Fast answer

The answer before the background

Our recommendation

For most players, start with Kosmyr and Lumenir. Kosmyr gives you a durable frontline hero with strong damage, crowd control, and boss pressure, while Lumenir supplies shields, summons, and stuns. If you want a free team, use Grimson with Raelyn or Nyru. For DLC, Aurion is the best choice for large waves and fast map coverage, Wukong is strongest when you actively control him, and Bonehart remains a powerful damage-over-time specialist. No single hero wins every stage: pair a tank or anchor with a hero who fixes the map’s main problem.

Quick verdict

The strongest heroes overall

This is a practical ranking for campaign clears, Veteran play, and difficult challenge stages. It weighs damage, survivability, mobility, crowd control, utility, and how often a hero remains useful after the opening waves. The game officially supports two heroes per stage, so pairing value matters as much as individual power.

S tier recommendations are Kosmyr, Lumenir, Aurion, Anya, Warhead, and Grimson. Kosmyr is the safest generalist: he can stand in a lane, punish groups, and contribute against bosses. Lumenir is less self-sufficient but often improves an entire defense through support effects. Aurion has exceptional area damage and mobility, although he requires Dragon Wars access. Anya is fast, ranged, and reliable against targets that punish melee heroes. Warhead combines toughness with explosive area damage. Grimson is the best free hero for players who want a hero that can both brawl and recover from pressure.

A tier choices include Wukong, Bonehart, Broden, Onagro, Torres, Raelyn, Nyru, Stregi, Therien, and Spydyr. They can be outstanding in the right situation, but their value is more dependent on positioning, timing, enemy types, or a compatible tower build. Vesper, Kratoa, and Sylvara are useful specialists rather than universal first picks.

  • Best overall: Kosmyr.
  • Best support: Lumenir.
  • Best free hero: Grimson.
  • Best wave clearer: Aurion.
  • Best active-play hero: Wukong.
  • Best ranged specialist: Anya.
  • Best boss-oriented damage-over-time option: Bonehart.
Rank groupHeroesWhy they belong here
S tierKosmyr, Lumenir, Aurion, Anya, Warhead, GrimsonHigh impact across many maps, strong skills, and useful even when the tower layout changes.
A tierWukong, Bonehart, Broden, Onagro, Torres, Raelyn, Nyru, Stregi, Therien, SpydyrExcellent specialists or dependable alternatives with more noticeable limitations.
B tierVesper, Kratoa, SylvaraPlayable and sometimes excellent, but more dependent on map conditions or timing.
Why this is not an official tier list

Ironhide publishes hero descriptions and balance changes, not an official ranking. The tiers above are recommendations based on verified kits, recent changes, and practical performance rather than a developer score.

By mode and campaign

Best picks for campaign, DLC, and challenge play

For the main campaign, Grimson plus Raelyn is the strongest no-purchase starting recommendation. Grimson handles sustained melee pressure and can recover during extended fights, while Raelyn provides a durable anchor for enemies that reach the defensive line. Nyru is a better second hero when you need speed, ranged pressure, or a flexible response unit rather than another stationary blocker.

For Veteran and Impossible-style difficulty, Kosmyr plus Lumenir is the most dependable premium pairing. Kosmyr absorbs attention and controls dangerous groups; Lumenir adds safety through support and can help stabilize a defense after a mistake. If your towers already provide enough holding power, replace Kosmyr with Anya for faster target removal.

For Colossal Dwarfare, use Warhead or Onagro when the stage rewards explosive area damage and durable map presence. Kratoa is a specialist option for players who enjoy careful timing around his lava effects, but he is less forgiving if his attacks are placed badly. A strong general pairing is Warhead with Lumenir, giving the mech room to deal damage while the dragon protects the wider defense.

For Wukong’s Journey, Wukong is the obvious thematic choice, but he is not automatically the best partner. His mobility, clones, stuns, and heavy active abilities reward frequent manual commands. Pair him with Lumenir for safety or Kosmyr for a more aggressive front line. If you prefer low-maintenance play, use Kosmyr instead and let towers carry more of the wave control.

For Dragon Wars, Aurion is the most natural first pick because the campaign introduces aerial threats and demanding wave patterns. His mobility lets him answer leaks quickly, while his solar attacks punish clustered enemies. Lumenir remains the safest partner when you need protection and control; Anya is the more aggressive partner when the map gives you enough blocking power. The official Dragon Wars update also changed Aurion’s Worthy Foe so it activates only when he has no target, preventing him from abandoning nearby threats unnecessarily.

  • Main campaign and free roster: Grimson plus Raelyn.
  • Hard campaign stages: Kosmyr plus Lumenir.
  • Colossal Dwarfare: Warhead plus Lumenir, or Onagro plus a support hero.
  • Wukong’s Journey: Wukong plus Lumenir for control, or Wukong plus Kosmyr for damage.
  • Dragon Wars: Aurion plus Lumenir for consistency, or Aurion plus Anya for offense.

