Wave clear plays an essential part in the core game mechanic of Heroes of the Storm. Maybe not in Quick Match. But that is just, well, Quick Match. A.K.A a major clown fiesta.

But if you are trying to play the game properly, wave clearing is an important part to getting XP. And if you have more XP than the enemies, you are stronger a lot of the time. Most heroes receive a 4% scaling bonus when going up a level. And of course, there are the talent tier advantages. So it’s important to catch as much soak from wave clearing as you can.

Hots has a lot of heroes and classes to choose from. It can be hard to figure out which ones have the best wave clear. This guide will go over the Top 5 best wave clear heroes currently in the game, why they are good and how to wave clear with them — allowing you to become a pro XP soaking machine.

1) Gul'Dan

"Darkness Incarnate"

Gul’Dan the Orcish Shaman turned Warlock. Using a mix of Dots (damage over time) and direct damage, he puts out large amounts of sustained pain. With the ability to self-heal he does not rely on supports as much as other mages. Has exceptional wave clear and the ability to siege with Fel Flame and Corruption.

How to clear waves with Gul’Dan:

• - Use Fel Flame on waves
• - Do not use Corruption on waves unless it’s a big wave, includes mercenaries or if you need to clear as fast as possible
• - Use Consume Soul talent to instantly kill minions & catapults

Watch Gul’Dan wave clear here: 

Streamer and WC 3 World Champion "Grubby" plays Gul'Dan on Infernal Shrines. Watch at 23:55

2) Xul 

"I sense death...within this place"

Xul, the cryptic Necromancer. Uses Deathmagic to summon fallen foes. Xul is a melee bruiser with exceptional wave clear, crowd control and a mix of melee and ranged abilities. Able to easily soak two lanes of experience. Plays best on three lane maps.

• - Able to soak lanes with ease
• - Mostly used to double-soak two lanes. (Particularly good on Blackheart’s Bay and Infernal Shrines)
• - Use Spectral Scythe, then Cursed Strikes to quickly clear waves
• - Let spawned skeletons escort your minion wave  

Let former pro player "AlextheProG" demonstrate how to clear a wave on Xul. Watch at 1:58

3) Greymane

"Greymane eyeing his next minion wave victims"

Greymane, King of Gilneas and Lord of the Worgen. Highly diverse due to his two forms, Human and Worgen form. Excels at clearing not just waves of minions, but also mercenary camps and bosses. A great all-around PVE hero.

• - Use cocktail in human form on wave
• - Jump on wave in Worgen form
• - Cleave it down in Worgen form
• - Use Inner Beast if needed for larger or tankier waves

Watch Greymane clear waves here:

Streamer and former pro player "Fan" shows how to clear waves effectively with Greymane. Watch at 1:26

4) Azmodan

Azmodan preparing to destroy a Valla (Demon Hunter) with a massive Globe of Annihilation!

Azmodan, the Lord of Sin. His wave clear is extremely underwhelming early game. But once he has stacked his Annihilation quest, combined with his ultimate Tide of Sin, he can kill an entire minion wave instantly. He becomes extremely effective late game both against PVE waves, as well as enemy players.

• - Focus on stacking your Annihilation as much as possible early game
• - Pair up with another hero and rotate between lane to maximize this
• - Once the entire wave is low on health, kill it off with Globe of Annihilation
• - Stacking becomes much easier after you unlock Tide of Sin heroic

Watch Azmodan wave clear here:

Streamer and former pro player "Fan" clears a wave with "Tide of Sin" and achieves max. stacks. Watch at 10:43

5) Leoric

"You dare bring the warmth of life into my tomb?!"

Leoric, the Skeleton King. Defined by his trait that allows him to cheat death, he demands consistent alertness from the enemy team. Does particularly well against high hp pool heroes. He is also capable of double-soaking lanes and providing vision for his team. 

• - Kneel Peasants is a mandatory talent if you want to clear waves effectively on Leoric
• - With this talent you can easily double soak lanes
• - Use your auto attacks on the wave, as every second one cleaves
• - Auto attack first, then use skeletal swing to clear waves quickly

Watch Leoric wave clear here:

"Fan" shows waveclear on Leoric with "Kneel Peasants" talent. Watch at 6:00

You may also be interested in: 

• Heroes of the Storm Tier List 2019 [Heroes of the Storm Best Heroes] 
• HOTS Best Tank Heroes (Top 5)