HOTS Kel'Thuzad on PTR Now, Including Major Changes to Four Heroes

Heroes of the Storm PTR update version 2.27.3 lets you test out the upcoming hero Kel’Thuzad, get familiar with the big changes made to Chromie, Jaina, Lt. Morales, and Leoric, and so on. Players will be able to enjoy these changes, which were shown at Gamescom, on PTR until September 4th.

The updates to PTR that are listed in the patch notes concern the new hero Kel’Thuzad (traits, basic and heroic abilities), art, user interface, battlegrounds rotation update, new collection bundle and skins, and bug fixes. You can read all these changes on the official post, while the changes to the five heroes are listed down below.

Chromie Abilities and Talents

• Sand Blast (Q) – Scaling reduced from 4% to 2% per level. Damage reduced from 400 to 300. Quest added: Hit 80 Heroes with Sand Blast. Hitting with consecutive casts counts as 2 hits. Rewards: Increase Sand Blast damage by 5 for each Hero hit / After hitting 80 Heroes, Sand Blast leaves an Echo behind. The next time Sand Blast is cast, the Echo also casts an untalented Sand Blast that deals 40% damage.
• Level 1 (New) Mounting Sand (Q) – If Chromie hits with a third consecutive Sand Blast, it counts as hitting 3 Heroes.
• Level 2 (New) Timely Surprise (E) – Sand Blast and Dragon’s Breath’s cooldowns are reset when Time Trap is triggered.
• Level 11 (New) Here and There (Active) – Activate to have Chromie swap places with her Sand Blast Echo. 30 second cooldown.
• Level 18
  • Past and Future Me (Q) – Removed
  • Piercing Sands (Q) – Moved from Level 2. Adjusted Functionality: Sand Blast now pierces targets, dealing damage to any additional Heroes hit.
  • Loophole (R) – Removed
  • (New) Stuck in a Loop (R) – Temporal Loop teleports the target a second time after the first completes.

Jaina Abilities and Talents

• Frostbite (Trait) – Quest added: Deal 15,000 damage to Chilled enemy Heroes. Reward: Gain the Improved Ice Block ability – Activate to place Jaina in Stasis and gain Invulnerability for 2.5 seconds. When this effect expires, nearby enemies are Chilled. 40 second cooldown
• Summon Water Elemental (R) – Cooldown reduced from 80 to 60 seconds. Mana cost reduced from 75 to 60.
• Level 1
  • Conjurer’s Pursuit (Passive) – Removed
  • (New) Fingers of Frost (Passive) – Gathering Regen Globes increases your Mana Regeneration by .1 per second, up to 2 per second. Reward: After gathering 20 Regeneration Globes, the damage bonus of Frostbite is increased by 10%.
• Level 7
  • Frostbitten (Passive) – Removed
  • Ice Floes (E) – New Functionality: Doubles the width of Cone of Cold. Hitting Chilled enemy Heroes with Cone of Cold reduces its cooldown by 2.5 seconds, up to a 5 second maximum reduction.
  • (New) Icefury Wand (Passive) – Your basic attacks against Chilled targets deal 75% bonus damage and reduce the cooldown of Blizzard by 1 second.
• Level 20
  • Improved Ice Block (Active), Arcane Power (Active) – Removed
  • (New) Ice Blink (Active) – Activate to teleport a short distance and Chill nearby enemies. 60 second cooldown.
  • Cold Snap (R) – Now also reduces the cooldown of Ring of Frost by 10 seconds per enemy Hero hit.
  • Deep Chill (Trait) – Moved from Level 1. New Functionality: Frostbite’s slow amount now stacks a second time, slowing enemy Heroes by up to 40%

