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Franchise-diablo This is from the Diablo universe.


Feel the fury of Arreat!

Damage (7/10) Utility (5/10) Survivability (6/10) Complexity (5/10)

Sonya is a Melee Warrior Hero from the Diablo universe.

From the frozen Dreadlands of the north comes the mighty Barbarian warriors. After surviving the destruction of her home and death of her tribe, Sonya wanders Sanctuary in search of battle and a better life for her people.

Sonya is a direct fighter who uses Fury instead of Mana. Leeches life from enemies by attacking and using Abilities.

Background[]

Barbarians eschew the use of magic and technology, as they believe the use of such devices will only weaken their resolve. Barbarians have frequently expressed disdain for magic, and those who wield it. Renowned for their combat prowess and arrogant demenour, Barbarians appear to be perpetually girt for battle. Through harsh conditioning, Barbarians excel in physical combat and can perform tremendous feats of strength. Their physical strength is further strengthened by the primal energies of the land, which they have learned to harness. Never shying from a brawl, mighty ground stomps, leaping attacks and crushing blows leave enemies dead in their tracks, and survivors cowering in fear.[1]

Gameplay Summary[]

Sonya is a Assassin-like Warrior capable of dealing high damage while maintaing a surprisingly high self-sustain. Because of this, she is essentially labeled as a "Bruiser" due her more offensive nature. She is unique as she fuels her abilities through Fury, which is generated through both dealing and taking damage. Because of this, she shines when paired with a dedicated healer.

Overall, Sonya is at her best when fighting teams with multiple melee Heroes and/or dive compositions, as it forces opponents to come to her. However, due how she is played, Sonya is not suited for solo-tanking, therefore bringing another Warrior dedicated for it is advised.

Strengths[]

  • Does not use mana to fuel her Basic Abilities.
    • Fury is generated by hitting anything with Basic Attacks (including structures), and by taking damage of any source.
      • Fury generation through Basic Attacks is not affected by damage, therefore Sonya will always generate the same amount of Fury, which is useful against enemies under damage reduction effects.
        • Unlike in Diablo III, Fury does not decay over time.
  • Relatively flexible talent tree that allows Sonya to adapt to different situations depending on the map and team compositions.
  • Formidable solo-laner.
  • Very effective at taking Mercenary Camps, and can even solo Boss Camps before level 10 depending on the build.
  • Outstanding duelist and lane bully.
  • Very high single target damage.
  • Ancient Spear is a powerful gapcloser and great initiator
  • Seismic Slam is potentially the strongest DPS ability in the game, due its extremely low cooldown. Under the right conditions, Sonya can deal an outstanding amount of burst with this ability.
  • Whirlwind is a versatile ability that provides decent damage and healing, making Sonya very hard to take down if she manages to hit a group of three or more Heroes.
  • Leap covers very high range and has a large radius, making it a very powerful initiation or follow-up, allowing Sonya to dive into the heat of the battle to unleash her cooldowns (specially when targeting frail backline Heroes).
  • Wrath of the Berserker gives Sonya a massive damage boost for a long period of time, which can be extended as long she generates Fury. Under the right conditions, Sonya can keep this uptime to the point the cooldown refreshes while she is still maintaining the ability.

Weaknesses[]

  • High learning curve due the micromanagement of Fury and other defensive cooldowns.
  • Relatively low health for a Warrior.
  • Going to a teamfight with low Fury means Sonya must wait for an opening.
    • In addition, Healing Fountains does not replenish Fury.
  • Lack of mobility outside unless some key talents are taken (Leap and/or Mystical Spear).
  • The majority of her Abilities have short range.
  • Very reliant on hitting opponents with Ancient Spear in order to close the gap.
  • Extremely susceptible to kiting.
  • Her offensive cooldowns tend to be her defensive cooldowns as well.
  • Require careful positioning.
  • Can struggle against other Bruisers/Warriors.

Abilities[]

IconSpear
Ancient Spear (Q) [Skillshot]
Cooldown: 13 seconds

Throw out a spear that pulls you to the first enemy hit, dealing 179.92 (+4% per level) damage and briefly stunning them. If this hits an enemy, generate 40 Fury.

IconSeismicSlam
Seismic Slam (W)
Fury: 25
Cooldown: 1 seconds

Deals 176 (+4% per level) damage to the target enemy, and 44 (+4% per level) to enemies behind the target.

IconHurricane
Whirlwind (E)
Fury: 40
Cooldown: 5 seconds

Deals 441 (+4% per level) damage to nearby enemies over 3 seconds, and heals for 25% of damage dealt. Healing tripled versus Heroes.

