Kel'Thuzad - Ranged Assassin - Warcraft Hero

[Nerraw]

Background

Kel'Thuzad was a powerful human mage, and a member of the Kirin Tor until his interest in the dark arts caused him to be expelled. He went on to become the founder of the Cult of the Damned and one of the principal agents of the Lich King responsible for spreading the plague across Lordaeron.

After bringing the plague to Lordaeron, he was slain by Arthas Menethil. When Arthas became a death knight, he resurrected Kel'Thuzad as a lich so he could summon Archimonde the Defiler into Azeroth. Following Arthas's departure for Northrend, Kel'Thuzad was left to command the Scourge of Lordaeron from his floating necropolis, Naxxramas. Following his first defeat, he and his necropolis moved to Northrend.


Videos






Abilities

Trait (Passive) - Master of the Cold Dark
Quest: Gain 1 Blight every time a Hero is Rooted by Frost Nova or hit by Chains of Kel'Thuzad. Reward: After gaining 15 Blight, the cooldown of all Basic Abilities is reduced by 2 seconds. Reward: After gaining 30 Blight, gain 75% Spell Power.

Q - Death And Decay
20 Mana
Cooldown: 6 seconds
After 0.5 seconds, launch an orb that explodes upon hitting an enemy, dealing 150 damage to enemies in the area. The explosion leaves behind a pool of decay that lasts 2 seconds, dealing 70 damage every 0.5 seconds to enemies.

W - Frost Nova
45 Mana
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Create a nova that explodes after 1 second, dealing 212 damage to enemies inside and Slowing them by 35% for 2.5 seconds. Enemies in the center are Rooted for 1 second.

E - Chains of Kel'Thuzad
45 Mana
Cooldown: 12 seconds
Launch a chain, dealing 97 damage to the first enemy Hero or Structure hit. For 4 seconds after hitting an enemy, Chains can be reactivated to launch to an additional enemy, pulling both enemies together and Stunning them for 0.5 seconds.

R1 - Frost Blast
70 Mana
Cooldown: 100 seconds
Launch a meteor of ice at an enemy Hero. Upon impact, the meteor deals 100 damage to its target and 275 damage to enemies in the area. All enemies hit by Frost Blast are Rooted for 1.5 seconds.

R2 - Shadow Fissure
50 Mana
Cooldown: 15 seconds
Create a fissure anywhere on the Battleground that explodes after 1.5 seconds, dealing 440 damage to enemy Heroes in its area.


Talents

Level 1

• [Q] The Plaguelands - Increase Death and Decay's Duration by 1 second. After gaining 30 Blight, increase the radius of Death and Decay's pool by 30%.
  
• [W] Blighted Frost - Front Nova deals 50% more damage to enemies in the center. After gaining 30 Blight, increase Frost Nova's Root duration by 0.5 seconds.
  
• [E] Barbed Chains - Increase Chains of Kel'Thuzad damage by 125%. After gaining 30 Blight, Chains of Kel'Thuzad reduces the armor of pulled Heroes by 15 for 4 seconds.

Level 4

• [E] Strip Shields - Pulling a Hero with Chains of Kel'Thuzad grants Kel'Thuzad a permanent 246 shield, stacking up to 2 times. Additionally, Chains of Kel'Thuzad deals up to 442 bonus damage to Shields.
  
• [Active] Phylactery of Kel'Thuzad - Quest: Collect 10 Regeneration Globes to charge Kel'Thuzad's Phylactery. Reward: Kel'Thuzad's Phylactery can be activated while dead to immediately respawn at the Hall of Storms, but must be charged again. Passive: Kel'Thuzad heals for 10% of all Spell Damage dealt while the Phylactery is charged.
  
• [Active] Armor of the Archlich - Activate to gain 50 Physical Armor for 4 seconds. Upon activation, nearby enemies take 99 damage and are slowed 35% for 4 seconds. 25 second cooldown.

Level 7

• [Q] Accelerated Decay - Each time a hero is hit by Death and Decay's pool, they take 20% more periodic damage from Death and Decay for the next 4 seconds, stacking up to 6 times.
  
• [Active] Glacial Spike - Activate to create a spike that detonates after 4 seconds, dealing 360 damage to nearby enemies. The spike can be affected by Chains of Kel'Thuzad. 30 second cooldown.
  
• [Passive] Chilling Touch - Every 8 seconds, Kel'Thuzad's basic attacks hit nearby enemies. Deals Spell damage instead of Physical, and slows by 30% for 2 seconds.

Level 13

• [W] Icy Grasp - Increase Frost Nova slow duration by 1.5 seconds.
  
• [E] Chains of Ice - After Chains of Kel'Thuzad stun expires, targets are slowed by 70% for 1.25 seconds.
  
• [E] Chain-Link - Pulling two Heroes with Chains of Kel'Thuzad reduces its cooldown by 4 seconds.

Level 16

• [Q] Arcane Echoes - Hitting Heroes with Death and Decay reduces its cooldown by 1.25 seconds.
  
• [E] Hungering Cold - Enemies rooted by Frost Nova take an additional 103(at 22) damage each time they are damaged by Kel'Thuzad during the next 4 seconds.
  
• [Passive] Power of Icecrown - Stunning, Rooting or Slowing a hero grants 6% Spell Power for 10 seconds, stacking up to 5 times.

