Battleground



Battlegrounds, or maps, are where the Heroes do battle and matches are fought. Each battleground has a different layout as well as unique features. Completing these special objectives can give your team massive advantages, though these advantages and the means of obtaining them are different on each battleground.

Features
While each map differs substantially in its layout, all battlegrounds have some basic features in common. At the far left and right of each battleground lie the bases of Team Order (blue) and Team Chaos (red), respectively. Reaching out from these two bases are several lanes, running the length of the battleground and serving as conduits for Minions and Heroes to assault the enemy. Between lanes are dotted special secondary objectives, including Watchtowers and Mercenary camps, as well as special objectives unique to each battleground.

Structures


Structures are fortified positions placed along the lanes in the battlegrounds. Each team has one or two Forts in each lane, with one (if there are 2 total) in their main base, home to the team's Core. Each Fort contains its own Towers, Castle, Healing Fountain, and strong Gates that prevent enemies from marching through them.

Forts represent the main form of progression within a match, with the destruction of enemy Forts and Structures serving to remove enemy defenses, allowing for unrestricted movement across the battlefield, denying vision, providing experience, and ultimately opening up access to the enemy Core, allowing the team to win the match.

At the center of its main base, each team has a Core. The destruction of the enemy Core is the ultimate objective of each game, immediately winning the match.

Lanes


Each battleground features 2 or 3 lanes, serving to connect the two bases. These lanes serve as conduits along which Minions progress, and on which each team's Forts are placed. The lanes are the main location for battle in each battleground, especially in the earlier game.

Maintaining control of lanes and dividing players and attention among each lane is key to the strategy of Heroes of the Storm. Each battleground requires a different approach, and various strategies are possible for each, determined by team composition and player preference, as well as the actions of the opposition.

Objectives


Although all battlegrounds of Heroes of the Storm have the same overall goal of destroying the enemy Core, a specific and unique objective will help with the goal of destruction. Objectives might be collecting doubloons to bribe a ghostly pirate or capturing tributes to curse enemies. Often, play on the map revolves around the appearance of these objectives alongside the usual side objectives, and they are usually devastating in effect. Teamfights are usually forced during those objectives as it is likely that you will meet the enemy team while going for the same objective.

Mercenary camps
Mercenary camps exist between the lanes, similar to jungle camps in other MOBAs. When defeated, they grant Mercenaries that aid your team's Minion wave, pushing against enemy forts. Mercenary camps also provide bonus experience when they're defeated.

Core Abilities
Each battleground has its own unique themed Core Ability, which helps your team defend the Core from enemy Heroes by dealing Percent based damage and applying strong debuffs.