Heroes of the Storm spotlight shines on The Butcher

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I don't remember the first time I heard the words "Fresh meat!" but I recall very well my reaction: Running like a terrified fool through the catacombs beneath Tristram, trying desperately to get away from the hulking goon with a cleaver called The Butcher. Even now, hearing it gives me the chills. And they are multiplying.

The Butcher as he appears in Heroes of the Storm is quite a bit more dynamic than he is in Diablo. He's still a "brutal melee assassin," but as befits the game, his hack-and-slash ways have been refined with three primary abilities—Hamstring, Ruthless Onslaught, and Butcher's Brand—and two heroic abilities: Furnace Blast. a devastating eruption of fire centered on the demon, and Lamb to the Slaughter, which briefly chains the nearest opposing hero to a post.

The Butcher's attack damage is boosted permanently (or at least, until he dies) by "fresh meat" dropped by dead enemies. Because of this, acquiring as much fresh meat as possible during the early stages of the game is a top priority, but it can also leave him seriously disadvantaged if he goes down at an inopportune time.

The Heroes of the Storm Eternal Conflict is live now. Find out what's coming at Battle.net.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.