Blaze Build Guide “Need a light?”

Last updated on Sep 22, 2023 at 20:33 by Elitesparkle 31 comments
General Information

Welcome to our guide for Blaze, 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.

1.

Blaze's Overview

Blaze is a heavy Tank notorious for his potent counter-initiations. Although lacking in single-target damage, he is otherwise well-rounded with serviceable area of effect damage output and high survivability, thanks to his large Health pool and dependable self-sustain. His many skillshot-like Abilities can make him ineffective offensively against mobile Heroes, however.

2.

Blaze's Strengths and Weaknesses

V Strengths
  • +Outstanding ability to disrupt opponents' plans through plentiful crowd control and Bunker Drop Icon Bunker Drop
  • +Hard to kill due to large Health pool and on-demand access to Armor
  • +Respectable area of effect damage potential and waveclear for a Tank
X Weaknesses
  • -Reliance on multiple skillshots that can be avoided
  • -Fairly immobile, thus prone to be kited
  • -Limited burst and single-target damage output
3.

Blaze's Talent Build Cheatsheet

Basic Attacks Build

Recommended
Level 1 Adrenaline Stimpack Icon
Level 4 Incinerator Gauntlets Icon
Level 7 Suppressive Fire Icon Nanomachine Coating Icon ?
Level 10 Bunker Drop Icon Combustion Icon ?
Level 13 Collision Course Icon
Level 16 Thermal Protection Icon Juggernaut Plating Icon ?
Level 20 Fortified Bunker Icon Flash Fire Icon ?

Blaze's Basic Attacks Build primarily empowers your waveclear while also increasing your survivability, utility, and damage. As a consequence, we recommend this Build when playing Blaze as Offlaner.

In particular, Incinerator Gauntlets Icon Incinerator Gauntlets at Level 4 makes it easier to clear Minions and Mercenaries while laning and Adrenaline Stimpack Icon Adrenaline Stimpack at Level 1 further empowers its value against Mercenaries while also boosting your damage against enemy Heroes.

Oil Spill Build

Situational
Level 1 Neural Stimpack Icon New Habits Icon ? Endurance Stimpack Icon ?
Level 4 Oil Dispersal Icon
Level 7 Suppressive Fire Icon Nanomachine Coating Icon ?
Level 10 Bunker Drop Icon Combustion Icon ?
Level 13 Collision Course Icon
Level 16 Thermal Protection Icon Juggernaut Plating Icon ?
Level 20 Fortified Bunker Icon Flash Fire Icon ?

Blaze's Oil Spill Build primarily empowers your engage while also increasing your survivability, utility, and damage. As a consequence, we recommend this Build when playing Blaze as Tank.

In particular, Oil Dispersal Icon Oil Dispersal at Level 4 makes it easier to use Oil Spill Icon Oil Spill as a setup for Jet Propulsion Icon Jet Propulsion.

ARAM Build

ARAM
Level 1 Endurance Stimpack Icon New Habits Icon ?
Level 4 Oil Dispersal Icon
Level 7 Suppressive Fire Icon Nanomachine Coating Icon ?
Level 10 Combustion Icon Bunker Drop Icon ?
Level 13 Collision Course Icon
Level 16 Thermal Protection Icon Juggernaut Plating Icon ?
Level 20 Flash Fire Icon Fortified Bunker Icon ?

Blaze's ARAM Build primarily empowers your engage while also increasing your survivability, utility, and damage. As a consequence, we recommend this Build when playing Blaze as Tank.

In particular, Oil Dispersal Icon Oil Dispersal at Level 4 makes it easier to use Oil Spill Icon Oil Spill as a setup for Jet Propulsion Icon Jet Propulsion.

4.

Blaze's Synergies and Counters

V Blaze synergizes with

Blaze's well-rounded Ability set allows him to work in most team compositions and with most other Heroes, granted he is also picked for his anti-melee role. Oil Spill Icon Oil Spill's Slowing effect is particularly useful for improving the uptime of Assassins, whereas most Heroes with skillshots will find Jet Propulsion Icon Jet Propulsion a great way of setting up for accurate hits.

X Blaze is countered by

Since Blaze relies on skillshots to deal damage and on the rather slow charge up of Jet Propulsion Icon Jet Propulsion to initiate, he tends to struggle offensively against highly mobile Heroes. Furthermore, his large Health pool and limited mobility makes him particularly vulnerable to percentage-based damage.

