
“ | Kneel before Kel'Thuzad!
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Kel'Thuzad is a Ranged Assassin Hero from the Warcraft franchise.[1]
Background[]
Kel'Thuzad has faithfully served the Lich King both in life and after death. Reanimated as the Archlich of the Scourge and given domain of the Dread Necropolis, Naxxramas, Kel’Thuzad remains Arthas’s most trusted advisor and master of the cold dark.
Archlich of Naxxramas, esteemed Lich Lord of the Plaguelands, Commander of the Dread Necropolis, Master and Founder of the Cult of the Damned, formerly of the Council of Six, Creator of the Abomination, Summoner of Archimonde the Defiler, Betrayer of Humanity, Hearthstone Enthusiast, and Majordomo to the Lich King, Kel’Thuzad.
Gameplay Summary[]
Kel'Thuzad is an Assassin with a gameplay that revolves around "combo abilities", in the same vein as characters like Kerrigan, Alarak and Kael'thas. He is capable of inflicting plenty of roots, slows and stun effects, as most of his abilities feature at least one form of crowd control.
His Trait, Master of the Cold Dark, grants him a massive powerspike once completed, allowing him to snowball the match if the quest is completed earlier. This makes Kel'Thuzad particularly valuable at participating in skirmishes, allowing him to complete the quest as soon as possible.
Overall, Kel'Thuzad fits in most team compositions, but excels in those with additional crowd control abilities that can synergize or complement his own, allowing him to unleash his true power.
Strengths[]
- Capable of setting up powerful crowd control chains.
- Powerful burst damage through his ability combos.
- Fits into most team composition, being able to adjusts his talents accordingly.
- Master of the Cold Dark allows Kel'Thuzad to increase his power, and snowball the match once the quest is completed.
- Death and Decay has extremely low cost and cooldown, being a versatile tool for waveclearing, poking and follow-up damage.
- Frost Nova can secure takedowns if used properly, combining damage and utility.
- Chains of Kel'Thuzad is a versatile, yet complex ability, that is the basis of Kel'Thuzad combos, capable of pulling enemies towards structures or each other.
- Frost Blast's explosions covers a large radius, and can incapacitate an entire group when well timed.
- Shadow Fissure is a very versatile Heroic Ability, as it has global range, very low cooldown, deals high damage, and is a powerful follow-up to Kel'Thuzad other abilities.
Weaknesses[]
- High skill ceiling, being difficult to master.
- Requires proper setup to deal effective damage.
- Most of his abilities have a delay before being cast, meaning the player must plan ahead so his enemies don't escape.
- Awful durability (even supports with low damage, like Lt. Morales and Rehgar can kill him).
- All his abilities (except for Frost Blast) are skillshots.
- Vulnerable to dives and Melee Assassins, especially given his limited options for defensive talents.
- Lacks self-peeling abilities to repel sticky opponents.
- Not very efficient at solo laning.
- Cannot deal well against opponents with high mobility, such as Tracer, that can easily dodge his skillshots.
- Frost Blast can be completely negated by specific abilities, such as Crystal Aegis or Ice Block.
Abilities[]

Mana: 20
Cooldown: 6 seconds
After 0.5 seconds, launch an orb that explodes upon hitting an enemy, dealing 150 (+4% per level) damage to enemies in the area. The explosion leaves behind a pool of decay that lasts 2 seconds, dealing 70 (+4% per level) damage every 0.5 seconds to enemies.

Mana: 50
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Create a nova that explodes after 1 second, dealing 212 (+4% per level) damage to enemies inside and Slowing them by 35% for 2.5 seconds. Enemies in the center are Rooted for 1 second.

Mana: 50
Cooldown: 12 seconds
Launch a chain, dealing 97 (+4% per level) damage to the first enemy Hero or Structure hit. For 4 seconds after hitting an enemy, Chains can be reactivated to launch to an additional enemy, pulling both enemies together and Stunning them for 0.5 seconds.
Traits[]

Quest: Gain 1 Blight every time a Hero is rooted by Frost Nova or Chains of Kel'Thuzad.
Reward: After gaining 15 Blight, the cooldown of all Basic Abilities is reduced by 2 seconds.
Reward: After gaining 30 Blight, gain 75% Spell Power.
Heroic Abilities[]

Tier 4 (Hero Level 10)
Mana: 60
Cooldown: 70 seconds
Launch a meteor of ice at an enemy Hero. Upon impact, the meteor deals 100 (+4% per level) damage to its target and 275 (+4% per level) damage to enemies in the area. All enemies hit by Frozen Tomb are Rooted for 1.5 seconds.

