Inspired by the release of the official Heroes of the Storm soundtrack, we started compiling unofficial playlists for each role in the game, starting with the game’s mighty Warriors; we moved on to their kind, gentler counterparts with Supports. Now, we’re on to Specialists. It can be hard to define what makes a Specialist a Specialist, given how each of the different Heroes in this group brings their own unique flavor and style to the battlefield. But what makes them all . . . err, special . . . is that they can manipulate the ebb and flow of battle in more complex, graceful ways than their counterparts (damage-dealing Assassins and armor-heavy Warriors).
So what do they all listen to? What’s Abathur pumping through his slimy space slug earbuds while pushing out one lane with locusts and simultaneously supporting his allies in a teamfight with his magical Zerg hat? Let’s find out.
Azmodan
Azmodan might not be the greatest evil in the Nexus—the number-one spot is taken by Prime Evil Diablo, of course. But “Azmodunk” is the undisputed Lord of the Court and has all the best trash talk. The Lord of Sin puts Steph Curry to shame with his long-ranged Globes of Annihilation. You only get to the top of the ladder with a lot of practice, of course, so how often do you think Azmodan does push-ups to the Quad City DJs?
Zagara
There was a lot of discussion internally over whether to use Radiohead’s or TLC’s “Creep” for the Overqueen of the Swarm. Ultimately we settled on the TLC track because of the tone of the song. While Radiohead’s is undoubtedly a classic, it’s also a song about the alienation and shame of being a social pariah. TLC’s Creep, on the other hand, is an empowering anthem about a woman taking back control of her love life from an unfaithful lover. Zagara is not ashamed of her monstrous nature; she takes control of her battlefield by laying down her own Creep—but she doesn’t even bother keeping it on the down low.
Sgt. Hammer
Those on the frontlines of the Terran army don’t always know the real reasons why they go to war . . . but whether she’s fighting for precious minerals, her home planet, or just another General’s leaderboard position, Sgt. Hammer turns up the Black Sabbath and rains down some hellfire.
Murky
Murky, to the tune of Yakety Sax:
“MRGLGRGLGLBRGRGL aurrrrrrrrruuuuggguglugglugglugluguaa rwlrwlrwlrwl—“
*Slaps The Butcher in the face with a fish.*
t—rwlrwlrwlrwl MRGLGRGLGLBRGRGL aurrrrrrrrruuuuggguglugglugglugluguaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
Sylvanas
Once the proud Ranger-General of Silvermoon, Sylvanas got really into eighties-style horror synth pop after she was slain by Arthas and began to dance with the dead.
Nazeebo
With his penchant for communing with otherworldly spirits, handling psychoactive toads, summoning spiders with his incantations, Nazeebo is easily the most mind-expanding hero in the Nexus. Can’t you just picture his Ravenous Spirit shredding a guitar solo?
Medivh
“I am the wise shape-shifter / and I am always there.” Medivh is the nosiest of specialists—hovering insistently above his enemies while they take mercenary camps, thwarting their every attempt to execute an ambush against his allies. He’s always there, the mystic spirit guide of any team comp he’s part of, flying on blackened wings.
Probius
Kraftwerk was one of the first bands to prove music could be funneled through mechanized devices, rather than traditional instruments, to produce true works of art. So too did Probius, the Probe with a soul, convince his bigger and more formidable-looking peers that even the tiniest and most mechanical of Protoss units can still boast overwhelming power.
We are the robots!
Gazlowe
Where others see a heaping pile of junk, Gazlowe sees opportunity. The Boss of Ratchet knows better than anyone else how to turn bits and ends of distended metal into a formidable killing machine, giving new meaning to the phrase “Crawling from the Wreckage” with his famously irritating turrets and gravity bombs.
Abathur
Abathur’s Symbiote is the most powerful hat to enter the Nexus, granting its wearer an extra layer of protection and damage to dish out against their enemies. Just make sure you give it back—the space slug can be very territorial.
The Lost Vikings
Erik, Baleog, and Olaf might
seem like three separate entities. And on one level, they are. But they’re also part of the same whole. No matter how many different lanes they split-push down, they always seem to end up back together as one at the end of the day—just Me, Myself, and I.
Xul
The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom
The Necromaster Xul can be one scary dude. Just like his Diablo counterpart, he summons skeletal warriors and zombie walls to take down his foes—and to keep him company, because being a brooding, dark anti-hero can get lonely sometimes. But he’s not without a sense of humor, which makes us think he’d love disco-funk in addition to communing with the undead.
Do you agree with our choices, or do you have other sweet bangers to suggest? Let us know what you think of the songs so far, and what you’d pick for the Assassin heroes coming up next week!
Rock on, heroes. We’ll see you all in the Nexus!
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