Ming

Ming is a Support hero in Honor of Kings.

Background[]

A dashing diviner who can see the truth hidden in hexagrams and people's hearts. This strange man appeared in Chang'an one day and made it his home. To the people there, he is known only as the Peony Diviner. They do not know where he came from, but he has the ability to predict the future with incredible accuracy—even the Empress herself has solicited his services. However, talent doesn't necessarily make life in Chang'an easy. A certain judge has been amongst the most suspicious of Ming's motives. Ming's response to all such suspicions is a smile, hidden under which is his true intention: to take back the Great Wall.

Lore[]

Everyone has something beloved, and since nothing can be taken to the grave, everyone must suffer the pain of loss—be they the emperor of a civilization or a mere street orphan. That is why people inevitably turn to diviners, who claim to be able to foretell future fortunes and advise on all matters, just to ease their worries.

In the olden days, Taizong had been a wise ruler. At a time of great upheaval, his generals once led their cavalry to Alsahraa and recruited forces to resist the Feralis in the name of the Great Wall. Thus, the Great Wall Guardians were founded. Later, a fortress was built at the faraway Hero's Gorge, ushering in a period of peace to the Central Plains.

The queen sired three sons for Taizong. All three showed great merit, but the talented Prince Qian was selected and carefully groomed as the heir. Qian felt that his father favored his second son, however, which gave rise to a concealed yet ever-present anxiety. To protect his place as the heir to the throne, Qian sought out an oracle. The resulting divination foretold a foreboding future for Qian, which he was unwilling to accept. Furious, the prince ordered the oracle to be put to death. As the executioner's blade swept down, however, the mysterious oracle vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a single peony flower.

In the end, the wicked prince's plot was exposed. In a show of paternal clemency, Taizong only had him exiled. To protect the lives of all three of his beloved sons, he installed his magnanimous third son, the Prince of Jin. What was passed down through the following years were not only the praises of this prince-turned-emperor but also the legend of the Peony Diviner.

But all things change with time, and today, it is an empress who rules. Her Imperial Bureau of History, which revised the calendar system and presided over official rituals, recruited far and wide to enlist the most talented astronomers to observe the stars. The most skilled among them was a diviner peculiarly proficient at cultivating peonies, a man by the name of Ming. People whispered that Ming was a disciple of the legendary Peony Diviner, and when these whispers eventually reached the curious ears of the empress, she summoned him to court. Ming presented her with three trigrams, each predicting an upcoming battle for the Great Wall Guardians. Within a matter of days, all three predictions came true.

The empress was astonished. She had long aspired to bolster her kingdom's current prosperity, and regardless of whether this diviner's predictions came from trigrams or mere cunning, they would certainly prove useful to her aims. She offered Ming a hefty sum, but he refused. Instead, he only asked for a small courtyard residence in Chang'an where he could grow his peonies and play Go with his disciple.

She granted his wish. Before long, the Peony Diviner, with his formidably precise predictions, as well as his disciple, the man lauded as a genius of Go, were renowned throughout Chang'an.

Only one person was suspicious of the mysterious diviner—Di Renjie, the empress' trusted confidant and the magistrate of Chang'an.

As the peonies opened in full bloom, Di Renjie visited Ming's secluded yet refined home. The two sat before a Go board and chatted over several matches. Di Renjie could make ruthless criminals tremble in fear, but today, the magistrate was defeated mercilessly match after match.

Ming chuckled and asked, "Would the magistrate like to play another match?"

Tossing the Go stones aside, the magistrate said, "I hear the Honored Empress has permitted you to enter the palace at any time, providing that the trigrams have changed?"

"That's correct."

"Then know that I'll be watching."

"I don't quite understand what you intend by that."

Di Renjie looked the diviner directly in the eyes, saying, "The Honored Empress once summoned me back before she decided to take the throne."

"She was hesitant and uncertain at the time, conflicting with her desire to create a prosperous kingdom."

"She told me: 'Watch me well.'"

"Watch over me. Alert me to any misstep and warn me of any danger. Do not let me stray from my goals, and keep me on the path of my ideals."

"The empress is as strong a person as you'll ever meet. Her will and determination are more powerful than you could ever imagine."

"I don't know what you're plotting, but it doesn't matter. Just know that I've got my eye on you. Always."

His warning delivered, the magistrate turned and walked off. A scornful smirk appeared on the diviner's face.

"And that is... precisely what I wanted."

Di Renjie was right, however. He, too, would sometimes recall parting ways with his brothers-in-arms, who had now long slumbered beneath the Great Wall.

Just as the empress sought to use his divinations to fulfill her wish for a prosperous kingdom, and just as Di Renjie guarded his beloved Chang'an, on both accounts, so too did Ming.

After all, he had returned to Chang'an to recover the one thing that, in his heart of hearts, he could not bear to lose.

Flowers are in bloom, nurtured by artifice.

Skills[]

Good Omens

Type: Passive

Every 5s, Ming's next Basic Attack deals more magical damage and heals himself and the linked teammate. The healing is reduced if the enemy is nota hero.

Time - Carefree

Type: Active skill

Forms a link with the target. When linked to an ally, increases the Physical and Magical Attack Movement Speed, and Attack Speed of both parties. When linked to an enemy unit, reduces their Physical and Magical Attack while dealing damage over time.

Mastery - Glide

Type: Active skill

Switches the effect of the link. When linked to an ally, increases the Physical and Magical Defense of both parties. When linked to an enemy unit, reduces their Physical and Magical Defense. The effect can beswitched repeatedly.

Peace - Longevity

Type: Ultimate

While linked, can spend own Health to restore an equal amount of Health toallies or deal an equal amount of damage to enemies. Recovers Health continuously while out of combat.

Skins[]

Strategies[]

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The key to playing Ming is to link the carry and use the Ultimate when the carry is in danger.