Hello, friends. My name is Kith and I like videogames.

Today’s offering is about the Lost Vikings. Once upon a 2017, I did a Review + Rework of them in a huge Google Doc because the HOTS Forums at the time didn’t support images. Now they do, and I am here to produce the updated version.

I’m going to skip the in-depth Review this time and just provide the bullet points - The Lost Vikings’ issues are pretty well-known, and the majority of what I said in the original Review + Rework is still valid for that purpose (although I have updated the Rework significantly, hence the new thread).

Let’s get started.

All concepts discussed in this Rework are free to use by Blizzard without credit.

Rework Detail

Teamwork! Each Viking has an aura that provides passive benefits to themselves and other Vikings within range. Olaf’s Stoutness restores 2% of Maximum Health per second.

Baelog’s Fierceness causes Basic Attacks to reduce Basic Ability cooldowns by 0.25 seconds.

Erik’s Swiftness increases Movement Speed by 10%.

Teamwork! is Viking Hoard’s replacement, focusing on giving each Viking a bit of extra gameplay flavor and rewarding grouping them together.

Olaf the Stout Olaf regains 3% of his Maximum Health per second when out of combat for 4 seconds. Teamwork: Stoutness heals Vikings for 2% of their Maximum Health per second.

With all of the Nice Things™ that I’ve given to the Vikings in this Rework to balance out their performance when grouped, the charge was just too too strong, so it’s getting replaced.

I know that claiming a part of TLV’s base kit is too strong may sound weird for someone who’s basing all of this effort off of the idea that TLV is often extremely weak in group play, but they can also be insanely overpowering - and a major contributing factor to when they are is the ability to consistently apply a point-and-click slow or stun.

Baelog the Fierce Baleog’s Basic Attacks deal 50% splash damage to enemies behind his attack target. Teamwork: Fierceness causes Viking Basic Attacks to reduce Basic Ability cooldowns by 0.25 seconds.

Fierceness is an aura-based Battle Momentum, allowing Baelog (and Vikings near Baelog) to mill the cooldowns of Spin to Win! and Jump!. The impact isn’t much when it’s just Baelog, but all three Vikings combined can easily provide significant benefit.

Erik the Swift Erik has +3 Sight Range. Teamwork: Swiftness increases Movement Speed by 10%.

Erik has had his passive Movement Speed bonus replaced by Swiftness. For him there’s no difference, but now he can share it with his fellow Vikings.

Spin to Win! Cooldown: 14 Seconds Vikings deal 95 (+4% per level) damage to nearby enemies.

Spin to Win! has become baseline, but its power has been adjusted to compensate - it deals slightly less damage and has a longer cooldown (although Fierceness can reduce it considerably).

Jump! Cooldown: 45 Seconds Vikings leap into the air, becoming Invulnerable and able to pass over enemies for 1 second.

Jump! is also baseline and has also had its power adjusted accordingly, featuring an increased cooldown and -33% duration.

Talents

Level 1 Talents: E is for Expansion

E is for Expansion Level 4 Talents: Viking Tactics

Viking Tactics Level 7 Talents: Teamwork! Boosters

Teamwork! Boosters Level 10 Talents: Heroics

Heroics Level 13 Talents: Escape Plans

Escape Plans Level 16 Talents: Power Ups

Power Ups Level 20 Talents: Storm Tier

The Rework’s Talents are pretty straightforward, but of special note is that Level 1 fills in the empty E slot in the Viking’s ability bar - hence the name.

Runic Shield Level 1 Talent Toggle to swap between Armor types for Olaf. Vanguard Cooldown: 1.5 Seconds Increases Olaf’s Physical Armor by 25. Activate to switch to Spellward. Spellward Cooldown: 1.5 Seconds Increases Olaf’s Spell Armor by 25. Activate to switch to Vanguard.

Runic Shield allows Olaf to pick up some extra durability and adjust it on the fly, adapting to his lane opponent or the enemy team in general.

Raid and Plunder! Level 1 Talent Toggle to swap between bonus non-Heroic damage and healing for Baelog. Raiding Cooldown: 1.5 Seconds Increases Baelog’s splash damage against Non-Heroic targets to 100%. Activate to switch to Plundering. Plundering Cooldown: 1.5 Seconds Causes Baelog’s Basic Attacks to heal him for 20% of the damage dealt. Activate to switch to Raiding.

Raid and Plunder! combines the effects of Explosive Attacks and Pain Don’t Hurt, allowing players to push more effectively with Baelog or invest into his survivability.

Spy Games Level 1 Talent Toggle to swap between stealth and improved vision for Erik. Sneaking Cooldown: 1.5 Seconds Erik becomes Stealthed after being out of combat for 3 seconds. Activate to switch to Scouting. Scouting Cooldown: 1.5 Seconds Erik can detect Stealthed units and see over walls or obstacles. Activate to switch to Sneaking.

