Anub'arak Build Guide “Time is fleeting.”
Welcome to our guide for Anub'arak, a Tank in Heroes of the Storm. Within these pages, you will find everything required to understand how best to play this hero, in both different map styles and team compositions.
Anub'arak's Overview
Anub'arak is an aggressive anti-caster Tank. His strongest points are his long-range disruption and powerful on-demand resistance to Ability-based damage. Although considered an archetypal Tank, Anub'arak's Health pool is considerably lower than that of other Tanks. He relies on opportunism and teamwork to survive, exemplifying the adage "the best defence is a good offence."
Anub'arak's Strengths and Weaknesses
Excellent initiator
Access to
Cocoon, a valuable Heroic Ability
Several long-range interruption Abilities
Fragile for a Tank
Limited damage output and waveclear
Main Abilities are skillshots that can be avoided
Anub'arak's Talent Build Cheatsheet
Hardened Carapace Build
RecommendedAnub'arak's Hardened Carapace Build increases his mobility, survivability, and damage during prolonged team fights.
Choose this Build when you need the Spell Armor
from Harden Carapace and Movement Speed
from
Shed Exoskeleton at Level 4 more often
because
Chitinous Plating at Level 7 reduces its cooldown.
Burrow Charge Build
SituationalAnub'arak's Burrow Charge Build increases his burst damage and survivability
while engaging with Burrow Charge.
The survivability comes from Subterranean Shield at Level 7
while the damage comes from
Underking at Level 4
and
Urticating Spines at Level 13.
Scarab Host Build
BeginnerAnub'arak's Scarab Host Build increases his damage output and survivability during prolonged team fights.
The increased damage comes from Burning Beetles at Level 13
while the survivability comes form
Leeching Scarabs at Level 7,
both empowered by
Legion of Beetles at Level 1
and
Beetle, Juiced at Level 16.
Anub'arak's Synergies and Counters
Anub'arak's aggressive crowd control-oriented Ability set makes him particularly useful to any Hero who is able to follow up on said crowd control with their own Ability combo.
Anub'arak's aggressive game plan is difficult to execute against Heroes that have ways of avoiding his skillshot or becoming immune to crowd control on-demand.
Anub'arak's Maps














Anub'arak's aggressive gameplan works well on most Maps, provided teammates follow through. His sub-par PvE damage output means that someone else will have to help with the many Map Objectives that require killing.
Anub'arak's Tips and Tricks
- Exploit
Scarab Host Beetles to soak damage from Structures and Mercenaries, and to intercept skillshots.
- Use
Burrow Charge to close up on a target, then follow up with
Impale for much crowd control.
Harden Carapace should be used on-Cooldown during fights due to its low Mana cost and ability to summon Beetles.
- Use
Locust Swarm with caution; it heals for a large amount, but does not make you invincible, especially versus burst damage.
- Hold onto your
Cocoon's Cooldown to interrupt and deny strong enemy Heroic Abilities.
Role in the Current Meta
Anub'arak is a unique Tank that sacrifices raw durability
for powerful on-demand initiations. In general, Anub'arak players are
expected to look for opportunities to lock down isolated targets (through
Impale and
Burrow Charge)
to allow their teammates to follow up.
In the early stages of the game, Anub'arak is well-suited for roaming
and protecting teammates in lanes. Burrow Charge lets him effectively scout
with very little danger. This task is just as important as initiating throughout
the entire game. As Heroic Abilities become available, Cocoon is the
expected choice to catch and aggressively collapse on rotating opponents
on top of being generally useful.
Changelog
- 15 Dec. 2020 (talents page): Builds fixed.
- 15 Dec. 2020 (this page): Builds fixed.
- 04 Nov. 2020 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
- 04 Nov. 2020 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
- 04 Nov. 2020 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
- 28 Oct. 2020 (this page): Builds fixed.
- 28 Oct. 2020 (talents page): Builds fixed.
- 10 Oct. 2020 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
- 10 Oct. 2020 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
- 10 Oct. 2020 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
- 30 Aug. 2020 (this page): Role in Current Meta section updated.
- 19 Aug. 2020 (talents page): Burning Beetles added.
- 19 Jul. 2020 (talents page): Talents reviewed and updated.
- 20 Jun. 2020 (talents page): Talents reviewed following June 3 balance patch. No changes to Talent recommendations.
- 05 Apr. 2020 (talents page): Description reviewed for Bed of Barbs.
- 27 Jan. 2020 (talents page): Guide reviewed following January 22 balance patch. No changes to Talent recommendations.
- 15 Dec. 2019 (this page): Added a note about current Anomaly.
- 26 Jun. 2019 (talents page): Guide reviewed and updated.
- 26 Jun. 2019 (this page): Guide reviewed and updated.
- 05 Feb. 2019 (talents page): Talents and recommendations updated following Legion of Beetles rework.
- 20 Jan. 2019 (talents page): Build recommendations updated.
- 30 Jun. 2018 (talents page): Updated for the latest Balance update.
- 14 Jan. 2018 (talents page): Updated Balance build.
- 15 Mar. 2017 (this page): Guide updated.
More Tank Guides
Elitesparkle is a multiple times Master player in Europe who plays Heroes of the Storm since its release. He is an active member of the community — especially on Reddit — who likes to teach new and veteran players all he knows about his favorite game.
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