Overview

Chen : Backline Batterer Chen Elusive Brawler Activate to evade enemy Basic Attacks for 2 seconds. Your Basic Attacks reduce this cooldown by 2 seconds. Deadly Strike Flying Kick no longer costs Brew. Additionally, its damage is increased by 100% while you have Shields from Fortifying Brew. Bolder Flavor Fortifying Brew instantly Shields you for 318. Additionally, Shields persists for 1 extra second after you stop drinking. Wandering Keg Roll around inside an Unstoppable barrel, dealing 50 damage to enemies in the way and knocking them back. Lasts for 5 seconds. Pressure Point Flying Kick slows the target enemy by 40% for 1 second, or by 80% if they're soaked in Brew. Flying Leap Increases Flying Kick's range by 15%. Stormstout Secret Recipe Heal for 1.5% of your maximum Health every time your Basic Abilities hit an enemy Hero.

Talent Breakdown

Level 1

Accumulating Flame (E) (Not Recommended

❢ Quest: Every time a Hero is Ignited with Breath of Fire, increase its damage over time by 2%, up to 60%.

❢ Reward: After Igniting 30 Heroes, gain 15 Armor for 3 second per Hero Ignited, reducing damage taken by that amount. Every time a Hero is Ignited with Breath of Fire, increase its damage over time by 2%, up to 60%.After Igniting 30 Heroes, gain 15 Armor for 3 second per Hero Ignited, reducing damage taken by that amount.

Freshest Ingredients (Trait) (Situational)

❢ Quest: Gathering a Regeneration Globe increases Chen's Health Regeneration by 1 per second.

❢ Reward: After gathering 30 Regeneration Globes, 50% of the Shield from Fortifying Brew persists indefinitely after drinking. Gathering a Regeneration Globe increases Chen's Health Regeneration by 1 per second.After gathering 30 Regeneration Globes, 50% of the Shield from Fortifying Brew persists indefinitely after drinking.

Elusive Brawler (Recommended)

Cooldown: 25 seconds

Active: Activate to evade enemy Basic Attacks for 2 seconds. Chen's Basic Attacks reduce this cooldown by 2 seconds. 25 secondsActivate to evade enemy Basic Attacks for 2 seconds. Chen's Basic Attacks reduce this cooldown by 2 seconds.

Level 4

Deadly Strike (Q) (Recommended)

Flying Kick no longer costs Brew. Additionally, its damage is increased by 100% while Chen has Shields from Fortifying Brew.

Flying Kick no longer costs Brew. Additionally, its damage is increased by 100% while Chen has Shields from Fortifying Brew.

Keg Toss (W) (Not Recommended)

❢ Quest: Every time Keg Smash hits a Hero, increase its damage by 4, up to 80.

❢ Reward: After hitting 20 Heroes, increase its range by 125% and gain an additional charge. Every time Keg Smash hits a Hero, increase its damage by 4, up to 80.After hitting 20 Heroes, increase its range by 125% and gain an additional charge.

Ring of Fire (E) (Not Recommended)

After using Breath of Fire, ignite in a fiery aura, dealing 52 damage every second to nearby enemies for 3 seconds

After using Breath of Fire, ignite in a fiery aura, dealing 52 damage every second to nearby enemies for 3 seconds

Level 7

Brewmaster's Balance (Trait) (Situational)

While at or below 50 Brew, gain 20% Movement Speed. While at or above 50 Brew, regenerate an additional 18 Health per second.

While at or below 50 Brew, gain 20% Movement Speed. While at or above 50 Brew, regenerate an additional 18 Health per second.

Bolder Flavor (Trait) (Recommended)

Fortifying Brew instantly Shields Chen for 318. Additionally, Shields persist for 1 extra second after he stops drinking.

Fortifying Brew instantly Shields Chen for 318. Additionally, Shields persist for 1 extra second after he stops drinking.

Purifying Brew (Trait) (Not Recommended)

Cooldown: 15 seconds

The next stun or silence used against Chen has its duration reduced by 75% and resets the cooldown of Fortifying Brew. Can only trigger once every 15 seconds. While Chen has Fortifying Brew Shields, gain 30 Spell Armor, reducing Ability Damage taken by 30%. 15 secondsThe next stun or silence used against Chen has its duration reduced by 75% and resets the cooldown of Fortifying Brew. Can only trigger once every 15 seconds. While Chen has Fortifying Brew Shields, gain 30 Spell Armor, reducing Ability Damage taken by 30%.

