Gall Abilities and Strategy

• Shadowflame is by far your highest source of damage. Use it whenever it is off-Cooldown, and take advantage of the fact that it deals its damage instantly.
• Dread Orb has an extremely long range; using it against nearby Structures whenever there are no better targets is an effective way of maximising its potential.
• Runic Blast requires you to be well-coordinated with your Cho partner; ask them to let you know whenver they use Rune Bomb, or pay close attention to Cho's "Bomb's out!" shout.
• Twisting Nether works particularly well with Cho's Upheaval; try and use them together. Use the Ability's Movement Speed reduction effect to keep enemies within attack range.
• Shadow Bolt Volley can be difficult to aim, especially if Cho is not prepared for it; let them know ahead of time!
• Shove is extremely useful for avoiding dangerous skillshots and area of effect Abilities.
• Be mindful when activating Ogre Rage in combat, as it leaves Cho 25% less resilient than he would otherwise be.

Shadowflame is Gall's bread-and-butter, and essentially fulfils the function of sustain anged damage that his otherwise inexistent Basic Attack. It should be used whenever it is off-Cooldown, and, if possible, aimed in a way that it hits as many different targets as possible. One exception to this rule, however, is if you have picked up the Double Trouble Talent, at which point it is wise to try and time Shadowflame casts with your Cho player's Consuming Blaze. Shadowflame's instantaneousness makes it useful for scouting bushes, dismounting opponents, or dispelling Stealthed.

Dread Orb's main purpose is to inflict area of effect damage and zone opponents. Against large or otherwise immobile targets, Dread Orb can be targeted in a way that two, or even three of the bounces all hit this target, dealing an exceptional amount of damage. This tactic is especially useful when sieging or to quickly take down Bosses.

When using Dread Orb, focus on hitting your intended target(s) with the first bounce, as it is the least likely to be avoided. Before Twilight Nova, players will seldom be hit by an Orb more than once, as the Ability's projectile is so slow-moving and sports a graphical effect that stands out. Any more than one such hit falls within the realm of luck or otherwise bad play from an opponent's part. This does not mean, however, that you should not try and exploit Dread Orb's excellent zoning potential; indeed, one side effect of having such an obvious projectile is that the Ability gives players the time to actively avoid its area of effect.

Runic Blast deals a large amount of area damage and should absolutely be used every time Cho's Rune Bomb is used. However, some sense of timing is necessary to properly use the Ability. Indeed, special attention must be paid in regards to when you are actually able to detonate the bomb, and when you should actually do so—it is essentially useless to use Rune Blast when there is no enemy within range, and actively wasteful to do so before it reaches an intended target. When Rune Bomb is launched, a clear, purple circle indicates Runic Blast's area of effect so as to ease usage. A sound prompt, along the lines of Cho yelling "Bomb's away!" also warns you that a Rune Bomb has been launched, and as such, that Runic Blast can be used. Be on the lookout for Cho's Rollback Talent which gives you a second chance to hit with Runic Blast, should you miss an opportunity on the bomb's initial throw.

Here we explain how this Heroic Ability works. If you are looking for more information about it, check the dedicated section in the Talent Build page.

Twisting Nether's Slow is extremely useful to Cho, who may capitalise upon it to inflict a large amount of damage through his Basic Attacks and Abilities. When combined with Upheaval, Twisting Nether can also catch several players into its area of effect for a large amount of area of effect damage. As with most area of effect Heroic Abilities, hitting as many players as possible should be a priority when there is no need to burst down one specific target, for which Shadow Bolt Volley is much more appropriate as a choice.

Here we explain how this Heroic Ability works. If you are looking for more information about it, check the dedicated section in the Talent Build page.

Shadow Bolt Volley has the potential of dealing some of the highest single-target damage out of any other Ability. As a downside, its projectiles are rather difficult to aim onto moving targets, and can be blocked by low-value or otherwise undesirable enemies. As such, one must see to try and use the Ability against important targets that are affected by crowd control. It is recommended to practice using Shadow Bolt Volley in Try Mode so as to get a good feel for the Ability's peculiar cast time and delay. Shadow Bolt Volley is generally picked against two or more Tanks as they make excellent targets for the Ability.

Shove replaces Gall's Mount, because he is tied to Cho. Although its main use is avoiding dangerous skillshots or area of effect Abilities, it can also be used in a pinch to catch up to fleeing opponents or simply secure an escape for Cho.

Ogre Rage is Gall's Trait. It provides Gall with a significant amount of Ability damage, and should be activated whenever you are about to deal damage while Cho is not being directly threatened; it is important to note that while Ogre Rage is active, Cho's Ogre Hide is disabled, meaning that Cho's survivability (and Gall's, by extension) is significantly lowered. Judging when to activate Ogre Rage so to not reduce Cho's survivability too dramatically is key to mastering Gall as a whole.

Eye of Kilrogg provides Cho'gall with an effective scouting tool. Eye of Kilrogg is particularly useful for keeping a literal eye over contested areas before adventuring there, or protecting your backline Heroes from potential Stealthed attackers. Bushes are particularly popular locations for summoning Eyes of Kilrogg.