Character roles below combine official descriptions, developer material, and clearly labeled reference summaries. Exact balance, statistics, and ability values can change between patches.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
The full Survival roster contains six heroes: Edwin Everard and Merek Longhold for The Order; Aelis Syren and Cyrus for The Rebellion; and Vizargo Oriah and Aurelia Pelegren for The Volatists. Edwin is a close-range flame attacker, Merek is a durable defensive bruiser, Aelis supports allies with Loyal Guards and combat buffs, Cyrus is a fragile ranged specialist who rewards careful positioning, Vizargo is a Veil-powered attacker who becomes more effective at night, and Aurelia is a melee bruiser built around crowd control, Dark Essence, and survival tools. In the current full-release game, choose a faction and hero from the Survival setup screen. Campaign characters are generally assigned by mission, so finishing a campaign chapter should not be treated as a confirmed requirement for selecting a Survival hero.
Roster
All six Survival heroes at a glance
The roster is split evenly between three factions. Each faction changes more than the portrait: it also determines the available army, economy, research options, and the way the chosen hero handles map control and Death Nights.
The table gives practical roles rather than claiming a fixed tier list. A hero that is easy to use for a new player may not be the strongest choice for every difficulty, map seed, or multiplayer team.
| Hero | Faction | Practical role | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwin Everard | The Order | Melee area damage and frontline pressure | Clear nearby threats, burn groups, and anchor an early expansion. |
| Merek Longhold | The Order | Tank and defensive utility | Absorb punishment, protect troops, and hold dangerous positions. |
| Aelis Syren | The Rebellion | Summoner and ally buffer | Use Loyal Guards and combat effects to strengthen a concentrated army. |
| Cyrus | The Rebellion | Ranged control and positional damage | Fight from safety, prepare advantageous locations, and punish approaching waves. |
| Vizargo Oriah | The Volatists | Veil-powered melee and ranged hybrid | Exploit wide attacks and stronger night performance while managing risk. |
| Aurelia Pelegren | The Volatists | Melee bruiser, crowd control, and sustain | Break up groups, debilitate enemies, and use Dark Essence deliberately. |
Reference material sometimes expands Cyrus’s name differently, and some older pages omit Merek or Aurelia because they predate later content. The six-name list above is supported by the current roster references and official launch material.
Roles
How the heroes differ in practice
Edwin is the most straightforward frontline option. His broad greatsword attacks and flame-based abilities let him clear clustered Nightmares while remaining useful during expansion. He is a sensible starting point if you want a hero who can operate close to ordinary troops instead of relying on a narrow setup.
Merek is slower and more defensive. Treat him as a stabilizer: he can stand where another hero would need to retreat, and his design emphasizes durability and team utility. He is a strong recommendation for players who prefer controlled advances and fortified positions.
Aelis changes the shape of a fight by bringing Loyal Guards and improving nearby combat power. Protect her support package rather than sending her alone into an unexplored corner. Her tools are most valuable when your army is grouped and ready to exploit a temporary advantage.
Cyrus is the roster’s clearest ranged specialist. His lower durability means that vision, spacing, traps, and a safe retreat route matter more than raw aggression. He fits players who enjoy preparing the battlefield and letting enemies enter a planned kill zone.
Vizargo draws on the Veil and is described as becoming more efficient at night. His wide attacks and Serenity state can produce strong wave-clearing windows, but he demands more attention than a conventional armored hero. Avoid leaving him exposed simply because his abilities are powerful.
Aurelia is a Volatist melee bruiser with crowd-control and survival tools. Her Dark Essence mechanics give her a different resource rhythm from the other heroes. She is a good choice when you want to fight aggressively but still have ways to recover or disrupt enemies.
- Recommendation for a first run: start with Edwin if you want a forgiving close-range plan, or Cyrus if you prefer ranged positioning.
- Recommendation for defensive play: choose Merek and let the faction’s durable units and fortifications do more of the work.
- Recommendation for army-centered play: choose Aelis and keep her summons and allied troops operating as one group.
- These are recommendations, not official rankings. Community opinions differ substantially by difficulty and patch.
