StarCraft II’s Infested Admiral Stukov is Coming to HEROES OF THE STORM

It’s time for a new StarCraft II character to enter the Nexus. Announced today, Alexei Stukov, the betrayed Terran and now Zerg-infested admiral, is coming to Heroes of the Storm.

Alexei Stukov had a hard life, and an even harder death. He has been betrayed, shot into space, resurrected and infested, almost cured, and then experimented upon as the infestation returned. Now, his infestation spreads within the Nexus…

Stukov becomes the 68^th hero and just the 12^th available support character in Heroes of the Storm. In the support role, he will be able to heal allies with Healing Pathogen, do some damage and slow down enemies with Weighted Pustule, and silence enemies with Lurking Arm. He also has two Heroic Abilities: Massive Shove and Flailing Swipe. Massive Shove will allow Stukov to push an enemy into terrain, damaging them for 200 damage. Flailing Swipe can be used to knock enemies back, perhaps to prevent them from escape or bring them back into the fray.

I admit I don’t roll support characters because I tend to stick to my assassins, but I am willing to take Stukov out for a spin in the PTR to see how he feels.

It has not been announced when Stukov will be available in the PTR, but expect him to be there within a week or two.

Trait

Bio-Kill Switch

Activate to detonate all of Stukov’s Viruses. Each Healing Pathogen heals its target for 500 health, and each Weighted Pustule does 100 damage and Slows its target by 70% for 2 seconds. Can be cast while channeling Lurking Arm.

Basic Abilities

Healing Pathogen (Q)

Infest an allied Hero with a Healing Pathogen that heals the target for 240 Health over 4.5 seconds. Healing Pathogens can spread to a nearby allied Hero every 0.75 seconds, and a single Healing Pathogen can spread to each allied Hero 1 time.
- Can cast it on self, and spread to self.
- Cannot spread to targets to whom it has already spread.

Weighted Pustule (W)

Hurl a pustule that impacts all enemy Heroes in its path, dealing 20 damage and Slowing by 5%, increasing to 50% over 3 seconds. Deals an additional 80 damage upon expiring or being removed.

Lurking Arm (E)

Channel at a target location, creating an area that Silences enemies inside and deals 144 damage per second to them. Deals 50% reduced damage to non-Heroes. Does not cost Mana while Channeling, and lasts until canceled or interrupted.

Heroic Abilities

Massive Shove (R1)

Extend Stukov’s arm. If it hits an enemy Hero, they are rapidly shoved until they collide with terrain, taking 200 damage. Stukov gains 50 Armor while shoving an enemy.

Flailing Swipe (R2)

Swipe 3 times in front of Stukov over 1.75 seconds, dealing 50 damage to enemies hit and knocking them away. Each swipe is larger than the previous.

Talents

Hero Level 1

Spine Launcher
- Basic Attacks become ranged and Slow enemies by 20% for 1 second, but deal 50% less damage.
(W) Field Touch
- Quest: Hit Heroes with Weighted Pustule. Reward: After hitting 20 Heroes, reduce the cooldown of Weighted Pustule by 2.5 seconds.
- Reward: After hitting 40 Heroes, reduce the cooldown of Weighted Pustule by an additional 2.5 seconds and remove its Mana cost.
(E) Growing Infestation
- Lurking Arm’s area expands by 50% over 2.5 seconds.
[Trait] Poppin’s Pustules
- Quest: Detonate 10 Weighted Pustules without dying.
- Reward: Detonating a Weighted Pustule now applies its damage and Slow in an area.

Hero Level 4

(Q) One Good Spread…
- After a Healing Pathogen infests 4 targets, restore 30 Mana and reduce the cooldown of Healing Pathogen by 2 seconds.
(Q) Top Off
- Healing Pathogen’s healing-over-time on its initial target is increased by 50% while they are above 60% Health.
(Q) Biotic Armor
- Healing Pathogen grants 50 Physical Armor to its initial target while active on them.
[Trait] Vigorous Reuptake
- Quest: Detonate 50 Healing Pathogens with Bio-Kill Switch.
- Reward: Increase Bio-Kill Switch’s healing by 50%.

Hero Level 7

(W) The Long Pitch
- Increase the range of Weighted Pustule by 100%.
(E) Within My Reach
- Increase the range of Lurking Arm by 50%.
(E) It Hungers
- Each time an enemy Hero is hit by Lurking Arm, reduce its cooldown by 0.5 seconds, up to 6.5 seconds, and restore 5 Mana.
[Trait] Targeted Excision
- Detonating exactly 1 Weighted Pustule (but any number of Healing Pathogens) with Bio-Kill Switch reduces the cooldown of Bio-Kill Switch to 5 seconds.

Hero Level 10

(R1) Massive Shove
- Extend Stukov’s arm. If it hits an enemy Hero, they are rapidly shoved until they collide with terrain, taking 200 damage. Stukov gains 50 Armor while shoving an enemy.
(R2) Flailing Swipe
- Swipe 3 times in front of Stukov over 1.75 seconds, dealing 50 damage to enemies hit and knocking them away. Each swipe is larger than the previous.

Hero Level 13

(W) Reactive Ballistospores
- When taking damage below 50% Health, instantly spread a Weighted Pustule to all nearby enemy Heroes and reset the cooldown of Bio-Kill Switch. This effect has a 10 second cooldown.
(E) Low Blow
- Lurking Arm deals 150% more damage to enemy Heroes below 25% Health.
(E) Lingering Spines
- Lurking Arm persists for 1.5 seconds after it is canceled.

Hero Level 16

[Trait] Pox Populi
- Bio-Kill Switch no longer removes Healing Pathogen and instead refreshes its duration.
(Q) Universal Carrier
- Healing Pathogen can continually spread through Stukov, but its healing is reduced by 60%.
[Trait] Eye Infection
- Increase the final damage of Weighted Pustule by 50%. Additionally, detonating a Weighted Pustule with Bio-Kill Switch Blinds the target for 3 seconds.
(Q) Superstrain
- Whenever an ally with Healing Pathogen is Stunned, they are instantly healed for 250 Health.

Hero Level 20

(R1) Controlled Chaos
- Flailing Swipe’s Mana cost is reduced from 100 to 50 and it gains 2 additional charges, but each use only swings 1 time, at maximum range.
(R2) Push Comes To Shove
- Massive Shove travels 25% faster. If Massive Shove pushes a target for more than 1.5 seconds, its cooldown is reduced by 15 seconds.
[Trait] Bio-Explosion Switch
- Bio-Kill Switch now also detonates Lurking Arm, applying a Weighted Pustule to enemy Heroes inside and Silencing them for 2 seconds.

You can watch the Hero Spotlight below and check out some more screenshots in the Gallery.