Murky Abilities and Strategy

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Quick Reference
  • 2. Introduction
  • 3. Strengths
  • 4. Weaknesses
  • 5. Role in the Current Meta
  • 6. Reading Further
  • 7. ChangeLog
• ×Abilities and Strategy
  • 1. Tips on Ability Usage
  • 2. Slime
  • 3. Pufferfish
  • 4. Safety Bubble
  • 5. March of the Murlocs
  • 6. Octo-Grab
  • 7. Spawn Egg
• +Talent Build
  • 1. Talent Build
  • 2. Common Talent Paths
  • 3. Level 1 Talents
    • 3.1. Discussion
  • 4. Level 4 Talents
    • 4.1. Discussion
  • 5. Level 7 Talents
    • 5.1. Discussion
  • 6. Level 10 Talents
    • 6.1. Discussion
  • 7. Level 13 Talents
    • 7.1. Discussion
  • 8. Level 16 Talents
    • 8.1. Discussion
  • 9. Level 20 Talents
    • 9.1. Discussion

General Information

Below, we give you an overview of the abilities that Murky has access to. We also explain how to best your these abilities.

The other pages of our Murky guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About the Author

Oxygen is a veteran of the MOBA genre, which he has been playing for nearly 15 years. He has coached some of Heroes of the Storm's most prominent North American players and teams alike, including Team Liquid. As a Master player, he enjoys playing all Heroes and roles.

1. Tips on Ability Usage

• Hide your Spawn Egg in nooks and crannies, Bushes, or near allied Structures so that it is difficult to find.
• Use Slime and Pufferfish to efficiently waveclear at all stages of the game.
• Standing on top of Pufferfish will prevent opponents from targeting it easily.
• Try and dodge dangerous skillshots or area of effect Abilities with Safety Bubble.
• Call out your intended Octo-Grab target so that your teammates know just who to focus down.

2. Slime

Slime is Murky's bread and butter. It should aggressively be used on-Cooldown whenever you are in range of anything hostile. In lane, it is possible to hit an entire typical Minion wave with the Ability by placing yourself directly on top of the Wizard-type Minion. Against Heroes, the movement speed reduction effect is useful at all stages of the game for body blocking, as its long uptime allows you to remain in front of your target.

An important aspect of Slime to consider is that its damage is significantly increased against foes that have already been afflicted by its lenghty effect. You should always try to repeatedly hit Slimed targets so as to benefit from it.

3. Pufferfish

Pufferfish is one of the hardest-hitting Abilities in the game. It is, however, difficult to succesfully hit individual foes with it. When it is not sidestepped, it might just see itself destroyed. One way of preventing your opponents from attacking the Pufferfish is to stand directly on top of it, making clicking through to attack it impossible. The technique is especially useful in the early stages of the game.

Beyond Level 10 — when Octo-Grab is acquired — landing an unconditional Pufferfish hit becomes only a matter of quickly following up with Octo-Grab.

During team fights, it is important to try and cast Pufferfish where it is unlikely to be killed by incidental area of effect damage. This generally means somewhere between your opponents' frontline and backline, and never on top of your own teammates.

4. Safety Bubble

Safety Bubble is Murky's main defensive Ability. Since it renders him completely invulnerable, and instantly so, it can be used to avoid dangerous incoming Abilities. A less-known aspect of the ability is that it can also be used to disjoint inbound projectiles, such as those from Basic Attacks. The fact that it removes movement-impairing effects (as well as providing a temporary immunity to them) can be used offensively, allowing you to move through lingering area effects that would stop other Heroes in their tracks. Murky players become extremely difficult to peel off when keeping track of strong crowd control Cooldowns only to completely avoid them with Safety Bubble.

5. March of the Murlocs

To balance out to its immense damage potential, March of the Murlocs is very easy for your opponents to avoid. Due to its very long Cooldown, it is typically only used in major team fights that occur around Structures or Objectives, as to force opponents to either potentially face a large amount of damage, or let go of the contested element. It can also be used to completely block off a potential escape route.

Following up strong area of effect crowd control abilities such as Apocalypse, Mosh Pit, Grav-O-Bomb 3000, Divine Storm, or Void Prison is generally recommended to improve March of the Murlocs' effectiveness.

6. Octo-Grab

Octo-Grab is the longest targeted stun in the game. It is almost always used in conjunction with Pufferfish to guarantee a large amount of damage. The only reliable way of preventing Octo-Grab from being used as a way of locking down kill targets is to use Cleanse, as well as a few other select Heroic Abilities ( Crystal Aegis, Divine Shield, and Sanctification) and Talents. It is therefore essential that you learn to keep track of these Cooldowns, lest Octo-Grab could end up being partly or completely countered. Another alternative is to aim — with the help of your teammates — for the Heroes that do have access to Cleanse. These Heroes are: Auriel (Level 10), Cho'gall (Level 20) Li Li, Lt. Morales, Brightwing, Lunara (Level 20), Malfurion, Rehgar, Uther, and Zarya (Level 16).

7. Spawn Egg

Spawn Egg is what makes Murky unique, and the main factor that separates good Murky players from outstanding ones. Its last clause — which regards the fact that Murky only yields 25% of a normal Hero's Experience upon death — makes it so that, essentially, efforts spent to control or otherwise remove him are poorly invested. As a Murky player, your main goal is to exploit this fact to take as much pressure as possible away from your allies. Willingly absorbing skillshots, aggressively body blocking, or bullying Support Heroes as to force a response are all legitimate manners of imposing your presence.

Another important aspect of Spawn Egg to consider is the fact that Murky's revival timer is of only 8 seconds at all stages of the game. Early on, this advantage is mediocre; later in the game, it is outstanding. Furthermore, the time it takes you to travel back to points of contention — objectives, bases, or general team fights — is entirely dependent on how aggressively you decide to position your Egg. Spawn Egg rewards selective aggressivity.