Stage planning

Choose heroes by stage problem, not just tier

In early stages, hero availability matters more than theoretical ranking. Vesper is available first, followed by Raelyn and Nyru as the campaign progresses, while Grimson arrives later. Use Raelyn to hold a lane while Vesper or Nyru moves between trouble spots. Do not delay a clear simply because a premium hero would be stronger; early upgrades and correct positioning usually matter more.

When a stage has several paths or sudden leaks, prioritize mobility. Aurion, Anya, Wukong, Nyru, and Grimson can reposition quickly or reach threats that a slow tank cannot. Keep the mobile hero near the center of the map rather than committing them to one lane too early.

When the final waves contain armored elites or bosses, use a durable anchor with a specialist damage dealer. Kosmyr with Anya, Kosmyr with Bonehart, and Warhead with Lumenir are strong templates. The anchor buys time for towers and abilities, while the second hero focuses on the enemy type that is most likely to break the defense.

When enemies arrive in dense groups, choose area damage or control over single-target damage. Aurion, Warhead, Wukong, Kosmyr, and Lumenir all contribute meaningfully here, although their value depends on timing. Save the strongest area skill for a wave that threatens multiple exits rather than using it on the first large group.

When a map has awkward blocking points, support often beats another attacker. Lumenir can make a mediocre defensive position workable, while Torres can create additional battlefield structure and Warhead can absorb pressure. This is why a lower-ranked hero can outperform an S-tier pick on a specific stage.

  • Multiple exits or surprise leaks: use a mobile hero.
  • Armored elites and bosses: use one anchor and one focused damage dealer.
  • Large swarms: prioritize area damage and crowd control.
  • Poor blocking positions: bring Lumenir, Torres, or another utility hero.
  • Tight budgets: rely on free heroes and spend early gold on towers before chasing expensive hero upgrades.

Practical builds

Best hero pairings and tower roles

The best towers and heroes work as a system. A hero should cover the weakness of your tower selection rather than duplicate it. If your towers already provide heavy magic damage, choose a physical bruiser such as Kosmyr, Grimson, or Warhead. If your towers can block but struggle to survive, Lumenir’s support is more valuable than another damage dealer.

A reliable general setup is one frontline hero, one mobile or ranged hero, a barracks-style tower for additional control, a high-damage tower for priority targets, and at least one area-damage option. The exact tower names can change with the stage and available slots, but the principle remains stable.

Recent official patches matter. Grimson received improvements to his transformation, healing, and spike damage in the October 2024 rebalance. Kosmyr later received a fix for a passive-damage bug, and Sylvara gained the ability to target flying enemies in the September 2025 update. Aurion also received a Dragon Wars adjustment in March 2026. Older tier lists may therefore underrate these heroes or describe outdated behavior.

  • Use one hero to hold enemies and one to relocate or burst targets.
  • Do not pair two fragile damage heroes unless your towers provide reliable blocking.
  • Upgrade skills that solve the stage’s biggest failure point rather than spreading points evenly.
  • Test a hero on the actual map before judging them; terrain and enemy lanes change their value.

Limitations

What remains uncertain

There is no developer-published hero tier list, and public sources do not provide a complete, standardized performance dataset for every difficulty, stage modifier, and platform. Community rankings also disagree about heroes such as Wukong, Bonehart, Sylvara, and Spydyr.

The safest conclusion is that Kosmyr, Lumenir, Grimson, Anya, Warhead, and Aurion are consistently high-value recommendations, not that they are mathematically superior in every battle. Platform and DLC access also matter: the Steam edition includes heroes through progression, while mobile and other versions may present some heroes through purchases or DLC.

Version check

The official Dragon Wars balance page lists build 7.00.60 for Steam and build 7.00.62 for iOS, Android, macOS, and Apple Arcade. Recheck the in-game encyclopedia after future patches, especially before relying on exact damage values or cooldown comparisons.

FAQ

Common questions

Who is the best hero for most players?

Kosmyr is the safest all-purpose recommendation because he combines durability, damage, crowd control, and boss pressure. Lumenir is the best partner when you want more protection and support.

What are the best free heroes?

Grimson is the strongest free generalist. Raelyn is the best free anchor, while Nyru is useful when you need mobility and flexible ranged pressure. Vesper remains serviceable early, before the later free heroes are unlocked.

Is Aurion better than Lumenir?

Not universally. Aurion is better for mobility, wave clearing, and Dragon Wars pressure. Lumenir is better when shields, summons, stuns, and defensive consistency are the main priorities.

Which hero is best against bosses?

Kosmyr is the most dependable general answer. Anya is excellent for focused ranged damage, Bonehart is valuable when damage over time can continue safely, and Wukong can produce very high burst when actively controlled.

Should I use two damage heroes together?

Usually not. Two damage heroes can work when your towers already block and control enemies, but most stages are safer with one anchor and one specialist. Kosmyr plus Anya or Lumenir plus Warhead are more forgiving combinations.

Do hero rankings change between Steam and mobile?

The broad recommendations are similar, but unlock rules, DLC access, and patch timing can differ. Check the current platform update and in-game encyclopedia before relying on exact stats or availability.

Sources

What we checked

Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.