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Category: Heroes of the Storm

New Blizzard How To’s: LvL 90 Boost, Hearthsteed and Heroes Alpha

Blizzard seems to be getting more into the habit of making how to/tutorial videos as today they posted not one, but two videos! One on how the starting experience will be in Heroes of the Storm Alpha, and the other on how you can get the Hearthsteed. They didn’t stop there but they also posted an article on how the instant lvl 90 boost works. Check it all out below!

Quote from: Blizzard

A Character Boost can be used on any character on your Battle.net® account that isn’t already level 90—even a brand new one. The only condition is that the character must be on a Mists of Pandaria® or Warlords of Draenor® game account.

World of Warcraft®: Warlords of Draenor includes a Level 90 Character Boost for one character on the upgraded game account. If you want to purchase a Character Boost without the expansion, the service is available in the World of Warcraft Shop.

How it works
After you get a Character Boost for your account, whether it’s the boost included with Warlords of Draenor or through the World of Warcraft Shop, you’ll see the option to boost a character when you log into the game and visit your character selection screen.The Level 90 Character Boost icon will appear near the top of your character list. When you click it, the game will walk you through boosting a character and choosing their talent specialization.Note: Character Transfers will not be available to boosted characters until 72 hours after the boost. If you try to transfer a recently boosted character, you’ll see Error 20078.

What you get
Gear, Gold, and BagsAfter boost a character to 90, they’ll receive a set of spec-appropriate gear, a set of bags, and some gold to get started. Any gear the character already had will be moved to their bags. If there isn’t enough space in their bags, their old gear will be mailed to them instead.Professions

Character Armor Class Professions Granted
Cloth Enchanting
Tailoring
Leather/Mail Leatherworking
Skinning
Plate Blacksmithing
Mining

If the character is at least level 60 before the boost, their primary professions and First Aid will be leveled up to rank 600. Other secondary professions will not be affected. If the character doesn’t have primary professions, they’ll be given class-appropriate professions according to the table on the right. Characters who receive this profession boost will need to learn recipes from a profession trainer in-game.

If the character you choose to boost is not at least level 60, their professions will not be boosted.
Mounts and Riding Skill

Boosted characters will receive all riding skills up to Artisan (up to 280% flying speed) and all regional riding skills up to Pandaria (Cold Weather Flying, Flight Master’s License, etc.).

If your Battle.net account doesn’t have any flying mounts, your boosted character will receive their faction’s basic flying mount (gryphon for Alliance, wyvern for Horde).
What happens next

Your character will be moved to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms in Pandaria and their action bar will be populated with the most essential skills for their class and spec. When the boost is done processing, they will be ready to play immediately.

If you’re a returning player, welcome back! We have guides available for new, returning, and veteran players alike who want to know more about World of Warcraft:

Returning Players Guide
Covers content we’ve added and improvements we’ve made since you last played.

Customer Support

Please be careful when you select a character to boost. Level 90 Character Boosts are irreversible. Once a boost is complete, Customer Support will not assist with altering anything relating to the boost.

HotS: Hero Unlocking and Leveling Preview

Blizzard came out with a blogpost today giving a lot of details on how you’ll be able to play and unlock heroes in the upcoming Heroes of the Storm game.

Quote from: Blizzard

We recently announced the upcoming Technical Alpha for Heroes of the Storm, and in the meantime we wanted to dig into the details surrounding our current plans for heroes, skins, mounts, our experience and progression system, and more!

Heroes and Gold

In Heroes of the Storm, you’ll be able to take control of a variety of powerful heroes from across Blizzard’s expansive universes. These heroes can be obtained in a variety of ways.

If you’re itching to try out a new hero or wreak havoc with a familiar favorite, each week you’ll have the option to choose from five heroes that will be freely available in our weekly hero rotation. Once you accumulate enough experience and reach Level 7, you’ll also unlock an additional weekly hero rotation slot, giving you a total of six free heroes to choose from each week. The hero rotations are updated every Tuesday, so make sure to check-back often to see which weekly heroes are available for free-play.

 

If you’re interested in adding a hero to your arsenal permanently, you’ll also be able to purchase heroes using a currency called gold which you’ll be able to earn by completing in-game objectives. Players will unlock the ability to start earning gold at Level 5, and you will be awarded more of this valuable currency as you level up, as well as for completing Daily Quests, which are unlocked at Level 6.