5.

Blaze's Maps

Blaze's stronger maps
Infernal Shrines Sky Temple Towers of Doom Volskaya Foundry
Blaze's average maps
Alterac Pass Battlefield of Eternity Blackheart's Bay Braxis Holdout Cursed Hollow Dragon Shire Garden of Terror Hanamura Temple Tomb of the Spider Queen Warhead Junction
Blaze's weaker maps
None

Having a well-rounded Ability set with plenty of waveclear, Blaze works well on most Maps. However, his lingering area of effect damage-over-time makes him particularly strong for Maps that feature static Map Objectives that must be defended, as they tend to funnel opponents into tight spaces that are easily controlled. Make sure another player can deal with Mercenary Camps.

6.

Blaze's Tips and Tricks

  • Flame Stream Icon Flame Stream actually fires two parallel projectiles; hit with both to double the Ability's damage.
  • An Ignited Oil Spill Icon Oil Spill will Ignite any other Oil Spills that overlap with it.
  • Jet Propulsion Icon Jet Propulsion does not collide with Minions, allowing you to charge through to hit enemy Heroes or escape without being blocked.
  • Avoid staying too long in Bunker Drop Icon Bunker Drop if unnecessary. Press the R key or right-click near it to exit.
  • Combustion Icon Combustion prevents you from casting other Abilities while it is being channeled.
  • The cooldown of Pyromania Icon Pyromania is reduced for each Hero hit by Flame Stream Icon Flame Stream; double hits count as well.
7.

Blaze's Role in the Current Meta

Blaze is a niche Tank that excels at disrupting aggressive melee Heroes and counter-initiating, in no small part thanks to Bunker Drop Icon Bunker Drop.

His area control otherwise makes him particularly useful on Maps that feature static Objectives that force opponents to fight within a specific area or in enclosed spaces, such as Cursed Hollow, Dragon Shire, Infernal Shrines, Sky Temple, and Towers of Doom. His generous self-sustain and waveclear also make him an excellent solo laner to ultimately make him a viable choice on most, if not all, Maps.

8.

Changelog

  • 22 Sep. 2023 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Bug Fixes.
  • 22 Sep. 2023 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Bug Fixes.
  • 20 Sep. 2023 (talents page): ARAM Build added.
  • 20 Sep. 2023 (this page): ARAM Build added.
  • 07 Jul. 2022 (talents page): Builds updated.
  • 07 Jul. 2022 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 30 Jan. 2022 (talents page): Builds and Talent Descriptions updated.
  • 30 Jan. 2022 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 22 Jul. 2021 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 22 Jul. 2021 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 22 Jul. 2021 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 16 Jun. 2021 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 16 Jun. 2021 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 16 Jun. 2021 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 01 Mar. 2021 (abilities page): Minor fixes.
  • 25 Feb. 2021 (talents page): New layout.
  • 20 Jan. 2021 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 20 Jan. 2021 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 20 Jan. 2021 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 18 Oct. 2020 (talents page): Builds updated.
  • 18 Oct. 2020 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 24 Sep. 2020 (talents page): Builds updated.
  • 24 Sep. 2020 (abilities page): Minor fixes.
  • 24 Sep. 2020 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 30 Aug. 2020 (this page): Role in Current Meta section updated.
  • 20 Jul. 2020 (talents page): Talents and recommendations reviewed and updated.
  • 15 Dec. 2019 (this page): Added a note about current Anomaly.
  • 04 Jul. 2019 (this page): Guide reviewed and updated.
  • 03 Jul. 2019 (talents page): Guide reviewed and updated.
  • 23 May 2019 (talents page): Updated Talent discussions and recommendations following patch v2.45.1 changes.
  • 03 Dec. 2018 (talents page): Updated Talent discussions and recommendations following patch v2.40.1 changes.
  • 13 Mar. 2018 (talents page): Recommended build updated to better reflect metagame state.
  • 09 Feb. 2018 (talents page): Recommended Talents updated to better reflect metagame state.
  • 28 Jan. 2018 (talents page): Updated for patch 2.29.9.
  • 09 Jan. 2018 (this page): Guide created.
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