Overview

Kerrigan : AA Burst Kerrigan Sharpened Blades Impaling Blades deals 25% more damage. Clean Kill If Ravage kills the target, it restores 75% of its Mana cost and increases the damage of your next Ravage by 25%. Bladed Momentum Basic Attacks reduce your Basic Ability cooldowns by 0.6 seconds. Maelstrom Deals 82 damage per second to nearby enemies. Lasts for 7 seconds. Double Strike When your Basic Abilities damage an enemy, your next Basic Attack hits for 75% bonus damage. Aggressive Defense Increases base Shield amount gained from Assimilation by 100%. Nexus Blades Basic Attacks deal 20% more damage and slow enemy Movement Speed by 20% for 1 second.

Talent Breakdown

Level 1

Siphoning Impact (Q) (Situational)

If the targeted enemy dies within 1.5 seconds, Kerrigan heals for 10% of her maximum Health.

If the targeted enemy dies within 1.5 seconds, Kerrigan heals for 10% of her maximum Health.

Sharpened Blades (W) (Recommended)

Impaling Blades deals 25% more damage.



Impaling Blades deals 25% more damage.

Block (Situational)

Every 5 seconds, gain 75 Physical Armor against the next Hero Basic Attack, reducing the damage taken by 75%. Stores up to 2 charges.

Every 5 seconds, gain 75 Physical Armor against the next Hero Basic Attack, reducing the damage taken by 75%. Stores up to 2 charges.

Level 4

Clean Kill (Q) (Recommended)

If Ravage kills the target, it restores 75% of its Mana cost and increases the damage of your next Ravage by 25%.

If Ravage kills the target, it restores 75% of its Mana cost and increases the damage of your next Ravage by 25%.

Psionic Pulse (E) (Not recommended)

After casting Primal Grasp, deal 36 (+4% per level) damage per second to nearby enemies. Lasts 5 seconds.

After casting Primal Grasp, deal 36 (+4% per level) damage per second to nearby enemies. Lasts 5 seconds.

Fury of the Swarm (Situational)

Basic Attacks splash for 60% damage around the target.



Basic Attacks splash for 60% damage around the target.

Envenom (Not recommended)

Cooldown: 60 seconds

Active: Activate to poison an enemy Hero, dealing 352 (+4% per level) damage over 10 seconds. 60 secondsActivate to poison an enemy Hero, dealing 352 (+4% per level) damage over 10 seconds.

Level 7

Blade Torrent (W) (Not recommended)

Increases Impaling Blades' radius by 30%.



Increases Impaling Blades' radius by 30%.

Assimilation Mastery (Trait) (Situational)

Increases the duration of Assimilation by 100%. While Assimilation Shields are active your Health and Mana regeneration is increased by 100%.

Increases the duration of Assimilation by 100%. While Assimilation Shields are active your Health and Mana regeneration is increased by 100%.

Bladed Momentum (Situational)

Basic Attacks reduce your Basic Ability cooldowns by 0.6 seconds.



Basic Attacks reduce your Basic Ability cooldowns by 0.6 seconds.