 

Whether or not a hero is currently on rotation, you’ll also be able to take them out for a test drive using our “Try Me” system. This system allows you to test out individual heroes on a closed custom map where you can try out different abilities and talents at your leisure, away from the non-stop action of regular games. You’ll be able to toggle minions and bots, refresh forts, repick Heroic Abilities, and clear cooldowns to your heart’s content, which should give you a good feel of what to expect when you take your favorite heroes out onto the field of battle.

 

If you’re eager to unlock a hero, you’ll also be able to purchase one with real money. Additionally, players whopre-order Diablo III: Reaper of Souls will be granted a future unlock of Valla the Demon Hunter at no additional cost.

Skins and Tints

If a plethora of iconic Blizzard characters wasn’t enough, you will also be able to unlock and purchase a variety of custom appearances that will help you stand out among friend and foe and infuse your personal flavor into the Nexus universe.

 

 

Each skin, including a hero’s starting skin, will have at least two additional tints available, for a total selection of three or more available tints per skin. A hero’s original tint is immediately available, and each of the two additional tints can be unlocked for individual heroes through Hero Quests. The first unlockable tint is awarded after completing an individual hero’s second Hero Quest, and the second unlockable tint is awarded after completing an individual hero’s fourth Hero Quest.

 

While each hero will have a free base skin associated with it, there will also be a variety of exciting additional skins available for each hero! These skins can be obtained in several ways. Some can be purchased with real money, and going forward we plan to not only give away skins at events, but we also intend to eventually award an additional skin for heroes after players have completed an individual hero’s sixth Hero Quest.

 

Like a hero’s original color tint, each skin’s two additional tints can be unlocked for individual heroes through Hero Quests.

Mounts

Eager for a little extra speed? Our fresh take on the team brawler also includes a mount system that is a sure-fire way to get you where you need to go in the Nexus. A variety of exciting mounts will be available to players to customize their look as they charge into the fray of battle, or chase down that fleeing enemy hero.

Each mount will include at least three available tints. The first is immediately available, and the remaining two tints will be unlocked for individual heroes after completing their fifth Hero Quest. All players will start with a free horse mount, and additional mounts can be purchased with real money. In addition, a unique mount will also be given as a reward to players who make a real money purchase during the Alpha and Beta phases of testing.

Experience and Progression

As you can see, increasing your overall Level carries with it some great perks, such as being able to earn gold, which enables you to unlock heroes and work towards completing their individual Hero Quests, which in-turn awards you with unlockable skins and tints.

You will be able to increase your Level by earning experience, and there are a number of ways to do so. Each time you play a game of Heroes of the Storm, you’ll have the ability to earn experience based on your achievements in-game, as well as a win bonus for players of the winning team, and a friend bonus that is granted when you are teaming up with your Battle.net friends.

 

Players will also be able to gain experience by completing quests. Daily quests are unlocked at Level 6, and from that point onward, players will be able to get one daily quest per day, and they will have the option of having up to a maximum of three daily quests active in their log at any given time.

In addition to completing daily quests for bonus experience, players will also be able take up the challenge and embark on Hero Quests, which are unlocked at Level 10 and 20. The first set of these quests, unlocked at Level 10, will allow players to dig into individual heroes and complete a series of three Basic Hero Quests (Hero Quests 1, 2, and 3). After reaching Level 20, players will be able to progress their individual characters through a series of Epic Hero Quests (Hero Quests 4, 5, and 6). Keep in mind that completing Hero Quests will not only award you with experience, but completing specific Hero Quests will also unlock additional ways to further customize the appearance of your favorite heroes and mounts this side of Azeroth, the Koprulu Sector, Sanctuary, and beyond!

We’re excited for the months ahead, and we hope you enjoyed this first look into our current plans for heroes, skins, mounts, and our experience and progression system in Heroes of the Storm! Please keep in mind that as Heroes of the Storm is still under development, our plans may evolve as the game moves towards release, and we’ll be sure to share additional details with you as they become available.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Technical Alpha, please make sure to check out our FAQ.

The most interesting information from this post is that you’ll earn extra experience if you play with friends. Which is similar to the bonus valor points (if they stick) blizzard talked about implementing in heroic dungeons in Warlords of Draenor. Showing a push in company philosophy to get players to be social and play with others (Diablo 3 already has this where you get extra experience and magic/gold find by grouping up with others).

Blizzard design philosophy aside it looks like they’ll go for more of a League of Legends approach to playing with heroes than a DotA 2 approach, where you can play each hero no matter what.

Tychus Findlay Joins The Fray In Heroes Of The Storm!

