Raynor Talents

Last updated on Jun 04, 2021 at 18:25 by Derenash 47 comments
General Information

Welcome to our Talents page for Raynor. Here, we give you an overview of how strong each of Raynor's talents is. Then, we present several viable builds, before analyzing each talent row separately, so that you can make informed decisions.

1.

Raynor's Talent Build

Level Choices
1 Exterminator Veteran Marksman ? Ace In The Hole ?
4 Fight or Flight Sustaining Rounds ✘︎ Behemoth Armor ?
7 Heavy Slugs ✘︎ Fuel The Rush ? Unstable Compound
10 Hyperion ? Raynor's Raider
13 Line 'Em Up Giddy-Up ? Give Me More! ?
16 Paint Them Red Rallying Cry ? Bounty Hunter ✘︎
20 Cavalry's Arrived ? Dusk Wing Raiders Roll ? Sergeant Pepper ✘︎ Execute Orders ✘︎
2.

Raynor's Talent Build Cheatsheet

Penetrating Round Build

Recommended
Level 1 Exterminator Icon Ace In The Hole Icon ? Veteran Marksman Icon ?
Level 4 Fight or Flight Icon Behemoth Armor Icon ?
Level 7 Unstable Compound Icon
Level 10 Raynor's Raider Icon Hyperion Icon ?
Level 13 Line 'Em Up Icon
Level 16 Paint Them Red Icon
Level 20 Dusk Wing Icon Cavalry's Arrived Icon ? Raiders Roll Icon ?

The Penetrating Round Build is designed to amplify Raynor's damage while also giving him good survivability. At level 1, Exterminator Icon Exterminator will drastically increase Raynor's PvE damage. It should be picked in Maps where waveclear and mercenaries are essential, or in Battlefield of Eternity, to greatly increase damage on immortal. At Level 10, both Heroic Abilities are viable, however, we recommend Raynor's Raider Icon Raynor's Raider as the main option, while Hyperion Icon Hyperion can be a great option to push Forts, Keeps or to control Objectives in Volskaya Foundry or Infernal Shrines.

Adrenaline Build

Situational
Level 1 Exterminator Icon Ace In The Hole Icon ? Veteran Marksman Icon ?
Level 4 Fight or Flight Icon
Level 7 Fuel The Rush Icon
Level 10 Raynor's Raider Icon Hyperion Icon ?
Level 13 Give Me More! Icon
Level 16 Rallying Cry Icon
Level 20 Raiders Roll Icon

The Adrenaline Build greatly amplifies Raynor's self-sustain from Adrenaline Rush Icon Adrenaline Rush, and Attack Speed during Inspire Icon Inspire. This build may not have a good early game and mid game, but it becomes extremely good at level 20 with Raiders Roll Icon Raiders Roll.

We recommend this build if you are in maps that will often reach Level 20, such as Volskaya Foundry or Alterac Pass.

3.

Level 1 Talents for Raynor

Raynor Exterminator
Exterminator (Level 1) Starcraft Raynor

Basic Attacks deal 50% more damage to Minions, Mercenaries, and Monsters. This is increased to 125% while Inspire is active.

Passive: Inspire does not expire on friendly Minions and Mercenaries.

Raynor Veteran Marksman ?
Veteran Marksman (Level 1) Starcraft Raynor

Quest: Every time the primary target of Give 'Em Some Pepper is a Hero, permanently increase its damage bonus by 0.75%.

Gambit: Gain 60% bonus Give 'Em Some Pepper damage. Every death reduces this bonus by 15%.

Raynor Ace In The Hole ?
Ace In The Hole (Level 1) Starcraft Raynor

Deal 12% more damage to Stunned or Slowed Heroes.

Enemy Heroes hit by Give 'Em Some Pepper are Slowed by 10% for 2.5 seconds.

3.1.

Discussion

Exterminator Icon Exterminator has no value when fighting other Heroes, as it only boosts Raynor's damage against PvE targets. However, when you need extra PvE damage, or in maps like Battlefield of Eternity or Infernal Shrines, Exterminator will be very impactful. Be aware that with it, Inspire Icon Inspire stays permanently on Minions and Mercenaries, so it might be useful to boost a mercenary camp right after it is captured.

