Varian

Varian
"We will forge a great destiny!"
Basic Info
Title	High King of the Alliance
Role	Bruiser
Difficulty	Medium
Franchise	Warcraft
Price	750 / 10,000
Release Date	November 15, 2016
Base Stats
Attack Type	Melee
Health	2220
Health Regen	4.625
Resource	500 Mana
Unit Radius	0.75
Attack Speed	1.25
Attack Range	1.25
Attack Damage	74
Data Page

Varian Wrynn, High King of the Alliance, is a melee Bruiser Hero from the Warcraft universe. Few would have expected that the gladiator known only as Lo'Gosh was in truth the missing ruler of Stormwind, Varian Wrynn. Now the High King of the Alliance, his every action shapes the destiny of Azeroth itself.

Varian is a Bruiser who can flex into dealing damage or protecting his team.

Background

This section concerns content exclusive to the Warcraft universe.

Son of the Alliance's first king Llane Wrynn, Prince Varian witnessed his father's murder by the half-orc Garona Halforcen, instilling his dislike towards the Horde. He then grew up to be a respectable man, with good signs that he would become a good king of Stormwind one day. Unfortunately due to the plot of the Black Dragon Onyxia, Varian ends up being split in two, his diplomatic but more passive side residing in Stormwind, while his warrior spirit stranded to Kalimdor, amnesiac and picked up as a gladiator by Rehgar Earthfury. Befriending two other gladiators, Valeera Sanguinar and Broll Bearmantle, Varian would make a name of himself in the ring as "Lo'Gosh/Ghost Wolf", but he soon broke away from his gladiator life. Accompanied by his two friends, he reclaimed his true identity and kingdom, slaying Onyxia.

Returning as the King of Stormwind and becoming the High King of the Alliance, Varian led the Alliance in many battles against the Lich King, Deathwing, Garrosh Hellscream, the Iron Horde and finally the Burning Legion. While at first his hatred for the Horde for killing his father made him a bit too hotheaded, he managed to temper his ferocity and develop his diplomatic side further in a good balance with his warrior spirit, seeing the big picture and the importance of unity. He heroically sacrificed himself during the assault of the Burning Legion on the Broken Shore, buying enough time for the Alliance to regroup. His son, Anduin, has assumed Varian's position as King of Stormwind and High King of the Alliance.

Never one to back down from a difficult task or shy away from the front lines, King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind has always sought to do what he believes is best for his people. Without question, he is eager to pick up a sword and shield in defense of the Alliance, Azeroth, and now... The Nexus. There is no opponent too great nor battlefield too harsh to stop Varian from leading those around him toward victory.

Gameplay

Varian is a Bruiser Hero who can Tank for his team or become a high damage Assassin.

Strength

• Extremely flexible playstyle.
  • Hard to read in drafts
• Has access to multiple crowd control abilities
• High Basic Attack damage

Weaknesses

• Weak early game
• Lacks waveclear
• Limited escape mechanisms

Abilities

See Data Page for a table of scaled values at key levels.

Heroic Strike

Cooldown: 18 seconds

Every 18 seconds, Varian's next Basic Attack deals 125 bonus Spell Damage. Basic Attacks reduce this cooldown by 2 seconds.

---

Type: Spell Damage

Scaling: 4.00%

Affects: Enemies

Properties: Attack Modifier

---

• This damage will also miss and set the Trait back on full cooldown if a Basic Attack misses while this effect is available (because of Varian being Blinded or the target Evading).
• However, the cooldown is still reduced (if on cooldown) by Basic Attacks which so miss.

Q

Lion's Fang

50 Mana Cooldown: 8 seconds

Create a shockwave that travels in a straight line, dealing 150 damage and Slowing enemies by 35% for 1.5 seconds. Each enemy hit heals Varian for 35, increased to 140 against Heroes.

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Type: Spell Damage, Crowd control / Healing

Scaling: 4.00%

Affects: Enemies / Self

Targeting: Point target

Properties: Clamping, Piercing Skillshot, Slow

Cast time: 0.125 + 0 seconds

Range: 10

Hitbox: 0.875 x 2.4

Missile speed: 18

W

Parry

30 Mana

Charge Cooldown: 10 seconds
Parry all incoming Basic Attacks for 1.25 seconds, reducing their damage by 100%.