Level 10

Wandering Keg (R1) (Recommended)

Cooldown: 70 seconds

Roll around inside an Unstoppable barrel, dealing 59 (+4% per level) damage to enemies in the way and knocking them back. Lasts for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 70 secondsRoll around inside an Unstoppable barrel, dealing 59 (+4% per level) damage to enemies in the way and knocking them back. Lasts for 5 seconds.

Storm, Earth, Fire (R2) (Recommended)

Cooldown: 100 seconds

Split into three elemental spirits for 12 seconds, each with 75% of Chen's maximum Health and a unique ability. If all three spirits are killed, Chen will die as well. Storm can grant the spirits Movement Speed. Earth can leap to an area and slow enemies. Fire can grant the spirits Attack Speed. 100 secondsSplit into three elemental spirits for 12 seconds, each with 75% of Chen's maximum Health and a unique ability. If all three spirits are killed, Chen will die as well. Storm can grant the spirits Movement Speed. Earth can leap to an area and slow enemies. Fire can grant the spirits Attack Speed.

Level 13

Pressure Point (Q) (Situational)

Flying Kick slows the target enemy by 35% for 1 second, or by 70% if they're soaked in Brew.

Flying Kick slows the target enemy by 35% for 1 second, or by 70% if they're soaked in Brew.

A Touch of Honey (W) (Situational)

Increase the slow from Keg Smash to 40%.



Increase the slow from Keg Smash to 40%.

Withering Flames (E) (Situational)

Setting an enemy Hero on fire reduces their Spell Power by 25% for 3 seconds.



Setting an enemy Hero on fire reduces their Spell Power by 25% for 3 seconds.

Level 16

Flying Leap (Q) (Recommended)

Increases Flying Kick's range by 15%.



Increases Flying Kick's range by 15%.

Another Round (W) (Not Recommended)

Increases the radius of Keg Smash by 50%. After hitting an enemy Hero with Keg Smash, the cooldown of the next Basic Ability used will be reduced by 3 seconds.

Increases the radius of Keg Smash by 50%. After hitting an enemy Hero with Keg Smash, the cooldown of the next Basic Ability used will be reduced by 3 seconds.

Enough to Share (Trait) (Not Recommended)

Fortifying Brew also Shields nearby allied Heroes for 54 per second.



Fortifying Brew also Shields nearby allied Heroes for 54 per second.

Level 20

Untapped Potential (R1) (Situational)

Wandering Keg increases Movement Speed by 25% and grants 50

Wandering Keg increases Movement Speed by 25% and grants 50 Armor , reducing damage taken by 50%.

Elemental Conduit (R2) (Recommended)

Increases the spirits' Health to 100% of Chen's maximum Health and empowers their abilities. Storm can grant the spirits Unstoppable. Earth's leap cooldown is reduced by 3 seconds. Fire grants Attack Speed as long as it is alive. Increases the spirits' Health to 100% of Chen's maximum Health and empowers their abilities. Storm can grant the spirits Unstoppable. Earth's leap cooldown is reduced by 3 seconds. Fire grants Attack Speed as long as it is alive.

Stormstout Secret Recipe (Recommended)

Heal for 1.5% of Chen's maximum Health every time his Basic Abilities hit an enemy Hero.



Heal for 1.5% of Chen's maximum Health every time his Basic Abilities hit an enemy Hero.

How it Plays

A Note for YOU, the Player

Laning Phase (1-9)

Heroics and Beyond

Level 20

I Bring Pandamonium!