The aim of this post is to fully explain the purpose and effect of this build, as well as provide insight into each of the talent choices and possible alternatives (no build is universally perfect, after all). First, I will attempt to break down each talent tier, with explanations of each available option and the viability of each within the context of this playstyle. Once there is a greater understanding of the build itself, I will get into the nitty-gritty of what exactly this does, where the benefit is, and how one might play it.Let's start off with what the baseline build is.Now, let's take a look at what our options actually are, and potential alternatives to the static build listed above.Siphoning Impact can be extremely beneficial on certain maps such as Infernal Shrines, where we are able to consistently use the minions in the map objective to sustain ourselves/dive in and out of fights. It also provides a major benefit to our sustain in the laning phase, increasing our potency as a solo laner. You are losing a noticeable chunk of burst damage in not taking Sharpened Blades, however. Take this only if you know you will need the sustain (read: Sonya is a douche).Given this is the only talent on this tier that gives us a bonus to our damage, it is the default choice to increase our burst. If extra survivability is needed, this talent is not an absolute necessity, though we will certainly feel the difference in burst throughout the game.Block is the recommended talent in situations where a) you are concerned you will be killed too quickly to make an impact, and b) The enemy has a roster that makes it relevant (Butcher, Raynor, Nova). Be aware of the enemy composition, and adjust accordingly.Our go-to talent for this tier, It has the dual benefit of a direct damage boost on our burst combo as well as turning Ravage into an extremely effective waveclearing tool, even more so with our level 13 talent, Double Strike. Taking Assimilation Mastery at level 7 means this spell costs virtually no mana to use, provided you kill the target.While the AOE damage is not terrible on this ability, Fury of the Swarm tends to do a better job. In addition, the burst against our primary target is noticeably reduced in taking this. Not recommended.If you can find opportunities where clumped enemies are common, this is a perfectly viable alternative to Clean Kill. It is just as potent in the waveclear department, and what it loses in single target damage, it more than makes up for in AOE. Synergizes well with Double Strike at level 13.Once upon a time, Envenom was the go-to talent in most trees that it was found in. These days, however, it is not only gone from everybody but Kerrigan, it also takes twice as long to inflict the same amount of damage that is used to. Ten seconds is far too long for it to be viable in any burst build, if ever. Not recommended.Blade Torrent makes landing your Impaling Blades much easier, potentially even snagging a second target in the process. It is a viable crutch if you are still getting used to the combo and how to properly land it. However, you are also sacrificing a large boost to the frequency at which you can combo, or a large boost to your sustain. Sacrificing either of those options makes this a hard sell.By level 7, you should have at least some idea of whether or not you are going to need more sustain. This talent lets you get back into (and stay in) the fight longer thanks to the regen it provides, as well as giving you the means to build up a shield prior to a fight, thanks to the duration increase. You do, however, give up the potent (and synergized) alternative of Bladed Momentum. Pairs very well with Aggressive Defense at level 16.

If you decide you can do without the added sustain and want to keep the pressure on your enemy more consistently, Bladed Momentum is the way to go. It gets your combo off cooldown more quickly, with that reduction being even further empowered by your level 13 talent, Double Strike.

Level 10

Maelstrom (R1) (Recommended)

Deals 74 damage per second to nearby enemies. Lasts for 7 seconds.



Deals 74 damage per second to nearby enemies. Lasts for 7 seconds.

Summon Ultralisk (R2) (Never, ever recommended)

Summon an Ultralisk that attacks the target to deal 100 damage. Attacks splash to nearby enemies for 50% damage. Can reactivate the Ability to retarget the Ultralisk. Lasts for 20 seconds. Summon an Ultralisk that attacks the target to deal 100 damage. Attacks splash to nearby enemies for 50% damage. Can reactivate the Ability to retarget the Ultralisk. Lasts for 20 seconds.

Honestly, this heroic isn't incredible. The level 20 talent (Omegastorm) does change this from a mediocre extra button, to a potent defensive tool. It is, however, considerably better than Ultralisk. More sustain, aoe (with almost as much damage to each target as Ultralisk does to one). Don't pick Ultralisk, kids.

I just told you. DON'T PICK ULTRALISK, GOSH DARNIT.

Level 13

Eviscerate (Q) (Never Recommended)

Increases Ravage's range by 40%.



Increases Ravage's range by 40%.

Double Strike (MANDATORY)

When your Basic Abilities damage an enemy, your next Basic Attack hits for 75% bonus damage.

When your Basic Abilities damage an enemy, your next Basic Attack hits for 75% bonus damage.

Queen's Rush (Never recommended)

Cooldown: 50 seconds

Active: Activate to increase your Movement Speed by 30% for 4 seconds. Queen's Rush is also applied for free on Takedowns. 50 secondsActivate to increase your Movement Speed by 30% for 4 seconds. Queen's Rush is also applied for free on Takedowns.

Level 16

Aggressive Defense (Trait) (Recommended)

Increases base Shield amount gained from Assimilation by 100%.



Increases base Shield amount gained from Assimilation by 100%.

Essence for Essence (Situational)

Cooldown: 60 seconds

Active: Activate to deal 10% of target enemy Hero's Max Health and gain Assimilation Shields for twice that amount. Cooldown: 60 secondsActivate to deal 10% of target enemy Hero's Max Health and gain Assimilation Shields for twice that amount.

Overdrive (Situational)

Cooldown: 25 seconds

Active: Activate to increase Spell Power by 25% and Mana costs by 40% for 5 seconds.

25 secondsActivate to increase Spell Power by 25% and Mana costs by 40% for 5 seconds.

Level 20

Omegastorm (R1) (Situational)

Maelstrom size increased by 25% . Amount of Assimilation Shields generated by Maelstrom increased by 100%.