---

Type: Status effect

Scaling: 4.00%

Affects: Self

Targeting: No target

Properties: Evasion

Cast time: Instant

E

Charge

45 Mana Cooldown: 12 seconds

Charge to the target enemy, dealing 50 damage and Slowing them by 75% for 1 second.

---

Type: Spell Damage, Crowd control / Movement: Dash

Scaling: 4.00%

Affects: Enemies / Self

Targeting: Unit target

Properties: Slow

Cast time: Instant

Range: 5.0

Missile speed: 18

---

• If there is an unpathable area between Varian and the target, Varian will try to dash around it until Charge reaches its maximum duration of 1.5 seconds.

R

Taunt

20 Mana Cooldown: 16 seconds

Silence a target Hero and force them to attack Varian for 1.25 seconds.

Passive: Maximum Health and Health Regeneration increased by 40%.

---

Type: Crowd control / Health modifier

Scaling: -

Affects: Enemy Heroes / Self

Targeting: Unit target

Properties: Taunt

Cast time: Instant

Area of Effect: Circle

Radius: 2.0

---

• The effect ends immediately if Varian dies.
• Cannot be cast on enemy Heroes who are immune to crowd control.

R

Colossus Smash

40 Mana Cooldown: 20 seconds

Smash a target enemy, dealing 160 damage and lowering their Armor by 20 for 3 seconds, causing them to take 20% increased damage.

Passive: Base Attack Damage increased by 100%.

Passive: Maximum Health reduced by 10%.

---

Type: Spell Damage, Defensive damage modifier / Movement: Launch, Offensive damage modifier, Health modifier

Scaling: 4.00%

Affects: Non-Structure enemies / Self

Targeting: Unit target

Properties: Armor reduction

Cast time: Instant

Range: 5.0

Missile speed: 8.0

---

• Cast is interrupted if the target moves more than 7 units beyond the Ability's cast range.
• Armor reduction does not stack with other negative Armor effects. Other defensive damage modifiers may stack.
• Attack damage bonus stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can attack Varian's Attack Damage.

Twin Blades of Fury

Basic Attacks reduce Heroic Strike's cooldown by 9 seconds and increase Varian's Movement Speed by 30% for 2 seconds.

Passive: Attack Speed increased by 100%.

Passive: Base Attack Damage reduced by 25%.

---

Type: Status effect, Offensive damage modifier

Affects: Self

Targeting: Self

Properties: Attack Speed, Movement speed

---

• Attack Speed increase is to Varian's base Attack Speed, and therefore stacks multiplicatively with any other Attack Speed modifiers.
• Damage penalty stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can affect Varian's Basic Attack damage.

Talents

1

Lion's Maw

❢ Quest: Every time Lion's Fang hits a Hero, increase its damage by 6, up to 150.

❢ Reward: After hitting 25 Heroes, the Slow is increased to 50% and its duration is increased to 2 seconds.

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Type: Bonus damage

Scaling: -

Affects: Ability

Overpower

When you Parry a Hero's Basic Attack, Heroic Strike's cooldown is refreshed and the next one does 40% more damage.

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Type: Offensive damage modifier

Affects: Ability

---

• Damage bonus stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can affect Heroic Strike's damage.

High King's Quest

❢ Quest: Hit 50 Heroes with Basic Attacks.

❢ Quest: Participate in 5 Hero Takedowns.

❢ Quest: Gather 15 Regeneration Globes.

❢ Reward: Completing a Quest grants 10 Basic Attack Damage. Completing all 3 Quests grants an additional 30 Basic Attack Damage.

---

Type: Bonus damage

Scaling: -

Affects: Self

---

• Completing all three quests grants a total of 60 bonus Basic Attack damage.
• Bonus damage is affected by damage modifiers, including Colossus Smash and Twin Blades of Furys' passive multipliers.

4

Taunt

Cooldown: 16 seconds
Silence a target Hero and force them to attack Varian for 1.25 seconds.

Passive: Maximum Health and Health Regeneration increased by 40%.