Spy Games increases Erik’s ability to soak safely by either hiding him better or by warning him of incoming threats more easily, but also has potential for making him into a better scout by allowing him to check Bushes without actually entering them.

Viking Bribery Level 1 Talent Enemy Minions or captured Mercenaries killed near The Lost Vikings grant stacks of Bribe. Use 40 stacks to bribe target Mercenary, instantly defeating them. Does not work on Bosses. Maximum stacks available: 200. If a camp is defeated entirely with Bribe, the camp respawns 50% faster.

Guess what’s unchanged? If you guessed Viking Bribery, you’re correct!

Hunka’ Burning Olaf Level 4 Talent Olaf deals 28 (+4% per level) damage every second to nearby enemies.

Hunka’ Burning Olaf is the same, it’s just had its damage adjusted to make up for being available so much earlier.

Broad Swords Level 4 Talent Increases the width of Baelog’s Splash Damage by 100%.

If Baelog’s splash coverage wasn’t enough for you, good news: you can double it. Broad Swords vastly increases Baelog’s waveclearing strength and makes him much more effective at fighting Objective Monsters (such as Zerg or Shrine Guardians), but also significantly increases his strength in Teamfights. And hey, this wouldn’t even require any new assets - just do like Jaina’s Ice Floes does and staple two of the existing graphics together.

It’s a Sabotage! Level 4 Talent Erik’s Basic Attacks against Structures light them on fire for 5 seconds, causing 250 damage.

The only difference the Rework’s It’s a Sabotage! has is a differently colored icon because it’s the only Erik-specific talent on this tier.

Spirit Stones Level 4 Talent Dead Vikings leave behind a Spirit Stone that provides their Teamwork! aura and progresses their Death Timer 100% faster for each nearby Viking. Spirit Stones remain until the Viking that created it revives.

Yes, I did in fact dig up Resurgence of the Storm’s icon to use here.

There’s a lot to talk about where Spirit Stones is concerned. Its primary goal is to make grouped play a little stronger by making deaths easier to bounce back from, but it also allows someone performing the Viking Soak to shift a Viking into the empty lane to try and get the dead Viking back on the field faster.

It also comes with the added benefit of showing off the Viking Gravestone assets more - I’ve always thought it was a real shame that they just sat in the Hall of Storms.

Norse Force Level 7 Talent Cooldown: 30 Seconds Activate Teamwork! to give Vikings with Stoutness a 150 point Shield that lasts until destroyed, increased by 100 for each Viking with Stoutness.

Norse Force has traded global reach for a permanent duration and more Shields.

Let’s Get 'Em! Level 7 Talent Basic Attacks that trigger Fierceness increases the Attack Speed of Vikings with Fierceness by 1% for 4 seconds, stacking up to 30%.

Baelog the Fierce (the talent), but adapted to the Rework’s mechanics. While stacks can be generated by all Vikings and benefit all Vikings with Fierceness, the amount of attacks required to get to the total bonus has gone from 6 to 30.

Speedrun Tactics Level 7 Talent Swiftness grants an additional 5% increased Movement Speed per 20% missing health.

A replacement for Erik the Swift (the talent) that provides benefit to the entire team instead of just Erik.

Mercenary Raid Level 7 Talent Stoutness grants Mercenaries 25 Armor.

Fierceness grants Mercenaries 25% increased Damage.

Swiftness grants Mercenaries 25% increased Attack Speed.

Mercenary Lord with a fresh coat of paint and tied into the Rework’s mechanics.

It is important to note that Damage and Attack Speed are multiplicative increases in DPS when combined instead of additive - a 25% increase to Damage and Attack Speed factors out to a 56% increase to DPS instead of being added together to make 50%. While one Viking alone cannot achieve the same level of effectiveness that the original Mercenary Lord can, two or more can surpass it easily.

Play Again! Level 10 Heroic Ability Cooldown: 90 Seconds Summon, fully heal, and revive all Lost Vikings at target location after a Viking channels for 2 seconds. Only one Viking may attempt to summon at a time.

Play Again! has had its Cooldown increased by 10 seconds to cut back a little on how strong it is and how effective it is at enabling the Viking Soak.

Longboat Raid! Level 10 Heroic Ability Cooldown: 90 Seconds Summons all living Vikings into a 1500 Health Longboat that can fire at nearby enemies for 180 damage per second. The Longboat gains special upgrades for each Viking in it, but if the boat is destroyed by enemies, all Vikings are stunned for 1 second upon exiting. Olaf: Longboat gains 50 Armor.

Baelog: Longboat attack gains splash damage.

