Overview

Basic Abilities

Hatred (Trait)

Basic Attacks grant a stack of Hatred, up to 10. Each Hatred stack increases Basic Attack damage by 8% and Movement Speed by 1%. Last 6 seconds. Basic Attacks grant a stack of Hatred, up to 10. Each Hatred stack increases Basic Attack damage by 8% and Movement Speed by 1%. Last 6 seconds.

Hungering Arrow (Q)

60 Mana | Cooldown: 10 seconds

Fire an arrow that deals 140 (+4% per level) damage to the first target hit, then seeks up to 2 additional enemies dealing 80 (+4% per level) damage. Can hit an enemy multiple times. 60 Mana |10 secondsFire an arrow that deals 140 (+4% per level) damage to the first target hit, then seeks up to 2 additional enemies dealing 80 (+4% per level) damage. Can hit an enemy multiple times.

Multishot

75 Mana | Cooldown: 12 seconds

Deal 172 (+4% per level) damage to enemies within the target area.

75 Mana |12 secondsDeal 172 (+4% per level) damage to enemies within the target area.

Vault

50 Mana | Cooldown: 10 seconds

Dash to the target area. Valla's next Basic Attack within 2 second deals 6% increased damage per stack of Hatred. 50 Mana |10 secondsDash to the target area. Valla's next Basic Attack within 2 second deals 6% increased damage per stack of Hatred.

Sample Builds

Valla : Sample Q Build Monster Hunter Reduces the Mana cost of Hungering Arrow by 40 and increases the damage it deals to Minions, Mercenaries, and Monsters by 150%. Puncturing Arrow Quest: Hitting an enemy Hero with the initial impact of Hungering Arrow increases its damage by 5, up to a maximum of 100. Reward: After gaining 100 bonus damage, gain an additional 75 bonus damage and Hungering Arrow also bounces 1 additional time. Repeating Arrow The cooldown for Hungering Arrow is reset when Vault is used. Strafe Rapidly attack nearby visible enemies for 60 damage (+4% per level) per hit, prioritizing heroes over minions. Valla is able to move and use Vault while strafing. Lasts for 4 seconds. Gloom Activate to consume all Hatred, increasing the Ability Damage reduction by 3% per Hatred consumed. Lasts 5 seconds. Passive: Reduces all Ability Damage taken by 20%. Frost Shot Increases the range of Multishot by 20% and it also slows by 25% for 1.5 seconds. Farflight Quiver Increases your Basic Attack range by 40%.

Valla : Sample W Build Hot Pursuit When at 10 stacks of Hatred, the Movement Speed bonus increases to 20% total and you gain 4 Mana per second. Punishment Each stack of Hatred increases the damage of Multishot by 4%. Arsenal Multishot also fires 3 grenades, which deal 120 damage (+4% per level). Each enemy Hero hit by a grenade reduces the cooldown of Multishot by 2 seconds. Strafe Rapidly attack nearby visible enemies for 60 damage (+4% per level) per hit, prioritizing heroes over minions. Valla is able to move and use Vault while strafing. Lasts for 4 seconds. Gloom Activate to consume all Hatred, increasing the Ability Damage reduction by 3% per Hatred consumed. Lasts 5 seconds. Passive: Reduces all Ability Damage taken by 20%. Frost Shot Increases the range of Multishot by 20% and it also slows by 25% for 1.5 seconds. Vengeance Strafe also fires penetrating bolts in a line for 34 damage (+4% per level) every 0.25 seconds. 25% of the damage you deal with Strafe is returned as Health.

Valla : Sample AA Build Caltrops Drop 3 Caltrops while Vaulting. Caltrops do 60 damage and slow enemies by 40% for 1 second. Quest: Spend 160 seconds at 10 stacks of Hatred. Reward: Vault cooldown is reduced by 5 seconds. Upon completing the quest, Vault’s Mana cost is reduced from 50 to 25. Creed of the Hunter Increases Attack Speed by 10%. Quest: Use 100 Basic Attacks against Heroes. Reward: Your Hatred grants an additional 2% Basic Attack Damage per stack. Death Dealer Increases Vault Basic Attack damage bonus from 6% to 14% per stack of Hatred. If this attack kills its victim, the Mana cost and cooldown of Vault are refunded. Rain of Vengeance Launch a wave of Shadow Beasts that deals 250 damage (+4% per level) and stuns enemies in the target area for 0.5 seconds. Stores 2 charges. Tempered by Discipline While at 10 stacks of Hatred, your Basic Attacks heal you for 25% of the damage dealt. Manticore Every 3rd Basic Attack against the same target deals an additional 5% of their maximum Health as damage. Rancor Each stack of Hatred also increases Attack Speed by 2%. While at 10 stacks of Hatred, gain an additional 30% Attack Speed.

