Aurora Build Guide

Last updates Aug 8-17: Ability numbers updated per .42 patch. Deck build #1 was updated with Cards of the New Dawn update.

Table of Contents

1. TL;DR
2. Overview
   1. Strengths
   2. Weaknesses
3. Abilities Analysis
4. Deck Considerations
5. Aurora Deck #1
6. Aurora Deck #2
7. Gameplay
   1. Early Game
   2. Mid Game
   3. Late Game
   4. Tips and Tricks
8. Heroes Synergy

TL;DR on Aurora

Aurora is an extremely elusive Crowd-Control Specialist, whose abilities allow her to manipulate the cold. A powerful frontline initiator, Aurora uses the cold to freeze her enemies and take what she pleases.

Focus on buying cards that increase your power and reduce your cooldowns.

Aurora has two mobility tools that make her difficult to lock down.

1. Glacial Charge will launch Aurora forward. Dealing damage, pushing enemies aside, and blocking projectiles from the front. This ability will allow you to quickly traverse all types of terrain, leaving behind an icy trail that allies can follow. If an enemy decides to follow... feel free to let it go.
2. Frozen Simulacrum will allow Aurora to leap in a target direction, leaving behind an icy clone of herself. This clone can serve as a deterrent, blocking enemy projectiles and abilities. It can even be used to traverse terrain.

Hoarfrost will create a ring of hoarfrost around Aurora, dealing damage and rooting enemies caught in the ice. This is great for controlling areas and locking down enemies.

And finally, your Ultimate is Cryoseism! Aurora creates an ice earthquake. Enemies in the area will slowly turn to ice, then explode, taking damage. This chain reaction will also cause enemies caught in the explosion to turn to ice. This is a powerful Team Fight Ability, and is most effective when there are more enemies to chain explosions. Aurora's abilities make her a powerful laner, allowing her to farm safer and more aggressively than others. But, don't get too aggressive without a team to back you up. Utilize your mobility to remain elusive and set up powerful initiations. Get ready to give your enemies the cold shoulder with Aurora.

Lore of Aurora

• Insists that each visitor drink tea, exchange gossip and then fight her.
• Her right arm does not belong to her
• Capsized the High Sorcerer's pleasure barge to see if he could swim.
• Connected to Yin (go to Yin Build Guide)
• Read more Aurora Lora.

Aurora Overview

Aurora's Strengths

1. Battlefield control
2. Target isolation
3. Escape and engage

Aurora's Weaknesses

1. Squishy
2. Succeptable to crowd control.
3. Pretty high skill-cap

Aurora's Abilities Analysis

- Frozen Sword (Basic Attack)

Melee basic attack dealing Basic Damage.

- Frozen Simulacrum (Alternate Ability)

Aurora leaps 700 units in the direction she is moving, leaving behind an icy statue of herself. The replica will draw aggro from enemy minions and towers, and stays in the world for a short period of time.

This ability will allow you to literally go into any enemy Tower's range, activate the ability and make that Tower to keep attacking your clone. It can not only save your life but also help your minions to push the tower longer. And one more thing about minions. Enemy waves will attack your Simulacrum in case there is no other target in range.

However you will find yourself using this ability mostly as an escape. Your enemy dives in - you leap away. That's it.

Remember that Simulacrum is really a targetable object. E.g. If an enemy Gadget drops a Sticky Mine near the Simulacrum then the mine will attach to it like if it were you. However if you are already locked down by GRIM.exe's G.T.F.O  Simulacrum will save you from it only if you manage to use it as a block.

- Glacial Charge (Primary Ability)

Aurora dashes forward, leaving behind her a trail of ice that other heroes can walk on. She deals Ability Damage to any enemy she dashes through.

Very versatile ability. At a first glance it is no different from Steel's Shield Bash. But it builds a wall so it may serve you in two more ways:

1. You can traverse terrain with it and allow you and your teammates to escape. Do not forget to cancel the wall if your opponents follow.
2. You can block your opponents in narrow points of the map or slow down minions if you need more wave control.

- Hoarfrost (Secondary Ability)

Aurora creates a ring of hoarfrost on the ground around her. Touching the ring deals Ability Damage and applies Root for a short period of time seconds.

Unlike to Bramble Patch of The Fey which applies its effect whenever enemy touches it, Hoarfrost applies Root and damage only once.

Extremely dangerous at Early Game since it gives you an opportunity to lock down an enemy in one small area with limited to none chance to escape. In the Late game can be used as a good zoning tool to give opponents a choice - get rooted or move in a direction you want them to.
 

- Cryoseism (Ultimate Ability)

Aurora freezes an area, applying Slow to all enemies for a short period of time. After a brief delay, the ice on the enemies explodes, stunning the target and causing Ability Damage in a small AOE around each target. Enemies inside the explosion AOE's will have a new explosion applied to them.

Since Cryoseism applies Stun after a short delay it will interrupt channeled abilities which is good. On the other hand there is some time for enemy to react, e.g. Narbash doing his Crash Bang Boom! stuff will have chance to call the final "Boom" earlier.

