Thanks to everyone for making my weekly Tier Lists such  popular places. 

The Ranked Tier List and Quickmatch Tier List are both updated weekly.  It's a labour of love that on most weeks means taking a look at my game logs, analysing some stats sites and chatting with my Blizzard contacts to see if any Heroes deserve to be moved up or down.  

This week however.... holy Hannah in a handbasket.    I'm going to break down the changes as best I can with only about 24 hours to really digest them and then revamp the Tier List as soon as things settle out. 

Here goes...your input is appreciated and encouraged.  A huge thank you to Megna for helping go over all this information.  This is going to be long, so you might want to just jump to your favourite Heroes.   They are conveniently listed in alphabetical order.

Hero Changes: Sylvanas Patch

Abathur

What does this mean? 

Evolve Monstrosity now persists until killed, which is a rather large perk to a mostly unused skill.  You have to kill the bloody thing now or it will just continue to push the lane.   Ultimate Evolution is now stronger, but has a shorter duration.   Timing is even more critical than ever.  Good players will consider this a buff.   Poor players will consider it a nerf.  Which are you?

Azmodan

What does this mean?

Not much to see here.  Ridiculously long games will no longer have Azmodan roming around one-shotting things that he shouldn't be. 

Diablo

What does this mean?

It doesn't mean much.  Apolcalypse has a lower cooldown, but it is still a relatively weak ultimate.   Lightning Breath, though easier to use remains as viable as before.

E.T.C.

What does this mean?

E.T.C. the tank can now be more of a tank forgoing damage when he hits level 20.   Not a big change, but probably a good one.

Falstad

What does this mean?

Nothing is immediately a game breaker, though Falstad does now have a bit more survivability and a tiny bit more damage.

Jaina

What does this mean?

Jaina gets what appears to be a large buff.  Her damage is increased, not only by percentage, but against structures given her trait change.  Her new level 20 talent is a big win. I'm still not a huge fan, but I could be persuaded to play her.

Kerrigan

What does this mean?

Controlling the Ultralisk is a boon, but isn't game-changing.

Li Li

What does this mean?

Li Li's heals will no longer be wasted on decoys, etc.   Beneficial, but her ultimate is usually interrupted in Ranked Play anyway.

Murky

What does this mean?

Better regen is great, but low health is low health no matter how you look at it.  Pufferfish now casts faster.  Hoo-rah!  He's still a terrible Hero.  Avoid.

Nazeebo

What does this mean?

Poison damage reduced, but frog damage is increased.  The Gargantuan change is a buff, allowing the player to control the Gargantuan's stomp.   Ravenous Spirit loses some damage. Overall, Nazeebo got nerfed.  Just how hard he got nerfed remains open for debat.e

Raynor

What does this mean?

It doesn't mean much.  Raynor receives a small damange bonus.  Consider him buffed so lightly that he doesn't even gain a shine.

Sgt. Hammer

What does this mean?

The "tank" specialist isn't quite as tanky.   Frankly, I thought Hammer was over-tuned, so this probably brings her back into line.

Sonya

What does this mean?

No huge changes, but Sonya can now use defensive talents while spinning like a maniac.   Interrupting her still works.  She is still weak.

Stitches

What does this mean?

600 HP lost at level 20 over what the big had previously is nothing to sneeze at.  It's a nerf.  Vile gas is another nerf.  Putrid Bile got a boost, but not everyone chooses that ultimate.

Tassadar

What does this mean?

Force wall stunk....it's now better, but this isn't a game-changer.  It is however, much more useful.

The Lost Vikings

What does this mean?

No huge changes.  This Hero remains powerful.

Thrall

What does this mean?

You are healed! Healed! Healed!  Bursty damange and self-healing are up, but mana conservation will be key.   I see this as a huge buff for players who like to get in, hammer the opponent and get out.

Tychus

What does this mean?

It means nothing.  These are just ability renames.   It's the same Tychus.

Tyrande

What does this mean?

This is a pretty extensive rework.  It appears to be a buff, but I need to play her (and I don't enjoy playing Tyrande) to test it for myself.

Uther

What does this mean?

It's too early to tell.  This is a complete revamp.  Uther was a T1 support, but whether he stays there now or not is up in the air.   More on this when I can test it appropriately.   Your thoughts are appreciated and encouraged.

Valla

What does this mean?

Removing "unstoppable" from Vault is a nerf, but one that probably isn't game changing.  Over all this is pretty much status quo.

Zeratul

What does this mean?

Not a huge change, but "double bombers" will see some of their burst go away.

That's it for now.  I will update the list as I play out the Heroes more.  I encourage you to send me your thoughts, concerns and information to help flesh this out.

Thanks as always.  I truly appreciate your support!

Who's awesome? You're awesome!