Lúcio breaks it down in Heroes of the Storm

You don’t always have to fight the enemy with violence. Just look at Lúcio, the third “Overwatch” character to come to “Heroes of the Storm.”

While Lúcio is a freedom fighter, he is, first and foremost, a music lover. And though this DJ’s more than capable of getting his hands dirty, his real strength lies in his ability to heal and buff allies. Not to mention he’s one slippery frog; Lúcio boasts amazing mobility, and what you can’t hit, you can’t kill.

In “Heroes of the Storm,” Lúcio is a medium-difficulty Ranged Support Hero with one Trait, three Primary Abilities, and two Heroics.

Special mechanic:

Like fellow “Overwatch” Hero Tracer, Lúcio can shoot and move simultaneously. This means he doesn’t have to stop to damage a target; he can hurt enemies while chasing them down, or, conversely, discourage them from pursuing him.

He does, however, do less damage than Tracer, so although he can do the same tricks as she,  he’s not as effective at putting the hurt on foes. He’s a Support Hero, not an Assassin!

Soundwave (Q):

“Deal 112 damage to enemies in an area and knock them back.”

Combined with Lúcio’s mobility, Soundwave is a good escape tool. If your enemies are gaining on you, simply knock them a few paces back to frustrate their pursuit.

If the enemy is the one fleeing, race ahead of them, then push them in the opposite direction they’re going. This could be especially lethal if you’ve got allies trailing the enemy, and waiting for you to deliver the victim into their attack range.

The knock-back effect can also ruin enemy positioning, or push them away from objectives. If an enemy is picking on a specific ally, use Soundwave to blast them away, thus allowing your friend to escape.

Crossfade (W):

“Play one of two tracks that passively provide Allied Heroes with either a Speed Boost or a Healing Boost in a large radius around you. Activate Crossfade to swap tracks.”

Lúcio’s area of influence is depicted by a large circle around him. As long as Allied Heroes stay within this circle, they will receive a speed boost or healing indefinitely.

Toggling between tracks is immediate, has no cooldown, and doesn’t cause any mana – so you can react to the situation as you see fit.

Toggling the track to Speed Boost increases the Movement Speed of Lúcio and Allied Heroes within his area of influence by 15%. The improved Movement Speed (115%) is slightly slower than Mount Speed (130%), so mounting is still the best way to get around the map.

The advantage of Speed Boost, however, is that its speed buff is immediate – unlike mounting, which forces you to a halt for a few moments, and which can be interrupted by an enemy attack. Speed Boost can therefore help the team escape quickly from enemies.

Of course, Speed Boost can be used offensively, too, allowing you and your team to close in on the enemy rapidly, and making it easier for everyone to evade enemy skill shots.

Toggling the track to Healing Boost passively heals Lúcio and Allied Heroes within his area of influence for an amount of 25 health a second. It’s important to remember that with the track on Healing Boost, Lúcio’s Movement Speed is at a normal 100%.

Also, Healing Boost doesn’t really heal much. While it does a passable job providing sustained healing in an area, it won’t likely save anyone on the receiving end of a barrage of enemy attacks. Fortunately, the next skill addresses this issue…

Amp It Up (E):

“Raise Lúcio's Crossfade track volume for 3 seconds, amping Healing Boost to 132 health per second and Speed Boost to 45% increased Movement Speed.”

For 3 seconds, Amp It Up vastly enhances the effects of the Crossfade buffs. Used in a timely manner, this skill can save lives.

When Speed Boost is combined with Amp It Up, Lúcio and affected Allied Heroes’ Movement Speed shoots up to a whopping 145% – much faster than Mount Speed, which is great for escapes and lightning-quick offensives.

Likewise, Healing Boost becomes an excellent ability when the going gets rough and heals are badly needed. While still not as good as burst heal abilities, Healing Boost is able to provide a fair amount of healing to several Allied Heroes at once.

Wall Ride (Trait, D):

“When moving alongside impassable battleground terrain and Structures, Lúcio can walk through other units and his Movement Speed is increased by 20%. This works together with other Movement Speed bonuses”

Lúcio uses his roller skates to glide on walls for an increase in Movement Speed. “Wall” basically means any structure that serves as an obstacle in Lúcio’s path, including towers, castles, healing fountains, and bushes.

If Lúcio’s Crossfade track is Speed Boost, the Wall Ride Movement Speed rises from 115% to 135%, which is faster than Mount Speed. If it’s on Healing Boost, the Wall Ride Movement Speed rises from 100% to 120% – the same boost Allied Heroes in his circle of influence will receive.

If Lúcio combines Speed Boost and Amp It Up while Wall Riding, his Movement Speed soars to a ridiculous165%.

The great thing about Wall Ride is that its speed buff doesn’t immediately wear off the moment Lúcio stops gliding on a wall. It actually takes Lúcio around 1.5 seconds before the speed increase vanishes. This means that all Lúcio has to do to pick up speed is touch wall – if even for an instant.

Additionally, Wall Riding allows him to pass through enemies.

All this gives Lúcio incredible mobility, which makes it easier for him to dodge enemy attacks, run circles around units, prevent himself from being cornered by foes, pursue and escape opponents, and reach objectives quickly. Slippery, indeed!

Sound Barrier (R1):

“After 1 second, Lúcio and nearby Allied Heroes gain a 1392 point shield that rapidly decays over 6 seconds.”

If used at the precise moment, Sound Barrier can give your team the edge required to survive, and maybe even win the battle.

Reverse Amp (R2):

“Blast Lúcio’s Crossfade track at enemy Heroes for 4 seconds, causing Healing Boost to inflict 201 damage per second and Speed Boost to slow for 45%. Passive: Increase Amp It Up's duration to 4 seconds.”

Whether you damage or slow down enemies depends on the Crossfade track currently playing. You can still toggle between tracks even during Reverse Amp.

Remember, though, that for Reverse Amp to have any effect on rival Heroes, they too have to be within Lúcio’s circle of influence. Getting too close to your foes is always risky, so make sure you know how to use Lúcio’s mobility-boosting abilities.

Also, Reverse Amp retains Crossfade’s positive effects on Allied Heroes.

Break it down

While not incredibly squishy, Lúcio is still no tank, and will likely not survive a concerted enemy assault unless you’ve mastered how to exploit his superior mobility to its full potential. It’s therefore integral that you learn how to synergize his Speed Boost, Amp It Up, and Wall Ride abilities – and don’t forget Soundwave!

This is especially important because friendly Heroes will need your support the most when they’re in the thick of battle – and for them to remain in your area of influence to benefit from your Healing and Speed Boost, you’ll often need Lúcio to be positioned near enemies. Your skills are just going to have to be greater than the risks.

Despite Soundwave’s cone of effect, Lúcio isn’t very good at clearing minion waves.

Lúcio’s Talents can widen the radius of Crossfade’s area of influence, boost his Movement Speed even further, enhance his buffing and healing, and increase the efficacy of Soundwave.

Droppin’ the beat

Lúcio brings fun and energy to the battlefield, and his healing and speed buffs can give your team the edge you need to emerge victorious. There are also few things more entertaining than running circles around enemies, and watching them try, but fail, to catch you. For these reasons, this freedom-fighting DJ is one of the most enjoyable Support Heroes to play in “Heroes of the Storm.”

You can now purchase Lúcio in “Heroes of the Storm.” — TJD, GMA News