Da Qiao Still Got a Buff in Honor of Kings?

Da Qiao has always been one of the strongest roamers in Honor of Kings (HoK), known for her powerful map presence. Her ability to teleport herself and her teammates across the map has made her a top-tier pick, especially when it comes to high-level competitive play. Alongside Dolia, Da Qiao stands out because of her game-changing mobility, allowing her team to quickly rotate or escape tough situations. This mobility advantage is critical in HoK, especially on a small map, like Hero's Gorge, where controlling space is the key to victory.

Buff to both teleportation skills

Da Qiao's recent buffs further enhance her already powerful toolkit. Her second skill, Sea of Fate, now summons a magic circle that not only grants vision for four seconds but allows her teammates to teleport back to the spawn point, clear all debuffs, and return to the battlefield. If no one returns through the circle, a mark remains, which a teammate can touch to recall. Canceling or not using the recall reduces the cooldown by 50%. This adjustment is significant because it makes Da Qiao even more effective in maintaining lane pressure, enabling faster resets, and creating opportunities for her team to outmaneuver opponents.

Her ultimate, Eye of the Whirlpool, also received a major buff. Previously, it granted an attack speed boost, but now it provides a shield to teammates within range. The shield scales with magical attack and lasts for eight seconds, making it extremely valuable in team fights. This change adds more flexibility to her kit, especially for mage allies who can now dive into fights with the added protection of a shield. With these buffs, Da Qiao is now even more effective at turning fights in her team's favor, making her a central figure in any battle.

A Stronger Meta Impact

Compared to her other skills, Sea of Fate and Eye of the Whirlpool are the main reasons why Da Qiao is so dominant in the game. The switch from attack speed to a shield with her ultimate is particularly impactful. It allows mages and marksmen to take more risks in team fights, knowing they have the protection needed to survive longer.

This shift gives her team a distinct advantage in fights, making Da Qiao even more valuable in the meta. The buff to Sea of Fate also allows teammates to return to the lane more quickly, improving their positioning during the laning phase and making Da Qiao’s map control even more oppressive.

The new changes make Da Qiao's playstyle more versatile, which could have significant consequences in the upcoming HoK Championship. The buff to her skill set suggests that the developers may want a meta centered around her.

She's the only hero in the game that forces teams to play completely differently when she's picked, making every match where Da Qiao is present feel like a different game. With these changes, Da Qiao might become even more of a priority pick or ban, shaping how teams approach their drafts and strategies moving forward.

Competitive Presence

A small map combined with teleportation skills creates a real challenge for opponents. It's hard to defend against a team that can pop up anywhere. This ability has made Da Qiao a problem in the competitive scene. Her presence in tournaments is overwhelming.

In the HoK Championship PH, she had a staggering 67.31% pick or ban rate, while in Indonesia's HoK Championship, she maintained a 54.02% presence. A hero with over 50% presence is clearly a key figure in the meta and a highly sought-after pick, highlighting just how influential she is in shaping the competitive scene.

Challenges in Solo Queue

While Da Qiao has proven to be overwhelmingly strong in competitive play, her performance in solo queue remains underwhelming.  A 48.38% win rate is underwhelming for a hero that is expected to be overpowered. This is largely due to the complexity of her abilities and the coordination required to make the most of her teleportation skills.

In solo queue, many players struggle to use her effectively because they don't fully understand how to maximize her map control. However, at the competitive level, where communication and coordination are key, Da Qiao shines brightly, and the recent buffs only amplify her power.

The challenge now lies in balancing Da Qiao's power between solo queue and competitive play. While she may seem irrelevant to the average player, her impact in professional games is undeniable. The buffs may not make her any more accessible to casual players, but they will certainly increase her presence in the highest levels of play. This leaves room for concern, as a hero who is too strong in competitive play can lead to repetitive drafts, where the same picks and bans dominate every game.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Da Qiao's buffs have solidified her place as one of the most powerful roamers in the game. With her enhanced ability to teleport teammates and protect them with shields, she is now more versatile than ever. The changes make her an even more essential pick in competitive matches, and it’s likely we will see her being picked or banned in almost every game of the upcoming HoK Championship. Whether this is good or bad for the game remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure—Da Qiao's presence will continue to shape the competitive scene for the foreseeable future.

Latest Posts: