Peura: Nature’s Gift Of The Centaur

Build and Guide Peura: Nature’s Gift Of The Centaur


Cheat Sheet
Skill Build

Take up Forest Sentry at the start of a match to give some damage/CC potential early on. Pick up Healing Light second and focus your energy there. Grab Nature's Rally, but work on buffing Healing Light before upgrading anything else.

Items

Virtue's Necklace

Flashy Boots

Frost Cape

Amulet of Longevity

Frosty's Revenge

Soaring Aura

Arcana

Your main stats as Peura are going to be Ability Power and Cooldown Reduction to keep those heals going. Anything else should be going into Max HP. Use Red acrana to boost Ability Power with Purple arcana used for Max HP and occasional Magic Life Steal. Greens can be used for Armor early on or extra Ability Power and Cooldown Speed in later tiers.

Talents

Heal, Sprint, Flicker

Introduction
While devilishly easy to pick up, playing Peura well takes practice. She's a healer and very little more; but she's absolutely phenomenal at her job. Picking up Peura assumes you're ready to relinquish the idea of running off to beat up creep and are wholly devoted to following allies around like a little lost lamb – or deer.

Armed with rapid, long-range stuns and proximity-based healing/damaging attacks, Peura can easily change the landscape of a fight; but she takes a huge risk each time she tries.

Skill Build
To help her survive any unfortunate gank attempts, Peura's passive has her automatically counter-attack a single blow every 10 seconds. The attack deals moderate damage based on her Ability Power and reduces the movement speed of the assailant by a whopping 90%. You won't notice it in team fights, but it can get her out of some sticky laning situations.

Her main allure – Healing Light – is self-explanatory. A quick tap of this ability heals friendly units around her over time and even grants them a modest Attack Speed buff throughout its duration. The healing scales with HP lost, meaning it's great for keeping high HP heroes topped up. She can even move and cast other abilities at the same time!

Forest Sentry is a move you'll learn to both love and hate as you grow more familiar with Peura's strengths and weaknesses. With a fairly long range, this ability slings a bird of prey that stuns anything it hits. A target needs to be within its path at first, but the moment it makes first contact it'll start to chain across others and apply a short stun to each. So long as it has something to bounce from, Forest Sentry can hit the same target multiple times making it great for interrupting two or more targets during bigger fights or to lightly pin your opponents during the laning phase.

Nature's Rally is one of Peura's more difficult moves. This powerful ultimate threatens to harshly stun anyone who lingers around her for too long when cast. Magical energy will batter targets during its lengthy channel time, but any movement or stun will stop it short. Best used when the enemy is out of controlling abilities, it even grants nearby teammates increased Armor to make up for time spent not healing. It isn't great for initiating a fight, but it sure can help in a pinch.

We know as a healer you expect to pick up your first heal ability as soon as the match starts, but that's not always going to be necessary. As tempting as it is to simply heal through any damage taken during the laning phase to give your ally a chance to push on ahead,  throwing out Forest Sentry time and time again and bouncing it between enemies can give just as much, if not more, chances to gain those early kills thanks to your own increased damage and crowd-control. Neither choice is wrong at the start of the game – they both help in their own way – but by taking Heal you should already be able to offset minor damage and diminish and more by only attacking during stuns.


With both of your main abilities picked up at Level 2, you're looking at Level 4 to grab your Ultimate ability – Nature's Rally. Before that, put a point into Healing Light. Forest Sentry sees nothing but a marginal damage boost with each upgrade point, but you'll be getting plenty of this through stacking ability power items throughout the match. Healing Light, on the other hand, gains a reduced cooldown, more base power and a bigger Attack Speed boost to nearby allies with each level, so you'll really be helping more more in terms of both healing and DPS by making this skill stand out before any other.

And that's about it, really. You'll grab Forest Sentry first, Healing Light second, throw another point into Healing Light before grabbing Nature's Rally at Level 4 and then focus your energy into Healing Light with Nature's Rally whenever able. Forest Sentry is great and all, but its main use sits with its range, cooldown and stun ability, all of which stay the same whether it's level 1 or level 5.

Talents
You can never have enough heals whether you're a support class or not; so why not take Heal for good measure? There are plenty of other options to take when playing Peura, but with her spending 99% of her time surrounded by allies, having another AOE heal available at the push of a button can, just like herself, make a big difference in any situation. The added speed boost can be used to help initiate a follow-up attack if a well-aimed Forest Sentry lands a few stuns.

Sprint would be another choice simply because Peura isn't known for her movement speed; not does she really have any way of quickly bridging a gap. Taking Sprint will grant Peura a much-needed boost in a bunch of situations; from running ot the aid of an ally, rushing in to use Nature's Rally after a stun, or to retreat given the Forest Sentry doesn't really buy all that much time. It's situational for sure, but it has its uses.

