Hanzo

Strengths:

• High Physical Offense (80): Hanzo boasts significant physical damage output, especially through his Hanekage form, allowing him to quickly eliminate squishy targets and jungle creeps.
• Exceptional Durability (70) for an Assassin: While his physical body is vulnerable, Hanzo's Hanekage form can absorb a considerable amount of damage before being forced back, giving him more leeway in engagements than typical assassins. This allows for aggressive plays and sustained presence in team fights, as long as his body is safe.
• Unique Global Presence & Map Control: His ultimate allows him to traverse the map quickly and engage enemies from unexpected angles, creating pressure across multiple lanes and securing objectives.

Weaknesses:

• High Difficulty (80): Hanzo is one of the most challenging heroes to master. His unique ultimate mechanic requires precise body positioning and constant map awareness to avoid being caught out, making him unforgiving for new players.
• Vulnerable Physical Body: While his Hanekage form is robust, Hanzo's true body is extremely fragile. If enemies locate and attack his physical form, he can be easily defeated, leading to a quick death and potentially turning the tide of battle.
• Reliance on Demon Blood: Hanzo's skills, especially his ultimate, consume Demon Blood. Without a steady supply, his effectiveness is severely limited, requiring careful management and farming to maintain his presence.

Passive: Ame no Habakiri

Hanzo's core resource, Demon Blood, is generated when units die nearby: 2 from non-heroes, 20 from heroes. This passive demands constant farming and skirmish participation to ensure a steady supply. Sufficient Demon Blood is essential for activating and sustaining his ultimate and continuous ability use, making resource management paramount.

Skill 1: Ninjutsu: Demon Feast

After 5 basic attacks, this skill becomes available for 6.5 seconds. Hanzo devours a target, gaining 10 Demon Blood. Crucial for rapid jungle clearing and objective control, it offers powerful jungling and deals 500 True Damage to Lord or Turtle. Consistently land basic attacks to frequently unlock this skill, ensuring efficient farm and objective secure.

Skill 2: Ninjutsu: Soul Reap

Hanzo summons demonic spikes, dealing 160 + 60% Total Physical Attack immediate Physical Damage. If an enemy is hit, spikes re-strike after 0.5 seconds, dealing 40 + 15% Total Physical Attack Physical Damage and slowing targets by 40%. This can hit up to 8 times, granting 1 Demon Blood per hit. Vital for wave clear, area control, and sustained damage. Its physical damage scaling benefits significantly from physical attack items.

Ultimate: Kinjutsu: Pinnacle Ninja

Hanzo gains 25 Demon Blood and sends out his demon form, Hanekage, leaving his physical body behind. Hanekage consumes 10 Demon Blood per second. Hanzo's body slowly pulls towards Hanekage as Demon Blood depletes. Hanekage moves through terrain, gaining increased movement speed and attack speed, but has reduced physical and magic defense. If Hanekage is killed, Hanzo's body is stunned for 3 seconds and weakened for 8 seconds. If Hanzo's physical body is killed, he dies instantly. Always hide Hanzo's body safely to leverage his unparalleled global presence and split-pushing potential for surprise attacks.

Blade of the Heptaseas

This item is excellent for Hanzo's burst, as its Unique Passive, Ambush, adds 160 Physical Damage and a 40% slow to your next basic attack after 5 seconds of inactivity, perfect for surprise assassinations and crucial crowd control.

Ice Hunter's Swift Boots

Essential for jungling, these boots' Unique Passive, Hunter, deals significant True Damage to creeps, drastically improving Hanzo's jungle clear speed, objective taking, and consistent Demon Blood generation.

Hunter Strike

Hunter Strike enhances Hanzo's mobility and damage with its Unique Passive, Retribution, granting 50% extra Movement Speed after 5 hits on an enemy, invaluable for chasing, repositioning Hanekage, or escaping.

Endless Battle

A core damage amplifier, Endless Battle's Unique Passive, Divine Justice, makes your next basic attack after a skill deal 60% Physical Attack as extra True Damage, significantly boosting Hanzo's sustained damage output by weaving basic attacks between abilities.

Blade of Despair

Blade of Despair provides a massive power spike with its Unique Passive, Despair, increasing Physical Attack by 25% when damaging enemies below 50% HP, making Hanzo an even more potent executioner for securing kills.