Veteran Marksman Icon Veteran Marksman is a risky choice, and should only be picked if the opposing team does not feature several threats to Raynor. Only get this Talent if you are very confident in your own ability, because it will fall behind the other 2 options very quickly after each death.

Ace In The Hole Icon Ace In The Hole slightly improves Raynor's teamfight presence. The extra damage provided by it is very noticeable, and the slow will slightly increase Raynor's kiting capabilities. This is a good Talent overall, but it competes with Exterminator Icon Exterminator, which is an excellent choice to improve your macro power. We recommend picking Ace In The Hole if you already have good waveclear in your team.

4.

Level 4 Talents for Raynor

Raynor Fight or Flight
Fight or Flight (Level 4) Starcraft Raynor

Reduce Adrenaline Rush's cooldown by 10 seconds. Casting Adrenaline Rush grants 25 Armor for 3 seconds.

Raynor Sustaining Rounds ✘︎
Sustaining Rounds (Level 4) Starcraft Raynor

Give 'Em Some Pepper heals Raynor for 3% of his maximum Health, increased to 6% if the primary target is a Hero.

Raynor Behemoth Armor ?
Behemoth Armor (Level 4) Starcraft Raynor

Gain 200 bonus maximum Health.

Quest: Every time Give 'Em Some Pepper's primary target is a Hero, gain an additional 8 maximum Health.

4.1.

Discussion

Fight or Flight Icon Fight or Flight adds 25 Armor for 3 seconds whenever Raynor activates Adrenaline Rush Icon Adrenaline Rush. 3 seconds is more than necessary to make Raynor much harder to take down. The lowered Cooldown on Adrenaline Rush is a nice bonus to have for sure. It is the default Talent for this tier, because it covers Raynor's main weakness, being dived.

Sustaining Rounds Icon Sustaining Rounds is too unreliable compared to the other talents, as it usually does not give Raynor any value if he is pressured (and thus cannot use Basic Attacks) or Blinded by an enemy.

Behemoth Armor Icon Behemoth Armor provides Raynor with a useful amount of bonus health. Moreover, stacking this talent is usually not that hard. In most games the overall health value will be between 500 and 700 bonus health, which makes Raynor more resilient and also boosts the healing value of Adrenaline Rush Icon Adrenaline Rush, since it scales with Raynor's maximum health. However, we only recommend this Talent if opposing team has no burst damage. If they do, Fight or Flight will be a better option.

5.

Level 7 Talents for Raynor

Raynor Heavy Slugs ✘︎
Heavy Slugs (Level 7) Starcraft Raynor

Increase Penetrating Round's Slow by 15% and its duration by 2 seconds.

Raynor Fuel The Rush ?
Fuel The Rush (Level 7) Starcraft Raynor

Reduce the Mana cost of Adrenaline Rush from 75 to 45. While Inspire is active, increase Adrenaline Rush's cooldown reduction from Basic Attacks by 300%.

Raynor Unstable Compound
Unstable Compound (Level 7) Starcraft Raynor

Increase the area of Give 'Em Some Pepper by 15%. Each enemy Hero hit by Give 'Em Some Pepper grants Raynor 10 Mana and reduces the cooldown of Penetrating Round by 1.5 seconds.

5.1.

Discussion

Heavy Slugs Icon Heavy Slugs is an underwhelming Talent. While it increases Penetrating Round Icon Penetrating Round's slow, Unstable Compound Icon Unstable Compound will greatly reduce its cooldown, and therefore, will always be more effective.

Differently from Fight or Flight Icon Fight or Flight, Fuel The Rush Icon Fuel The Rush is only good when combined with other Adrenaline Rush Icon Adrenaline Rush-oriented Talents. Therefore, we only recommend it if you are going to empower Adrenaline Rush Icon Adrenaline Rush at other Levels.

Unstable Compound Icon Unstable Compound is one of the most versatile talents in Raynor's tree. Not only does it expand the area of Give 'Em Some Pepper Icon Give 'Em Some Pepper but it also provides consistent Mana gain and Cooldown reduction on Penetrating Round Icon Penetrating Round. Be aware that the Cooldown is reduced based on each Hero hit by Give 'Em Some Pepper Icon Give 'Em Some Pepper, so each empowered shot should be aimed where several enemies are located.

