Moren: The Ranged Heavy Hitter

Build and Guide Moren: The Ranged Heavy Hitter


Items
Claves Sancti

Sonic Boots

Slikk's Sting

The Beast

Muramasa

Spear of Longinus

Talents
Disrupt

Purify

Heal

Introduction
Dwarfed in size by many other characters, Moren packs a lot of punch behind his stocky demeanor; mostly thanks to his gigantic 2-handed cannon. Call this a shotgun just like the man himself, but it doesn't really feel like one given the speed at which it fires later in the game. Yes, just like any other Ranged hero, Moren seeks to hit hard and fast. Break out those Attack Speed items, folks, it's meta time again.

A little fragile at times, playing Moren requires map and movement mastery, or nerves of steel. That last part comes into effect in the late game phase where Moren can essentially outlive a group of opponents through sheer Lifesteal alone. Frequent critical strikes and rapid attacks can often sap the life from your enemies quicker than they can burn through it – but you have be on top of your game to get the most from it.

Skills
Precision – Similar to a few other heroes, Moren accumulates stacks beneath his healthbar as attacks and abilities go off. On the fifth stack, the slate is wiped clean, refreshing Moren's Tactical Maneuver ability and granting him between 12-26% Lifesteal (based on level). What the tooltip doesn't mention, however, is that the resulting buff only lasts around 1-2 seconds – though the stacks stick around long enough to use tactically.

Tactical Maneuver – The 9 second cooldown of this ability doesn't mean much given how quickly it's reset through a full Precision stack. Upon activation, Moren gains a massive 40% Movement Speed increase, his next auto-attack hits twice, and he gains bonus Armor and Magic Defense for 5 seconds. The bonus defensive buffs can be stacked 7 times with repeat activation, or extended through additional auto-attacks, allowing for a max value of 490 available for as long as you can keep landing hits.

Impact Barrage – A control skill if anything, this conal AOE strike knocks back everything in its path, dishing out slight Physical damage when it does. Paired with Tactical Maneuver, it's a good way for Moren to escape if he isn't already surrounded. Skilled players can flank a target to knock them back into hazards – like the team, a tower, or his own ultimate.

Magnetic Storm – Lending itself to a combo with Impact Barrage, Moren's AOE ultimate causes a magnetic storm on the target location, damaging enemies caught within and slowing them significantly. Knock targets into this with Impact Barrage, and they'll be stunned for 1.5 seconds, leaving them wide-open for a shutdown.

Skill Order
Moren's high damage and fairly low survivability makes him a prime candidate for assassins like Zill and Butterfly. For that, it's best to focus on his core values – hard-hitting and frequent auto-attacks. Technical skillshots like an Impact Barrage into a Magnetic Storm are all well and good, but you'll be stepping into harms way in your attempt to line them up. The cooldown of Impact Barrage won't get any shorter through upgrades, either; it just doesn't stand out as part of a rotation and should only be seen as a strategic strike.

So, rather than banking on skillshots throughout the match, aim to rely on the benefits of Tactical Maneuver and Precision to launch consistent assaults. Once it's maxxed out, Impact Barrage can be powered up from then on – though Magnetic Storm will cap before then.

Talents
Disrupt – Although Moren excels as a mobile Jungler, his mobility and attack speed makes him great at knocking down towers. Equip him with Disrupt, and tower diving low-health heroes early on becomes a very viable strategy and a great way to snowball in those crucial opening moments.  Either save Disrupt to slaughter an unsuspecting defender beneath their own tower, or use it to crush the structure before it has a chance to fight back. This becomes easier as Moren becomes stronger. Roll in with max stacks for the best experience.

Purify – This one may seem a little unorthodox, but the benefits become apparent in the later in the game. Moren can control his opponents, sure, but when you're balancing the uptime of your buffs and micro-managing Precision stacks, aiming to lock a group of opponents into a well-aimed Magnetic Field is far trickier than simply gunning them down. Relying on Lifesteal and fast strikes to keep him alive in team fights, stuns are Moren's worst nightmare as they complete negate his main strategy. Arena of Valor heroes have control effects spewing out of them at all times, so having Purify handy when rolling into a larger skirmish can give you the time to bait their more dangerous openers and lead them into a false sense of security. If you're feeling confident, it could give you the time to line up that stun combo we talked about.

Heal – Never a bad choice, Heal may not do much for a late-game Moren that survives by drinking the essence of those he blasts, but it's a great way to keep your team fighting fit in a pinch. Unlike some other similar titles, receiving mutiple Heals doesn't diminish its effects, meaning more heroes packing a powerful arena-wide heal can greatly increase the odds of surviving a fight long enough to turn the tide of battle. With more high HP heroes on your side, the less you need to worry about your own chances of survival.

