Valeera

This is from the Warcraft universe.

“

I've spent long enough in the shadows, so watch your back.

”

(5/10) (8/10) (6/10) (8/10)

Valeera is a Melee Assassin Hero from the Warcraft universe.

For a time, the gladiator Valeera Sanguinar served dutifully as one of Varian Wrynn’s personal bodyguards. But ultimately, her shadowy skills found her a natural fit within the secretive rogue order, the Uncrowned, in their fight against the Legion. Now Valeera brings her deadly sharp blades, and even sharper wits, into the Nexus.

Valeera is a tricky assassin who gains access to different abilities while stealthed. Builds combo points and Eviscerates her opponents.

Background

When Valeera was young, her family was killed by bandits. She survived both the bandits and the Scourge, seeking out a living by stealing what she needed; however, when trying to steal a shaman's talisman, she was caught and jailed. She would later fight as a gladiator beside Varian Wrynn and Broll Bearmantle, become possessed by a powerful demon, and later become a defender of Stormwind.^[1]

Gameplay Summary

Valeera is an elusive stealth assassin capable of dealing high burst damage through through her unique Combo System mechanic. Much like in World of Warcraft, she generates combo points by hitting opponents with Basic Abilities, and consume them to deal increased damage using her finishing moves. Unlike other Nova and Zeratul, she can activate her stealth at will, allowing her carefully engage opponents when opportunity arrives, or flee from them when requiring a strategical retreat. While under stealth, she has access to an entire different set of abilities, that will break the stealth upon used.

Overall, Valeera is a highly versatile Hero with a huge batch of crowd-control abilities, disabling key targets so her team can capitalize on it. She fits well in a wide variety of team compositions, but truly shine on hard engage compositions, allowing her to sneakly hit the backline.

Strengths

Doesn't use mana. Instead, uses an Energy meter to fuel her Basic Abilities. This replenishes quickly.
Elusive and slippery, being difficult to kill.
Excels at shutting down enemy Assassins, Supports and other priority targets.
Has diverse options for initiation, with a kit that brings a lot of utility and crowd-control.
Flexible playstyle.
Sinister Strike is a versatile ability and Valeera's main mobility tool, being a highly efficient gap-closer, as well to dodge skillshots.
Blade Flurry is excellent to generate quick combo points, as well giving Valeera a minimal waveclear.
Eviscerate is Valeera's main tool for high burst damage, dealing more damage the more combo points she has.
Smoke Bomb makes Valeera untargetable and unreveleable, allowing her to prevent targeted abilities, as well being a very effective way to trick opponents and flee.
Cloak of Shadows is very useful against team compositions that feature heavy crowd control and spell damage.
Can enter stealth at will through Vanish, which can be used for both engage and disengage.
- Has an entire different set of abilities while in stealth.
  - Ambush deals heavy damage, being a great option to finishing opponents fleeing.
  - Cheap Shot is great to interrupt abilities or prevent opponents from fleeing.
  - Garrote is very powerful to shutdown enemy Supports or disable channelling abilities.

Weaknesses

Very hard learning curve.
Requires careful positioning.
Very poor waveclear, laning and sieging.
Completely lack of self-sustain.
Vulnerable to hard crowd-control (i.e. stuns and silences).

Abilities

Traits

Heroic Abilities

Talents

Tier 1, Hero Level 1

Tier 2, Hero Level 4

Tier 3, Hero Level 7

Tier 4, Hero Level 10

Tier 5, Hero Level 13

Tier 6, Hero Level 16

Tier 7, Hero Level 20

Talent Builds

Tips

Matchups

Pairings

Abathur has incredible synergy with Valeera thanks to his Symbiote ability, which can greatly enhance Valeera damage potential and survivability. In addition, he can use Ultimate Evolution to vastly increase the team's fighting power and disruptive gameplay.

Valeera is at her best when she can roam the battlefield securing kills, and Brightwing provides decent wave clear from the support position, while also being able to use her Phase Shift ability to teleport to Valeera to turn ganks into near-certain kills.