6.

Level 10 Talents for Raynor

Raynor Hyperion ?
Hyperion (Level 10) Starcraft Raynor
  • Mana: 100
  • Cooldown: 100 seconds

Order the Hyperion to make a strafing run for 12 seconds, hitting up to 4 enemies for 66 (+4% per level) damage every second. Every 4 seconds, it can fire its Yamato Cannon at a Structure, dealing 794 (+4% per level) damage.

Raynor Raynor's Raider
Raynor's Raider (Level 10) Starcraft Raynor
  • Cooldown: 45 seconds

Summon a Banshee that assists Raynor. The Banshee deals 84 (+4% per level) damage per second and regenerates 75 (+4% per level) Health per second if it hasn't taken damage in the last 4 seconds. Can reactivate to retarget or move the Banshee.

The Banshee respawns automatically after 45 seconds.

6.1.

Discussion

Hyperion Icon Hyperion is a very useful Heroic Ability when it comes to zoning enemies from Map Objectives. Furthermore, Hyperion is an excellent pushing tool, which greatly aids in taking down enemy Structures. However, refrain from using Hyperion carelessly, as its long Cooldown makes misuse very unforgiving.

Raynor's Raider Icon Raynor's Raider provides great single-target damage and allows Raynor to hunt down retreating opponents very efficiently. Combined with his dangerous Basic Attacks, the Banshee can take down enemy Heroes from a safe distance. However, make sure to manually reassign a new target if needed and always try to keep track of your Banshee's health.

7.

Level 13 Talents for Raynor

Raynor Line 'Em Up
Line 'Em Up (Level 13) Starcraft Raynor

Reduce the cooldown of Penetrating Round by 3 seconds. Penetrating Round hitting two or more enemy Heroes reduces its cooldown by an additional 3 seconds.

Raynor Giddy-Up ?
Giddy-Up (Level 13) Starcraft Raynor

Gain 10% Movement Speed while mounted and unmounted. Inspire grants 10% more Movement Speed.

Raynor Give Me More! ?
Give Me More! (Level 13) Starcraft Raynor

Increase Adrenaline Rush healing by 50%. While Inspire is active, gain 1 Basic Attack range.

7.1.

Discussion

Line 'Em Up Icon Line 'Em Up's Cooldown reduction on Penetrating Round Icon Penetrating Round feels good, and pairs very well with Unstable Compound Icon Unstable Compound and Paint Them Red Icon Paint Them Red.

Giddy-Up Icon Giddy-Up provides Raynor with a noticeable Movement Speed while mounted and unmounted. This makes up for the lack of escape mechanisms Raynor's kit suffers from, while also greatly improving his kite capabilities.

Give Me More! Icon Give Me More! is the only Talent to increase Raynor's self-sustain at this tier. It is a good choice if you need the extra safety provided by it. However, if you are planning to get Paint Them Red Icon Paint Them Red at level 16, it will be better to reduce Penetrating Round Icon Penetrating Round's Cooldown through Line 'Em Up Icon Line 'Em Up instead.

8.

Level 16 Talents for Raynor

Raynor Paint Them Red
Paint Them Red (Level 16) Starcraft Raynor

Increase the damage of Penetrating Round by 50% and heal for 90% of the damage Penetrating Round deals to Heroes.

Raynor Rallying Cry ?
Rallying Cry (Level 16) Starcraft Raynor

Increase the Attack Speed bonus of Inspire by 20%.

Passive: After every 12 Basic Attacks, cast Inspire for free.

Raynor Bounty Hunter ✘︎
Bounty Hunter (Level 16) Starcraft Raynor
  • Cooldown: 40 seconds

If Give 'Em Some Pepper's target is a Hero, it deals an additional 3% of their maximum Health as damage and grants Raynor 10 Armor for 3 seconds.

Activate Give 'Em Some Pepper to apply it to Raynor's next Basic Attack.

8.1.