Talent Breakdown

Level 1

Monster Hunter (Q) (Recommended)

Reduces the Mana cost of Hungering Arrow by 40 and increases the damage it deals to Minions, Mercenaries, and Monsters by 150%. Reduces the Mana cost of Hungering Arrow by 40 and increases the damage it deals to Minions, Mercenaries, and Monsters by 150%.

Caltrops (E) (Situational)

Drop 3 Caltrops while Vaulting. Caltrops do 60 (+4% per level) damage and slow enemies by 25% for 1 second.

❢ Quest: Spend 180 seconds at 10 stacks of Hatred.

❢ Reward: Vault cooldown is reduced by 5 seconds. Drop 3 Caltrops while Vaulting. Caltrops do 60 (+4% per level) damage and slow enemies by 25% for 1 second.Spend 180 seconds at 10 stacks of Hatred.Vault cooldown is reduced by 5 seconds.

Hot Pursuit (Trait) (Recommended)

When at 10 stacks of Hatred, the Movement Speed bonus increases to 20% total and Valla gains 4 Mana per second. When at 10 stacks of Hatred, the Movement Speed bonus increases to 20% total and Valla gains 4 Mana per second.

Level 4

Puncturing Arrow (Q) (Recommended)

❢ Quest: Hitting an enemy Hero with the initial impact of Hungering Arrow increases its damage by 5, up to a maximum of 100.

❢ Reward: After gaining 100 bonus damage, gain an additional 75 bonus damage and Hungering Arrow also bounces 1 additional time. Hitting an enemy Hero with the initial impact of Hungering Arrow increases its damage by 5, up to a maximum of 100.After gaining 100 bonus damage, gain an additional 75 bonus damage and Hungering Arrow also bounces 1 additional time.

Punishment (W) (Recommended)

Each stack of Hatred increases the damage of Multishot by 4%.

Each stack of Hatred increases the damage of Multishot by 4%.

Creed of the Hunter

Increases Attack Speed by 10%.

❢ Quest: Use 100 Basic Attacks against Heroes.

❢ Reward: Hatred grants an additional 2% Basic Attack Damage per stack. Increases Attack Speed by 10%.Use 100 Basic Attacks against Heroes.Hatred grants an additional 2% Basic Attack Damage per stack.

Level 7

Arsenal (W) (Recommended)

Multishot also fires 3 grenades, which deal 120 (+4% per level) damage. Each enemy Hero hit by a grenade reduces the cooldown of Multishot by 2 seconds. Multishot also fires 3 grenades, which deal 120 (+4% per level) damage. Each enemy Hero hit by a grenade reduces the cooldown of Multishot by 2 seconds.

Death Dealer (E) (Recommended)

Increases Vault Basic Attack damage bonus from 6% to 14% per stack of Hatred. If this attack kills its victim, the Mana cost and cooldown of Vault are refunded. Increases Vault Basic Attack damage bonus from 6% to 14% per stack of Hatred. If this attack kills its victim, the Mana cost and cooldown of Vault are refunded.

Repeating Arrow (E) (Recommended)

The cooldown for Hungering Arrow is reset when Vault is used.

The cooldown for Hungering Arrow is reset when Vault is used.

Level 10

Strafe (R1) (Recommended)

Rapidly attack nearby visible enemies for 60 (+4% per level) damage per hit, prioritizing heroes over minions. Valla is able to move and use Vault while strafing. Lasts for 4 seconds. Rapidly attack nearby visible enemies for 60 (+4% per level) damage per hit, prioritizing heroes over minions. Valla is able to move and use Vault while strafing. Lasts for 4 seconds.