Then there's Flicker. You won't be earning this one until you're a seasoned veteran in the game, but given Peura's high unlock cost, you're likely already there. Flicker, like Sprint, boosts Peura's ability to back out of a fight when needed. It may not help her traverse as much ground, but it instantaneous teleportation is far less predictable than having her run around. Due to her need to stay with her allies, Peura constantly finds herself amidst the enemy, too, so blinking into the back row after using something like Nature's Rally reduces the risk exponentially. It's pretty handy for dodging Grakk's hook or Arthur's sword, too.

Items
Arena of Valor has a default recommended build for each character you pick up, but they're certainly up for interpretation. A number of fan-submitted build templates are available to slot in on the Armoury page and  list the amount of wins achieved with the setup so you know what to expect. We usually deviate from these to fit our individual playstyle, but Peura's current top-tier build is about as straight-forward as her skills – so we'll be using that as a base.

Peura's preferred build focuses on raises both her Ability Power and Cooldown Speed to keep her at the side of her allies.

Start things off building into Virtue's Necklace from some fairly standard items like Spell Tome and Magic Ring. Both of these items give Peura the AP/Cooldown she needs to keep throwing out powerful heals. Once complete, she'll have an item that does both that and constantly regenerates her mana, ensuring there's little downtime for her and her allies.

From there, Flashy Boots are a no-brainer. Helping her reach her allies all that much faster is a big deal, and shaving off another 10% of our Cooldown Speed can't be passed up. Frost Cape threatens to control opponents in a team fight by slowing down any hit with Peura's lacklustre auto-attacks, while she gains even more cooldown speed and some much needed extra bulk with HP and Armor.

You're still going to get torn to shreds if caught out without a heal or two, but Amulet of Longevity should keep you going far longer with its massive HP boost and regen. With your heals being based on HP lost, having more of it means you'll earn more back with each Healing Light. The amulet increases any healing taken by 20% too, so you'll be easily capable of heading right back into the fight should a few enemy attacks scratch you up. Then you're looking at Frosty's Revenge to apply that slowing debuff to all – perfect when activate with a well-chained Forest Sentry – on top of some added mobility and Magic Defence. Soaring Aura will be your last pick, granting more HP and Ability Power while automatically crippling the Magic Defence of those in-range of Nature's Rally. With her proximity-based healing, this should be in effect more often than not.

If you absolutely must deviate from these setup, look into replacing Soaring Aura with something like The Aegis. You'll lose the Ability Power, but gain another 20% cooldown reduction. Your heals won't be as potent, but that Attack Speed bonus will be available more often

Arcana
Even with high-end Arcana deviating from the norm a little, picks for Peura aren't all too confusing.

With her primary stats in mind, Red arcana are great for adding the extra Ability Power that will make a different in the early game. Even in Tier 3 you'll only need to pick up Ability Power/Magic Pierce like Violate. Easy.

As for Purple arcana, building up Peura's Max HP can be spiced up to include a bonus to her Movement Speed, helping her rush to the aid of her allies more easily. In early tiers, you'll be able to gain some Magic Life Steal and extra Ability Power on top of some modest Max HP gains. How you divide the choices should be based on your individual play style.

For Greens, early tiers should focus on little more than gaining some extra Armor and/or Magic Resist. Tier 2 has choices like Serenity and Corrosion that, much like Purple arcana, depend on how you play Peura. One will favor her staying power with Max HP and Cooldown Speed bonuses, while the other will boost her heals and damage potential ever so slightly. Tier 3 has the Hex arcana; a perfect choice

Early Game
Peura, being a support class, is best when paired up. Taking the bottom lane with another champion is preferred, but so long as you're with someone, the lane shouldn't really matter too much.

Your aim as a Peura is to keep your ally ready and willing to initate a fight. You can heal everyone in a pinch, provide a modest Attack Speed buff to help in those killing efforts, and can repeatedly stun the enemy from both afar and close-range. Keep your auto-attack hitting the minions whenever Forest Sentry is on cooldown, but look for a chance to toss it out whenever you can. If you're against two opponents, it should consistently bounce between the two, giving you and your ally a good chance to focus one down. If there's only one, try to keep a minion alive to act as a starter for the chain – they're usually far easier to hit and will guarantee a successful stun if your enemy is close by.

Just don't be too hasty, is the key here. Your cooldown speed won't be anything special early on, so don't think every stun is worthy of a follow-up. You won't be able to heal all that often. Just look at giving your ally a chance to strike and boost their Attack Speed with Healing Light if playing with one that focuses on Attack Power.

Mid Game
With your heal getting stronger as time goes on, you and your lane buddy should be more than capable of taking on the Abyssal Dragon without much need for outside help. Take this on whenever you get a free moment – like after harassing the crap out of your opponents with Forest Sentry.

If your lane has devolved into a single-enemy situation, feel free to dominate the lane with your ally as you normally would, but start attempting to go in heavy with Nature's Rally right after sending out your Forest Sentry. Its presence usually causes opponents to back away, while the interruptions should keep them from fighting back long enough for Nature's Rally to shine. Focus on getting your first tower down before splitting off to give your gift to your team.