Tier 4 (Hero Level 10)
Mana: 60
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Create a fissure anywhere on the Battleground that explodes after 1.5 seconds, dealing 400 (+4% per level) damage to enemy Heroes in its area.
Talents[]
Tier 1, Hero Level 1[]

Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)
Increase Death and Decay’s duration by 1 second. After gaining 30 Blight, increase the radius of Death and Decay’s pool by 30%.

Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)
Frost Nova deals 50% more damage to enemies in the center. After gaining 30 Blight, increase Frost Nova’s Root duration by 0.5 seconds.

Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)
Increase Chains of Kel'Thuzad damage by 125%. After gaining 30 Blight, Chains of Kel’Thuzad reduces the Armor of pulled Heroes by 15 for 4 seconds.
Tier 2, Hero Level 4[]

Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)
Kel’Thuzad heals for 10% of all Spell Damage dealt while the Phylactery is charged.
Passive: Kel'Thuzad heals for 10% of all Spell Damage dealt while the Phylactery is charged. Quest: Collect 12 Regeneration Globes to charge Kel’Thuzad’s Phylactery.
Reward: Kel’Thuzad’s Phylactery can be activated while dead to immediately respawn at the Hall of Storms, but must be charged again.

Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)
Pulling a Hero with Chains of Kel'Thuzad grants Kel’Thuzad a permanent 120 Shield, stacking up to 2 times. Additionally, Chains of Kel’Thuzad deals up to 270 bonus damage to Shields.

Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)
Cooldown: 25 seconds
Activate to gain 50 Physical Armor for 4 seconds. Upon activation, nearby enemies take 45 damage and are Slowed by 35% for 4 seconds.
Tier 3, Hero Level 7[]

Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)
Every 8 seconds, Kel’Thuzad’s next Basic Attack hits nearby enemies, deals Spell damage instead of Physical, and Slows by 30% for 2 seconds.

Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)
Each time a Hero is hit by Death and Decay’s pool, they take 25% more periodic damage from Death and Decay for the next 4 seconds, stacking up to 6 times.

Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)
Cooldown: 30 seconds
Activate to create a spike that detonates after 4 seconds, dealing 60 (+4% per level) damage to nearby enemies. The spike can be affected by Chains of Kel'Thuzad.
Tier 4, Hero Level 10[]

Tier 4 (Hero Level 10)
Mana: 60
Cooldown: 70 seconds
Launch a meteor of ice at an enemy Hero. Upon impact, the meteor deals 100 (+4% per level) damage to its target and 275 (+4% per level) damage to enemies in the area. All enemies hit by Frozen Tomb are Rooted for 1.5 seconds.

Tier 4 (Hero Level 10)
Mana: 60
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Create a fissure anywhere on the Battleground that explodes after 1.5 seconds, dealing 400 (+4% per level) damage to enemy Heroes in its area.
Tier 5, Hero Level 13[]

Tier 5 (Hero Level 13)
After Chains of Kel’Thuzad’s Stun expires, targets are Slowed by 60% for 1 second.

Tier 5 (Hero Level 13)
Pulling two Heroes together with Chains of Kel'Thuzad reduces its cooldown by 4 seconds and refunds its Mana cost.
Tier 6, Hero Level 16[]

Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)
Stunning, Rooting, or Slowing a Hero grants 6% Spell Power for 10 seconds, stacking up to 5 times.

Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)
Enemies Rooted by Frost Nova take an additional 55 (+4% per level) damage each time they are damaged by Kel’Thuzad during the next 4 seconds.

Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)
Whenver Kel’Thuzad hits an enemy Hero with Death and Decay’s explosion, its cooldown is reduced by 1.25 seconds.
Tier 7, Hero Level 20[]

Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)
When Frost Blast’s Root expires, enemies are Slowed by 40% for 3 seconds. Heroes killed while under the effects of Frost Blast instantly release another Frost Blast explosion.

Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)
Hitting an enemy Hero with Shadow Fissure resets its cooldown.

Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)
Cooldown: 240 seconds
Activate to dash forward, dealing 150 damage to enemies in the path. Takedowns reset the cooldown of Shifting Malice.

Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)
Cooldown: 15 seconds
Activate to create a Shade of Naxxramas that lasts 15 seconds and mimics Kel’Thuzad’s casts of Death and Decay.
Talent Builds[]
- Death and Decay Build: focused on increasing Death and Decay's utility and damage through the key talents The Plaguelands and The Damned Returns. This build is recommended when additional sources of waveclear are required (such as in Tomb of the Spider Queen and Braxis Holdout).
- Frost Nova Build: focused on increasing Frost Nova burst damage potential through the key talents Shadow Fissure and Hungering Cold. This build is recommended when the allied team features plenty of crowd control sources to set up or follow up Kel'Thuzad's own sources of crowd control.
- Chains of Kel'Thuzad Build: focused on increasing Chains of Kel'Thuzad's utility and damage, allowing Kel'Thuzad to trade against more resilient Heroes thanks to Barbed Chains, as well those that can shield (such as Tassadar) thanks to Strip Shields.
Tips[]
- Focus on completing Master of the Cold Dark as soon as possible, even if the abilities don't manage to secure takedowns. The sooner it is completed, the faster Kel'Thuzad can snowball the rest of the match.
- Hitting opponents like Summoned Bosses (i.e. Dragon Knight and Garden Terror) or clones (Mirror Image, Ultimate Evolution) counts towards the quest completion.
- Kel'Thuzad's ideal combo should be: Chains of Kel'Thuzad > Frost Nova > Death and Decay.
- Depending on the Heroic Ability taken, the order changes:
- Chains of Kel'Thuzad > Frost Nova > Shadow Fissure > Death and Decay;
- Frost Blast > Chains of Kel'Thuzad > Frost Nova > Death and Decay.
- Additionally, if Glacial Spike is taken, it should be cast before Chains of Kel'Thuzad, depending on the situation (ideally so Kel'Thuzad can "pin" his opponents at the Glacial Spike).
- Depending on the Heroic Ability taken, the order changes:
- Try to use Death and Decay on cooldown; its low mana and cooldown allows for Kel'Thuzad to constantly poke his opponents and aid in waveclear.
- Pick your Frost Blast target wisely; ping your opponent so your team know who to focus.
- Additionally, avoid using it on opponents that can negate it, to prevent wasting the cooldown.
- Shadow Fissure's level 20 talent, Might of the Scourge, triggers the reset even when hitting opponents like Summoned Bosses (i.e. Dragon Knight and Garden Terror) or clones (Mirror Image, Ultimate Evolution).
Matchups[]
Pairings[]
Kel'Thuzad is at his best when paired with any Hero that can setup and/or follow-up his ability combos; such as those with reliable crowd control abilities. This makes completing Master of the Cold Dark much faster. Most Warriors work very well with Kel'Thuzad, as they are often packed with a kit focused on crowd control and very needed peel for Kel'Thuzad, as his low health and lack of escape makes him an easy target.
Effective against[]
While Kel'Thuzad becomes a threat to the entire enemy team once Master of the Cold Dark, he can be even more dangerous when capitalizing on Heroes with poor mobility and/or lack of spell damage mitigation. He also excels when fighting opponents that can summon clones, as they can "feed" him stacks of his trait, and become targets for Chains of Kel'Thuzad.
Effective foes[]
Kel'Thuzad's greatest weakness is the fact nearly all his abilities (except for Frost Blast) are skillshots that require pinpoint accuracy. Therefore, he performs poorly against Heroes with high mobility that can easily dodge his Abilities. Also, Kel'Thuzad's low health and lack of escape and self-peel makes him an easy target to gankers and divers, particularly Stealth-based Heroes.
Skins[]
- Archlich of Naxxramas (base)
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Archlich of Naxxramas | Northrend | Scourge | Blightlord ![]() |
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Naxxramas Kel'Thuzad ![]() |
- Star Lich
600
- What the heroes of this pitiful blue marble fail to understand is the Earth's fate cannot be delayed forever. In the end, the stars will fade and die, and in the cold dark... Our empire is eternal.
- This skin is related to the Eternal Empire themed-skins. Features altered voice-over and themed abilities.
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Star Lich | Eternal | Frost | Hunter |
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Neutron |
Development[]

An early model for Kel'Thuzad
Kel'Thuzad was under consideration for inclusion as early as 2011.[2] He was reguarly the most requested hero from players in censuses undertaken by Blizzard Entertainment.[3] His model was previewed at BlizzCon 2014.[1] Work began on him in January 2017.[4] The "paper design" phase ended on January 30, ahead of schedule.[5]
Kel'Thuzad's abilities are themed around frost and shadow magic, rather than necromancy.[4]
Trivia[]
- Similarly to Leoric's "Space Lord" skin, Kel'Thuzad's Star Lich skin is a satire to Darth Sidious from Star Wars. This is evident with the different voice lines that makes analogy to the series.
Patch changes[]
(Patch September 5, 2017) Note: Added.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 2015-11-08, Kel'Thuzad Model. Twitter, accessed on 2015-05-01
- ↑ 2001-10-23, BlizzCon 2011 - Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm and Blizzard DOTA - Art & Technology Panel (Full). YouTube, accessed on 2011-11-07
- ↑ 2017-09-10, Resurrecting Kel’Thuzad: Honoring a Legacy – Heroes of the Storm. YouTube, accessed on 2017-09-10
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 2017-08-24, GamesCom 2017 Heroes of the Storm Kel'Thuzad Interview. YouTube, accessed on 2017-08-26
- ↑ 2017-08-29, Resurrecting Kel’Thuzad: Paper to Pixel – Heroes of the Storm. YouTube, accessed on 2017-09-10