Discussion

Paint Them Red Icon Paint Them Red provides Raynor with an incredible amount of self-sustain while also increasing his AoE damage. It will be good in all games, but it excels with Talents that reduce Penetrating Round Icon Penetrating Round's Cooldown, like Unstable Compound Icon Unstable Compound or Line 'Em Up Icon Line 'Em Up. Focus on using Penetrating Round to hit 2 or 3 enemies, so you will get more heal from this Talent.

Rallying Cry Icon Rallying Cry greatly increases Raynor's DPS. This Talent is a great option when paired with other Inspire Icon Inspire Talents, as it will be activated much more often. However, in some games it may be wiser to get Paint Them Red Icon Paint Them Red instead, as it will give you much more survivability.

Bounty Hunter Icon Bounty Hunter is good against high-health Warriors and protects Raynor with additional Armor. We consider Bounty Hunter a winmore Talent, since it will only be good in very specific situations where enemies cannot kill you at all.

9.

Level 20 Talents for Raynor

Raynor Cavalry's Arrived ?
Cavalry's Arrived (Level 20) Starcraft Raynor

Give 'Em Some Pepper lowers the cooldown of Hyperion by 5 seconds if the primary target is a Hero. These Heroes are targeted by the Hyperion for 100% increased damage for 6 seconds.

Raynor Dusk Wing
Dusk Wing (Level 20) Starcraft Raynor

Increase the Health and leash range of Raynor's Raider by 100%. Its Basic Attack lowers enemy Hero Armor by 3 for 1 second, stacking up to 30.

Raynor Raiders Roll ?
Raiders Roll (Level 20) Starcraft Raynor

Adrenaline Rush grants Unstoppable and continues healing for an additional 2 seconds. The additional duration ends upon reaching 70% Health.

Raynor Sergeant Pepper ✘︎
Sergeant Pepper (Level 20) Starcraft Raynor

Give 'Em Some Pepper now activates every 3 Basic Attacks.

Raynor Execute Orders ✘︎
Execute Orders (Level 20) Starcraft Raynor

Reduce Raynor's death timer by 35 seconds. Upon death, the Hyperion is cast towards the closest enemy Hero.

9.1.

Discussion

Cavalry's Arrived Icon Cavalry's Arrived's extra damage during hyperion is an interesting addition, and the extra Cooldown reduction may be excellent on maps with long fights inside an objective, such as Volskaya Foundry and Infernal Shrines. However, if you are being constantly targeted, we recommend getting Raiders Roll Icon Raiders Roll instead.

Dusk Wing Icon Dusk Wing is a great Level 20 upgrade for Raynor's Raider Icon Raynor's Raider. It makes the Banshee much easier to navigate, as it covers a greater distance. Despite that, the armor reduction provided by it is excellent to disrupt the enemy frontline, because they will have -30 armor for the whole fight, as long as the Raider is alive.

Raiders Roll Icon Raiders Roll greatly increase Raynor's resistance to burst damage and crowd controls. It is a good choice if you are being targeted often, as it can even triple the Healing from Adrenaline Rush Icon Adrenaline Rush.

Sergeant Pepper Icon Sergeant Pepper is an underwhelming Talent, the small extra DPS provided by it cannot compare to its counterparts. If you are looking for more damage, we recommend picking Cavalry's Arrived Icon Cavalry's Arrived or Dusk Wing Icon Dusk Wing, as these will add more damage and utility to your team.

Execute Orders Icon Execute Orders is a strange Talent to have, as it is only valuable if you die. At Level 20 and beyond, a death may result in an objective capture, which can easily finish the match. Therefore, we do not recommend this Talent.

10.

Changelog

  • 25 Jun. 2021: Updated Level 1 Talent recommendations.
  • 04 Jun. 2021: Updated Builds and Talents to better reflect current meta.
  • 18 May 2021: Updated Builds and Talents after Raynor's recent rework.
  • 26 Mar. 2021: Updated Talent recommendations.
  • 17 Feb. 2021: Updated Indomitable Resolve's relevance.
  • 17 Apr. 2020: Updated Talents and builds to better reflect current meta.
  • 14 Feb. 2020: Updated Raynor's talents and builds in accordance with the latest Balance Update.
  • 04 Jul. 2019: Revised and updated Raynor's Talents.
  • 26 Jul. 2018: Updated Raynor's talents and adjusted the recommended Builds accordingly.
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