Items
Moren prides himself on hitting hard and fast, then makes the most of that talent by having it rip through armored enemies and convert that killing power back into his own healthpool.

A staple of hard-hitting AP heroes, Claves Sancti stands out with its massive 30% Critical Chance boon and low cost. Although Moren already enjoys speeding around the battlefield thanks to Tactical Maneuver, Claves Sancti further boosts his movement speed with each critical hit, allowing him greater freedom when it comes to chasing down a speedy foe. Sonic Boots, on the other hand, are seen as an early defensive choice, granting additional armor and reducing the damage he takes from auto-attacks, elongating the time he can spend fighting back.

Another staple of the role, Slikk's Sting comes in to further boost the damage of Moren's frequent Critical Hits, increasing their chance per hit, and speeding up the likelihood through Attack Speed alone. The Beast then comes along to grant the brunt of Moren's less time-based Lifesteal capabilities, drastically boosting his survivability in the late-game, and giving him a very easy way of regaining lost HP without having to teleport back to base after each fight.

Arcana
Attack Power takes full control of Moren's way of thinking when on the topic of Arcana. Newcomers with a limited Tier-1 selection will typically need to build a more robust Moren, with Purple and Green slots focusing on survivability stats like Lifesteal and Armor/Magic Defense due to a lack of variety despite the specific item build covering those stats in a similar fashion. If that sounds like you, Strength, Leech, and Willpower are your only options.

Moving into Tier-2 Arcana, and Moren goes on the offensive, earning Attack Damage from both the Red and Purple slots with Batter and Passion. These award substats in Attack Speed and Max HP respectively. Both will ultimately aid his survivability in similar ways once The Beast is picked up in battle. Ravage works much the same way, increased Moren's healthpool and increase his ability to siphon HP from bulkier targets.

If you're looking to main the stocky cannon master, costly Tier-3 Arcana can build him for maximum carnage. Indomitable, Assassinate, and Valiance are the recommended picks. You won't be looking at quite as much Attack Damage compared to a typical Tier-2 spread, but the massive gains in Max HP and overall speed should make up for it over time.

Those who want to embrace Moren's non-canon vampiric side, however, could stack Bloodlust and Rampage in the Red slots, Tyrant in Purple, and Valiance in Green.

Early Game
Without infringing on a dedicated Jungler, Moren welcomes some alone time in the middle lane, where his respectable early-game mobility can be used to quickly aid adjacent lanes in a pinch. As the very definition of an ADC, however, he's a fully viable bottom lane choice that pairs well with anyone that comes packing a stun as part of their initial lineup – think Alice or TeeMee.

As ever, farming should be your absolute focus for now; but any opportunity to snowball with a quick kill with drastically increase your stopping power early on. The quicker you manage to break out the Claves Sancti, the more respect you'll command out in the field as slow-moving tanks break under the pressure of your kiting abilities.

Fighting larger battles won't be a great strategy right now, but that will change with time. Get used to triggering Tactical Maneuver on every third stack to maximize while farming minions, but aim to trigger it right as it comes off cooldown when engaging an enemy hero. You need to pump out as much damage as possible in the shortest period of time, and timing its execution with the passive cooldown reset helps with the spike damage, alongside the armor and lifesteal you'll need to keep that competitive edge.

If you're rocking Disrupt as your Talent of choice, surprise a fleeing foe by murdering them under a silenced tower if they're particularly low on health. It might not work a second time, but securing First Blood will really put you ahead.

Mid Game
In terms of increased survivability, it takes Moren a little while to get going. Relying on a short – but powerful – Lifesteal buff every, and a stackable armor boost every now and then certainly helps, but it means being caught off-guard will lead to a tricky situation.

Staying ahead of the game is always on the agenda with our resident dwarf, meaning staying on top of minion kills is a top priority. Not only is farming these critters good for cashflow, but it's a great way to maintain the buff stacks that can really make a difference when the enemy comes knocking on whichever lane you happen to be on at the time. With high stacks of armor and great command of your Lifesteal buff, dealing some heavy damage to an approaching enemy can make quick work of the threat – whether they die or simply flee. Instill fear into them any way you can, but aim to keep your stack count high through nearby minions if needed so that any assault on a tower can happen when you're at the top of your game and ready to defend yourself against those defending their keep.

Thanks to the high mobility allowed by Tactical Maneuver, Moren makes a great case as a lane defender. It's easy for him to glide between lanes, meaning he can quickly come to the aid of allies to defend against smaller assaults. If you find yourself in this situation, plot a route beforehand that includes plenty of monsters to strike as you make your way across the map. This helps ensure any buff stacks remain in effect, and that your Precision count is close to resetting Tactical Maneuver yet again, allowing for that spike damage mentioned earlier. If possible, sneak into the nearby brush and get ready to launch Magnetic Storm either on the enemy's forward advance, or their retreat path depending on their health. Knock them into the storm with Impact Barrage to stun them long enough for a continued assault or a hasty retreat.