Colossus Smash

Cooldown: 20 seconds
Smash a target enemy, dealing 160 damage and lowering their Armor by 20 for 3 seconds, causing them to take 20% increased damage.

Passive: Base Attack Damage increased by 100%.

Passive: Maximum Health reduced by 10%.

Twin Blades of Fury

Basic Attacks reduce Heroic Strike's cooldown by 9 seconds and increase Varian's Movement Speed by 30% for 2 seconds.

Passive: Attack Speed increased by 100%.

Passive: Base Attack Damage reduced by 25%.

---

---

• Attack Speed increase is to Varian's base Attack Speed, and therefore stacks multiplicatively with any other Attack Speed modifiers.

7

Lionheart

Increase Lion Fang's healing from Heroes by 75%.

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Type: Healing dealt modifier

Affects: Ability

---

• Stacks additively with healing modifiers that can affect Lion's Fang's healing output and multiplicatively with modifiers that affect healing received by the target.

Second Wind

Basic Attacks heal Varian for 1% of his maximum Health. While below 50% Health, they also heal him for 50% of the damage dealt.

---

Type: Healing

Scaling: -

Affects: Self

Properties: Attack Modifier, Lifesteal (secondary)

---

• Does not heal from Heroic Strike damage.

Victory Rush

Every 30 seconds, Varian's next Basic Attack will heal him for 350 Health. When a nearby enemy Minion or Monster dies, this cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds.

---

Type: Healing

Scaling: 4.00%

Affects: Self

Properties: Attack Modifier

---

• Effect will not trigger nor be put on cooldown if the attack misses due to being Blinded or target Evading.
• Minion and Monster deaths within 12 radius trigger the cooldown reduction.
• Can be manually cast if within 2 range of a target by pressing the key corresponding to the Active slot (e.g. 1, even though the key won't appear next to it), but this will simply waste the Ability, putting it on full cooldown without actually triggering the heal.

10

Shield Wall

Parry now grants Protected, preventing all incoming damage for the duration. Additionally, Parry's cooldown is reduced by 5 seconds, but it loses 1 charge.

---

Type: Status effect

Affects: Self

Properties: Protected

Warbringer

Reduces Charge's cooldown by 8 seconds and Mana cost from 45 to 22. Additionally, Charge can be cast on allied Heroes.

---

• Charging to allied Heroes neither damages nor Slows them.

13

Juggernaut

Charge deals bonus damage to Heroes equal to 4% of their maximum Health.

---

Type: Percent damage

Scaling: -

Affects: Enemy Heroes

Mortal Strike

Heroes hit by Heroic Strike receive 40% reduced healing for 4 seconds.

---

Type: Healing received modifier

Affects: Enemy Heroes

Properties: Attack Modifier

---

• Stacks additively with modifiers that affect healing received, and multiplicatively with modifiers that affect healing dealt.

Shattering Throw

Cooldown: 30 seconds
Active: Activate to throw a sword at a target Hero that deals 50 damage, and up to 1400 bonus damage to their Shields.

Passive: Basic Attacks against Heroes deal up to 200% bonus Physical Damage to Shields.

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Type: Spell Damage / Offensive damage modifier

Scaling: 4.00%

Affects: Enemy Heroes / Self

Targeting: Unit target

Cast time: Instant

Range: 8.0

Missile speed: 28

---

• Passive Basic Attack damage multiplier does not affect Heroic Strike.
• Passive Shield damage bonus stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can affect Varian's Basic Attack damage, but note that Twin Blades of Fury only reduces the bonus damage by 20% additively, rather than the expected 25% penalty the Talent normally gives.

16

Banner of Stormwind

Cooldown: 25 seconds
Active: Activate to place a Banner that grants 25% increased Movement Speed to nearby allied Heroes. Lasts 12 seconds.

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Type: Summon

Targeting: Point target

Cast time: Instant

Range: 10

---

Banner

Type: Passive

Scaling: 4.00% (health)

Health: 435

Basic Attack damage: -

Movement Speed: -

Unit radius: 0.5

Sight radius: 10.5

Leash radius: -

---

Stormwind Aura

Type: Status effect

Affects: Allied Heroes, Self

Properties: Area of Effect, Movement Speed

Radius: 10.5

Tickrate: 2.0 per second

---

• Does not stack with other positive Movement Speed effects, such as Twin Blades of Fury's Movement Speed bonus, unless otherwise specified by the Ability in question.