On the facebook page for Heroes of the Storm Blizzard has announced the next hero for HotS, Tychus Findlay! They’ll be posting information about him as the week goes by!

Quote from: Blizzard

Tychus Findlay is our new fearsome combatant whose impact on the battlefield is anything but subtle, and you can learn more about him this week as we celebrate #TychusWeek.

Since the posting on facebook a page has been dedicated to him on the heroes of the storm website! So far there’s a video preview and an ability list!

(Q) Overkill

  • Target: Enemy, Area: Cone that can be altered based on Tychus’s position. Can be cancelled.
  • Though Tychus is usually equal opportunity with his minigun, this ability focuses Tychus’ attention on a single enemy for a few seconds, dealing some extra pain to the target. Other enemies caught in the cone of fire also take damage.

(W) Frag Grenade

  • Target: Location, Area: Circle AOE
  • This simple explosive device damages and knocks back anything caught in the blast radius.

(E) Run and Gun

  • Target: Direction, Area: Direction selected
  • Tychus sure does like getting into the fight. He can choose from time to time to charge right into battle and have his weapon instantly spun up and ready to fire.

Minigun

  • Passive
  • Tychus’ weapon of choice belies its name, packing a punch and attack speed that’s unmatched by most other heroes. The downside of this multi-barreled terror is that it takes a moment to spin up before firing. But once the minigun starts firing, it lays waste to anything in front of it.

(R) Drakken Laser Drill

  • Target: Location – laser auto single-targets closest enemy, can be altered by player by pressing R and clicking on new enemy.
  • Originally designed to assist with mining operations and other excavation projects, the laser drill can be equally effective when used as a weapon. When Tychus drops one on the battlefield, it can do heavy damage to single targets.

(R) Commandeer Odin

  • Target: Self-cast, Area: Self-cast
  • Sometimes even Tychus needs a bigger gun. That’s when he calls upon the power of the massive Odin mech. Offering additional protection as well as powerful cannons and missiles that create wide swaths of destruction, the Odin is a fearsome military vehicle.

Heroes of the Storm Heroes Previewed By Original Game

In the last couple of days Blizzard has come out with previews of the hero’s per game that they originate from. Although there wasn’t really information about abilities it’s always nice to get a more direct overview about which hero’s we’re dealing with and from which universe. So check out the previews below!

Quote from: Blizzard

“How tastes your fear, Nephalem?”

– Diablo, The Lord of Terror


Are you eager to wield the might of the fabled Sword of Justice, El’druin? Or perhaps you crave the feel of sowing fear into the hearts of your enemies as the Lord of Terror? Whether you wish to wield a sword, crossbow, mojo, or your bare claws, some of Sanctuary’s finest will be available to take the fight to all who would oppose you in the Nexus!

Lightbox_Barbarian_Thumb.png> Lightbox_Tyrael_Thumb.png
Lightbox_DemonHunter_Thumb.png Lightbox_WitchDoctor_Thumb.png
Lightbox_Diablo_Thumb.png

Which Diablo Hero are you most excited about?  Which others would you like to see? Let us know in the comments below!
Quote from: Blizzard
Franchise_SC2_Blog.jpg​

“Let’s kick this revolution into overdrive!”

– James Raynor, Renegade Commander


Do you fancy yourself the sharpest shooter this side of Korhal? Or do you covet the opportunity to improve the genetics of not only the Zerg swarm, but your allies as well? Well, there’s always room for one more at Joeyray’s Bar, so take a load off and find out which of your favorite Terran, Protoss, and Zerg Heroes will be at the ready to fight for you—or against you—in the Nexus!

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Which StarCraft Heroes are you raring to brawl with? Which other StarCraft Heroes would you like to see? Let us know in the comments below!
Quote from: Blizzard
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“You are not prepared!”

– Illidan Stormrage, The Betrayer


Have you ever dreamt of what it would be like to unleash the full might of Frostmourne onto your enemies? Or do you yearn to harness the power of rock to stun and awe all that would oppose your musical mastery? Whether you choose to toy with fel fire or the follow the path of the Lightbringer, now is the time to explore Azeroth’s rich history and discover which familiar faces will be at the ready to join your quest for dominance in the Nexus!

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Which Warcraft Heroes are you eager to take out into battle? Which other Warcraft Heroes would you like to see? Let us know in the comments section below!!

Heroes of the Storm Tech Alpha Coming Soon!