Rain of Vengeance (R2) (Situational)

Launch a wave of Shadow Beasts that deals 240 (+4% per level) damage and stuns enemies in the target area for 0.5 seconds. Stores up to 2 charges. Launch a wave of Shadow Beasts that deals 240 (+4% per level) damage and stuns enemies in the target area for 0.5 seconds. Stores up to 2 charges.

Level 13

Siphoning Arrow (Q) (Not Recommended)

Valla heals for 75% of the damage dealt to Heroes by Hungering Arrow.

Valla heals for 75% of the damage dealt to Heroes by Hungering Arrow.

Tempered by Discipline (Trait) (Situational)

While at 10 stacks of Hatred, Basic Attacks heal for 25% of the damage dealt.

While at 10 stacks of Hatred, Basic Attacks heal for 25% of the damage dealt.

Gloom (Recommended)

Cooldown: 5 seconds

Activate to consume all Hatred, granting 3 Spell Armor per Hatred consumed for 5 seconds.

Passive: Permenantly gain 20 Spell Armor, reducing ability damage taken by 20%. 5 secondsActivate to consume all Hatred, granting 3 Spell Armor per Hatred consumed for 5 seconds.Permenantly gain 20 Spell Armor, reducing ability damage taken by 20%.

Level 16

Frost Shot (W) (Recommended)

Increases the range of Multishot by 20% and it also slows by 25% for 1.5 seconds.

Increases the range of Multishot by 20% and it also slows by 25% for 1.5 seconds.

Seething Hatred (Trait) (Situational)

Basic Attacks now grant 2 stacks of Hatred and the time it takes before Hatred expires is increased by 2 seconds. Basic Attacks now grant 2 stacks of Hatred and the time it takes before Hatred expires is increased by 2 seconds.

Manticore (Situational)

Every 3rd Basic Attack against the same target deals an additional 5% of their maximum Health as damage. Every 3rd Basic Attack against the same target deals an additional 5% of their maximum Health as damage.

Level 20

Death Siphon (R1) (Situational)

Strafe also fires penetrating bolts in a line for 34 (+4% per level) damage every 0.25 seconds. 25% of the damage you deal with Strafe is returned as Health. Strafe also fires penetrating bolts in a line for 34 (+4% per level) damage every 0.25 seconds. 25% of the damage you deal with Strafe is returned as Health.

Storm of Vengeance (R2) (Situational)

Basic Attacks reduce the charge cooldown of Rain of Vengeance by 5 seconds.

Basic Attacks reduce the charge cooldown of Rain of Vengeance by 5 seconds.

Rancor (Trait) (Recommended)

Each stack of Hatred also increases Attack Speed by 2%. While at 10 stacks of Hatred, gain an additional 30% Attack Speed Each stack of Hatred also increases Attack Speed by 2%. While at 10 stacks of Hatred, gain an additional 30% Attack Speed

Farflight Quiver (Recommended)

Increases Valla's Basic Attack range by 2.2

Increases Valla's Basic Attack range by 2.2

How She Plays

1. Stutter Stepping.

2. Vault Usage.

3. The Importance of a Healer.

Your Fate is Sealed!

