Muradin · Tank
Muradin tank guide — the first tank worth learning
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Overview
Muradin is a sturdy warrior tank with everything a frontline needs and nothing complicated. Storm Bolt stuns the first enemy hit, Thunder Clap slows everyone around him, and Dwarf Toss lets him leap into a fight or out of it while gaining armour. His trait, Second Wind, regenerates his health quickly when he is out of combat, so he spends more time on the map and less time at the fountain. At level 10, Avatar gives him a huge pool of health for teamfights, while Haymaker is a single-target stun and knockback for picks and peel. He is the best tank to start with, because his kit rewards simple, good decisions.
Strengths
- Reliable stun on a short cooldown.
- Dwarf Toss gives him both engage and escape.
- Second Wind keeps him on the map without a healer.
- Very forgiving: ideal for learning the tank role.
Weaknesses
- Little area crowd control compared to tanks like E.T.C. or Diablo.
- Weak against percentage-based damage.
- Predictable engage: Dwarf Toss has a visible landing.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Avatar frontline — the first tank worth learningDefensiveRecommendedMuradin forgives almost every mistake a new tank makes: he is hard to kill, his stun is on a short cooldown, and his level twenty lets you undo one bad engage per fight. Take survivability at every tier you are unsure about.
- Haymaker picks — knock them into your teamOffensiveAdvancedFor experienced players with a team that has burst damage to follow up. Haymaker knocks a target into your team or away from your carry, and Grand Slam gives it a second charge. You give up the forgiving health pool of Avatar, so positioning matters much more.
Builds
Avatar frontline — the first tank worth learning
When to use it
Muradin forgives almost every mistake a new tank makes: he is hard to kill, his stun is on a short cooldown, and his level twenty lets you undo one bad engage per fight. Take survivability at every tier you are unsure about.
Map job
Battlegrounds change every match, so this is its job on any of them.
- Solo laneHolds a lane alone and wins it.
- Double soakSoaks experience in two lanes at once.
- RotatePriority 2Moves between lanes to gank and help.
- Mercenary campsTakes mercenary camps when it is safe.
With the teamMainStays with the team for fights and objectives.
Best battlegrounds
Talents by level
Dwarf BlockCasting Dwarf Toss grants 3 charges of Block. Each Block charge grants 75 Physical Armor against a single enemy Hero Basic Attack, reducing the damage taken by 75%.E
Third WindIncreases Health Restoration rate to 90 (+4% per level) per second, and raises Health threshold to 60% Health for improved 180 (+4% per level) per second Restoration.Trait
Give 'em the Axe!Attacking a Hero that is Stunned, Rooted, or Slowed increases Muradin's Basic Attack damage by 40% for 3 seconds.
- 1Stay in lane and keep soaking
- 4Takes the edge off whoever is hitting you
- 7More crowd control is more of your job
- 10The forgiving heroic; the other one needs positioning
- 13Pays out in the fights you are losing
- 16Against a team built on basic attacks
- 20Only if you took Avatar
Haymaker picks — knock them into your team
When to use it
For experienced players with a team that has burst damage to follow up. Haymaker knocks a target into your team or away from your carry, and Grand Slam gives it a second charge. You give up the forgiving health pool of Avatar, so positioning matters much more.
Map job
Battlegrounds change every match, so this is its job on any of them.
- Solo laneHolds a lane alone and wins it.
- Double soakSoaks experience in two lanes at once.
- RotatePriority 2Moves between lanes to gank and help.
- Mercenary campsTakes mercenary camps when it is safe.
- With the teamMainStays with the team for fights and objectives.
Best battlegrounds
Talents by level
- Dwarf BlockCasting Dwarf Toss grants 3 charges of Block. Each Block charge grants 75 Physical Armor against a single enemy Hero Basic Attack, reducing the damage taken by 75%.E
- Third WindIncreases Health Restoration rate to 90 (+4% per level) per second, and raises Health threshold to 60% Health for improved 180 (+4% per level) per second Restoration.Trait
- Give 'em the Axe!Attacking a Hero that is Stunned, Rooted, or Slowed increases Muradin's Basic Attack damage by 40% for 3 seconds.
