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Tracer runs circles around other ‘Heroes of the Storm’ heroes


Tracer’s out and zipping about in the Nexus! The time-leaping adventurer from “Overwatch” has finally made it to “Heroes of the Storm,” and what she offers is a toolset that makes her one of the most unique characters ever to appear in a MOBA.

As one of Overwatch’s most valued agents, Tracer is a heroine who’s all about doing what’s right, and stopping evil in its tracks. Which makes her a perfect addition to “Heroes of the Storm.” What most people don’t realize is how different she is from the usual MOBA hero archetype. “Overwatch” is a first-person shooter, and in “Heroes of the Storm,” Blizzard made sure she stayed true to her roots. The result is a character who feels extremely fresh. She doesn’t rely on mana. She boasts unparalleled mobility, as well as escape options that had many fans complaining about her being cheap (which explains why Blizzard nerfed her).

In “Heroes of the Storm,” Tracer is a high-damage Ranged Assassin that requires finesse to handle effectively. She comes with one Hero Trait, three Primary Abilities, and one Heroic Ability.




Reload

Tracer’s Hero Trait, Reload, allows her to move while using her Basic Attack. Think Tychus’ Overkill, except permanent.

The traditional MOBA hero has to stop to attack, but Tracer can literally run circles around her target while shooting at them. So why is this so important?

Simply put, Tracer excels at positioning. As long as she’s locked on to a target, she can move wherever she wishes without having to re-click on said target. Consequently, this also means she’s excellent at chasing down fleeing enemies, who will continue to receive damage from her until she chooses to pick another target. While she’s on their tail, the enemy will have to think twice about returning fire, because doing so means halting, and letting her come even closer. Reload works just as well when the positions are reversed. Anyone pursuing Tracer will continue taking damage until they opt to let her go.

Out of habit, you might find yourself stopping in your tracks just to attack an opponent.

Reload can also be activated (by pressing D) to reload her guns. Otherwise, the guns reload automatically after 10 attacks.

Additionally, Tracer’s mobility also makes her great at dodging skill shots. When combined with her first Primary Ability, it’s easy to see why some think she’s overpowered.


Blink (Q)

And that Primary Ability is Blink, which lets Tracer dash a short distance in a chosen direction. Up to 3 charges of Blink are stored at a time, so that she can dash up to 3 consecutive times before waiting for the 6-second Ability cooldown.

The Talent Jumper increases the maximum charge to 4, while Bullet Time reduces said cooldown 0.1 seconds per Basic Attack.

Blink is one of the reasons why Tracer is so deadly. The dash is almost instantaneous, allowing her to jump into a fight, do damage, then exit just as quickly – all before a target even knows what hit them. It’s perfect for assassinating those squishier heroes, getting around obstacles, and, as mentioned earlier, frustrating skill shots.

To use Blink to its full potential, though, you’ll need a combination of quick fingers and higher-than-average reaction time.






Melee (W)

Melee is a close-range move that has Tracer pistol-whipping her target. She will always prioritize striking a hero unit over minions.

It sounds like a dull skill for someone as exciting as Tracer. But it does deal heavy damage, and is very quick. When comboed with Blink, it can be lethal.

Melee also charges Tracer’s Heroic Ability, Pulse Bomb, by a considerable amount (5% against minions, 10% against heroes).

The Talent Pulse Strike raises the charge amount gained against heroes by 20%, while Bullet Spray spreads the damage to enemies in a 50% radius. Get Stuffed! lowers the cooldown from 8 seconds to 5.


Recall (E)

With Recall, Tracer goes back in time, placing her in the position she was in 3 seconds prior to skill activation.

Recall is another amazing escape tool. Additionally, it automatically refills her ammo, as well as removes all debuffs. If Tracer’s taken a whiff of a toxic cloud, for example, Recall will cleanse her system of the poison.

Recall does have a whopping 26-second cooldown, so it should be used judiciously.

Certain talents enhance the skill’s capabilities. Slipstream reduces the cooldown by 2 seconds and raises the amount of time she goes back in the past to 4 seconds. Parting Gift has her dropping 3 powerful bombs as she triggers Recall. Spatial Echo awards her 2 charges of Blink per use of Recall. Total Recall heals her the amount of damage she incurred a few seconds prior to the activation of Recall.






Pulse Bomb (R)

Pulse Bomb is Tracer’s only Heroic Ability. The good thing is, it’s available to her from level 1. Tracer has to fully charge Pulse Bomb before she can deploy it, though. Using Basic Attacks will slowly charge Pulse Bomb. Performing Melee will earn her a considerable number of charges.

Pulse Bomb is a skill shot with poor range, so it’s tricky to use. Tracer will have to be almost beside an enemy for it to hit them. If it does make contact with the target, it’ll stick to them, then explode after 1.5 seconds for massive damage. Those caught in its small blast radius suffer heavy damage. Like Melee, it’s at its most deadly when used with Blink.

When Tracer reaches level 10, she is awarded 3 different ways to upgrade Pulse Bomb. Sticky Bomb increases the blast radius by 50%. Those caught in the blast have their movement speed reduced by 60% for 3 seconds. Quantum Spike deals 10% extra damage to the primary target. Pulse Rounds boosts the Pulse Bomb’s throwing range. Additionally, the charges Tracer gains by using Basic Attacks against Heroes is increased by 150%.


Hit and run

Tracer is ridiculously fragile. A couple of good hits, and it’s over for her. Her mobility is her best defense against damage, so if your precision is off, your reaction time is bad, or you’re the type to get easily flustered when the fighting gets too wild, you’re going to suffer as Tracer. Because her health is so low, Tracer players should always pick their fights. Facing multiple heroes head on can be a death sentence.

She benefits from not keeping still, from jumping from one position to another to confuse and annoy enemies. When they lower their guard, that’s the time to get in close and hit them hard – which should then immediately be followed by a hasty retreat. Such hit-and-run tactics will serve Tracer well.

Tracer also needs to be on the attack as much as possible. The more enemies she shoots at, the sooner she can use her Pulse Bomb.





Cheers, love!

You need to have a relatively high level of skill if you want to go far with Tracer. But in the right hands, she is a force to be reckoned with.

She’s definitely not newbie-friendly, but veterans of the game will welcome the challenge of controlling her, and delight in just how strong she can be. That she brings so much newness to the table is a bonus; there is no hero quite like her in the Nexus.

Tracer is already available for purchase in the Nexus. Grab her and bewilder your enemies with her dizzying speed! — TJD, GMA News

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