Some great news from Blizzard last night. Heroes of the Storm will soon be going into Technical Alpha. Check out the full details here

Quote from: Blizzard
We’ve been hard at work on Heroes of the Storm since you last got your hands on the game at BlizzCon 2013 and we’re gearing up to invite a very limited number of players to join us in an initial phase of infrastructure and technology testing that we’re calling the Technical Alpha. In the meantime, there are a few important details that everyone may want to keep in mind as we prepare to enter this very early Alpha testing stage.

What does Technical Alpha mean, anyway?

While Heroes of the Storm is playable and much of the core experience is present, it’s still very much in the early stages of development. Work is ongoing and we’re far from considering the game in a polished or finalized state, but after a period of extensive internal testing, we’re ready to crack open the Nexus for the very first time and invite some players to step inside.

This initial testing phase is intended to help us better examine how our infrastructure and tech will function across a much broader spectrum of machines and connection types. What’s more, inviting external Alpha testers will allow us to take a closer look at our hardware needs so that we can be absolutely sure we’re able to support the entire Heroes population as the community grows.

Since we’re focusing on our support systems for Heroes of the Storm right now, we’ve dubbed this testing phase the “Technical Alpha” or Tech Alpha, for short.

Once again, we’d like to remind you that Heroes is still a work in progress. Please keep in mind that invitees may encounter bugs and game features that are not yet implemented, as well as temporary sounds, user interface elements, and graphics. We will continue to iterate on Heroes of the Storm throughout each testing phase, so don’t be surprised if you see many aspects of the game start to level-up in the weeks and months that lie ahead.

Who’s invited?

We’re going to kick off this initial Tech Alpha phase with a very limited number of participants and continue to expand the pool of invited players as our testing needs evolve and grow over time.

Since our current focus is set on determining how we can further develop our tech to serve a growing population, Alpha access will be limited to players in the United States. While we’re not quite sure when we’ll be ready to extend access to the rest of the world, we are going to invite a few international press sites and Blizzard community contributors so that players from all of our global communities can keep up with the latest Heroes developments. Please know that we’re working hard to ensure the Heroes experience will be great for all of our players before we expand access to additional regions in the future.

So, how do I get in?

Contrary to popular belief, surrounding yourself with lit candles and shouting “Tech Alpha” into the mirror three times will not grant Alpha access, but it may amuse your family members. No, the only way into the Nexus is through an official email invitation from Blizzard Entertainment.

In order to give yourself the best chance at gaining access to testing in the future, you’ll want to make sure you’ve opted in to Heroes of the Storm testing using the Beta Profile page found within your Battle.net Account. When prompted, you’ll need to download and run the System Check tool in order to attach your computer’s specifications to your profile and then check the Heroes of the Storm opt-in box, as pictured below.

As always, be extra mindful of shady characters who wish to steal your login credentials through phishing attempts, which are often disguised by falsified emails and websites. What’s more, Alpha keys are not necessary and are not being given out during this testing phase. Please be warned that any key generators or other offers for a Tech Alpha key are most certainly suspicious.

The best way to ensure an invite is the real deal is to avoid clicking any links. Instead, log in to your Battle.net account and check the Summary section to see if a Heroes of the Storm license has been added to your account.

As mentioned previously, however, this initial testing phase will include a very limited pool of players. While a few participants may be selected from opt-ins during this time, we will likely wait until the closed beta phase before we begin granting access to a larger number of players who have opted in via Battle.net.

When can I share Tech Alpha content?

As mentioned previously, we’ve been testing Heroes of the Storm internally for some time now and, over the past few days, you may have seen a few forum threads and conversations spring up from players who managed to access an early version of this client through various means. While you should feel free to discuss the content you’ve seen thus far, we’d like to remind you that accessing and posting these files is a violation of the Battle.net End User License. As such, we’re kindly requesting that you refrain from streaming or posting videos of the Heroes of the Storm client until we begin sending out Tech Alpha invites.

Once the Tech Alpha arrives, there will be no NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), which means that you’ll likely begin to see many new Heroes of the Storm streams, screenshots, blogs, and more once we start sending out invitations. If you do receive an invitation to the Tech Alpha, we want you to know that it’s totally fine to share your thoughts about the game with others through any medium you please at that time.

We’ll be adding a ton of content to Heroes of the Storm in the coming months and hope you’re as excited as we are to embark on this journey together. Stay tuned, because we’ll have plenty more details about Heroes to share with you soon! In the meantime, you can check out our Frequently Asked Questions blog if you’d like more information.