Lt. Morales Miscellaneous, Abilities and Talents

• Morales now uses Energy to fuel her Healing Beam. All other abilities are free to cast. Morales can hold up to 100 Energy.
• Caduceus Reactor (Trait) – New Functionality: While channeling Healing Beam, Morales heals herself for 2% of her maximum life per second.
• Healing Beam (Q) – Channeling Healing Beam costs 6 Energy per second. Morales generates 6 Energy per second after not channeling Healing Beam for 3 seconds.
• Safeguard (W) – Cooldown reduced from 15 seconds to 12 seconds.
• Displacement Grenade (E) – A visual indicator for the detonation area is now visible to Lt. Morales.
• Stim Drone (R) – Cast time reduced from 1 second to .5 seconds.
• Medivac Dropship (R) – Takeoff minimum delay reduced from 4 seconds to 3 seconds. Health reduced from 1593 to 956
• Level 1
  • Feedback Loop (W), Scouting Drove (Active) – Removed
  • Clear! (E) – Moved from Level 7. New Functionality: Quest: Hit Heroes with Displacement Grenade. Reward: After hitting 15 Heroes, Displacement Grenade’s cooldown is reduced from 12 seconds to 8 seconds. Reward: After hitting 30 Heroes, Displacement Grenade’s area is increased by 25%.
  • (New) Caduceus Feedback (Passive) – Basic Attacks generate 1 Energy, increased to 4 against Heroes.
  • (New) Life Support (W) – Gain 2 Energy each time Safeguard prevents damage, to a maximum of 20 Energy per cast.
• Level 4
  • Bioshield (Q), Automated Block (Passive), Infused Grenade (E) – Removed
  • Trauma Trigger (Passive) – Moved from Level 1. Cooldown Increased to 60 Seconds. New Functionality: Gain 30 Armor for 3 seconds after taking damage while under 40% life.
  • (New) Cellular Reactor (Active) – Consume 30 Energy to heal 40% of maximum life over 4 seconds.
  • (New) Blast Shield (E) – Hitting a Hero with Displacement Grenade grants Lt Morales 2 Energy and a shield equal to 8% of her maximum health, stacking up to 5 times.
• Level 7
  • Calldown: MULE (Active), Cleanse (Active) – Removed
  • (New) Physical Therapy (W) – Casting Safeguard removes all Slows from the target. When a slow is removed this way, the cooldown of Safeguard is reduced by 4 seconds.
  • (New) Vanadium Plating (W) – Safeguard grants an additional 25 Armor while the bearer is Stunned and its duration does not decay.
  • Prolonged Safeguard (W) – Moved from Level 1. New Functionality: Increase Safeguard duration by 50%.
• Level 13
  • Intensive Care (Q), Couples Therapy (Q), Preventative Care (Q), Spell Shield (Active) – Removed
  • (New) EMP Grenade (Q) – Displacement Grenade deals increased damage to shields and additional damage over 2 seconds.
  • System Shock (E) – Moved from Level 16. New Functionality: Heroes hit by Displacement Grenade have their damage reduced by 30% for 4 seconds.
  • Second Opinion (W) – Moved from Level 16. New Functionality: If Displacement Grenade hits 2 or more Heroes, its cooldown is reduced to 1 second.
• Level 16
  • (New) Extended Care (Q) – Increases the range of Healing Beam by 40%
  • (New) First Responder (Q) – If you have more than 70 energy, your Healing Beam heals for 25% more.
  • Shield Sequencer (W) – New Functionality: Safeguard gains an additional charge.
• Level 20
  • Transfusion (R), Medbay (R), Storm Shield – Removed
  • Caduceus Reactor 2.0 (Trait) – New Functionality: Increases the healing of Caduceus Reactor from 2% to 6%.
  • (New) Hyperactivity (R) – Reduces the cooldown of Stim Drone from 90 seconds to 45 seconds and increases the movement speed bonus from 25 to 50%.
  • (New) Safe Zone (R) – Heroes are Protected from damage for 2 seconds after unloading from Medivac Dropship.
  • (New) Reinforcements (Active) – Reduces the cooldown of Medivac Dropship from 60 to 30 seconds. Activate to call down a Medivac at your Hall of Storms that only allies can enter. Activate again to order the Dropship to travel to the original cast location and unload its cargo. 30 second cooldown. Shares a cooldown with Medivac Dropship.