If you're already far ahead of the game, you can continue this level of pressure to minimize the chance of the enemy standing up to you later in the game. Otherwise, continue to focus on farming and harassing nearby towers.

Late Game
Once you've added The Beast to your equipment pool, Lifesteal becomes the dominant factor of your assault opportunities. Paired with large critical strikes and an abundance of Attack Speed, your survivability will surge. To make the most of it in a team fight, however, you'll need to ensure your bonus armor stacks are high before engaging in a large battle – otherwise melee assassins will cut you down before you have a chance to siphon life back into your veins.

The Beast plays a major role both in and out of large-scale brawls, as the Lifesteal factor allows Moren to rapidly regenerate health lost in a skirmish without heading back to base. Charging through the jungles with his impressive movement speed perks allows him to quickly acquire Sage and Might Golem buffs and tackle river creatures – included the Dark Slayer – with ease. Use this stopping power as a way to increase the likelihood of your team peeling through targets without having you permanently at their heel. Just like how you might rushed in to save lanes earlier in the match, you still excel at coming in late to mop up targets already occupied with the rest of your group. If handled correctly, you should always have a considerable amount of Tactical Maneuver stacks piled up, and a reset ready to burst your way through the the weakened opposition.

Once at the enemy gates, closing off a side of their tower with Magnetic Storm is one way to have them funnel into a choke for other allies to bombard – or to knock back with Impact Barrage for some more time on the tower. Any targets breaking off to attack from the walls can usually be pushed back with your ranged attacks, but you may opt to silence the tower with Disrupt and launch a full-scale attack on those looking to defend under the embrace of their powerful turret. Just remember – those armor stacks won't help you against its periodic attacks.

If things aren't working out by pushing straight through the front door, switch back into mobile laning mode while your allies stand their ground. Pop Tactical Maneuver and use the burst of speed to push through some more towers. The trip through should help you maintain stacks, you'll knock through a tower with relative ease, and help peel the enemy team off your own by spreading them thinner with more places to defend.

Should you find yourself spread thin closer to your own base, attempt to stay mobile and harass the enemy team without getting too close to the danger. Any kind of stun is bad news for Moren, but your team will be relying on your meaty strikes to stave off the approaching opposition. Aim to catch squishier opponents off guard, leaving tankier targets for last. If you notice them turning to fight you, pop your speed boost again and retreat back to a safe space. Take some river creatures or deny the other team any jungle buffs. It'll all help you regain any lost HP, and allow you to spring up to surprise them again and again, ultimately slowing their assault.

FAQ/Tips
Moren's passive Lifesteal effect kicks in with each 5th attack. It can't be stacked or extended, but rapid attacks will ensure it's in effect more often than not.

The defensive boost from Tactical Maneuver increases with each skill level, granting Moren more defense than some tanks early on. Depsite this, his survivabiltiy is still questionable due to low Max HP.

You don't have to knock a target into Magnetic Storm for the stun to activate. It'll still happen if they were already caught within when Impact Barrage makes contact.

Tapping Tactical Maneuver at the moment it refreshes is crucial to winning late-game fights. The additional hit can drastically increase Moren's available HP.

Normal attacks won't increase the stack count of Tactical Maneuver, but it will maintain its effect long enough to gain a new stack by having the cooldown reset through the Precision passive.

Counters
A powerhouse across the board, Moren suffers from low HP and a control effect that relies on a risky skillshot. Furthermore, he's dependant on stacks to keep on top form, making control effects the catalyst in his swift defeat. He's able to take on most assassins in mortal combat later in the match thanks to his fast attacks and lifesteal capabilities, but anyone able to stun him in the presence of an ally can make quick work of him. Tanks are the greatest answer with their vast amount of control abilities and ability to stand up to his assaults, but they'll need backup to take him down. Those with long-reaching attacks or lunges are best when it comes to pinning down a fleet-footed Moren. Lumburr, Arthur, Xeniel, and Toro stand out here.

When it comes to fighting on the side of a Moren, pinning down opponents makes it far easier to line up a Magnetic Storm/Impact Barrage combo, making one stun lead into another. Even without a successful combo, any slowdown thrown at the enemy makes it far easier for Moren to assault them with a few resets of Tactical Maneuver. If occupying bottom lane with an ally, TeeMee would be one the better picks with a similar movement speed boost that stuns a group of targets. The bonus Gold offered by TeeMee's passive can drastically increase the chance of Moren snowballing, too. If your team doesn't have TeeMee on hand, Chaugnar would be another strong Tank choice with his unique abilities to negate the control effects that typically spell disaster for Moren's ebb and flow. For raw support, the constant shields offered by Alice can dramatically increase Moren's effectiveness.