Traits[]

IconFurySonya
Fury (Passive)

Use Fury instead of Mana, which is gained by taking or dealing damage. Using a Basic or Heroic Ability grants 10% Movement Speed for 4 seconds.

Heroic Abilities[]

IconLeapSonya
Leap (R) [Heroic Ability]
Tier 4 (Hero Level 10)
Cooldown: 70 seconds

Leap into the air, dealing 135.3 (+4% per level) damage to nearby enemies, and stunning them for 1.25 seconds.

IconWrathoftheBerserkerSonya
Wrath of the Berserker [Heroic Ability]
Tier 4 (Hero Level 10)
Cooldown: 60 seconds

Increases damage dealt by 40%. Reduces the duration of silences, stuns, slows, roots, and polymorphs against you by 50%. Lasts 15 seconds, and extends by 1 second for every 10 Fury gained.

Talents[]

Tier 1, Hero Level 1[]

IconSeismicSlam
Furious Blow
Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)

Every 4th cast of Seismic Slam deals 50% more damage to the primary target and costs no Fury.

IconLeechingRounds
War Paint
Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)

Basic Attacks heal you for 30% of the damage dealt.

IconBlock
Tough as Nails
Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)

Every 16 seconds, gain 60 Physical Armor against the next enemy Hero Basic Attack, reducing the damage taken by 75%.

Stores up to 3 charges. Charges refresh 200% faster while Fury's Movement Speed bonus is active.

Tier 2, Hero Level 4[]

IconSeismicSlam
Shattered Ground
Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)

Increase the length of Seismic Slam's splash by 66% and increase its splash damage to 75% of its base damage.

IconHurricane
Hurricane [Passive]
Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)

Reduces the cooldown of Whirlwind by 2 seconds and Whirlwind removes all slows and roots on Sonya.

IconFurySonya2
Shot of Fury
Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)

Activate to gain 50 Fury. Usable while Whirlwinding.

Passive: After casting Seismic Slam, your next Basic Attack deals 40% more damage.

Tier 3, Hero Level 7[]

IconSpear
Poisoned Spear
Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)

Ancient Spear deals an additional 100% damage over 6 seconds.

IconHurricane
Life Funnel
Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)

Increases the healing of Whirlwind to 35%, tripled versus Heroes.

IconMercenaryLord
Battle Rage
Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)
Cooldown: 8 seconds

Activate to instantly restore 10% of Sonya's maximum Health. Stores up to 2 charges.

Passive: Sonya deals 25% more damage to Mercenaries.

Tier 4, Hero Level 10[]

IconLeapSonya
Leap (R) [Heroic Ability]
Tier 4 (Hero Level 10)
Cooldown: 70 seconds

Leap into the air, dealing 135.3 (+4% per level) damage to nearby enemies, and stunning them for 1.25 seconds.

IconWrathoftheBerserkerSonya
Wrath of the Berserker [Heroic Ability]
Tier 4 (Hero Level 10)
Cooldown: 60 seconds

Increases damage dealt by 40%. Reduces the duration of silences, stuns, slows, roots, and polymorphs against you by 50%. Lasts 15 seconds, and extends by 1 second for every 10 Fury gained.

Tier 5, Hero Level 13[]

IconSpear
Mystical Spear
Tier 5 (Hero Level 13)

Ancient Spear always pulls Sonya to the target location even if it doesn't hit an enemy. When used this way, Ancient Spear's cooldown is reduced by 5 seconds.

IconWhirlwind
Ruthless
Tier 5 (Hero Level 13)

Whirlwind deals an additional 50% damage per second to Heroes below 33% Health. Does not generate additional healing.

IconFurySonya
No Escape
Tier 5 (Hero Level 13)

Increases the Movement Speed bonus from using Basic and Heroic Abilities to 20%.

Tier 6, Hero Level 16[]

IconSeismicSlam
Giant Slammer
Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)

Seismic Slam deals an additional 2% of Heroes' maximum Health as damage.

IconAncientSpear
Rampage
Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)

Increase Basic Attack damage by 25%. Basic Attacks reduce the cooldown of Ancient Spear by 0.50 seconds.

IconNervesofSteel
Nerves of Steel
Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)
Cooldown: 60 seconds

Activate to gain 25% of your maximum Health as a Shield for 3 seconds. Usable while Whirlwinding.

Tier 7, Hero Level 20[]

IconLeapSonya
Arreat Crater
Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)

Leap leaves behind an impassable crater for 5 seconds. Reduces Leap's cooldown by 20 seconds.

IconWrathoftheBerserkerSonya
Striding Giant
Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)

Wrath of the Berserker increases maximum Health by 10% and grants Striding Giant, which can be activated to become Unstoppable for 2 seconds. 30 second cooldown.