Another Sunday, Another guide. Welcome to another installment of "A Detailed Breakdown", a very special one to me, at that. It is special because I have the privilege of focusing on one of my favorite heroes throughout all of Heroes of the Storm's history: Chen Stormstout. I have played him since alpha, and in spite of him very rarely being a "meta" pick, he has never failed to maintain the status of my most-loved hero to play. With a dive, harassment-focused playstyle and incredible sustain to back him up in his endeavors (coupled with a rotund body perfect for blocking), Chen makes for a very real threat to any backliners unfortunate enough to cross his path. When coupled with Wandering Keg, he can devastate enemy positioning, leaping in and knocking one or even multiple backliners to the very front of the fight, or perhaps even further.With a rather diverse talent tree, there is much to discuss, so let's not waste any more time and dive straight into our baseline build.Now, let's get some context here, as well as alternatives to the baseline build.This talent can be useful in the right build, as it is a nice little damage buff when stacked, coupled with a fair boost to armor when talented correctly. The big problem here has to do with the size of Chen's spells. Without further talents to enhance it, Keg Toss will hit 1-2 targets, perhaps 3 against highly clumped enemies. This is going to net you, the vast majority of the time, 15-30 armor for 3 seconds. This is okay, but it can really shine elsewhere with a build that compliments Keg Toss.Though Elusive Brawler far surpasses this talent against compositions with a heavy-hitting AA character, this is a viable alternative if you do not believe that the other talent will suit you in any particular game. It can also serve as a safer pick, if for no other reason than it is easier to use. Elusive Brawler gives you no benefit if you forget to use it, or very little if used incorrectly. As such, players new to Chen may be better suited to this talent until they are prepared to add another level of timing/complexity to his gameplay.With even 1 character on the enemy team that has solid AA damage, this talent tends to pull ahead of the others in terms of survivability when used/timed correctly. It has saved my life as Chen more times than I can count. The biggest drawbacks to this talent are that it provides no protection against spell damage, and that it is an active, meaning it tends to take more practice than the other options. Still, when properly used, this is the preferred choice in most situations for this build.This talent is simply magnificent for what we are trying to accomplish. The removal of Flying Kick's brew cost means that we never have to worry about running out when chasing a fleeing backliner or maneuvering around a fight. In addition, the double damage when we have a shield makes flying kick a much better tool for bullying those squishy targets, and synergizes beautifully with Bolder Flavor at level 7 to all but guarantee the double damage proc.This is the natural choice if we had chosen to take Accumulating Flame talent at level 1, as the focus of that build path revolves around the W + E combo potency. For our purposes, however, it does not provide as much damage as Deadly Strike, nor does it provide any more Brew efficiency.The AOE damage of this ability is actually pretty good, but given the nature of this build, we are not attempting to be in a position where we will hit multiple targets for the duration of this bonus. Our primary aim is to be harassing/beating on/body blocking the squishy backliners. Leave the peeling to other tanks, or to your Wandering Keg at level 10 in a pinch. Also, just like Keg Toss, there is no benefit to our resource management here, unlike Deadly Strike.While the perfect synergy of Bolder Flavor and Deadly Strike is hard to pass up, this talent certainly gives it a run for its money. The 20% movement speed below 50 brew is very powerful both in securing kills, and in escaping from sticky situations. Meanwhile, the added health regen is a solid passive buff that allows us to refrain from backing more often (or in the case of trading/skirmishing, keeping us in the fight for more after). It is much more difficult to achieve the double damage bonus from Deadly Strike in taking this, however.Thanks to a change in the way Chen's brew is restored (this was some time ago, but old returning Chen players may remember this was not always the case), we now receive 25 brew immediately upon casting Chen's trait. When coupled with Deadly Strike, we rarely drop below 50 brew (unless it is done intentionally). This is what truly makes this talent shine. With this talent, we can tap our trait for the instant 25 brew plus a chunk of our shield, before immediately using Q to leap behind whatever target we are seeking for double damage. Even if we find no opportunity for an extended brew cast, we still have enough for three full spell rotations (including this combo) before we need to stop and drink (Each cast gains 25 brew, each combo costs 50 total brew). Usually, we will find at least one opportunity to drink back to full before that happens, too.While Purifying Brew can be useful in some situations against CC/Spell Damage-heavy comps, it is not very conducive to the playstyle this build attempts to accomplish. We are not here to simply soak up damage. As mentioned earlier, that should be left to other tanks. The cooldown reset on being CC'ed is not overly useful for us, as we intend to be in our drinking phase for a very brief period of time, in