Unlock availability and pricing are platform-dependent. The role labels below are practical recommendations based on each hero's combat design, not official tier rankings. Community references also disagree on some detailed XP behavior, so exact fastest-stage claims are marked as guidance rather
Fast answer
The answer before the background
The game has 16 playable heroes: Alric, Mirage, Cronan, Bruxa, Captain Blackthorne, Nivus, Dierdre, Grawl, Sha'tra, Karkinos, Kutsao, Dante, Kahz, Saitam, Ashbite, and Bonehart. Alric is available first. On mobile, Mirage, Cronan, and Bruxa unlock through campaign progress, while most of the remaining roster is normally offered as paid hero content. On Steam, the heroes are included and become available through campaign progression. Heroes earn XP during battles, keep their levels between stages, and can reach level 10.
Roster
All 16 heroes and what they do
Each hero has five upgradeable abilities, different statistics, and a distinct battlefield job. The descriptions below are the most useful way to choose a hero rather than treating a community tier list as universal.
Frontiers also contains temporary stage characters such as Rurin Longbeard, the Black Corsair, and Lucrezia. They are not part of the normal selectable roster and should not be counted among the 16 playable heroes.
- Alric, the Champion. A durable melee fighter and dependable early-game tank. He is the safest general-purpose choice when you need a hero who can hold a choke point.
- Mirage, the Assassin. A fast, fragile damage dealer who excels at reaching priority targets and repositioning quickly. She rewards active movement and careful timing.
- Cronan, the Beastmaster. A flexible control hero whose summoned beasts and battlefield pressure help stall groups of enemies.
- Bruxa, the Voodoo Witch. A ranged damage and crowd-control specialist. She is especially useful when enemies are dangerous to engage directly.
- Captain Blackthorne, the Corsair. A ranged pirate hero with strong damage and useful area pressure. He is a good choice when you want damage without committing to melee.
- Nivus, the Grand Wizard. A fragile ranged caster who delivers magical damage and is best protected behind a stable frontline.
- Dierdre, the Priestess. A support hero who improves nearby defenses and provides healing. Her value rises in long battles where survival matters more than burst damage.
- Grawl, the Stone Giant. A slow, durable frontline hero suited to absorbing punishment and blocking high-health enemies.
- Sha'tra, the Skyhunter. A ranged hero with strong anti-air and single-target utility, making her useful against flying or priority threats.
- Karkinos, the Warmaster. A tough melee specialist who can control space and survive pressure in difficult lanes.
- Kutsao, the Monk. A mobile melee fighter with strong sustained combat potential. He works best when moved between threatened lanes.
- Dante, the Hunter. A ranged damage dealer who is effective against dangerous targets and benefits from safe positioning.
- Kahz, the Warlord. A hard-hitting frontline bruiser who combines durability with strong damage against ground enemies.
- Saitam, the Monkey God. A fast melee hero with high mobility and reliable lane coverage, particularly useful when enemies arrive from different directions.
- Ashbite, the Dragon. A flying area-damage hero. He can reach positions that ground heroes cannot and is excellent against clustered enemies, but his respawn time makes careless sacrifices costly.
- Bonehart, the Dracolich. A flying damage and control hero with powerful area presence. He is one of the strongest answers to dense waves when protected by good timing and tower support.
| Hero | Primary role | Best practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Alric | Tank and melee damage | Hold a choke point and handle ordinary ground waves. |
| Mirage | Mobile assassin | Reach dangerous targets and escape before being surrounded. |
| Cronan | Summoner and control | Delay groups while towers deal sustained damage. |
| Bruxa | Ranged control | Damage enemies from safety and punish clustered waves. |
| Blackthorne | Ranged damage | Add flexible damage without occupying the frontline. |
| Nivus | Magic damage | Destroy armored or high-health targets from behind tanks. |
| Dierdre | Support and healing | Keep towers and units effective during long fights. |
| Grawl | Heavy tank | Absorb damage from elite ground enemies. |
| Sha'tra | Ranged and anti-air | Cover flying threats and priority targets. |
| Karkinos | Frontline control | Anchor a difficult lane and disrupt ground enemies. |
| Kutsao | Mobile melee | Rotate between lanes and clean up weakened enemies. |
| Dante | Ranged single-target damage | Focus dangerous enemies before they reach the exit. |
| Kahz | Melee bruiser | Fight heavy ground units at close range. |
| Saitam | Fast melee damage | Respond quickly to leaks and split pressure. |
| Ashbite | Flying area damage | Burn down groups while ignoring many pathing limits. |
| Bonehart | Flying damage and control | Dominate dense waves with area attacks and debuffs. |
For a first playthrough, Alric is the easiest all-purpose pick. Dierdre is valuable when your towers already deal enough damage but struggle to survive. Nivus, Ashbite, and Bonehart can be exceptional when their positioning and abilities match the stage. A hero tier list from Reddit or a wiki is less useful than choosing for the enemies and lane geometry in front of you.
Unlocks
How to unlock the roster
The platform matters more than the hero name. The mobile version traditionally gives you Alric immediately, then unlocks three additional heroes through campaign milestones. Most of the other heroes are separate premium content on mobile.
The PC release is different. Ironhide describes the Steam edition as having all heroes available, with no microtransactions. Community reference data records campaign-stage unlock points for that edition, so you should expect progression unlocks rather than mobile-style hero purchases.