Immortality

Immortality offers a crucial safety net for Hanzo's vulnerable physical body, as its Unique Passive, Immortal, revives him with HP and a shield after death, mitigating the high risk associated with his ultimate's unique mechanic.

Hanzo's playstyle revolves around careful resource management and strategic positioning. Given his high physical offense (80), your primary goal is to deal damage and secure kills, but his high difficulty (80) means this requires precision.

Master Demon Blood Management: Your passive, Ame no Habakiri, is key. Always be farming or participating in skirmishes to absorb Demon Blood. Use Ninjutsu: Demon Feast on jungle creeps and minions whenever available to quickly gain 10 Demon Blood. Ninjutsu: Soul Reap also grants Demon Blood per hit, making it efficient for wave clear and resource generation.

Strategic Ultimate Usage: Before activating Kinjutsu: Pinnacle Ninja, ensure Hanzo's physical body is hidden in a safe, unwarded location, such as deep in your jungle or behind a tower. This prevents enemies from easily finding and eliminating your real body, which would stun and weaken you, or worse, kill you instantly. Use Hanekage's ability to traverse terrain to surprise enemies and initiate ganks from unexpected angles.

Objective Control: Hanzo excels at taking objectives. Use Ninjutsu: Demon Feast's True Damage against Lord or Turtle to secure them quickly. With Hanekage, you can safely pressure turrets and split-push, forcing enemy rotations while your physical body remains safe.

Hit-and-Run Tactics: Utilize Hanekage's increased movement and attack speed to dive squishy targets, burst them down, and then quickly retreat through terrain. Remember that Hanekage has reduced defenses, so avoid prolonged engagements unless you have a clear advantage. Weave basic attacks with your skills to maximize damage, especially with items like Endless Battle.

Understanding Hanzo's matchups is crucial for maximizing his impact on the battlefield. Here are some key interactions:

Best Teammates:

• Angela: Angela's ability to attach to an ally and provide shields, healing, and crowd control can significantly enhance Hanekage's survivability and effectiveness in team fights. Her ultimate allows Hanekage to engage more aggressively, knowing there's backup.

Counters Hanzo:

• Kimmy: Kimmy's continuous damage and ability to target Hanekage from a distance can quickly deplete his health. Her high mobility also makes it difficult for Hanekage to lock her down, and her sustained damage can force Hanekage to retreat prematurely.

Hanzo Counters:

• Johnson: Hanzo's Hanekage form can easily navigate around Johnson's ultimate, avoiding his initiation. Furthermore, Hanzo's burst damage, especially with his ultimate, can quickly take down squishy targets that Johnson might be trying to protect or engage on, making Johnson's setup less effective.

Imagine an enemy Marksman farming alone in the bottom lane. Your physical body is safely hidden deep in your jungle with sufficient Demon Blood. Activate Kinjutsu: Pinnacle Ninja, sending Hanekage towards the target. Use Hanekage's increased movement speed to traverse jungle walls, approaching from an unexpected angle. Ensure 5 basic attacks are stacked for Ninjutsu: Demon Feast. Initiate with Ninjutsu: Soul Reap to apply slow and initial burst, followed by a basic attack. This basic attack should trigger Blade of the Heptaseas' Ambush passive for extra damage and another slow. Immediately follow up with another basic attack to proc Endless Battle. Weave in more basic attacks, and if Ninjutsu: Demon Feast is available, use it for additional damage and Demon Blood. Continue chasing with basic attacks and Ninjutsu: Soul Reap until the enemy is eliminated. If they retreat, quickly disengage through terrain or use Ninjutsu: Demon Feast for the final blow, then return Hanekage to your body.

1. Prioritize Demon Blood: Constantly farm jungle creeps and minions with Ninjutsu: Demon Feast and Ninjutsu: Soul Reap to ensure you always have enough Demon Blood for your ultimate and sustained engagements.
2. Master Body Positioning: Always hide Hanzo's physical body in a safe, unwarded location before activating Kinjutsu: Pinnacle Ninja to prevent easy counter-play and ensure your survival.
3. Leverage Global Pressure: Use Kinjutsu: Pinnacle Ninja to gank distant lanes, secure objectives like Lord and Turtle with Ninjutsu: Demon Feast's True Damage, and split-push effectively, forcing enemy reactions across the map.
4. Execute Burst Combos: Weave basic attacks between your skills, especially Ninjutsu: Soul Reap, to maximize damage output and proc item passives like Blade of the Heptaseas and Endless Battle for potent burst assassinations.