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Stitches Build Guide “ROAAAARR!”

Last updated on May 26, 2025 at 13:55 by Elitesparkle 21 comments
General Information

Welcome to our guide for Stitches, 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.

Pages in this Guide
1 Introduction 2 Abilities and Strategy 3 Talent Build
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE
1.

Stitches's Overview

Stitches is a Tank whose signature move is Hook Icon Hook, a unique Ability that can be used to pull enemy Heroes from the distance and allow allied Heroes to follow up with crowd control and burst damage.

2.

Stitches's Strengths and Weaknesses

V Strengths
X Weaknesses
3.

Stitches's Talent Build Cheatsheet

Standard Hook Build

Recommended
Level 1 Hungry for More Icon
Level 4 Tenderizer Icon Playtime! Icon ?
Level 7 Serrated Edge Icon
Level 10 Gorge Icon
Level 13 Meat Hook Icon
Level 16 Pulverize Icon
Level 20 Master Hooker Icon
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Stitches's Standard Hook Build revolves around Hook Icon Hook followed by Gorge Icon Gorge to pull enemy Heroes completely out of position, ready for your team to kill them.

The additional Movement Speed provided by Hungry for More Icon Hungry for More at Level 1 allows you to move faster without having to use Shambling Horror Icon Shambling Horror just for the extra Movement Speed, unless you need to remove a Slow from yourself. This way you can usually keep it for another moment.

Defensive Hook Build

Advanced
Level 1 Patchwork Creation Icon
Level 4 Vile Cleaver Icon
Level 7 Serrated Edge Icon
Level 10 Gorge Icon
Level 13 Meat Hook Icon
Level 16 Pulverize Icon
Level 20 Master Hooker Icon
Copy build to clipboard Build copied! Talent calculator »

Stitches's Defensive Hook Build revolves around Hook Icon Hook followed by Gorge Icon Gorge to pull enemy Heroes completely out of position, ready for your team to kill them.

The extra Armor and healing from Patchwork Creation Icon Patchwork Creation at Level 1 is great for suriving longer while creating space for your team. Use Vile Cleaver Icon Vile Cleaver at Level 4 to easily debuff multiple enemies and get more Armor as a consequence, then activate Shambling Horror Icon Shambling Horror to double it when needed.

Vile Gas Build

Advanced
Level 1 Patchwork Creation Icon
Level 4 Vile Cleaver Icon
Level 7 Putrefaction Icon
Level 10 Putrid Bile Icon
Level 13 Meat Hook Icon
Level 16 Pulverize Icon
Level 20 Gift From The Embalmer Icon
Copy build to clipboard Build copied! Talent calculator »

Stitches's Putrid Bile Build, other than using Hook Icon Hook to pull enemy Heroes from ranged distance, can also use Putrid Bile Icon Putrid Bile to Slow and damage them from melee distance.

The extra Armor and healing from Patchwork Creation Icon Patchwork Creation at Level 1 is great for suriving longer while creating space for your team. Use Vile Cleaver Icon Vile Cleaver at Level 4 to easily debuff multiple enemies and get more Armor as a consequence, then activate Shambling Horror Icon Shambling Horror to double it when needed.

ARAM Build

ARAM
Level 1 Hungry for More Icon
Level 4 Tenderizer Icon
Level 7 Serrated Edge Icon
Level 10 Gorge Icon
Level 13 Meat Hook Icon
Level 16 Pulverize Icon
Level 20 Master Hooker Icon
Copy build to clipboard Build copied! Talent calculator »

Stitches's ARAM Build revolves around Hook Icon Hook followed by Gorge Icon Gorge to pull enemy Heroes completely out of position, ready for your team to kill them.

The additional Movement Speed provided by Hungry for More Icon Hungry for More at Level 1 allows you to move faster without having to use Shambling Horror Icon Shambling Horror just for the extra Movement Speed, unless you need to remove a Slow from yourself. This way you can usually keep it for another moment.

See our Talents page for further information »
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4.

Stitches's Synergies and Counters

V Stitches synergizes with

Stitches works well with Heroes who can quickly respond to any successful Hook Icon Hook by locking the target enemy Hero in place with crowd control (for example Malfurion with Entangling Roots Icon Entangling Roots) and that have access to burst damage to get a kill before the enemy team can react (such as Jaina).

To compensate his lack of peeling, Stitches likes to be in team with Heroes that have access to crowd control. We recommend an Offlaner who can act as a secondary Tank during team fights (for example Blaze).

If your team has access to a disengage tool (such as Mighty Gust Icon Mighty Gust), they can use it either to save you from danger or to knock the rest of the enemy team away right after you Hook Icon Hook someone.

X Stitches is countered by

Because so much of Stitches's ability to impact a match is baked into Hook Icon Hook, he can be challenged by frontline Heroes who are bad targets for it as they may use Unstoppable on demand, put a Summon on the trajectory, easily dodge the skillshot, or run away right after. Heroes who can save the target right after they get caught are good counters as well.

Due to his high Health pool and lack of mobility, Stitches is also susceptible to percent-based damage (for example Leoric with Drain Hope Icon Drain Hope and Entomb Icon Entomb).

5.

Stitches's Maps

Stitches's stronger maps
Alterac Pass Cursed Hollow Tomb of the Spider Queen Towers of Doom Volskaya Foundry
Stitches's average maps
Dragon Shire Garden of Terror Hanamura Temple Infernal Shrines
Stitches's weaker maps
Battlefield of Eternity Blackheart's Bay Braxis Holdout Sky Temple Warhead Junction

Stitches prefers Maps where Hook Icon Hook can easily be used through impassable terrain and/or near choke points while teams tend to group. This way your team gets the opportunity to quickly take down an enemy Hero before their team is able to respond.