Erik: Longboat becomes Unstoppable. Lasts for 10 seconds.

Longboat Raid! has received pretty significant changes:

Summons all living Vikings to Longboat location on cast. This will give the Longboat more tactical opportunities for use, such as summoning all of the Vikings into a single lane for pushing purposes or to turn around a gank attempt.

This will give the Longboat more tactical opportunities for use, such as summoning all of the Vikings into a single lane for pushing purposes or to turn around a gank attempt. No longer has a Mortar Ability. While I liked the Mortar, it muddies the waters in terms of what the Longboat is actually doing.

While I liked the Mortar, it muddies the waters in terms of what the Longboat is actually doing. Each Viking in the Longboat provides a unique upgrade. Instead of scaling up the Longboat’s health for each Viking present, each Viking upgrades the Longboat in a unique (and thematic) way.

Instead of scaling up the Longboat’s health for each Viking present, each Viking upgrades the Longboat in a unique (and thematic) way. DPS increased substantially (from 112 to 180). This is mostly to make up for the loss of the Mortar, but also to give the Longboat some usability upgrades in general.

Ideally, all of this will be enough to make it competitive with Play Again! so TLV can have two Heroics instead of just one.

Outta the way! Level 13 Talent Spin to Win! knocks back damaged enemies.

Gives TLV some defense against Melee Assassins who like to dive Vikings and delete them.

Falling with Style Level 13 Talent Jump! lasts 50% longer.

Brings Jump! back up to its original duration.

64 KB Marathon Level 13 Talent Gain an additional 40% Movement Speed when activating Go Go Go! that decays over 4 seconds. Additionally, the Vikings will break out of Roots and Slows.

64 KB Marathon is one of those rare unchanged Talents in the Rework, although it comes a Tier earlier now.

Nordic Attack Squad Level 16 Talent Every 3rd Basic Attack against the same enemy Hero deals an additional 1.5% of their maximum Health as damage.

Nordic Attack Squad lives on in a new form, converted into a passive to avoid trying to work in an extra button on TLV’s already crowded bars.

To clarify, each Viking can contribute stacks for activation of the bonus damage.

Smash to Win! Level 16 Talent Spin to Win! reduces the Armor of enemy Heroes by -10 for 4 seconds, stacking up to -30.

Gives Spin to Win! some really big, nasty teeth and encourages the player to land all three Spins.

Look Out Below! Level 16 Talent Landing on an enemy Hero stuns them for 1 second.

Paying homage to platformers everywhere, TLV can now jump on enemies’ heads.

The Sequel! Level 20 Talent Reduces the Cooldown of Longboat Raid! and Play Again! by 50%.

In a twist of fate, neither of TLV’s Heroics has a unique Storm talent, with The Sequel! serving as an upgrade to both. I did this for three reasons:

I’m kinda scared of the Rework’s Longboat. On paper it sounds reasonably balanced, but I know exactly how strong being able to summon all three Vikings to one location is, and adding that functionality alone has some pretty scary potential.

On paper it sounds reasonably balanced, but I know exactly how strong being able to summon all three Vikings to one location is, and adding that functionality alone has some pretty scary potential. Checkpoint Reached doesn’t really feel that useful. Every experienced TLV player I interviewed felt this way, always preferring to pick up Fury of the Storm instead.

Every experienced TLV player I interviewed felt this way, always preferring to pick up Fury of the Storm instead. The original form of The Sequel! was basically a poorer version of Play Again! Also Spirit Stones exists now as a method to reduce Death Timers.

Stoutness of the Storm Level 20 Talent Vikings with Stoutness evenly distribute 50% of damage taken. Damage will not be shared if it would be lethal to the recipient.

Stoutness of the Storm makes the Vikings significantly more durable against targeted attacks when grouped, helping them stay alive in the event of getting focused. However, they’re still as vulnerable as ever to AOE attacks.

The rune on Olaf’s shield is Inguz, for good health.

Fierceness of the Storm Level 20 Talent Fierceness increases damage by 1% for each 4% of Missing Health per Viking with Fierceness.

It’s important to note that the Missing Health of each Viking is calculated individually, but the damage bonus is shared. So for example, if all Vikings were missing 40% of their Maximum Health, Fierceness of the Storm would be providing a 30% damage bonus.

The rune on Baelog’s sword is Isa, for challenge.

Swiftness of the Storm Level 20 Talent Swiftness causes Basic Attacks to reduce the cooldown of Go, Go, Go! by 1 second and extend the duration of an active Go, Go, Go! by 0.3 seconds.

If you like Going Fast™, then Swiftness of the Storm should scratch that itch by practically guaranteeing that you’ll have Go, Go, Go! active at any given time - and by being able to extend it when it is.

The rune on Erik’s slingshot is Raido, for travel.