order to set up the shield for double damage on our next Q.Chen is nothing if not a major nuisance to the enemy team. Wandering Keg embraces that nature to its fullest extent. My personal favorite ultimate, proper positioning and timing of this heroic can knock multiple targets right into the middle of your team, or prevent the escape of the entire team in many choke points across multiple maps. In a pinch, it is also a potent disengage, as very few heroes are able to get past the knockbacks, if Chen is guarding his own fleeing team. Overall, this is a very versatile heroic with many options for securing kills, or saving allies.Chen is a hero that boasts two perfectly viable heroic options that largely boil down to which playstyle you prefer. Storm, Earth, Fire makes Chen considerably harder to kill, and greatly enhances your chase/harassment potential. It does considerably more damage than Wandering Keg, though it does have less setup potential. Do be cautious, however, as if all three spirits fall, so too will Chen. Be mindful of this, and be sure to keep at least one alive so that you can return strong (or escape if you were low when casting. Chen's health remains as it was when the heroic was first cast).The aim of this talent is not so much to slow down the target for the purposes of running away, but rather, to position yourself so that when this brief slow fades, you are now blocking their path. Even without the 70% slow, this creates a window of opportunity for you to place yourself in an ideal position to body block the desired path of your enemy. That is where this talent shines. On wide open maps like Haunted Mines or Volskaya, however, this talent loses some of its usefulness.If you are looking to genuinely slow down the target instead of simply position yourself for body-blocking, this is the talent to go for. It also brings the potential to slow multiple targets, which can be a much larger boon than Pressure Point. However, against targets that can easily leap or dash away, slows are often not helpful, which makes this a bit pointless to take. In addition, Keg Smash already has a 20% slow, making this only a 20% increase. Still, it is a perfectly viable alternative.Due to the rather short duration of the debuff, this talent loses much of its potential. It can be very powerful if you can time your fire properly against targets like Li-Ming or Chromie, but the talent tier is effectively wasted if you do not know how to time your casts for it. It adds a layer of complexity to Chen, one that may not be welcome, given we are often casting spells very quickly and in rapid succession. Still, in some circumstances, this can be useful to mitigate enemy damage output.A very simple, to-the-point talent. This makes just about everything you do with your Q easier to accomplish. It also allows you to maintain your brew-drinking for a sliver longer than you otherwise would, which can often present you with enough for another round of spells, over time. In addition, it can be very beneficial when trying to leap onto targets like Hanzo or Chromie, as they are typically farther away than most.This is an extremely useful talent in the W + E combo build, but for us, we do not have much use for it. Q is the cooldown we would want lowered, but Q is also the first spell we would cast in the vast majority of situations. As such, it is unlikely to benefit. Our E is not at all buffed, making cooldown reduction on it much less valuable.This talent lends itself very well to an off-tank Chen build, where soaking damage for your team actually is a priority. We, however, will rarely be close enough to our allies to find benefit in this, and should not be sitting and channeling our brew very often anyway. For these reasons, it has very little benefit toward our desired playstyle.If you need the higher movement speed to properly round up the enemy team, this can be useful. The armor is a slight benefit, but most people are not going to attempt to focus an unstoppable barrel that was already tanky as hell to begin with. If you are making many plays with your heroic, this could be a useful talent for you to cement that.Obviously, this is only the recommended talent if you chose this heroic. It is certainly the most potent level 20 talent for Chen, and while I still prefer Wandering Keg personally, this will even further empower your mini-Chens. It does not truly add anything new to play around, but rather enhances what you are already doing with this heroic.This talent compliments our build/playstyle/Chen nicely, as we have very low cooldowns, and use them almost as soon as they are available each time, in fights. In a decent teamfight, this talent alone could net you as much as 20% of your maximum HP back, simply by doing what you would already be doing otherwise. Its ease of use combined with the immense sustain it presents makes this a very attractive choice, if you did not take Storm, Earth, Fire. Even if you did, it is still a viable talent to choose.There are three notable things that you, as a Chen player, should do when playing Chen. First, you should be wearing a straw hat. Ideally, you want a large rice-farmer's hat, mimicking that of his Brewmaster skins. If you can find one shaped like his regular Master skin, good on you, but it is not mandatory for effective Chen play. Wearing this will strengthen the bond you and Chen will surely share while playing him, and make you feel more balanced. You will become one with the Brewmaster.Second, you should have at least a mug of brew with you at all times. This does not have to be