Rourke, The Captain: Abilities and Story Preview

Welcome to AOV Pro Preview series! Today we introduce Rourke, The Captain. He is coming to Europe, US/Canada and Latin America servers on June 1st, 2018.

Contents

ABILITIES

Scattershot (Passive): Rourke’s crossbow fires special bolts, with each bolt reducing an enemy hero’s armor on hit for 6 seconds, stacking up to 12 times. Only the 2 bolts in the middle are capable of critical strikes, dealing additional damage equal to attack damage x (0.5 + 0.4 x (bolts hit – 1)).

Charged Shot: For 1.5 seconds, Rourke increases his movement speed by 40% and his next normal attack fires special bolts, each dealing physical damage. Reduces target movement speed if all 4 bolts hit the same enemy hero.

Bolt: Rourke dashes forward and stops when he runs into an enemy, dealing physical damage to the target and all nearby enemies, also stunning them and knocking them back. If he runs into an enemy hero, the cooldown of this ability is reduced by 2 seconds.

Determination (Ultimate): Rourke dispels all control effects on himself and gains a shield that absorbs damage. While the shield is active, Rourke is immune to control effects and converts 50% of damage dealt to additional shield value (20% for monsters and minions). Shield value may not exceed 150% of its original. Rourke also gains attack damage and armor for 6 seconds.

Tips: To play Rourke well, you must decide whether to poke from afar or burst in melee range. Don’t forget that both of his abilities provide distance adjustments. Be careful to avoid focused fire from enemies after using Determination.

STORY

“Don’t let the world change your smile. Let your smile change the world.”

People often forget that Rourke, the perpetually bright and cheery Captain was once a dauntless warrior, until they see the scars on his arm. But what a warrior he was this brave archer hailing from the Casanova Fort took part in hundreds of battles, including the infamous Battle of Bashkir. If you put all the war records containing his name in a stack, it would be taller than Rourke himself.

The world was not kind to Rourke: every single one of his family members died one by one to war and famine, and his beloved brother in arms fell in the Battle of Bashkir, hand still clutching his longsword that had slain many an opponent as he drew his last breath.

After that, Rourke lost his right arm protecting the Humans when a curse conjured from an enemy worked its way up his arm, forcing him to chop it off before it could kill him. “But hey, we won, right?” Rourke pointed out. The lookers on sighed in relief. They were worried that their sunshine warrior would break down in grief, but it turned out he remained as optimistic as ever.

In accord to the laws set by Astrid, the Duchess of Rose, Rourke was granted a sprawling manor after his return from war, meaning that he would live in luxury for the rest of his life without ever having to worry about working again. But that did not sit well with Rourke, who grew restless without a purpose in life.

Thus, Rourke anonymously gifted the manor to the surviving relatives of one of his battle companions, and set off for the Federation of the Free, carrying a recommendation letter from the Duchess, and landed the job of Captain in a foreign town near the borders.

To thank him for taking the position, the craftsmen of the Federation manufactured a mechanical crossbow to be fitted where Rourke’s lost arm had once been, enabling him to fight like he had before. “This is my new home. I’ve bid farewell to my past, and found my new life,” Rourke stated. He loved his new place, as anyone who hears his hearty guffaws would be able to tell you.

The townsmen adored the new Captain as well he was not stuck up like other officials, and was instead a constant source of happiness wherever he went. He was, however, a warrior tried and true when performing his duties. After all, you can’t keep order in your territory just by being happy, can you?

With the relationship between the Federation of the Free and the Verno Woods gradually improving and the promotion of the Chamber of Commerce, a “market road” was established, meandering right through Rourke’s little town. The blooming business brought prosperity and crowds, and with them came trouble as well.

“You can fight all you like outside, but this is my town, my rules!” As complications arose, Rourke decided to show the outsiders that he was no easy target. He had only one clear goal: to protect the town and the rights of its citizens, and ensure that all business affairs conducted in his town were legal and above board.

His efforts paid off. None who entered the town dared participate in criminal activities, for fear that the righteous Captain would smite them with one blow. Order was maintained in the town, and Rourke was respected by all.

“You wanna use violence to get rid of problems? I’ll use violence to get rid of YOU!”