Hello again, and welcome to another installment of "A Detailed Breakdown". The focus today falls on one of the original heroes of the HotS roster, Valla. She has been around since the game first released, and has virtually always been a viable pick (to varying degrees over time, of course). Last year, she was a highly contested pick in competitive play thanks to the prevalence of the "trinity" (Tassadar, Auriel, and a "battery" to charge Auriel's healing, typically Lunara or Valla). A number of nerfs to these heroes, Auriel in particular, have dropped the potent combo out of favor, but Valla herself remains a strong pick even outside of this. One major appeal of Valla is the fact that she has a multitude of viable builds, allowing her to build around the enemy team and adjust as she needs, based on the way any individual game is shaping out.Before we get into builds and talents for this Demon Hunter, let's first take a look at what Valla's basic abilities are, to get a better idea of what we will be working with.A core piece to Valla's AA potency, coupled with an extra bit of mobility, it is very important regardless of build to keep this stacked as often as possible. Stack maintenance is, in my opinion, one of the most challenging aspects of Valla's kit, and takes considerable practice to be consistent with it. Hot Pursuit at level 1 makes the importance of this even greater, as it is her source of mana sustain, as well as doubling the total mobility bonus it offers, only at maximum stacks. While the best way to learn is undoubtedly to practice it for yourself, here are some general tips on maintaining your Hatred:It is often instinct to wipe the minions waves as quickly as possible, and while that is sometimes the right thing to do (IE clearing the wave before leaving the lane), in general this is not something you should do as Valla. The longer minions stay alive, the longer you still have a target to AA when your Hatred is almost over. Ideally, you want to chain the waves so that by the time one is dead, the next is arriving, allowing you never to drop your stacks while in lane. This is of course easier said than done, but that is the ideal scenario.This applies to a fair number of heroes, with Valla being one of them. Just as with minions, Valla can use walls as a backup means of maintaining her stack count. This becomes especially useful in the mid-game, when gates and towers are breaking down, and minions are being cleared for pushing purposes.Losing your stacks is not the end of the world. This should go without saying, really, but don't get yourself killed just to AA an enemy one more time. You can stack back up a lot faster than a respawn would take. It's better to have an alive and stackless Valla than a dead one who dies with full stacks. This isn't technically a tip for maintaining them, no, but it is still important, nonetheless.Valla's primary single target poke, this will likely be your most-cast spell. When used as the base of your talent choices, Hungering Arrow becomes an efficient burst damage spell against single targets, while doubling as an incredibly effective jungling tool thanks to Monster Hunter at level 1. While Valla's Q build is typically her lowest overall damage build on paper, it is also by far her safest build, and increases her short-term burst and overall utility more than the others will. Given Hungering Arrow is not at all dependent on Hatred stacks, it is an excellent choice for newer Valla players as well.Multishot is Valla's AOE ability, which, like most things she does, can also be used effectively for poking. It is a very self-explanatory ability, simply firing out arrows in a cone in front of her and dealing damage. Talenting into a build focused on Multishot allows it to do increased damage with hatred stacks/damage in general, have reduced cooldown, and eventually slow targets for a few seconds on impact. While this build is excellent for AOE/provides some extra control in fights, it is also the lowest single-target damage build, and poses a bit more of a danger to Valla as she needs to maintain her stacks to ensure her damage is solid.Vault is Valla's only mobility spell (though Hatred does give her a movement speed boost, at least), and it is also a staple of her AA build. Depending on the shape of a given fight/build, it can be used both offensively and defensively. For her Q build, it can reset the cooldown of Hungering Arrow starting at level 7, effectively doubling the damage output of it. For her AA build, her next AA after a vault can do incredibly increased damage, far beyond even what it already does... provided she has hatred stacks. Her AA build is often considered the greediest of the three typical builds she has, as it is certainly the highest damage, provided you can survive long enough to get it out. Of course, that also happens to be the greatest struggle of the build, as you need to consistently be in the fight.Do note, as well, that vault does not make Valla unstoppable. Most CC will still stop it, even if already in motion. So time them around things like roots and stuns to prevent wasting it.Here are a few typical Valla builds. In the breakdown below, options will be discussed in greater detail.Monster Hunter dramatically reduces the mana cost of Hungering Arrow, bringing it from 60 down to an almost negligible 20 cost for each cast. This alone makes it rather desirable for a Q-focused build (especially considering the resets that come from level 7), but to add to its potency, it also more than doubles Q's damage against non-hero/non-structure targets. Valla becomes incredibly