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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
Strengths
Excellent initiator- Access to
Cocoon, a valuable Heroic Ability - Several long-range interruption Abilities
Weaknesses
Fragile for a Tank- Limited damage output and waveclear
- Main Abilities are skillshots that can be avoided
Anub'arak's Talent Build Cheatsheet
Burrow Charge Build
Recommended
Anub'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.
Hardened Carapace Build
Situational
Anub'arak's Hardened Carapace Build increases his mobility and survivability 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.
Scarab Host Build
Beginner
Anub'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 synergizes with
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 is countered by
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
- 10 Oct. 2020 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
- 10 Oct. 2020 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
- 10 Oct. 2020 (this 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.
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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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