, Stunning them for 0.25 seconds and dealing 55 (+4% per level) damage. Deals 200% increased damage to Minions and Mercenaries.- EShield Glare12s45 mpDeal 59 (+4% per level) damage to enemies and Blind them for 1.5 seconds.
RFalling SwordHeroic50s60 mpJohanna leaps into the air for 2 seconds and she can steer the landing location by moving. While in the air, allies below Johanna are Unstoppable. Upon landing enemies hit take 225 (+4% per level) damage and are Stunned for 0.25 seconds.
RBlessed ShieldHeroic60s90 mpDeal 114 (+4% per level) damage and Stun the first enemy hit for 1.5 seconds. Blessed Shield then bounces to 2 nearby enemies, dealing 57 (+4% per level) damage and Stunning them for 0.75 seconds.
DIron SkinTrait22sActivate to grant Johanna a Shield that absorbs 810 (+4% per level) damage for 4 seconds. While this Shield is active, Johanna is Unstoppable.
Strategy
1Good matchups
Johanna does well against these:
- Kael'thas: Blizzard classifies Kael'thas as a Ranged Assassin: once Johanna is on top of them, that distance stops mattering.
- Kel'Thuzad: Blizzard classifies Kel'Thuzad as a Ranged Assassin: once Johanna is on top of them, that distance stops mattering.
- Li-Ming: Blizzard classifies Li-Ming as a Ranged Assassin: once Johanna is on top of them, that distance stops mattering.
2Tough matchups
Johanna struggles against these:
- Diablo: Johanna has to walk up to start a fight, and Shadow Charge (stun) stops that engage before it lands.
- Garrosh: Johanna has to walk up to start a fight, and Groundbreaker (stun) stops that engage before it lands.
- Muradin: Johanna has to walk up to start a fight, and Storm Bolt (stun) stops that engage before it lands.
3Synergies
Johanna works well alongside these, because their kits fit together:
- Malfurion: Entangling Roots from Malfurion holds enemies in place for Blessed Shield from Johanna.
- Alexstrasza: Dragonqueen from Alexstrasza holds enemies in place for Blessed Shield from Johanna.
- Nova: Condemn from Johanna holds enemies in place for Precision Strike from Nova.
4Adapting the build
The situational builds in this guide answer specific threats: Against dive and Against mobile heroes.
5Playing against Johanna
If you're on the other side, this is what to exploit:
- Low damage by itself: it needs its team to finish kills.
Tips
- Look at the enemy team before choosing your build: the situational builds below answer the most common threats.
- Good matchup: Kael'thas. Play forward when you face them.
- Tough matchup: Diablo. Play safer and wait for your team.
- Against teams with a lot of dive, save Falling Sword for the first jump.
- Against slippery heroes, hold Condemn until their escape is used.
Matchups
Strong against
Blizzard classifies Kael'thas as a Ranged Assassin: once Johanna is on top of them, that distance stops mattering.
Blizzard classifies Kel'Thuzad as a Ranged Assassin: once Johanna is on top of them, that distance stops mattering.
Blizzard classifies Li-Ming as a Ranged Assassin: once Johanna is on top of them, that distance stops mattering.
Weak against
Johanna has to walk up to start a fight, and Shadow Charge (stun) stops that engage before it lands.
Johanna has to walk up to start a fight, and Groundbreaker (stun) stops that engage before it lands.
Johanna has to walk up to start a fight, and Storm Bolt (stun) stops that engage before it lands.
Works well with
Entangling Roots from Malfurion holds enemies in place for Blessed Shield from Johanna.
Dragonqueen from Alexstrasza holds enemies in place for Blessed Shield from Johanna.
Condemn from Johanna holds enemies in place for Precision Strike from Nova.
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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