- 1More damage on the targets you stun
- 4Still the best answer to basic attackers
- 7A huge slow when you land
- 10Stun, knockback, pick
- 13Punish a lone target and keep the armour longer
- 16Reach the backline from further away
- 20A second Haymaker, and a reset on a kill
Abilities
QStorm Bolt10s45 mpThrow a hammer, dealing 110 (+4% per level) damage to the first enemy hit and Stunning them for 1.25 seconds. After reaching level 10, Storm Bolt pierces to hit an additional target. Muradin's Basic Attacks reduce the cooldown of Storm Bolt by 1 second and restore 3 Mana.Your stun. Basic attacks lower its cooldown, and from level 10 it pierces to a second target.
WThunder Clap8s50 mpBlast nearby enemies for 96 (+4% per level) damage and Slow them by 30% for 2.5 seconds. Heroes hit also have their Attack Speed reduced by 30% for the duration.- EDwarf Toss10s55 mpLeap to target location, dealing 59 (+4% per level) damage to enemies on landing. Upon leaping, gain 30 Armor for 2 seconds, reducing damage taken by 30%.A leap with armour. Engage when your team can follow, escape when it cannot.
RAvatarHeroic90s80 mpTransform for 20 seconds, gaining 1000 (+4% per level) Health.Twenty seconds of extra health. Cast it before the fight, not when you are already low.
RHaymakerHeroic40s60 mpStun target enemy Hero, and wind up a punch dealing 319 (+4% per level) damage and knocking the target back, hitting enemies in the way for 319 (+4% per level) damage and knocking them aside.- Second WindTraitMuradin restores 55 (+4% per level) Health per second when he has not taken damage for 4 seconds. When below 40% Health, increased to 111 (+4% per level) Health per second.Fast regeneration out of combat. Step back for a few seconds instead of going back to base.
Strategy
1Early game: levels 1–9
Soak experience in a lane, usually the one next to your team's main objective, and rotate with your team when the first objective spawns. Muradin trades well in lane thanks to Second Wind: poke with basic attacks, step back and heal. Look for Storm Bolt on anyone who walks too close to your minions, and use Dwarf Toss to join a fight in the neighbouring lane.
- Soak first, fight at the objective.
- Storm Bolt the healer or the assassin, not the tank.
2Mid game: levels 10–16
With your heroic, you start the fights around objectives. Avatar lets you stand in front of your team for twenty seconds and take everything the enemy throws; Haymaker lets you knock a target into your team or away from your carry. Engage when your team is in range to follow, and do not chase: a tank who dies far from his team leaves the next objective uncovered.
3Late game: levels 16–20
Late fights decide the game, and death timers are long. Be the one who takes the first hit, keep your team's backline alive with Thunder Clap and Storm Bolt, and fight around the boss and the core with vision. A late engage that goes wrong is worse than no engage at all: if the enemy has their key heroics ready, wait.
4Teamfights
Dwarf Toss onto the enemy backline, Thunder Clap on landing, Storm Bolt on the healer. If the enemy dives your team instead, turn around: Thunder Clap and Storm Bolt are just as good at peeling for your carry.
Tips
- Hit an auto-attack after Storm Bolt: basic attacks reduce its cooldown.
- Use Dwarf Toss to escape as often as to engage.
- Step out of combat for a few seconds to let Second Wind heal you.
- Thunder Clap on as many heroes as possible, especially with Healing Static.
- After level 10, Storm Bolt pierces: line up two targets.
Matchups
Strong against
Storm Bolt and Thunder Clap stop his dive, and Reverberation cuts his attack speed.
Auto-attack heroes suffer against Reverberation and Imposing Presence.
Weak against
Minigun deals damage based on maximum health: Avatar's extra health feeds it.
His percentage damage ignores how much health you have.
Drain Hope steals a share of maximum health from tanks.
Battlegrounds
Strong maps
- Braxis HoldoutThe beacons need someone who can stand on them and survive.
- Infernal ShrinesShort, grouped fights around the shrine: his favourite ground.
- Volskaya FoundryTight lanes where Dwarf Toss and Storm Bolt find targets easily.
- Towers of Doom
Average maps
- Cursed Hollow
- Dragon Shire
- Sky Temple
- Battlefield of Eternity
- Alterac Pass
Changelog
- Guide written for the current patch, with a teamfight and a pick build.
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