Maelstrom size increased by 25% . Amount of Assimilation Shields generated by Maelstrom increased by 100%.

Torrasque (R2) (No.)

The Ultralisk morphs into an egg when it dies. If the egg isn't killed within 4 seconds, a new Ultralisk is born.

The Ultralisk morphs into an egg when it dies. If the egg isn't killed within 4 seconds, a new Ultralisk is born.

Nexus Blades (Recommended)

Basic Attacks deal 20% more damage and slow enemy Movement Speed by 20% for 1 second.

Basic Attacks deal 20% more damage and slow enemy Movement Speed by 20% for 1 second.

Psionic Shift (Situational)

Cooldown: 70 seconds

Active: Activate to teleport to a nearby location and deal 50 (+4% per level) damage to enemies in the area. Generates 300% increased Assimilation Shields from the damage dealt. 70 secondsActivate to teleport to a nearby location and deal 50 (+4% per level) damage to enemies in the area. Generates 300% increased Assimilation Shields from the damage dealt.

How it Plays

Early Game (Levels 1-7)

A note on Ravage/Clean Kill Trading

Early-Mid Game (Levels 8-12)

Mid-Late Game (Levels 13+)

A Note on Level 20

For the Swarm!

It's not Double Strike. Don't pick it.This talent is literally the reason this build exists. Thanks to the way it functions (causing a second basic attack at 75% damage), it triggers many of your previous and future talents twice, effectively doubling their potency. If you don't pick it, the build doesn't function. This is a mandatory pick for the build.It's not Double Strike. Don't pick it.This is going to be your primary survival tool. At this point in the game, there will be damage flying everywhere. Having these extra shields certainly won't let you beat the damage being put out by your opponents, but it will help you to survive a bit longer, and hopefully secure another kill or two. In most situations, this is the way to go. Pairs extremely well with Assimilation Mastery at level 7, allowing you to quickly stack your shield prior to teamfights, giving you nearly double your normal health pool going into the fight at max shields.This is more or less a hybrid between Aggressive Defense's beefiness, and Overdrive's burst. It will give you a bit of extra damage, as well as a shield. However, given our targets are supposed to be the squishy and low-hp, the effectiveness of every aspect of this spell is mitigated. If you choose this talent, think of it more like a defensive cooldown, where you can get an immediate shield from a large target, and only use it as a finisher if you have run out of other options. Over the course of a fight, however, Aggressive Defence tends to provide far more shielding overall.This is our "greedy" option. It fits in nicely with our build direction, as it will add a decent boost to the spells in our burst combo. With that said, it also means we have extremely little in the way of survival, and will be far more likely to be bursted down after one spell rotation. Our spells are also not our primary source of damage, thus why other spell damage boosts have not been considered vital in any of the tiers. Overall, pick this talent at your own peril. It's flashy, it's bursty, and it's damn risky.If Aggressive Defense wasn't enough to keep you alive, or if you took Overdrive and now you are getting deleted, this may be the way to go. Overall, this talent essentially just makes your heroic a defensive cooldown.Why are you even looking at this? If you took Ultralisk to make this a possible choice to begin with... well. I'm not mad at you. I'm just disappointed.Due to the way Double Strike functions (it counts as two basic attacks instead of one), this buffs not only our regular attacks, but it also buffs the effect of Double Strike by 20% as well. As a result, taking this causes a significant increase to both our burst and our sustained damage. The slow is also nice for getting that final AA or two to finish off the target. Despite this, it is important to realize that you sacrifice a very large mobility talent (Psionic Shift) and a major buff to your sustain (Omegastorm). This is the ideal talent choice, but it cannot be justified 100% of the time.While this does provide a small shield when used offensively, the value of this spell comes from the positioning/escape potential it provides. A notable weakness of Kerrigan lies in her lack of escape tools. Taking this talent provides you with both a means of getting out of a fight, or repositioning during one in order to better dish out your damage. It is not as potent a defensive tool as Omegastorm, however, nor does it provide anywhere near the damage of Nexus Blades.Your goal in the early game is very simple. Soak. Whether you are solo laning or moving with your team (you are capable of both, adapt to what your team needs), the fact is that your power spike is not going to hit until level 13. As such, you must be careful how you trade, and be aware that overextending is not going to end well, most of the time. Play it safe, wait for opportunities like ganks and incredible Stitches pulls from your best bud. Above all, just make sure you are powering through the levels as quickly as you can.Level 4 is going to be the point at which you can begin to trade with your opponent, especially if you chose Clean Kill as your level 4 talent. Your