IconSpear2
Composite Spear
Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)

Increases Ancient Spear's range by 50%. Hitting an enemy Hero with Ancient Spear grants 25 Armor for 4 seconds.

IconIgnorePain
Ignore Pain
Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)
Cooldown: 60 seconds

Activate to gain 60 Armor for 4 seconds, taking 60% less damage.

Usable while Whirlwinding.

Talent Builds[]

  • Whirlwind Build: focused on maximizing Sonya's effectiveness while using Whirlwind. Key talents include Hurricane and Life Funnel, which allows Sonya to break out of crowd control while further increasing her healing. Wrath of the Berserker greatly boosts her damage, and consequently, her healing through Whirlwind.
    • At level 20, Striding Giant can be picked instead of Ignore Pain should the enemy team feature too many stuns.
    • This build is mostly recommended when facing multiple melee Heroes, to maximize the healing from Whirlwind and uptime from Wrath of the Berserker.
  • Seismic Slam Build: focused on maximizing Sonya's burst damage through Seismic Slam, as well powerful sustained damage through Basic Attacks. War Paint gives her excellent sustain, which is further enhanced and affected by the multipliers from passive effect of Shot of Fury, as well Rampage, and even more under the effects of Wrath of the Berserker.
    • At level 16, Giant Slammer can be picked instead of Rampage should the enemy team feature multiple Heroes with high health (such as Warriors).
    • This build is recommended when paired with a team that has strong crowd-control to allow Sonya to unleash her damage without much retaliation. It also allows Sonya to clean Mercenary camps much easier.

Tips[]

  • Try to build Fury before going to map objectives or when expecting a big teamfight to happen.
    • Remember that Fury does not decay over time. However, avoid using Ancient Spear when at maximum Fury.
  • Use Ancient Spear sparringly; it is Sonya most important ability. Diving at the enemy lines with it on cooldown is certain death.
  • Seismic Slam is powerful for pretty much everything, but it is easy to get carried away and burn all the Fury with it; be careful to save enough Fury for Whirlwind.
  • Whirlwind can be canceled after casting, which is useful to trigger the movement speed bonus when chasing opponents.
  • While under the effects of Wrath of the Berserker, try to hit anything at sight with Basic Attacks (including walls) in order to maintain the ability for as long as possible.
  • Save Leap for the right moment, when the team can follow-up if Sonya initiates, or to combo with other Heroes' powerful cooldowns.

Matchups[]

Pairings[]

Sonya is unique as her damage taken converts into fuel for her abilities, therefore Heroes that can enable her through intensive healing and/or shielding allows to stay in the heat of the battle for as long as possible. In addition, she also works greatly with Heroes with great initiating tools and/or crowd control.

Diabloplate
Diablo's aggressive style is similar to Sonya's, allowing both to dive deep into the backline and shred opponents with displacements and stuns. Apocalypse is also very powerful when combined with Leap.


Jainaplate
Jaina's natural slowing effects and high burst damage are very powerful when combined with Sonya's aggressive gameplay. In addition, Ring of Frost is a great follow-up after a well landed Leap, and vice-versa..


Leoricplate
Leoric, much like Sonya, has a remarkable self-sustain during teamfights, as well a surprisingly high damage output if the right conditions are met, which makes their pairing very strong and hard to take down. In addition Leoric's Entomb synergizes perfectly with Sonya's Leap, allowing for a massive crowd control chain.


Lt. Moralesplate
Lt. Morales is one of the best pairs for Sonya, as a Healing Beam and Safeguard combined with Whirlwind can make Sonya really hard to take down. In addition, Stim Drone and Wrath of the Berserker makes Sonya an even more dangerous threat.


Medivhplate
Medivh has the right kit to support Sonya in every aspect. Force of Will makes Sonya extremely durable, specially if the talent Reabsorption is taken Portal provides the very needed mobility that Sonya lacks, both for engage and disengage.


Tassadarplate
Tassadar's effective utility oriented kit and shielding can keep Sonya in battle for much longer, and his natural ability to slow down opponents with basic attacks gives Sonya more opportunities to stick on her foes.


Zaryaplate
In a similar fashion to Tassadar, Zarya's shielding is great at enabling Sonya during battle. In fact, she is one of the best pairs for Sonya, as both can deal surprisingly high damage under the right conditions, and neither use Mana, meaning their lane presence is stronger than other Heroes. Graviton Surge also has good synergy with Leap, making it a deadly combination that can wipe an entire team.