Aurora's Deck Considerations

Coming soon. Refer to the decks for Aurora below.

Core Cards for Aurora

WIP

Aurora Deck Build #1

Explore Deck

Aurora Deck Build #2

Explore Deck

Gameplay with Aurora

Early Game

No matter what Lane you start the game it is recommended to look for early ganks with your Hoarfrost. Choose heroes that does not have teleportation or jumping abilities like Gideon with his Cosmic Rift or Greystone with Assault the Gates. But remember, Aurora is not tanky so getting ready for a gank don't be ganked.

If you start at the Off-Lane try to get your wave pushed towards your tower and harass opponents with your Glacial Charge into Hoarfrost combo. You may consider upgrading the Glacial Charge first and put it on the way of the first minion wave. This way you will force opponents be closer to your tower from the very beginning and therefore you'll start a match from a safer position.

Playing on the Safe Lane your goal will be to look for an opportunity to lock down your enemy for your ADS's focused fire.

Remember that Aurora is squishy so be extremely cautious while standing against a duo of both ranged carry and support. They can easily poke you down to very low HP. And no matter what always keep your Frozen Simulacrum ready for a quick and safe escape.

Mid Game

Initiation is one of Aurora's strengths so when you are sure your teammates will follow go for it. Choose a target and do one-two-three-four: Glacial Charge to your opponent, Hoarfrost to lock him down, Cryoseism for damage and prolonged lock-down and leap back with Frozen Simulacrum. Remember that the more enemies you hit with your ultimate the more damage will be applied.

Always watch out for opponents with strong crowd control. Once Aurora is stunned in the middle of a team-fight she can be easily focused down pretty quickly. Especially pay attention playing against Rampage with his Boulder Throw or Riktor who has a lot of tools to render you helpless.

Late Game

Similarly to the Mid game. You are the core of all the team-fights as far as battlefield control is concerned. You may also want to go one-on-one some of your opponents but prefer ADCs over tanky fighters and CC-capable enemies. If you get stunned it may mean 90 seconds of sitting at the base due to your health pool and high damage output in the Late game.

Tips and Tricks with Aurora

• Frozen Simulacrum if you get focused by a tower and keep doing what you want. The tower will keep focusing your clone.
• Glacial Charge helps traverse terrain not only for you but for your allies and opponents. Make sure you cancel it if you don't want to be followed.
• Your tower is under siege and you need a couple more seconds to hold? Use Glacial Charge across the path of enemy minions to block them and slow down the push.

Heroes Synergy

Aurora and Dekker

CryoCage

Obviously Dekker's Containment Fence comboes well with a lot of ultimates. Cryoseism is not an exception. Wait for a trap to close, charge in and execute your Ultimate followed by Frozen Simulacrum to leap away.

Aurora and Rampage

Stacked Stun

Root'n'Stun abilities of Aurora can be vary well comboed with Rampage's Boulder Throw. When your opponent is staying still it's very easy to follow up with another root/stun ability and keep focusing him down. The same also applicable to Dekker's Stasis Bomb, Kwang's Judgement of the Heavens, Thunk of Narbash, Sevarog's Subjugate, etc.

Aurora and Howitzer

Cryoseismic Rain

Since Aurora's Ultimate not only does damage but also locks enemies in place it gives an allied Howitzer to use his Make It Rain ability as effectively as it's possible. See how it works in real game in the video below.

Aurora and Sparrow

Cryoseismic Fire

Similarly to the above combo with Howi Aurora can turn enemy team into sitting ducks for Sparrow to execute her Inner Fire safely and surely.

Aurora Updates

v40.0 (May-16 2017)

Cryoseism

• Base damage reverted back to the values from v38.3 (180 / 230 / 280 → 160 / 200 / 240)

v39.0 (Apr-04 2017)

Cryoseism

• Base damage increased (160 / 200 / 240 → 180 / 230 / 280)

v38.3 (Mar-14 2017)

Base health reduced to 506 from 550

Health per level gain reduced to 68 from 74

Frozen Sword

• Card Scaling reduced to 0.5 from 0.6
• Base damage reduced to 58 from 59
• Base damage per level reduced to 1 from 1.5

Glacial Charge

• Cooldown increased to 22 / 20 / 18 / 16 from 20 / 18 / 16 / 14

Hoarfrost

• Duration of effect reduced to 4 seconds from 4.5 / 5 / 5.5 / 6
• Root duration reduced to 0.75 / 1 / 1.25 / 1.5 seconds from 2 seconds at all levels.
• Mana cost increased to 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 from 50 / 55 / 60 / 65

Cryoseism

• Base damage reduced to 160 / 200 / 240 from 180 / 230 / 280

Now deals varying shatter damage based on whether the shattering unit is a hero or not.

• Hero shatter base damage increased to 56 / 86 / 116 from 40 / 62 / 84
• Non-hero shatter base damage reduced to 28 / 43 / 58 from 40 / 62 / 84
• Non-hero Card Scaling reduced to 0.1 from 0.2