S2 Games is detailing the various character classes in Heroes of Newerth, and today we get a look at the Martryr. This guy is one heck of a support class, with most of his abilities based on how much damage he has taken. If his HP is low his lone offensive power deals a lot more punishment, but he can also absorb damage taken by teammates and even sacrifice his own HP to heal his entire team. If he dies while using this ability, his entire team gains speed and damage buffs. You don't often see classes that encourage sacrifice and selflessness; this is one concept I'd like to see in more team-based games,
Skill Set:
Retribution: Martyr deals 75/100/125/150 plus 1/2/3/4 time the percentage of Health he's missing in Magic Damage to the target. The target is slowed by the percentage of Health Martyr is missing, up to 50%, for 3 seconds.
Guardian Angel: Martyr passively reduces all incoming damage by .2/.3/.4/.5 times the percentage of Health he's missing. Martyr may cast Guardian Angel on an allied hero, redirecting 20/30/40/50% of the damage that hero receives to Martyr. If Martyr dies while Guardian Angel is on an allied hero, Martyr gains the same amount of experience that hero does for 30 seconds.
Sacrificial Lamb: Martyr may sacrifice 20% of his current health to heal nearby allies for 70/80/90/100% of that amount. If Martyr dies, nearby allies gain Attack Speed and Movement Speed for 10 seconds.
Hand in Hand: Martyr targets an allied hero, and sets both of their Health percentages equal to the higher of the two. The healing effect takes place over 1.5 seconds, during which Martyr must channel to maintain the healing.
Playstyle and Guide:
Martyr is all about clutch damage output and clutch saves. In the early phase, it's not necessarily a bad thing to be at low health, as it results in higher damage Retribution casts. That said, do not be afraid to trade blows with your lane opponents early. Damage they do to you might actually help you kill them. Guardian Angel also gives you added damage reduction while your health is low, so brinkmanship will be the name of the game. Keep yourself low, but not so low that you'll instantly die, and kite in and out with Retribution casts for harassment.
The mid-game phase is all about being with your team, casting Guardian Angel on an ally that enemies are focusing, and making clutch saves – on both yourself and allies – with Hand in Hand. Hand in Hand, if used correctly, can really throw off enemies with a massive health swing in healing one of your team's heroes. Use that to your advantage, baiting aggression and then casting your ultimate to make light of their work.
During the late game, keep your carry protected with Guardian Angel. There are a couple ways to support your team later in the game. If you have a good amount of farm, which you should get health items and an Astrolabe with, stay in the middle of the fray and use Sacrificial Lamb to be an epicenter of healing. Use Guardian Angel to keep allies alive, and toss out Retributions at the enemy squishies. If you find yourself very much behind on farm, then stay in the back and be a huge emergency heal for your carry. And remember, if you die after casting all of your spells, it's not the end of the world- you'll give a buff to your allies and continue to gain experience.