Banner of Ironforge

Cooldown: 45 seconds
Active: Activate to place a Banner that grants 20 Armor to nearby allied Heroes, reducing damage taken by 20%. Lasts 12 seconds.

---

Type: Summon

Targeting: Point target

Cast time: Instant

Range: 10

---

Banner

Type: Passive

Scaling: 4.00% (health)

Health: 435

Basic Attack damage: -

Movement Speed: -

Unit radius: 0.5

Sight radius: 10.5

Leash radius: -

---

Ironforge Aura

Type: Defensive damage modifier

Affects: Allied Heroes, Self

Properties: Area of Effect, Armor

Radius: 10.5

Tickrate: 2.0 per second

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• Does not stack with other positive Armor effects. Other defensive damage modifiers may stack.

Banner of Dalaran

Cooldown: 25 seconds
Active: Activate to place a Banner that grants 20% increased Spell Power to nearby allied Heroes. Lasts 12 seconds.

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Type: Summon

Targeting: Point target

Cast time: Instant

Range: 10

---

Banner

Type: Passive

Scaling: 4.00% (health)

Health: 435

Basic Attack damage: -

Movement Speed: -

Unit radius: 0.5

Sight radius: 10.5

Leash radius: -

---

Dalaran Aura

Type: Offensive damage modifier

Affects: Allied Heroes, Self

Properties: Area of Effect, Spell Power

Radius: 10.5

Tickrate: 2.0 per second

---

• Spell Power stacks additively with itself and other offensive damage and healing modifiers affecting target Heroes' Spell Damage or healing output.

20

Vigilance

Being hit by a Hero Basic Attack reduces the cooldown of Taunt by 1 second.

Master at Arms

Colossus Smash affects all enemies near the target, and its cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds.

---

Properties: Splash

Area of Effect: Circle

Radius: 2.0

---

• Structures can be affected by the splash damage.

Frenzy

Twin Blades of Fury increases Heroic Strike damage by an additional 25%, and Basic Attacks increase his Movement Speed by an additional 10%.

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Type: Offensive damage modifier

Affects: Ability

---

• Stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can affect Heroic Strike's damage.

Glory to the Alliance

Banner now also increases health regeneration and all healing received for nearby allied Heroes by 50%, and the cooldown is reduced by 50%.

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Type: Healing modifier

Affects: Allied Heroes

---

• Stacks additively with other healing modifiers that affect healing received.

Demoralizing Shout

Cooldown: 20 seconds
Active: Activate to demoralize nearby enemy Heroes, reducing damage they deal by 40% for 5 seconds.

---

Type: Offensive damage modifier

Affects: Enemies

Targeting: No target

Properties: Area of Effect

Cast time: 0.125 + 0 seconds

Area of Effect: Circle

Radius: 5.5

---

• Stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that affect the target Heroes' damage output.