effective at clearing merc camps, with this damage bonus being even further buffed at both levels 4 and 7, if you are building fully into Q. Even if you are not, this can still be a viable choice if you feel you need the added burst damage for clearing large targets (Haunted Mines, maps with multiple bosses). For pure mana sustain, Hot Pursuit is usually better, however.Caltrops is an excellent kiting tool from level 1, and becomes an incredible utility upon quest completion by cutting Vault's cooldown in half. With that said, achieving the quest can be very difficult for newer Valla players, and the caltrops by themselves are not worth the talent choice. In addition, this is the only talent on the tier that does not provide some form of resource management. This will force you to be more conservative with your casts, as it will be much harder to get that mana back. It does lend itself quite well to Valla's AA build, though Hot Pursuit is also a perfectly viable choice for that, as well. Experiment with both options, and see what fits best for your playstyle.While Hot Pursuit is an excellent choice and fits into literally any Valla build (making it a very safe choice at level 1, in that respect), it is also a near-wasted talent choice if you are still struggling to maintain your hatred stacks. Newer Valla players my find this talent to cripple them more than help them, as they could have had the benefits of the other choices, but are instead left with no buff at level 1. Still, once you are used to maintaining your hatred, this arguably becomes the strongest pick on the tier, in most situations. Mana sustain and increased mobility... both incredibly important pieces for a ranged, squishy assassin who has many reasons to cast her spells.The damage buff from this on its own is enough reason to take this when using the Q build. However, the added synergy of Monster Hunter at level 1 makes this a force to be reckoned with even beyond the extra hero damage. With Monster Hunter, this talent provides a little over 400 bonus damage per cast, a little over 500 if the extra bounce hits a target, when fighting things like bosses. Like the other talents on this tier, this effectively defines which build you are going to be using.For obvious reasons, this is the talent-of-choice for the multishot build, increasing the damage by as much as 40%. There is not much to be said here, though it should be noted that this damage buff does not affect Arsenal at level 7. Disappointing, but not a very big deal, either.Again, this is the obvious choice for an AA focused build, providing 10% attack speed at all times and up to 20% bonus attack damage. The attack speed is nice for the damage increase it provides, but it is even more beneficial when taking into consideration the fact that it effectively increases the rate at which you can stack your hatred. Ideally you want to always be stacked, but realistically there will be at least a few times every game where a fight begins and you need to start stacking as it does. This helps ease that pain, albeit only slightly.Another simple talent that does exactly what it seems. Extra damage, and the reward of cooldown reduction if a grenade hits something. A perfect supplement to the multishot build. To those curious, the grenades launch at the very edges of the cone, as well as one down the very center of it, and cannot hit the same target twice. Also, the grenades are not aoe damage. Is that weird? Absolutely.With this talent (coupled with a completed Creed of the Hunter), a full-Hatred Vault AA is going to do 340% of your attack damage, in total. For those curious, this translates to ~559 damage at level 20. ~331 at level 7, assuming that somehow Creed was completed at this level (it won't be, but this is just an example). While using this as a finisher is beneficial, do not hold your Vault for the mere possibility of that, if there is a good opportunity to get the damage in before then. Especially given the 5 second cooldown with the completion of Caltrops, if you chose it, it is often not worth holding it and losing out on that damage, overall. Essentially, only wait for the finishing blow if you feel confident that you are going to get it before the cooldown of Vault would be up normally.This talent effectively doubles the damage of Hungering Arrow at any time you do not need it to actively flee from something. Given it is best to use Vault immediately after casting Q for maximum value with this talent, it does make positioning more important, however. Vault should be considered an offensive tool with this talent, only being used as an escape in emergencies. I tend to think of it as trading my escape spell for double damage on my Q (despite that not entirely being the case), and adjusting my playstyle accordingly. That mentality helps in keeping myself alive.If you do not need the extra disruption that Rain of Vengeance provides, or you are needing the increased damage more than CC, this is a solid choice for a heroic. It keeps you mobile, while still being able to put out considerable damage on multiple targets. Given you can still Vault while this is active, there is little drawback to casting it. The low cooldown allows you to use it in almost any situation larger than a skirmish. Occasionally, you may even use it in a skirmish, if you are not expecting a larger fight within the next minute.I recommend this heroic if your team really needs the extra disruption (facing enemies like Li Li or ETC), or if you chose to take the AA build. In the case of the latter, this allows you to continue putting out AA damage more