aim at this point should be to keep at least one backline enemy minion at low health whenever possible, as this enables you to leap first to the minion, closing the gap between your opponent and you, as well as empowering your next Ravage cast. In addition, if you chose Siphoning Impact at level 1, you will gain 10% of your max HP back each time you do this. From here, do not cast empowered Ravage yet. Cast Primal Grasp/Impaling Blades combo if you are in a position to do so. Otherwise, simply continue auto-attacking until they either begin to flee, or fight back. If they flee, this is the time to use your next Ravage to re-close the distance, and put you in a prime spot to cast your combo, if you have not already done so. Otherwise, simply Ravage, AA, and walk away. Rinse and repeat this process as often as your health will allow, and you will become a very potent lane bully.At level 7, this is even further empowered by any of the talents you choose. Bladed Momentum will allow you to repeat this trade far more frequently, while Assimilation Mastery will provide you with the sustain to do the same over a longer period of time.At this stage, you are largely still doing the same thing you were before. Your power level has not significantly increased (though your trading potential is pretty solid in 1v1 scenarios), but the environment around you is still shifting nonetheless. As such, be ready for larger skirmishes, map objectives becoming more prominent, and other game-wide shifts. Once you hit level 10, you will have you heroic and will be more capable of staying in a fight beyond simply comboing your spells and waiting for cooldowns. Still, your primary focus should remain on getting that level 13 talent tier. That's when the fun begins.Here is where the facerolling potential comes in. You now have Double Strike (if you don't you're playing the wrong build), and your damage just spiked by nearly 50% if you combo your spells correctly. Laning phase is over, now, and aside from clearing waves where you can, your focus is almost entirely on roaming with your team, and picking off stragglers if you find the chance to do so. With even one ally, one successful combo is almost always going to kill any non-tank target before the stun from your W ends. If you don't know what the combo is, it is as follows.Pretty simple, huh? The difficulty comes in two different areas. One, perhaps the more obvious challenge, is landing your Primal Grasp/Impaling Blades. Not only do you need to position both spells properly, you also need to predict where your enemy is going to go. They may sidestep, they may keep running straight. Some crazy bastards might even run forward or hit you back just to trip you up. Study your opponents through the early game, and figure out what their patterns often are.The second difficulty is in knowing when to all-in, and when to duck out. This is more of a universal difficulty for most characters, but it is especially important to Kerrigan (especially pre-16). Kerrigan is squishy, as far as melee characters go. She can die almost as quickly as she can kill. If you choose to dive into the back line to perform this combo, you had better be prepared with backup, or an escape plan. Either that, or you should be doing it with the knowledge that you will take at least two down with you (which is quite doable, if you plan appropriately). A 2-for-1 trade is not a bad thing, provided you aren't the team's only real source of damage.The reason you don't weave an AA between Primal Grasp and Impaling Blades is because most often, doing so will result in a missed combo, causing significantly reduced damage and making that one AA a very poor tradeoff. In addition, Double Strike only activates on an ability damaging an enemy, not on casting an ability. So the effect will not kick in until after the combo, anyway.The talent you choose here will significantly alter the way you approach fights. If you chose Omegastorm, your ult will make you extremely beefy (even more so if you chose Aggressive Defense at level 16), and give you significant staying power in late-game fights. Do not be afraid to dive into the middle of the enemy team, provided your team is ready to back you up. Initiating is a strength of yours, at this point.If you took Nexus Blades, you are absolutely an assassin. Let somebody else on your team engage, and dive in only when the time is right. Your goal is to delete the squishy backline, and you excel in doing so, provided someone is in there soaking up damage for you.Finally, if you chose Psionic Shift, you are much more evasive. You can be more liberal with your engagements, as you have a means of getting out if you need to. It is also going to allow you more to more effectively assault other high-mobility characters, so keep that in mind.If you've made it this far through the text wall, you are a real trooper. I thank you so much for taking the time to read my breakdown of this build, and the rationale I have behind each decision. If you have any questions, concerns, feedback, or whatever else, please do leave a comment! I'm always open to adapting if there is a reason to do so, and aside from that, I just love the idea that I might have been able to help a fellow player in doing this.Until next time!Cirinian