Diablo and Valeera are of like mind during team fights: find a squishy target and eliminate them. When you combine Diablo’s displacement and lockdown with Valeera’s, no place on the battlefield is safe.

Valeera’s flanking potential greatly complements Genji's diving abilities, as she can stun and silence enemies fleeing or out of position, allowing Genji to quickly dispatch those targets. Both Heroes also have good escape mechanisms, which allows both to retreat should the situation revert.

Valeera excels at locking down enemy Heroes, and Jaina loves when her enemies are forced to stand still in her Blizzard. Jaina’s powerful slows also allow Valeera to stick to enemies when she wants to (and get away from them when she needs to).

Valeera's ganking potential can easily open opportunities for Kel'Thuzad to strike, as well aiding against other opponents trying to gank him. Similarly, if Kel'Thuzad manages to trap his opponents in a barrage of abilities, Valeera can quickly follow up.

Effective against

In a similar fashion to Zeratul, Valeera has all the right tools to disable fragile backline spell-users like Auriel. Being able to easily stun and/or silence Auriel, Valeera is a potential threat during team fights, specially if her team can effectively follow up her ambushes.

Valeera is a terrifying hero for Genji to contend with. Both her silence and stun make it extremely risky for Genji to dive into the enemy backline with his Swift Strike ability. Additionally, her cloak will make it difficult for Genji to properly evaluate the best time to engage.

Effective foes

Once Lunara has applied her damage over time to Valeera, it can be difficult for her to effectively Vanish during a team fight.

Medivh’s ability to save Valeera’s assassination targets via Portals and Force of Will makes the rogue’s job a lot more difficult, and Raven Form combined with Dust of Appearance can ruin some attempted ganks before they even happen.

Oracle shuts down Valeera’s attempts to flank enemies in its tracks by revealing nearby stealthed Heroes, and the extra shielding that Tassadar can provide can make it difficult for Valeera’s team to burst someone down.

Skins

Shadow of the Uncrowned


Shadow of the Uncrowned	Malachite	Wraith

Bloodfang 100: There's no actual proof Valeera infiltrated Blackwing Lair and slew its master at the bequest of her king... But, I mean, there wouldn't be, would there?


Bloodfang	SI:7	Classic	Emerald 150

Moonstone

150

Demon Hunter 400: The difference between Valeera and her enemies was simple. They would stop at nothing to destroy Azeroth, whereas she would sacrifice everything to save it.


Demon Hunter	Deadly	Wild	Crimson 600

Ivory

600

Vampire Slayer V 600 (Hallow's End event): Not all of Raven Court's vampires swear fealty to the Raven Lord. The one known only as "V" has launched a solitary crusade against her own kind, making her an unlikely ally of the Vampire Slayers.; _{This skin is related to the Raven Court themed-skins. Features themed animations and themed abilities.}


Vampire Slayer V	Coldheart	Midnight	Phantom

Rogue

Trivia

The "Vampire Slayer V" skin is a reference to "Vampire Hunter D", a series of Japanese novels written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano since 1983.

Patch changes

(Patch October 17, 2017) Note: Vampire Slayer V added.
(Patch September 26, 2017) Note: Emerald Bloodfang Valeera, Moonstone Bloodfang Valeera skins added.; Enemy Heroes will no longer hear when Valeera primes her activated Talents, like Crippling Poison, when she is Stealthed.
(Patch August 8, 2017) Note: Crimson Demon Hunter Valeera, Ivory Demon Hunter Valeera skins added.
(Patch June 13, 2017) Note: Will no longer be revealed when entering the Haunted Mines or using the Tunnel on Towers of Doom.
(Patch April 4, 2017) Note: Radius decreased to better match actual model size.
(Patch March 14, 2017) Note: Shift queuing movement commands followed by a Hearthstone or Mount command will no longer break Stealth before channeling begins.
(Patch February 14, 2017) Note: Basic Attack damage increased from 75 to 79; Health increased from 1950 to 2047; Health Regeneration reduced from 4.54 to 4.26.
(Patch January 24, 2017) Note: Added.