Level 20

• [R1] Deathchill - When Frost Blast's Root expires, enemies are Slowed by 40% for 3 seconds. Heroes killed while under the effects of Frost Blast instantly release another Frost Blast Explosion.
  
• [R2] Might of the Scourge - Hitting an enemy hero with Shadow Fissure resets the cooldown.
  
• [Active] Shifting Malice - Activate to Dash Forward, dealing 251 damage to enemies in the path. Takedowns reset the Cooldown of Shifting Malice. 240 second cooldown.
  
• [Active] The Damned Return - Activate to create a Shade of Naxxramas that lasts 15 seconds, which mimics Kel'Thuzad's casts of Death and Decay. 15 second cooldown.

Screenshots












Official Hero Page

[Straamibuu]

A fair guess is that those chains are involved somehow. And something frosty.

[Dead_MAX]

Dreadlord Jaina - Meme made reality...a must have skin.

[Nerraw]

- - - Updated - - -

Let's keep this thread's discussion centered around KT himself. Discussion about the other stuff in the trailer goes in the other thread.

[AlmightyGerkin]

Looks awesome. Quite anxious on KT abilities and wonder if he'll have something like murkys egg but with his phylactery.

[Senel]

He's an assassin : http://us.battle.net/heroes/en/heroes/kelthuzad/

[Deleted]

So can we assume now that the leak is correct, next we have Firebat Tildon, Ana, Junkrat, Aidan and Alex...whatever the red dragon aspect incoming(not necessarily in that order)?

[Theoris]

(excerpt from reddit)

Primary ABILITIES

• Q - DEATH AND DECAY After 0.5 seconds, launch an orb that explodes upon hitting an enemy, dealing 150 damage to enemies in the area. The explosion leaves behind a pool of decay that lasts 2 seconds, dealing 70 damage every 0.5 seconds to enemies.
• W - FROST NOVA Create a nova that explodes after 1 second, dealing 212 damage to enemies inside and Slowing them by 35% for 2.5 seconds. Enemies in the center are Rooted for 1 second.
• E - CHAINS OF KEL'THUZAD Launch a chain, dealing 97 damage to the first enemy Hero or Structure hit. For 4 seconds after hitting an enemy, Chains can be reactivated to launch to an additional enemy, pulling both enemies together and Stunning them for 0.5 seconds.

HEROIC ABILITIES

• R1 - FROST BLAST Launch a meteor of ice at an enemy Hero. Upon impact, the meteor deals 100 damage to its target and 275 damage to enemies in the area. All enemies hit by Frozen Tomb are Rooted for 1.5 seconds.
• R2 - SHADOW FISSURE Create a fissure anywhere on the Battleground that explodes after 1.5 seconds, dealing 440 damage to enemy Heroes in its area.

Hero Trait

• Quest: Gain 1 Blight every time a Hero is Rooted by Frost Nova or hit by Chains of Kel'Thuzad. Reward: After gaining 15 Blight, the cooldown of all Basic Abilities is reduced by 2 seconds. Reward: After gaining 30 Blight, gain 75% Spell Power. Blight: 0/30

[skorpio]

:O
Seems like glass cannon like chromie or li ming. This chain looks annoying, hit enemy structure, hit enemy hero, kill, looks like better butcher ulti but without silence.
R1 "FROST BLAST Launch a meteor of ice at an enemy Hero. Upon impact, the meteor deals 100 damage to its target and 275 damage to enemies in the area. All enemies hit by Frozen Tomb are Rooted for 1.5 seconds." - so frost blast or frost tomb?
R2 Technically Novas ulti
Trait Wow, 75% spell power, almost double dmg from all skills

[Deleted]

Most of his skills seem to have a delay...

So hes like a frost Kaelthas/chromie? That sucks cause i suck at playing both of them.

I hope Kel is easier to handle at least.

[Nerraw]

OP updated with everything we know so far.

[NoiseTank13]

Not sure about the heroics. Seem like rehashes of Sulfuron Smash and Precision Strike.

[Acidbaron]

Abilities look nice just looking at the visuals.

[apepi]

That Star Lich Kel'Thuzad skin looks nice.

[therealstegblob]

Honestly his skill set looks really stupid. Not bad or anything, just kind of dumb. I don't like that his apparent gimmick is going to be "most of his abilities are time-delayed skillshots lol" with a weird sort of pseudo-AoE snare thing.

Also the animated trailer was pretty terrible, lol. They outsourced it to a Korean company and it really shows. There's more tweening done than there is actual animation.

[Astalnar]

Kel'thuzad is cool and all. But did anyone notice how Jaina transformed into a demon? Is that a hint for possible skin coming to HotS or what is really going on with her in next expansion?

[apepi]

Kel'thuzad is cool and all. But did anyone notice how Jaina transformed into a demon? Is that a hint for possible skin coming to HotS or what is really going on with her in next expansion?

There will be a Dreadlord skin.

[ro9ue]

I feel like we haven't had a really interesting hero mechanically since... Auriel?

[Jastall]

Expected a bursty mage, got a bursty mage. Since a frost mage who slows down was already taken up by Jaina.

His trait seems monstrous however. 75% spell damage? How will they balance his abilities around the fact that once he hits 30 stacks his damage output nearly doubles? Will he be weak before that and OP afterwards?

[Dr Assbandit]

Oh no... he has a global nuke -_-.

Still hyped for him though. Late game burst mage after he completes his trait and he's very cc-centric. Delay on his spells means he will have a high skill ceiling and hopefully a high skill-cap as well.