Effective against[]

Effective foes[]

In order to survive, Sonya relies mostly on Whirlwind, which is a channeled ability. Because of this, she is very vulnerable to Heroes with any form of crowd control that can prevent or interrupt it, such as stuns and silences. In addition, Sonya's limited mobility and melee oriented kit makes kiting extremely effective against her.

Brightwingplate
Brightwing's Polymorph can make Sonya's life a nightmare. In addition, Emerald Wind can greatly put Sonya out of position and render her engage inneffective.


ETCplate
ETC wide variety of stuns can easily disrupt Sonya's combos and Whirlwinding, capitalizing her poor movement.


Lunaraplate
Lunara is nimble and can harass Sonya from a safe distance, while her poison damage quickly cripples the barbarian.


Muradinplate
Muradin is an effective brawler that not only can interrupt Sonya at key moments, but also slow her attack speed, which is essential for her survivability (if Warpaint is taken) and Fury generation.


Utherplate
Uther's natural ability to bestow armor to his opponents can make difficult for Sonya to dish damage properly. In addition, he has access to two powerful stuns that can incapacitate Sonya during Whirlwind: Hammer of Justice and Divine Storm.


Skins[]

Sonya
Sonya Wandering Barbarian Sonya - Unclean Sonya - Dreadlands
Sonya Unclean Dreadlands
Sonya - Nephalem Sonya - Angelic
Nephalem IconShard 100 Angelic IconShard 150
Legion's Wrath IconShard 100
A barbarian's vigil never ends. Donning the armor and wielding the weapons she wrests from the clutches of her foes, Sonya stands as a bulwark against all demons... no matter where they come from.
This skin is related to the Warcraft themed-skins.
Sonya - Legion's Wrath Sonya - Legion's Wrath - Crimson
Legion's Wrath Crimson
Wrath IconShard 100
The portal-loving treasure goblins collect their spoils from many worlds. There's no telling which hero this Battlegear of Wrath once belonged to, but it's doubtful they are still alive to miss it.
This skin is related to the Warcraft themed-skins.
Sonya - Wrath Sonya - Wrath - Fuschia Sonya - Wrath - Crimson Sonya - Wrath - Scarlet
Wrath Fuschia [sic] Crimson Scarlet
Valorous IconShard 100
The Valor of Harrogath is not opulent armor... It is simple, direct... and a perfect fit for a warrior like Sonya.
Sonya - Valorous Sonya - Valorous - Iron Sonya - Valorous - Frozen
Valorous Iron Frozen
Super Sonya IconShard 400
While traveling through time, the gladiatrix Sonya was exposed to a radioactive robo-virus. Without a way home, she fights tirelessly to keep the streets of New York safe.
This skin is related to the "Super-Hero" Earth themed-skins. Features themed abilities.
Sonya - Super Sonya - Super - Techno Sonya - Super - Viridian Sonya - Super - Magenta
Super Techno Veridian Magenta
Death Knight IconShard 600
Sonya wandered the outskirts of the Nexus, desperately seeking a way to avenge her fallen people. The power Kel'Thuzad offered was worth any price, even binding her soul to the Scourge for eternity.
This skin is related to the Warcraft themed-skins. Features altered voice-over and themed abilities.
Sonya - Death Knight Sonya - DK - Black Sonya - DK - Blighted Sonya - DK - Naxxramas
Death Knight Black Knight Blighted Naxxramas
Sonya - DK - Unholy
Unholy
Deathbringer IconShard 600
As Kel'Thuzad's army marched across the realms, hero after hero fell before his favored death knight's fury. The survivors will only whisper her name in fear: Deathbringer Sonya, the first horseman of Kel'Thuzad.
This skin is related to the Warcraft themed-skins. Features altered voice-over and themed abilities.
Sonya - Deathbringer Sonya - DB - Abyssal Sonya - DB - Plagued Sonya - DB - Sanguine
Deathbringer Abyssal Plagued Sanguine
Sonya - DB - Ymirjar
Ymirjar
La Pantera IconShard 2,400
After losing the heavyweight belt last year, La Pantera has come back to Nexomania seeking revenge. Now only the undefeated La Parca stands in her way. Will she return to glory? Or does her rise end here?
Sonya - La Pantera Sonya - La Pantera - Dorada Sonya - La Pantera - Underworld
La Pantera Dorada Underworld

Development[]

Trivia[]

  • Her regular armor is based of the Tier 8 (Jazeraint) armor for Barbarians in Diablo III, while her "Wrath" armor is based of the Tier 2 Raid Set (Battlegear of Wrath) for warriors in World of Warcraft.
  • A male Barbarian, corresponding to the Diablo II portrayal, has been listed as a possible inclusion in the game.[2]

Patch changes[]

References[]

External links[]

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