📜 Alarak — “The Highlord of the Tal’darim” ⚡👑

🧬 Who is Alarak?

Alarak is the ruthless Highlord of the Tal’darim, a fanatical sect of protoss who worship the power of Amon. Through cunning, brutality, and sheer psionic might, he ascended the Chain of Ascension by eliminating all who stood above him. In Heroes of the Storm, he embodies the perfect fusion of burst damage and battlefield control through his mastery of telekinetic manipulation. His unique Sadism mechanic rewards aggressive play and enemy elimination, making him a snowballing assassin who grows exponentially stronger as he proves his superiority on the battlefield.

Main Roles:

⚡ Ranged Assassin | 🎯 Burst Specialist | 👑 Combo Master

🛠️ Abilities (Quick Look)

• Sadism (Trait – D): Alarak deals increased ability damage based on enemy heroes killed, but takes increased damage himself
• Discord Strike (Q): Deal damage in a line after a short delay, with damage increasing closer to Alarak
• Telekinesis (W): Push an enemy in a target direction, dealing damage if they hit terrain
• Lightning Surge (E): Deal damage to enemies between Alarak and target location
• Deadly Charge (R1): Charge forward, dealing massive damage to the first enemy hero hit and Silencing them
• Counter-Strike (R2): After a delay, deal damage based on damage taken during the channel; can be reactivated early

🎮 Gameplay Guide

Alarak is the ultimate high-risk, high-reward assassin who demands precision, timing, and calculated aggression. His gameplay revolves around landing skill shots and combo execution while managing his unique risk-reward mechanic. Your goal is to eliminate enemies through perfect combo execution while positioning to maximize your strengths and minimize your increased vulnerability. Success requires excellent prediction skills, understanding of enemy movement patterns, and the confidence to commit to aggressive plays.

✅ Early Game

• Focus on poking enemies with Discord Strike to build Sadism stacks early
• Practice your W-E combo on minions to perfect the timing and positioning
• Use Lightning Surge to clear minion waves efficiently while harassing enemies

✅ Teamfights

• Look for opportunities to Telekinesis enemies into walls or your team
• Use Discord Strike from maximum range to minimize your exposure
• Save Deadly Charge for securing kills or escaping dangerous situations

✅ Objective Control

• Your combo potential makes you excellent at punishing enemies who focus on objectives
• Use Telekinesis to disrupt enemy positioning during objective teamfights
• Lightning Surge provides excellent poke damage during objective standoffs

🛡️ Builds & Gameplay Focus

⚔️ Pure Malice (Glass Cannon)

Level 1: Extended Lightning
Level 4: Dissonance
Level 7: Applied Force
Level 10: Deadly Charge
Level 13: Pure Malice
Level 16: Rite of Rak’Shir
Level 20: Last Laugh

Focus: Maximum Burst Damage, High Risk-Reward, Combo Mastery

The Lowdown: This build transforms Alarak into the ultimate glass cannon assassin capable of deleting enemies in single combo rotations while embracing the high-risk nature of his Sadism trait. Extended Lightning provides the foundation by giving your Lightning Surge incredible range and wave-clear potential, allowing you to poke safely while building Sadism stacks through early game eliminations. Dissonance amplifies your Lightning Surge damage significantly when enemies are slowed or stunned, creating devastating combo potential when combined with Telekinesis. Applied Force becomes the cornerstone talent that defines this build’s identity – it makes Telekinesis deal percentage-based damage and stun enemies who hit terrain, transforming your utility ability into a massive damage nuke. Pure Malice at 13 is the build’s defining moment, increasing your Sadism bonus dramatically while also increasing the damage penalty, creating an extreme risk-reward scenario where success breeds dominance but mistakes are potentially fatal. Rite of Rak’Shir provides the sustain needed to maintain your aggressive playstyle, while Last Laugh at 20 ensures that even death cannot stop your reign of terror. This build requires perfect execution but rewards mastery with unparalleled burst potential.