The same deal applies here, really. While it may be wise to save a heal until allies get low enough for the percentage lost to scale well, the Attack Speed buff can really make a difference early on. If you've managed to chain Forest Sentry off a group of enemy players and your allies see that as enough reason to rush into battle, be prepared to pop Healing Light soon after. You can still walk around and auto-attack as it works its magic, and it can essentially nullify the slivers of damage coming in through the stuns, but it's the Attack Speed bonus that should be help the most in these short few seconds.

If you're adamant crowd-control isn't going to be a problem, try to line yourself up for a Nature's Rally to leave that opportunity of a few kills open just a little longer. You're not capable of much on your own, so you're quite literally at the whim of your allies. Stick with them and just try to keep things running smoothly.

Late Game
Again, without little in the way of auto-attack damage yourself and your team's new-found reliance on your heals, you can't do much to break away and distract the enemy team if things start to enter a bit of a statemate once the bigger team fights become commonplace.

Your cooldown reduction should coming along nicely by now, with all the extra Ability Power ensuring your Nature's Rally damage is as potent as your Healing Light. Stay on the back row as much as possible, as the Attack Speed buff of your Healing Light will no longer be your focus. With attacks constantly whittling down your allies, you should be looking into essentially keeping Healing Light on cooldown to ensure your team takes the advantage. Remember; you can still move while it's active, so try to move with your team to keep them all regenerating health as they push ahead, that way its benefits aren't being wasted.

The rest is about patience. With Nature's Rally being easily cancelled by movement, knockbacks, grabs and stuns, it's a difficult one to put into play with Peura's defences being so low. Thankfully, it does apply a reasonable Armor boost when in effect, but you're still going to want to ensure incoming damage is low when pulling the trigger. It's an ability that will shred a number of nearby opponents and stun any who don't succumb to its barrage, leaving them wide-open to an all-in attack. If used while Forest Sentry bounces between targets, the slowing effect of Frosty's Revenge should make setting everything up much less anxiety-inducing. After all, without a healer in play, the opposing team will be far more likely to turn back and fight; and with no support left, your death from this situation could spell defeat for the rest.

With Peura in play, you can all afford to be fairly aggressive – especially when it comes to unmanned towers. The moment the majority of the opposing team has been killed off, you can heal everyone back up to a pre-fight state and rush to knock down a tower even without minions. Even if there's a single enemy left defending, have you tank take the blows of the power while saving Healing Light until they're at around half HP. Use it to keep the tank alive longer while the rest of the team benefits from the Attack Speed boost.

You shouldn't need more than a few seconds, and it's a tactic that can be easily applied to taking on the Base, too. You can even stay out of the Tower range while casting Healing Light, meaning Forest Sentry can hold off an opponent long enough for your team to do their job. Retreat and heal up again if needed, and just work on keeping the pressure up. Mana is rarely a problem with Peura.

FAQ/Tips
Doing just about anything while Nature's Rally is in effect will cancel the ability. You're completely vulnerable to both crowd-control and long-range opponents when its in use. Likewise, don't be afraid to pull out if needed.

Healing Light heals more based on HP lost, so high HP heroes will reap the benefits while on the brink of death.

Watch out for minions at your feet when casting Forest Sentry. They're known for ruining plans.

If your target is moving erratically, aim Forest Sentry at nearby static minion. A chain will start and automatically hit nearby heroes.

Both of Peura's support abilities work in a radius around her. She needs to huddle around allies at all times, which poses a threat to her safety.



Matchups
As a healer, Peura's benefits come into play with just about any team composition, but characters with naturally high health pools will feel her abilities just that little bit more. Those who depend on swift and powerful auto-attacks will  reap the rewards of Healing Light, while magic users will likely gain more from the stuns offered by Forest Sentry and Nature's Rally, so players of these roles should learn to keep an eye on Peura's ability usage.

Even with the tiny amount of armour and magic resist used in a viable Peura build, she's still incredibly easy to kill off with burst. Being stunned in a group encounter can quickly seal her doom, but managing to break free on little health isn't a big deal, as she's more than capable of healing back up. Staying on the back row until crowd-control abilities have been spent should see her more capable of playing an offensive role toward the end of a fight. Heroes who manage to dodge her Nature's Rally should look to stun her first before following up with a heavy damage. Similarly, any fast attackers who out-range her shouldn't need to put in much effort to send her packing.

Outside of that, it's fast-moving melee who make life hell for Peura. She doesn't have many ways to retreat and can only heal herself up while she attempts to prance away, meaning she can be easily taken advantage of here with enemies like Arthur charging after her. Similarly, those like Aleister who can close off lanes with lingering AOE abilities force Peura into either taking massive amounts of damage to heal her allies, or wait out its duration, leaving her utterly useless while her team pays the price.