Heroes of the Storm is approaching its fifth anniversary, marking half-a-decade of crossover MOBA action.
While you’ve got various roles present across the Heroes of the Storm roster, with supports, healers, bruisers, tanks, etc, this HotS tier list ranks the heroes by their strength in the meta at the time of writing.
These rankings are made up of five tiers, running from the lowest tier to the highest tier: D, C, B, A, S.
Below, you’ll find what these tier classes mean as well as tables hosting the Heroes of the Storm tier list for each tier level.
What the HotS tier classes mean
This HotS tier list is segmented into classes with S being the highest tier and D being the lowest tier.
Of course, most people will want to play as S or A tier heroes because they’ve proven to be the most effective in the meta.
However, those in tiers B, C, and even D can still be usable if you have a particular affinity for the hero and their optimal style of play.
In the sections and tables below, the heroes have been sorted by tier, and their roles have also been detailed so that you know how best to utilise the character.
Heroes of the Storm: S Tier Heroes
This is the top tier of heroes in HotS, starring three heroes which are seldom used purely because of how often they’re being banned in games.
Deathwing and Kael’thas have been in the S Tier for some time, but Xul has rocketed into the upper echelons of the game, being banned in nearly as many contests as Deathwing.
However, since clocking the absurd increases which came with Xul’s health boosts, the developers have decided to nerf the Cryptic Necromancer, cutting his health from 2200 to 2080 and his health regeneration from 4.58 to 4.33, per the 14 April live patch notes.
As such, Xul might tumble down the tiers over the next couple of weeks. That said, players are finding such an inordinate amount of success with Xul that he might just be able to retain a high ranking.
| Hero | Role | Tier | Description |
| Deathwing | Bruiser | Tier S | Perhaps the optimum choice in a team fight, Deathwing boasts a great deal of armour and health, as well as slow yet mighty abilities. |
| Kael’thas | Ranged Assassin | Tier S | The key to Kael’thas is the Living Bombs, which can be used to dictate enemy movement and formations. |
| Xul | Bruiser | Tier S | With a health boost, Xul’s lack of mobility is more than compensated by his mighty lane push – particularly in the smaller Battlegrounds. |
Heroes of the Storm: A Tier Heroes
An almighty batch of heroes, the A Tier in Heroes of the Storm boasts a wide variety of heroes, roles, and playing difficulties.
As you’ll see, there are plenty of tanks and ranged assassins in the A Tier, including favourites like Johanna and Garrosh.
| Hero | Role | Tier | Description |
| Ana | Healer | Tier A | The range of Ana makes her a very useful healer. |
| Anduin | Healer | Tier A | The key to Anduin being such a strong healer is his sustained healing and ability to save allies. |
| Blaze | Tank | Tier A | Blaze is a mighty choice for a tank as he can sustain a great deal and is surprisingly mobile. |
| Chen | Bruiser | Tier A | Chen is both hard to kill and capable of dominating low-mobility opponents. |
| Dehaka | Bruiser | Tier A | Dehaka boasts superb wave-clear and very powerful self-healing on-demand. |
| E.T.C | Tank | Tier A | One of the more versatile tanks in HotS, E.T.C fits into just about any team. |
| Garrosh | Tank | Tier A | Garrosh is a one-hero frontline, perfect for crowd control and eliminating lonely foes. |
| Gul’dan | Ranged Assassin | Tier A | While it takes a bit of getting used to the health-mana relationship, his area of effect damage and mighty sustain makes him a top-tier hero. |
| Hanzo | Ranged Assassin | Tier A | Hanzo’s very potent from long range and is one of the best choices if you want to dole some early poke damage. |
| Imperius | Bruiser | Tier A | Imperius is incredibly strong in one-vs-one situations, making him perfect to lead the charge. |
| Johanna | Tank | Tier A | Johanna has become a favoured tank for many thanks to her wave-clear and incredible resilience. |
| Lunara | Ranged Assassin | Tier A | Lunara’s poison, which deals high sustained damage, can be invaluable. |
| Raynor | Ranged Assassin | Tier A | Raynor is one of the more durable ranged assassins in HotS and boasts decent and ranged basic attacks. |
| Fenix | Ranged Assassin | Tier A | With the ability to deal poke damage, trade with some of the best, and self-sustain, Fenix is a reliable choice. |
| Leoric | Bruiser | Tier A | Leoric specialises in cutting down tanky teams and heroes with high health. |
| Malfurion | Healer | Tier A | Malfurion’s healing abilities are sound, but he also has a sinister side, being able to lock down his foes. |
| Muradin | Tank | Tier A | Muradin is one of the most well-rounded and flexible tanks in HotS. |
| Tychus | Ranged Assassin | Tier A | Tychus can kite effectively and wave-clear, making him a top-class Ranged Assassin. |
Heroes of the Storm: B Tier Heroes
The B Tier class of heroes in HotS is filled with fan-favourites, many of which have proven to be very effective when used correctly. So, while not quite A Tier, there’s still quality to be found in this set of heroes.