The Core Loop & Synergy:

• Extended Lightning: Increased range and damage enables safe poke and wave clear
• Dissonance: Lightning Surge gains massive damage bonus against debuffed enemies
• Applied Force: Telekinesis becomes a devastating nuke that stuns on terrain collision
• Deadly Charge: Perfect finisher that silences and deals massive damage
• Pure Malice: Extreme Sadism bonus amplifies all damage to terrifying levels
• Rite of Rak’Shir: Sustain through ability damage enables aggressive trading
• Last Laugh: Death triggers massive AoE explosion, ensuring revenge even in defeat

Key Tactics & Pro Tips:

• Always try to W enemies into walls for Applied Force proc and Dissonance setup
• Use W-E combo where Telekinesis pushes enemies through Lightning Surge path
• Deadly Charge is both engage and escape – use it wisely with Pure Malice active
• Position aggressively but always have escape routes planned due to damage penalty
• Stack Sadism early through ganks and teamfight participation for maximum scaling

In short: You’re the tyrant who burns brightest before the fall. Every enemy elimination feeds your power, but overconfidence leads to spectacular defeat.

⚔️ Highlord’s Dominion (Sustained Control)

Level 1: Ruthless Momentum
Level 4: Chaos Reigns
Level 7: Psychokinesis
Level 10: Counter-Strike
Level 13: Hindered Motion
Level 16: Hasty Bargain
Level 20: Deadly Charge

Focus: Battlefield Control, Sustained Damage, Survivability

The Lowdown: This build reimagines Alarak as a sustained damage dealer and battlefield controller who uses superior positioning and ability cycling to dominate extended engagements rather than relying on single-combo eliminations. Ruthless Momentum provides the foundation by reducing all your cooldowns when you damage enemy heroes, enabling constant ability cycling and sustained pressure. This approach embraces a more measured playstyle where consistent performance matters more than explosive moments. Chaos Reigns transforms your Telekinesis into an AoE disruption tool, allowing you to control multiple enemies simultaneously while spreading damage across teamfights. Psychokinesis adds crucial utility by making your Lightning Surge slow enemies, setting up easier follow-up combos and providing persistent battlefield control. Counter-Strike becomes your defensive ultimate, allowing you to turn enemy aggression against them while providing substantial burst potential when timed correctly. The build reaches its control peak with Hindered Motion at 13, which makes slowed enemies take increased damage from all sources, turning your entire team into beneficiaries of your control effects. Hasty Bargain provides the sustain and cooldown reduction needed for extended fights, while taking Deadly Charge at 20 adds the burst potential needed to close out games.

The Core Loop & Synergy:

• Ruthless Momentum: Constant cooldown reduction enables sustained ability cycling
• Chaos Reigns: Telekinesis becomes AoE disruption tool for multi-target control
• Psychokinesis: Lightning Surge adds slow, setting up easier combos and persistent control
• Counter-Strike: Defensive ultimate that punishes enemy aggression with burst damage
• Hindered Motion: Slowed enemies take increased damage, amplifying team coordination
• Hasty Bargain: Sustain and cooldown reduction for extended engagement potential
• Deadly Charge: Late game burst option for securing eliminations and escapes

Key Tactics & Pro Tips:

• Focus on hitting multiple enemies with abilities to maximize Ruthless Momentum value
• Use Counter-Strike proactively during enemy dive attempts for maximum effectiveness
• Psychokinesis slow enables easier Discord Strike predictions and Telekinesis setups
• Hindered Motion makes your slows benefit your entire team’s damage output
• Play for sustained teamfights rather than quick eliminations with this build

In short: You’re the calculating overlord who controls the battlefield through superior positioning. While others seek quick kills, you orchestrate prolonged dominance through unrelenting pressure.

📊 Final Thoughts

Alarak represents the pinnacle of high-skill expression in Heroes of the Storm, demanding mechanical precision, strategic thinking, and unwavering confidence. His Sadism mechanic creates a unique risk-reward dynamic that separates good Alarak players from truly exceptional ones. Whether you embrace the glass cannon approach for maximum burst potential or choose the sustained control path for battlefield dominance, Alarak rewards players who can execute under pressure while punishing those who hesitate or misposition. His combo-centric gameplay creates some of the most satisfying moments in the entire game when executed properly.

Ascension is earned through suffering – both yours and your enemies’. ⚡👑