The high amount of waveclear he provides makes Stitches a good pick on 3-lane Maps where the metagame strategy is to rotate between two lanes (for example Volskaya Foundry).

Due to his lack of mobility to escape himself and peeling to protect the rest of his team, Stitches does not like Maps where the enemy team can easily gank him or flank his team before he can even get a chance to use Hook Icon Hook from the distance.

6.

Stitches's Tips and Tricks

  • Hook Icon Hook can be used to interrupt any kind of channeling.
  • Helping Hand Icon Helping Hand shares its cooldown with Hook Icon Hook, but it will be halved when hitting allied Heroes.
  • Slam Icon Slam is a great tool for dismounting enemy Heroes and for waveclearing.
  • Devour Icon Devour should not be used when Stitches has more than 80% of his maximum Health, else you will waste part of its effect, unless you want to use it to secure a kill.
  • Shambling Horror Icon Shambling Horror increases your Movement Speed, in addition to making it impossible to be reduced below that value.
  • Putrid Bile Icon Putrid Bile helps you to engage, peel, or disengage.
  • Gorge Icon Gorge can be used to bring enemy Heroes behind your Gates, resulting in easy kills with the help of your Structures shooting at them.
See our Abilities page for further information »
7.

Stitches's Role in the Current Meta

Stitches prefers to be played as main Tank in a burst composition, so in a team that can provide both crowd control and burst damage right after his Hook Icon Hook.

Due to his one-dimensional design, Stitches should not be drafted too early in order to avoid that the enemy team will exploit his lack of crowd control by picking high-mobility Heroes.

8.

Changelog

  • 26 May 2025 (talents page): Builds reorganized.
  • 26 May 2025 (this page): Builds reorganized.
  • 18 Apr. 2025 (talents page): Guide reviewed.
  • 18 Apr. 2025 (abilities page): Guide reviewed.
  • 18 Apr. 2025 (this page): Guide reviewed.
  • 15 Aug. 2024 (talents page): Guide reviewed.
  • 15 Aug. 2024 (abilities page): Guide reviewed.
  • 15 Aug. 2024 (this page): Guide reviewed.
  • 21 Sep. 2023 (talents page): ARAM Build added.
  • 21 Sep. 2023 (this page): ARAM Build added.
  • 07 Jul. 2022 (talents page): Builds updated.
  • 07 Jul. 2022 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 26 Nov. 2021 (talents page): Builds updated.
  • 26 Nov. 2021 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 26 Aug. 2021 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 26 Aug. 2021 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 26 Aug. 2021 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 03 Aug. 2021 (talents page): Builds updated.
  • 03 Aug. 2021 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 25 Jun. 2021 (talents page): Guide reviewed and updated for the latest Balance Update.
  • 22 May 2021 (talents page): Builds updated.
  • 22 May 2021 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 17 May 2021 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Patch.
  • 17 May 2021 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Patch.
  • 17 May 2021 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Patch.
  • 22 Mar. 2021 (talents page): Builds updated.
  • 22 Mar. 2021 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 13 Dec. 2020 (talents page): Builds updated.
  • 13 Dec. 2020 (this page): Builds updated.
  • 24 Oct. 2020 (talents page): Talent Builds fully revised to match new standards.
    • Talent Builds and Talent Build Cheatsheet modified to reflect the current metagame.
    • Talent Descriptions modified to better describe when to pick them.
  • 24 Oct. 2020 (abilities page): Ability and Strategy fully revised to match new standards.
    • Tips and Tricks modified to add important tips that were missing and to remove obvious ones that were not worth mentioning.
    • Ability Descriptions modified to better explain how to use Abilities effectively.
  • 24 Oct. 2020 (this page): Introduction fully revised to match new standards.
    • Overview rewritten to better describe the Hero.
    • Strengths and Weaknesses modified to give a better idea about the Hero when being played right.
    • Talent Build Cheatsheet updated to reflect the current metagame.
    • Synergies and Counters modified to mention notable Heroes that were missing and to remove misleading Heroes that were listed.
    • Maps modified to focus on the main aspects of the Hero when evaluating a Map.
    • Tips and Tricks modified to list important tips that were missing before and to delete more obvious ones.
  • 10 Sep. 2020 (abilities page): Abilities and Strategy page reviewed for the latest Patch.
  • 16 Jul. 2020 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 16 Jul. 2020 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 16 Jul. 2020 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 05 Jun. 2020 (talents page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 05 Jun. 2020 (abilities page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 05 Jun. 2020 (this page): Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 15 Apr. 2020 (talents page): Talent Build partially revised to match new standards.
    • Talent Build and Talent Build Cheatsheet modified to reflect the current metagame.
    • Talent Descriptions modified to better describe when to pick them.
  • 15 Apr. 2020 (this page): Introduction partially revised to match new standards.
    • Talent Build Cheatsheet updated to reflect the current metagame.
    • Role in the Current Meta modified to remove the unnecessary part about the now fixed Experience Globes.
  • 14 Feb. 2020 (talents page): Updated Stitches' talents and builds in accordance to the latest Balance Update.
  • 16 Dec. 2019 (this page): Added the current Anomaly (Experience Globes) to the guide.
  • 29 Jul. 2019 (talents page): Updated Stitches' talents and builds.
  • 29 Jul. 2019 (abilities page): Reviewed the Abilities section.
  • 12 Dec. 2018 (talents page): Completely overhauled Stitches' Talents and Builds in accordance with his latest re-work.
  • 02 Oct. 2017 (this page): Moved Stitches' guide to the new format and updated it for Ana's patch.
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Pages in this Guide
1 Introduction 2 Abilities and Strategy 3 Talent Build

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