In fact, in recent times, Li-Ming has been a very popular choice, as has Diablo.
| Hero | Role | Tier | Description |
| Abathur | Support | Tier B | In the right setting, Abathur’s unique play style puts the Evolution Master way above its peers. |
| Alarak | Melee Assassin | Tier B | Alarak is highly-rated melee assassin and best used while roaming with the team. |
| Alexstrasza | Healer | Tier B | With sustained healing abilities and strong point control, Alexstrasza is a decent choice for a healer. |
| Anub’arak | Tank | Tier B | Anub’arak’s abilities allow him to interrupt and perform crowd control at range. |
| Arthas | Tank | Tier B | Arthas deals much more damage than most other tanks and even has decent self-sustain. |
| Auriel | Healer | Tier B | Auriel needs a partner to supply her with plenty of energy, but if this happens, Auriel can be an excellent healer. |
| Cassia | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | Somewhat of a niche choice, Cassia can poke, wave-clear, and can sustain basic attacks whenever on the move. |
| Deckard | Healer | Tier B | Deckard’s strengths are in debuffing, zoning, and, of course, healing. |
| Diablo | Tank | Tier B | The trick with Diablo is to go all-in, where his combo potential can cause the most havoc. |
| Falstad | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | Falstad can deal burst damage when you want, is versatile in all situations, and can fly around to control the map. |
| Genji | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | Genji is strong in the initiation, deals plenty of damage, and is very mobile. |
| Greymane | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | With an ability to deal decent poke damage and absurd amounts of burst damage, Greymane is solid all-rounder. |
| Jaina | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | If you enjoy chucking around some slowing effects, Jaina is a great choice. |
| Junkrat | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | Area denial and dealing poke damage is the name of the game for Junkrat – few can contend with him in this regard. |
| Kerrigan | Melee Assassin | Tier B | Kerrigan is a very one-dimensional, all-in melee assassin, but can be extremely potent when used right. |
| Li Li | Healer | Tier B | For a healer, Li Li can deal a great deal of damage and can become very mobile. |
| Li-Ming | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | Li-Ming is one of the finest in HotS at dealing poke damage, but can also siege with the best. |
| Lúcio | Healer | Tier B | While area sustained healing is Lúcio’s primary function, his gifting of move speed is a real treat. |
| Maiev | Melee Assassin | Tier B | Maiev is a top choice if you enjoy teeing up your team, especially alongside allies with powerful area of effect damage. |
| Mal’ganis | Tank | Tier B | Mal’ganis boasts strong survivability, thrives at disrupting enemies, and is a self-sustaining tank. |
| Malthael | Bruiser | Tier B | A self-sustaining bruiser, Malthael is in his element when faced with high-health enemies. |
| Mephisto | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | If you fancy being the one who puts pressure on the enemy, Mephisto is a great choice. |
| Orphea | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | Orphea is top-class at duelling, dealing damage, and has decent sustain. |
| Qhira | Melee Assassin | Tier B | An incredibly mobile melee assassin, Qhira’s high damage output makes her a potent weapon. |
| Ragnaros | Bruiser | Tier B | If Ragnaros’ burst damage and ability to wave-clear weren’t enough, the Firelord is also very good at defending a push. |
| Rehgar | Healer | Tier B | While not the best in regards of healing power, Rehgar is uniquely strong in attack and is very mobile. |
| Rexxar | Bruiser | Tier B | Rexxar is an almighty solo-laner and is especially strong on Braxis Holdout and Volskaya. |
| Stitches | Tank | Tier B | Hooks are the name of the game with the abomination that is Stitches. It also boasts a tremendous amount of health. |
| Stukov | Healer | Tier B | Tedious to play against but a welcome addition to any team, Stukov is decent healer who can deal a great amount of disruption from range. |
| Sonya | Bruiser | Tier B | Sonya is all about dealing damage, with solo-laner gameplay possible thanks to her sustain. |
| Sylvanas | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | Incredible mobility and high sustained damage make Sylvanas a strong choice for a team’s backline. |
| Thrall | Bruiser | Tier B | Great in crowd control and as a solo-laner, the main downside to Thrall is that the hero is targeted by opponents very quickly. |
| Uther | Healer | Tier B | Uther’s burst healing is superb, and he’s among a small class of heroes that can lock down a foe for over two seconds. |
| Whitemane | Healer | Tier B | Whitemane is a very flexible healer, with the added perks of being able to deal out disruption and debuffs. |
| Yrel | Bruiser | Tier B | While listed as a bruiser, Yrel is a very versatile character in HotS, being playable as either a bruiser or a tank. |
| Zarya | Support | Tier B | While Zarya is very dependent on her energy, she doesn’t require mana, offers a lot of protection against burst damage, and her basic attacks can damage multiple enemies. |
| Zeratul | Melee Assassin | Tier B | Zeratul is a sneaky and mobile character, moving in stealth when out of combat and able to deliver high burst damage. |
| Zul’jin | Ranged Assassin | Tier B | Zul’jin is a high learning curve hero, but the Warlord of the Amani is flexible and can fit into many different team builds. |
Heroes of the Storm: C Tier Heroes
Overall, the heroes that feature in the C Tier of HotS are weaker than those above. However, when played correctly and with nuance, there are a few gems in here.