consistently, while providing you with a means to CC and keep a target within range/kited. Regardless of build, however, Strafe will put out more damage overall. Still, see what best fits your playstyle. Both heroics are perfectly viable.If this healing applied to minions and mercenaries, this talent would be more worthwhile to take. It does not, however, and considering Hungering Arrow is already being used a poke and burst cooldown, we cannot afford to time our casts around our health-restoration needs. There are better options on this tier for survival that this one cannot compete with, even when used in a Q build.In Valla's AA build, this becomes a little more valuable thanks to a couple of talents increasing the potential return of this talent. Even then, however, Gloom is a very hard choice to pass up, as it is rare that there is not a source of spell damage from the enemy team, and having passive spell armor is very potent, especially on a squishy target like Valla. Still, if you can afford to go without the spell armor, this talent is the definite choice over Siphoning Arrow.The real reason to take this talent lies in the passive 20 spell armor it provides. In most situations, you should not activate this ability, though having it as an option is still beneficial. For example, if a Chromie Time Warps you or a KT has cast Pyroblast on you, having this option can be the difference between life and death. In general, however, the Hatred you have stacked serves you better staying stacked than it does in the 30 spell armor that it can provide.While this is the obvious choice for the Multishot build, Hungering Arrow build can also benefit greatly from this talent. The added range makes it easier to poke multiple targets, something her Q certainly lacks. The slow is also an excellent tool for kiting, and makes it easier for you to land Q shots, if you use W first.For newer Valla players, this makes stacking and maintaining hatred far easier to handle and can serve as a solid crutch if you are still learning. However, this talent does have benefit even beyond being a crutch, and can be a viable pick regardless, in certain situations. Due to the Hatred-consuming nature of Gloom at level 13, this talent can allow you to use it much more liberally, as the time it takes to stack is cut in half. If you feel you are really going to need to stack that spell armor, this could be a viable choice. It is also a decent alternative to Manticore, if there is little reason for you to take it against certain enemy comps when you go AA build.This is usually the choice for Valla's AA build, as it is a simple, solid damage buff that gives her an extra bit of shred against bulky targets. Sometimes, however, this is not going to be necessary, in which case Seething Hatred can take its place. Still, with even two tanks/bruisers (or even one if it's someone like Stitches or Garrosh), this is generally a worthwhile pickup. Pairs exceptionally well with Creed of the Hunter at level 4, and Rancor at level 20.A little extra damage, a little extra sustain. That's essentially all there is to this talent, but really, that's all it needs. Do note, however, that the bolts this fires do not prioritize heroes. It is best used in jungle engagements, or against heroes that have few summons, to maximize the additional damage it provides on targets that matter.Dramatic cooldown reduction from this talent, and nothing more. Like Strafe's storm upgrade, however, that is all this needs to serve you well. If you need more CC on your team, or want to increase your potential kiting capabilities, this is a solid talent to pick.This talent is very solid on its own, and obviously wraps up Valla's AA build quite nicely. Where it really shines, however, is when paired with Manticore. It effectively increases the power of that talent by 40% on top of her regular damage, something that no other talent can achieve. Outside of the AA build, however, the attack speed buff is not really worth the pick. In addition, choosing this over Farflight Quiver means you are putting yourself in greater danger. The range can dramatically decrease the risk you take when engaging in combat, and you trade that for even higher damage, through this.This is my 'default' choice in most Valla games, simply due to how much safer it makes her playstyle. An additional 2.2 range means that she can far more safely attack with her AA's and stay in fights longer, as she does not need to put herself in as much danger. It also brings her AA range more in line with her spell range, which greatly increases her poke damage. Any build can pick this talent, and it is completely viable to do so.I have decided to stick with the format from the last guide, where I use this section for more overall tips and notes, rather than a specific "walkthrough" of the game phases. It felt more effective at capturing the character, and I think that will continue to apply to many heroes.Honestly, I could probably write a separate blog post on stutter stepping alone, as it is a vital tool in just about every character's repertoire. In the case of Valla, it is largely what is going to keep you on a fleeing target, and keeps you mobile for a better chance at dodging skillshots. It is also an important part of kiting, as you can both move and damage the pursuing enemy. Basically, any time you are attacking, you should be stutter stepping.If you don't know what stutter tepping is (sometimes called animation-cancelling, or misinterpreted as orb-walking, though orb walking is different and does not exist in HotS), it is simply the act of moving immediately