alcoholic. Choose your favorite drink, and be sure to guzzle away whenever you get the chance. You really want to capture the feeling of playing Chen, and what better way to do that than with a brew... or two!Third, and perhaps most important... your pun game needs to be on point. If people around you don't find it unbearable, then your puns aren't grizzly enough. As you fight tooth and claw through your enemies, spreading pandamonium left and right, you need to be making just as many puns as you will have kills. They will be polar-izing, of course. Some people simply cannot bear the force of so many puns in such a short time, saying that they panda to the lowest common denominator. But you just keep roaring them out, even if they bearate you every time you do.From level 1, you are capable of teamfighting, if that's the way the game plays out. Typically, however, you are going to find yourself laning for at least a little while. Here, you excel in making short, careful trades, leaping in and igniting your opponent before mitigating their return-fire with your trait. A typical trade rotation goes something like this:Against most heroes, this trade will leave you on top, with your shield absorbing a great deal of the return fire the opponent might bring to the table. Some notable exceptions are characters like Sonya or Diablo. Sonya, at melee range, has damage immense enough to tear through your shield generation and leave a hefty dent in your health pool, and Diablo has many ways to cancel your shield, leaving you open to his counter attack (Not to mention he can often Q you back into his towers, as soon as you leap in on him. So be careful).Aside from trading, you can run a pretty standard laning phase, even roaming a little for ganks if you have the opportunity on narrower maps (Tomb comes to mind). Soak exp, trade when you can, but be ready to join your team for objectives. You want to fight early, as you have most of your power unlocked from level 1.Depending on the heroic you chose, your engagements may occur very differently than they did before. In the case of Wandering Keg, don't be afraid to leap in and use it on a single target. With proper positioning of your barrel, you can knock a target across entire lanes, even forcing them into your towers, provided they are still standing by this level. If not, you still have your team as an option, waiting to collapse on whoever you force out of position. Picks are very possible with this heroic, but even if you do not use it for that purpose, you can use it in the midst of teamfights to ruin enemy positioning, punch holes in defenses, or simply cause chaos among your opponents.Storm, Earth, Fire makes you significantly harder to kill, and as such, you should be even less afraid (not that you should be anyway) to leap in and engage the backline. While you may not want to go in alone, with your team there, you should not be fearful of death, as your mini-Chens will begin with full health bars. Do be mindful, however, that enemies can interrupt the channel to enter into your triple forms. Time your heroic cast around the stuns and displacement of enemies, or you may land yourself in a very bad spot.All in all, however, teamfights are now your bread and butter. This is where you shine, and you should be pushing for them as often as you can. Within reason, of course. The typical rules such as "don't fight a talent down" and "don't fight 4v5" still apply, usually.Chen is one of the few heroes that does not receive a significant boost to power levels at 13/16. The talents are useful, certainly, but neither tier dramatically changes or improves the way he already operates. As such, continue on as your were, pushing teamfights and being a massive (literally) nuisance to your enemies. It is worth noting, just as you should have been doing in lane, chugging your brew in a safe spot (even while full brew) is very often a good idea. If you need to engage, it will mean you are at maximum shield, and you are considerably more burly upon entering. In addition, the cooldown of your trait starts when you start casting, not when you finish. This means that you will typically have it off cooldown when you need it, even if you were channeling it pre-engagement.No matter what talent you take at level 20, even ignoring any other effects they may have, you have become more tanky. You can take more of a beating thanks to things like passive health return, increased health pools, and armor on heroic casts. Again, none of this really changes how you should already be playing, but it is still noteworthy, as it means you can be even more fearless. Chen is one of the rare heroes who is genuinely capable of diving into a fight and laughing as multiple enemies try and fail to beat him down. You will, of course, still be destroyed if you have no support from your team, but that should go without saying. Move with your allies, and you are a near unstoppable force.Thus we come to the end of my favorite hero's guide. I absolutely adore his playstyle, especially with this build, and I hope you will too. As with most of my guides, these builds require you to be fearless. Don't be afraid to die a few times, whether it is for practicing how you will play it, or to make a favorable trade. Hesitation is the biggest killer of this playstyle, and training yourself not to have it can make or break everything.Thank you all so much for reading, and as usual, feel free to leave comments, feedback both positive and negative, or just to say hi. I love reading everything you all have to say.Hope to see you again next week!