Varian, in particular, is still a popular choice and credited with a decent win percentage in the meta, while Valla also has a significant number of users.
Also of note is the hero Tassadar. The Saviour of the Templar received some tweaks in the 14 April live patch.
While Xul was seemingly nerfed, Tassadar was reworked from being one of the few remaining support heroes into a ranged assassin who the developers claim to be similar to Kael’thas and Gul’dan.
How the community takes to the new ranged assassin version of Tassadar is yet to be seen, but the hero may yet be worthy of a promotion up the HotS tier list.
| Hero | Role | Tier | Description |
| Artanis | Bruiser | Tier C | Artanis’ strengths are in their great sustain and ability to become incredibly hard to kill once their health drops below 75 per cent. |
| Azmodan | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | Azmodan is among the elite-level heroes when it comes to wave clearing and sieging. |
| Brightwing | Healer | Tier C | Not the most potent healer, but Brightwing’s global travel is still very useful. |
| Chromie | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | Chromie boasts a considerable amount of range, superb poke, and deals out a high amount of burst damage. |
| D.Va | Bruiser | Tier C | Not only can D.Va cause a great deal of disruption, but she is also very hard to kill. |
| Illidan | Melee Assassin | Tier C | Players hate having a skilful Illidan on their backs as the Betrayer is mobile, is a superb duellist, and all but impossible to escape. |
| Kharazim | Healer | Tier C | Kharazim is flexible, capable of healing teammates through melee combat, and can increase his own movement speed. |
| Kel’thuzad | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | If Kel’thuzad can lockdown a foe, he’ll obliterate them with burst damage and mighty combos. |
| Lt. Morales | Healer | Tier C | Lt. Morales is rather one dimensional, and while she isn’t mobile, her focussed heals are very powerful. |
| Medivh | Support | Tier C | Medivh boasts a huge amount of utility and is very versatile, but does take a lot of experience to perfect. |
| Nazeebo | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | Nazeebo deals some superb poke damage and tremendously high sustained damage, making him sound in the late game. |
| Nova | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | In stealth while not in combat, great burst damage, and great ability and basic attack range: but Nova is very much a niche hero. |
| Samuro | Melee Assassin | Tier C | Samuro’s strength is in being difficult to kill as he can make copies of himself. |
| Sgt. Hammer | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | While she does boast decent poke, superb wave clear, and great siege damage, Sgt. Hammer relies on being protected. |
| Tassadar | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | Recently reworked from a support into a ranged assassin, Tassadar boasts some new abilities and a transformed talent tree. |
| The Lost Vikings (TLV) | Support | Tier C | Comprised of Erik, Baleog, and Olaf, TLV are very good at putting pressure on multiple lanes. |
| Tracer | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | Users of Tracer utilise her mobility to pick off stragglers, especially as she can perform basic attacks while on the move. |
| Tyrael | Tank | Tier C | Decent at securing areas using shields, Tyrael is best deployed when fighting for bosses. |
| Tyrande | Healer | Tier C | Tyrande is a coveted healer among some, but mastering the hero can be difficult. |
| Valeera | Melee Assassin | Tier C | Valeera is known as an anti-assassin, and while she can attack targets in the backline, help from teammates if often required to finish the job. |
| Valla | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | Valla remains a popular choice in HotS as she’s versatile, strong in all phases, and boasts very high area of effect and single-target damage. |
| Varian | Bruiser | Tier C | Varian boasts lofty basic attack damage and is very flexible, playing as a bruiser or a tank – making him a popular choice in HotS. |
| Zagara | Ranged Assassin | Tier C | Perhaps Zagara’s best asset is Creep Tumour, which offers a great deal of vision across the whole map. |
Heroes of the Storm: D Tier Heroes
The D tier of the Heroes of the Storm Tier List is the very bottom, currently only featuring five heroes.
While each of these heroes does have some perks, they are mostly considered to require a lot of work and near-perfect play to make them useful.
| Hero | Role | Tier | Description |
| Cho’gall | Tank/Ranged Assassin | Tier D | Two players control Cho’gall, with Cho being the tank which controls movement, and Gall being the ranged assassin/turret. |
| Gazlowe | Melee Assassin | Tier D | Gazlowe requires a lot of set-up, has limited survivability, but boasts incredible zoning potential. |
| Murky | Melee Assassin | Tier D | Murky does have some fans thanks to his late-game presence, but the Baby Murloc is absurdly fragile. |
| Probius | Ranged Assassin | Tier D | Probius is fragile and requires time to set-up, but does deal high burst damage. |
| The Butcher | Melee Assassin | Tier D | The Butcher is weak from the get-go and can easily be negated by players who know its weaknesses. |
Of course, the best way to play Heroes of the Storm is to gain plenty of experience as heroes that you enjoy using and that suit your preferred playing style.
In the current meta, though, this is how the 2020 Heroes of the Storm Tier List stands.