Builds and guides

Icy Veins Varian Guide

Varian Community Build Guides @ HeroesFire

Varian Community Build Guides @ Heroes Hearth

Skins

Varian Skins
High King of the Alliance
Backstory: Few would have expected that the gladiator known only as Lo'Gosh was in truth the missing ruler of Stormwind, Varian Wrynn. Now the High King of the Alliance, his every action shapes the destiny of Azeroth itself.
750 / 10,000 High King of the Alliance	Free Iron	Free Alabaster	120 / 75 Copper	120 / 75 Prince
Commandant
Backstory: As chief security officer for Volskaya's Nexus operations, Varian Volkov is no stranger to harsh winters and cold steel. Rather than pilot a Svyatogor mech, he prefers to meet his foes face-to-face.
Features: Themed abilities.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into Overwatch skins.
350 / 400	350 / 400 Tempered	350 / 400 Grand	350 / 400 Tundra	350 / 400 Recon
525 / 600 Green Army
Footman
Backstory: Sergeants browbeat unruly recruits with tales of a footman named Varian who refused promotion again and again, despite slaying hundreds of foes, because he prefered to remain on the front lines.
375 / 450 Stormwind	375 / 450 Stromgarde	375 / 450 Kul Tiras
Grand Marshal
Backstory: Rallied by the Lady of Thorns call, Grand Mashal Varian Wrynn left Stormwind with his father's blessing and the Stromwind army in tow. The Alliance would not let Alterac fall before to the Raven Lord's machinations.
250 / 300	250 / 300 Stromgarde	250 / 300 Kul Tiran
Lionheart
Backstory: The Lion has long been associated with the nation of Stormwind and the House of Wrynn. It is a symbol of courage, dignity and ferocity; truly befitting for the High King.
120 / 75	120 / 75 Crimson	120 / 75 Royal	120 / 75 Obsidian
Lo'Gosh
Backstory: After awakening on the shores of Durotar, the gladiator known as Lo'Gosh became a star of the Crimson Ring Arena. Rumor has it that he fights with the fury of the Ghost Wolf himself.
Features: Themed abilities.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of character's pre-change skins.
350 / 400	350 / 400 Ivory	350 / 400 Azure	350 / 400 Deadly

Portraits

Varian Portraits
Carbot Varian120 / 75	Commandant Varian75 / 40	Commandant Varian Icon75 / 40	Green Army Team	Varian Emblem75 / 40	Varian Hero	Varian Mastery
WoW Varian75 / 40

Sprays

Varian Sprays
Carbot Varian120 / 75	Cartoon Varian75 / 40	Comet Knight Varian75 / 40	Commandant Varian Icon75 / 40	Paryin' with Varian250 / 300	Prince Va-Rian75 / 40	Toy Shalamayne75 / 40

Emojis

Varian Pack 1			Varian Pack 2
Emoji	Name	Shortcut	Emoji	Name	Shortcut
	Varian Happy	:varianhappy: :varhappy:		Varian Angry	:varianangry: :varangry:
	Varian ROFL	:varianlol: :varianrofl: :varlol: :varrofl:		Varian Cool	:variancool: :varcool:
	Varian Sad	:variansad: :varsad:		Varian Embarrassed	:varianoops: :varianembarrassed: :varoops: :varembarrassed:
	Varian Silly	:variansilly: :varsilly:		Varian in Love	:varianlove: :varianinlove: :varlove: :varinlove:
	Varian Speechless	:varianmeh: :varianspeechless: :varmeh: :varspeechless:		Varian Surprised	:varianwow: :variansurprised: :varwow: :varsurprised:

Quotes

Main article: Varian/Quotes

Trivia

• Varian was mentioned in the manual for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (July 2002), and he appeared in World of Warcraft (November 2004) as a prisoner on Alcaz Island.
  • Varian escaped confinement in World of Warcraft: The Comic (November 2007), and he returned to the game in the pre-expansion event for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (November 2008).
  • His book debut was between two to three months earlier before his comic debut, in World of Warcraft: Tides of Darkness (August 2007).
• Varian is voiced by Chris Metzen in all of his game appearances with the exception of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (where he is voiced by Jon St. John).
• Varian was one of the two Heroes revealed at BlizzCon 2016.
• Varian's three Heroic Abilities reflect the warrior specializations in World of Warcraft: Protection, Arms and Fury.
  • In addition, Shalla'tor will be put away when Varian selects Taunt, as he will use Ellemayne.
• Varian's nickname is "Lo'Gosh", which is also one of the names of the legendary Goldrinn.

Gallery

General

• 

  Varian's artwork

• 

  Varian's artwork

• 

  The Blizzard DOTA models of Varian and various other heroes

Abilities

• 

  Q: Lion's Fang

• 

  W: Parry

• 

  E: Charge

• 

  R1: Taunt

• 

  R2: Colossus Smash

• 

  R3: Twin Blades of Fury

External links

• Varian Hero Week
• Varian - Heroes of the Storm
• Varian Wrynn - World of Warcraft
• Varian Wrynn - Wowpedia
• Varian Balance Changelog - Heroes Patch Notes
• Varian Sound Files - Sounds of the Storm