Leoric Stats, Abilities and Talents

• Basic Attack Damage reduced from 150 to 105. New functionality – Wrath of the Bone King: Leoric’s first two Basic Attacks cleave for 100% damage, his third Basic Attack deals 100% additional damage to his main target
• Skeletal Swing (Q) – No longer deals bonus damage to non-Heroic targets. Cooldown increased from 8 to 14 seconds. Mana Cost increased from 50 to 80. Damage increased from 125 to 150. Additional Functionality: If Skeletal Swing hits a Hero, refund 50% of the Cooldown and Mana Cost.
• Drain Hope (W) – Lowered damage and healing from 25% to 20% of the target’s maximum Health
• Drain Essence (W) – Lowered healing from 12.5% to 10% of target’s maximum Health. Lowered cooldown from 11 to 9 seconds.
• Entomb (R) – Cooldown increased from 50 to 75 seconds. Mana cost increased from 75 to 90.
• March of the Black King (R) – Cooldown reduced from 80 to 50 seconds. Mana cost reduced from 100 to 75. Damage increased from 183 to 250. Heal increased from 7% to 12%.
• Level 1
  • Mana Thirst (Q), Block (Passive), Reanimation (Trait) – Removed
  • Fealty Unto Death (Passive) – Moved from Level 4.
  • Consume Vitality (Q) – Moved from Level 16. New Functionality: Lowers the Cooldown of Skeletal Swing by 2 seconds / Heroes hit by Skeletal Swing heal Leoric for 4% of his maximum health / No longer adds any additional effect while in Undying form.
  • Ossein Renewal (Active) – Moved from Level 7. New Functionality: Activate to heal Leoric for 30% of his maximum Health over 5 seconds / Regeneration Globes lower the Cooldown of this ability by 20 seconds. 120 second cooldown.
• Level 4
  • Ghastly Reach (Q) – Moved from Level 7
  • Paralyzing Rage (Q) – Moved from Level 7
  • (New) Kneel, Peasants! (Q) – Increase the damage of Skeletal Swing to Minions and Mercenaries by 75%
• Level 7
  • Lingering Apparition (E) – Removed
  • Drain Momentum (W) – Moved from Level 13. No longer grants a movement speed bonus (removes the self-slow). Added Functionality: If Drain Hope lasts the full duration, gain 30% movement speed for 4 seconds.
  • Willing Vessel (W) – ​Moved from Level 4. Drain Hope’s healing is increased from 20% to 25% of the target’s maximum Health. Added Functionality: If Drain Hope lasts the full duration, immediately heal for an additional 5% of your max health.
• Level 13
  • Burning Rage (Passive), Spell Shield (Active) – Removed
  • Unyielding Despair (W) – Moved from Level 16. Cooldown reduction per second Drain Hope is active decreased from 1 to .5 seconds. Added Functionality: If you complete a full duration Drain Hope, lower its Cooldown by an additional 3 seconds.
  • Hardened Bones (W) – Moved from Level 4. New Functionality: Leoric gains 20 Armor while Drain Hope is active. If Drain Hope lasts the full duration, the Armor remains for 3 seconds.
  • (New) Ominous Wraith (E) – Wraith Walk lasts 100% longer and lowers the damage of all enemy Heroes passed through by 50% for 4 seconds.
• Level 16
  • Renewed Swing (Q), Imposing Presence (Active) – Removed
  • Royal Focus (E) – Moved from Level 4. New Functionality: Increase the damage of your next Skeletal Swing by 50% after using Wraith Walk. Every enemy Hero hit with Skeletal Swing lowers the Cooldown of Wraith Walk by 7 seconds.
  • Crushing Hope (W) – Moved from Level 13. Bonus damage dealt by a full duration Drain Hope increased from 10 to 15% of target’s maximum Health.
  • (New) Mithril Mace (Passive) – Gain 20% Attack Speed. Quest – Kill Minions and Heroes. For every 10 Minions or 1 Hero kill, increase your Attack Speed by an additional 3%, up to a maximum bonus of 30%.
• Level 20
  • Hardened Shield (Active) – Removed
  • Buried Alive (R) – Added Functionality: Enemies inside the Entomb are silenced. The duration of Entomb is lowered from 4 to 3 seconds.
  • Death March (R) – New Functionality: The attached Drain Hopes are now gain all talent bonuses.
  • Spectral Leech (Passive) – Leoric’s Basic Attacks deal an additional 2.5% of the targets max HP and heals Leoric for twice that amount.
  • (New) Burning Despair (Passive) – Deal 40 damage in an area around yourself. Double the damage and area of effect while Drain Hope is active.
  • (New) Shroud of the Dead King (Active) – Activate to become Protected for 3 seconds. 75 second cooldown.