The Best Heroes In Heroes vs Hordes

Welcome to the 2025 Heroes vs Hordes hero tier list! These are the best heroes in HvH as of this writing.

Choosing the wrong hero can cost you months of grinding for 17,000 gems or even real money. I've been there. I spent $100 on the Barbarian, and it was a total waste.

So let's make sure that the same thing doesn't happen to you!

I'll break down all 50+ heroes to determine which ones are worth putting in the extra effort to get. You can see the table at the end.

These 10 heroes can carry you through late-game Hard Mode, but that's only part of the reason for being in the top ten.

The very best S-tier heroes dominate across the board—they crush Arena, defeat all challengers in Hero Clash, conquer early Nightmare Mode, and farm more efficiently than anyone else. That's what sets them apart from the rest.

So, the stakes couldn't be higher. Your time, your gems, and your sanity are on the line.

At the end of the day, I used the criteria: "If I had to spend $100 on heroes, who would I spend it on?"

Let's uncover the Heroes that truly dominate the Hordes.

You can find a changelog at the end of the article with updates since first published. Last updated 9/26/205.

#10 - Pumpkin Shade

Moving way up the charts in my book is Pumpkin Shade. This hero has only 1 redeeming characteristic, but it's so important that it lands him in the top ten:

His global that offers a 50% increase to the amount of hero orbs at the end of a run.

Hero Orbs have become an incredibly valuable resource in HvH, so that 50% bump will save you hundreds of runs grinding for orbs. He's a one-trick pony riding a very important pony.

#9 - Shield Warden

At number 9, Shield Warden is a S- tier hero who can clear the end of hard mode, but his time to shine comes in Nightmare Mode. While most other heroes focus on offense, he's a defensive master.

The stuns in his kit let him survive and kite through more difficult content. He can carry you through the first 200 levels of nightmare mode without the global buffs other heroes require. He's also incredibly strong in Dragon's Tower.

The introduction of his Forge brought him back into the top 10 in my book. It offers a ton of choices to turn this defensive master into an offensive force.

He doesn't offer much flair or fun. He should not be used for Arena and Guild Events, but he'll help you progress through the game's core.

#8 - Oracle

Next up I have the Oracle, a hero that dominates special events and climbs leaderboards. The Oracle is one of the two heroes on this list I don't personally own, but she shows up everywhere I play. I give her S- tier status.

Her massive amounts of AOE damage make it possible to clear through harder content.

While being able to clear hard mode content with her evolved weapon, she shines in special events, particularly Hero Clash and Guild events. I always see her atop the leaderboards of level 10 and 11 hero clashes.

She's one of the few champions who excels throughout the entire game.

#7 - Artificer

If you want another hero to carry you from Chapter 1 to Chapter 390, then look no further than the Artificer. I place him at S- tier.

Take the Oracle and make her slightly better in every way. You end up with this goggle-wearing boy wonder.

Once he gets his rotor blade spinning, there's no stopping his damage output. He put up some of the highest damage numbers in hard mode content for me. He's an S+ tier champion in Hero Clash, probably the best for the even.

And I know people who used his damage output to clear Arena early after evolving his weapon in the forge.

#6 - Dark Paladin

At number 6, Dark Paladin is an A+ tier hero who can clear the end of hard mode, but his time to shine comes in Nightmare Mode and Hard Mode Arena.

His overwhelming number of slows and stuns as you forge up his weapon turns him into a beast, while his scaling armor as part of his star up progression provides plenty of defense.

Once at 5-star forge, he's versatile enough to clear all game modes, but can still push levels before that.

#5 - Dark Mage

One of the newest additions to the game just so happens to be one of the best. Welcome the Dark Mage as one of the first S tier heroes in months.

A massively scaling hero, forging up this worm prince of darkness unleashes an ungodly amount of area of effect damage. Powered by lingering misery and a scaling ultimate, he will top the damage charts.

Because he's so new, I'm not entirely sure how forge-dependent he is, but the investment in the forge definitely pays off..

#4 - Santa

The next hero up on my list is different from the rest. He doesn't really do damage. You don't use him to directly progress, but you end up playing him more than any other hero.

His name? Santa.

A pure S-tier hero, this cheerful bag of joy is the single best farming champion in the game. Gifted 300 shards as soon as you get him; his globals and skills increase the chance of getting Gold Keys. Combined with the gold increase from his star levels, Santa delivers more ongoing presents than any other hero.

Farming is core to progressing in the game, and his increases to gold and gold keys will save you hours of your life.

Not to mention, he has the best theme of any hero in the game. I love this jolly old rocket-launching legend.

#3 - Warlord

I finally got Warlord and I have been both unimpressed and very impressed with him.

While the old school best hero the Barbarian can get you through the end of hard mode, only the Warlord can get you through the end of the game. The Warlord is an S tier champion because of his late-late-game utter dominance. After forging his weapon, he becomes the god of Nightmare Mode and Hard Mode Arena.

He can also plow through the end of hard mode once you build up your globals and will be helpful in Dragon's Tower and late stage Dungeon.

That said, he is UNPLAYABLE in the early, mid, and beginning of the late game. He's literally a wet booger until his 3* forge and star level 4. He's also incredibly boring, with a lack of any interesting visual animation.

So, if you do want to pull out your wallet for him, make sure you have 3-4 months ready to invest.

#2 - Werebeast

While Wearlord is boring and expensive, what if you want a hero that just gets the job done with some personality?

Say hello to everyone's favorite uncuddly monster, the Werebeast at #2. With an insane amount of internal cooldown from hero levels, he's a beast in Hard Mode, Nightmare Mode, Dragon's Tower, and Adventure, earning himself S+ tier in my book.

The most important part of the Werebeast is that you do NOT need to forge him up to clear Nightmare Mode. He hits full playability instantly.

Combine that with the wherewithal to have healing built into his kit, and he can progress much faster than almost any other hero.

That healing and shielding is what makes him an excellent hero for Nightmare Mode. That means you can keep playing the bloodhound through basically all the content if he's your type.

But know he's weaker in events like Guild, later Arena stages, and Hero Clash, where the defense is wasted.

#1 - Clockwork Mage

But if you're looking for a game changer immediately, you'll find it at number one. The best bang for your buck and the only S+ hero in the game, the Clockwork Mage.

This master of time slows your enemies into submission. Viable from Chapter 1 in normal through Chapter 120+ in nightmare mode, her specialties are Arena and Hero Clash.

An S+ arena hero, her slows give you time to navigate the horde. She's the best arena hero and will let you start collecting more forge tokens sooner than any other hero.

Her S status in Hero Clash will unlock more rewards in that game mode faster.

She also shreds through Faction Wars and Adventure mode.

If I had to drop $100 on the game today, she'd be it hands down.

Summary

And there you have it. My definitive Heroes vs Hordes tier list. I've made the mistakes, spent the gems, and endured the grind, so you don't have to.

Want to see how the rest of the heroes stack up? Check out the table below.

I'm Kolz, a high-level HvH player. Please sign up for my Patreon for a chance to win monthly HvH giveaways..

And remember, always do your adventures!

Full Hero Table