after/between attacks, allowing you to maintain some movement speed even as you are attacking. If left to their own devices, a character's attack animation will last slightly longer than the actual attack, meaning that they will be less mobile if you do not force them to move before the animation ends. As soon as the actual attack is completed, you do not have to wait for the rest of the animation. You can move at this point for repositioning during the downtime between attacks. Knowing the attack speed and feel of any given character's attacks is key to doing this effectively, as every hero will be slightly different. Being able to time your movement period perfectly between attacks will maximize how much mobility you can pull out of this.The easiest way to practice this is simply to take a hero, in this case Valla, into Try Mode. You can practice stutter stepping against the training dummies, or if you prefer, against the moving targets of the lane minions/enemy hero. To begin with, you do not need real opposition to practice this, as it is mostly about getting the timing down. Once you feel confident in that, you can move into 'real' games, and get a feel for it in a context where you actually have to play the rest of your hero, too. Above all, it just takes practice, and even playing the game as you always would will make you better at it, provided you at least attempt it.Vault is an interesting spell because, while it does serve as an escape tool for Valla, everything else about it (talents included) encourages using it offensively/to better position yourself in a fight. As such, this makes it important to realize when Vault may be needed to get out of a fight, and when you can leap further into the fight and maximize your damage output. As with most things, the best way to learn this is to simply play. You will learn from your mistakes, and gradually it will become reflex to use Vault effectively as your skills improve. However, there are some things worth noting that may help.If you took Q build, your focus will be on quickly resetting the cooldown of your Q, rather than maximizing the hatred bonus damage that Vault provides to your AA. Q has no relation or benefit from Hatred, so in that context it is often worthwhile to simply Vault as soon as you cast Q, causing the least downtime on the spell possible. I tend to use it offensively as soon as a fight begins, so that if I do need it to escape, it is usually off cooldown again by that time as I used it so early on. If I don't need to escape, I instead will have it as a finishing tool (double Q can serve that purpose nicely).W build is rather standard, as Vault does not directly tie into the talent's strengths in any meaningful way aside from potentially positioning yourself for a better Multishot. As such, simply use Vault as a positioning/escape tool, for the most part. The 60% bonus damage to a single AA at max Hatred is not worth the cast in most cases, when you consider that you are burning your only hard mobility tool for ten seconds to achieve it.In the case of AA build, Vault almost needs to be used aggressively/in kiting. This build brings that 60% damage buff to a 140% damage buff, turning that auto attack into both a burst damage window as well as a finisher. If you took Caltrops at level 1, this can be used even more liberally, as the completed quest will bring the cooldown to a mere 5 seconds. Try to only use Vault at max Hatred, and try to use it aggressively as much as possible.Valla has extremely little in the way of self-sustain. This is a tip/warning that cannot always be heeded, as without a team to back you, you will not always be able to rely on randoms to have your back. Also, Quick Match frequently goes into games without a healer. Still, Valla is at her best by a longshot when she has a pocket healer. Her fragility is easily her greatest weakness, and having a guardian angel with you makes her a terrifying force in combat. In draft, try to communicate with your healer and see if you two can stick together. In a premade, Valla should virtually always have a healer with her, and she should be a priority target to keep alive at all times (barring the imminent death of an ally, of course). When she does not have to worry about being simply deleted... at least, not as much, she can put out more damage that a large majority of other heroes.In QM, you may not have a healer at all. If this is the case, I strongly recommend taking the safest build possible. In my opinion, Q build fits this role best. This increases your poke damage, and keeps you as far out of the fray as possible without sacrificing your damage. Do your best to let more mobile heroes like Genji or Tracer finish off the targets you hit, and keep yourself in a good position in the back of your team. Finishers like Alarak or Thrall can also serve this purpose. Do not dive into a fight unless you are certain you can actually accomplish whatever you are trying to do, as there will be nobody to heal away your mistake if you are wrong.There we have it, another guide come and gone. I apologize for not putting this out last week like I intended. I was quite sick, a bad chest cold had me bedridden all weekend. Still, I'm glad that things are back on track, and I am feeling well again. Regularly scheduled programming will continue, now, along with quite possibly something new in the next few weeks!As usual, please feel free to comment with any questions, concerns, ideas, or even just to give me your own builds. I love talking shop, so to speak, and do my best to reply to anyone who posts.Good luck out there!