Access
Unlocks, modes, and the newest heroes
The three factions and their hero rosters are part of the game’s Survival structure. Official release material describes The Order, The Rebellion, and The Volatists as faction systems introduced during Early Access, with multiple heroes added over time. Merek, Cyrus, and Aurelia are the later additions most likely to prompt “new heroes” searches; they are not separate paid characters.
Aurelia was introduced as The Volatists’ second Survival hero alongside the Exile’s Return content. Merek was introduced as a new Order hero, while Cyrus arrived with The Rebellion’s expanded roster. The full-release announcement states that five new heroes were added during development, which, together with the original roster, leads to the six-hero Survival lineup used here.
For practical access, open Survival, select a faction, and then choose one of that faction’s available heroes. I could not verify a current official requirement to finish a particular chapter, buy downloadable content, or complete a hero-specific quest before using them. Older community pages may describe earlier builds, so do not rely on an old unlock claim without checking the in-game selector.
Campaign play is different. The story assigns playable characters and faction context from mission to mission, so the Campaign is not a free-form way to select all six Survival leaders. Some characters appear in the narrative without being part of the Survival roster.
- Step 1: Choose Survival rather than assuming Campaign missions use the same selection rules.
- Step 2: Pick one of the three factions.
- Step 3: Select either hero shown for that faction.
- Step 4: Check the in-game ability panel before starting, especially after a balance patch.
- Step 5: In multiplayer, confirm that everyone is on the same game version before launching.
Difficulty progression is documented for Survival difficulty levels, but I found no authoritative current source saying that individual heroes unlock through those victories. Treat hero availability as a roster-selection feature unless your installed build shows a different requirement.
Patch awareness
What changed after launch
Hero information is version-sensitive because the developers continued fixing ability and multiplayer problems after the January 17, 2025 full release. The v1.0.2.0 update fixed several hero-related crashes and desynchronization issues, including problems involving Aurelia and Vizargo. The v1.0.2.3 update specifically addressed multiplayer crashes caused by abilities from Aurelia, Vizargo, and Merek.
That does not mean the heroes were removed or fundamentally redesigned. It means that a player comparing an older guide with a current build may see different reliability, balance, or visual behavior. If an ability appears to fire in the wrong direction, does nothing, or causes a multiplayer error, update the game before changing your strategy.
- Use official patch notes for technical problems and balance changes.
- Use the in-game Hero panel for the exact ability text in your installed version.
- Do not treat community tier lists as permanent facts; they are opinions tied to a patch, difficulty, and play style.
FAQ
Common questions
How many heroes are in Age of Darkness: Final Stand?
The current Survival roster has six heroes: Edwin Everard, Merek Longhold, Aelis Syren, Cyrus, Vizargo Oriah, and Aurelia Pelegren.
Who is the best beginner hero?
Edwin is the safest general recommendation because his close-range cleave and flame abilities are easy to understand. Merek is another good option if you prefer a slower, more defensive approach. There is no official best hero for every difficulty.
Is Aurelia a new hero?
Aurelia was the later Volatist hero added with Exile’s Return during Early Access. She is part of the standard six-hero Survival roster in the full-release game, not a separate paid character.
Are all six heroes playable in the Campaign?
The Campaign includes several of the same named characters, but missions control the playable cast and story context. Survival is the mode where you select a faction and its hero freely.
Do I unlock heroes by winning Survival matches?
I found no authoritative current source confirming individual hero unlock requirements. The available evidence supports selecting the heroes from their faction’s Survival roster, while victories are associated with difficulty progression and hero-specific achievements.
Which hero is ranged?
Cyrus is the clearest ranged specialist. Vizargo can also attack at range during his Serenity state, but his overall design is a Veil-powered hybrid rather than a conventional back-line archer.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.
- OfficialOfficial full-release announcement and roster history
- OfficialOfficial Exile’s Return announcement
- OfficialOfficial patch announcements, including hero fixes through v1.0.2.5
- ReferenceOfficial Aelis hero deep dive
- CommunityCommunity roster reference for hero names and factions
- ReferenceDeveloper and reference summary of hero roles