- Mobile starting hero: Alric.
- Mobile campaign unlocks: Mirage after Sape Oasis, Cronan after Nazeru's Gates, and Bruxa after Snapvine Bridge.
- Mobile premium availability: Captain Blackthorne, Nivus, Dierdre, Grawl, Sha'tra, Karkinos, Kutsao, Dante, Kahz, Saitam, Ashbite, and Bonehart are generally associated with paid hero content.
- Steam: the complete hero roster is included, and heroes are obtained through campaign progression rather than individual mobile purchases.
- Nintendo Switch and other ports may package content differently. Use the platform's current product page and the in-game hero screen as the final authority.
| Platform pattern | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Mobile | A mixture of campaign unlocks and optional paid heroes. |
| Steam | Heroes included with the PC edition and unlocked through progression. |
| Other ports | Check the current store description because the package can differ from mobile and Steam. |
The 16-hero roster is confirmed by the current Google Play listing and long-standing game references. Exact mobile pricing is not repeated here because prices, bundles, regional taxes, and promotions can change.
Progression
Hero XP and leveling explained
Heroes gain experience while participating in stages. Unlike the original Kingdom Rush system, Frontiers heroes retain their progress after the stage ends. Levels improve their combat performance and provide points for upgrading the five ability trees.
The normal cap is level 10. A newly unlocked hero may begin above level 1, especially later in the campaign, so do not assume every character requires the same amount of training.
- Bring the hero into battles instead of leaving the slot unused if you want that character to gain XP.
- Keep the hero active near enemies, but do not sacrifice it repeatedly. A dead hero spends time respawning and contributes less during the wave.
- Use later campaign stages when the hero is underleveled. Community reference data reports increased XP in stages whose expected hero levels rise, including Buccaneer's Den, Nazeru's Gates, Snapvine Bridge, Lost Jungle, Temple of Saqra, and The Underpass.
- Spend ability points according to the job you need. Defensive abilities help a tank, damage or cooldown abilities help a caster, and mobility or control abilities help a roaming melee hero.
- There is no need to level every hero equally before progressing. Train one reliable generalist first, then raise specialists for stages where their damage type or movement is especially valuable.
| Goal | Efficient approach |
|---|---|
| Level a new hero quickly | Use the hero in later available campaign stages and keep it active throughout the waves. |
| Protect a fragile hero | Place it behind barracks, towers, or a safe bend rather than at the first contact point. |
| Train a tank | Let it block worthwhile enemies, but retreat before a lethal boss or elite attack. |
| Train a ranged hero | Position it where it can attack continuously without being surrounded. |
| Reach level 10 | Continue normal campaign play; replaying a stage may help, but an exact fastest stage is not officially documented. |
The game does not provide a clearly documented official XP-per-stage table in the sources checked. Claims that one specific stage is always the fastest should be treated as community advice, not a guaranteed rule across every platform, difficulty, or version.
Choices
Which hero should you use?
There is no single best hero for every map. A practical selection starts with the problem the stage is creating. If ordinary ground enemies are breaking through, choose a durable melee hero. If towers are surviving but priority enemies escape, choose focused ranged damage. If waves are dense, area damage and control usually outperform a purely single-target specialist.
For most players, the simplest progression is Alric first, followed by a ranged damage hero and then a support or flying hero. That gives you frontline control, safe damage, and an answer to stages with unusual pathing or air pressure.
- Choose Alric or Grawl when you need a reliable blocker.
- Choose Dierdre when healing and defensive support solve more problems than extra damage.
- Choose Nivus or Bonehart when groups contain armored, elite, or tightly packed enemies.
- Choose Sha'tra or Ashbite when flying enemies or inaccessible positions are the main threat.
- Choose Mirage, Kutsao, or Saitam when fast repositioning matters more than durability.
- Use Cronan or Bruxa when stalling, summoning, or crowd control buys enough time for towers to finish the wave.
| Problem on the map | Good starting choices |
|---|---|
| Ground enemies overwhelm the entrance | Alric, Grawl, Karkinos, or Kahz |
| Flying enemies are the main danger | Sha'tra, Ashbite, or Bonehart |
| Elite enemies need focused damage | Nivus, Dante, Blackthorne, or Bonehart |
| The defense needs healing or buffs | Dierdre |
| Several lanes need rapid response | Mirage, Kutsao, or Saitam |
| Large groups need delaying | Cronan or Bruxa |
Different difficulty settings, hero levels, tower builds, and player skill change the result. A hero that looks weak in a static ranking may be the correct answer for a specific boss, flying wave, or lane layout.
FAQ
Common questions
How many heroes are in Frontiers?
There are 16 playable heroes in the main roster: Alric, Mirage, Cronan, Bruxa, Captain Blackthorne, Nivus, Dierdre, Grawl, Sha'tra, Karkinos, Kutsao, Dante, Kahz, Saitam, Ashbite, and Bonehart. Temporary stage-only allies are separate.
How do you level up heroes?
Use a hero in completed stages so it earns XP. Its level persists between stages, and reaching a new level grants ability points. Heroes can reach level 10. Later stages are generally better for training underleveled heroes, but there is no officially verified universal fastest stage.
What is the best hero for a first playthrough?
Alric is the safest general recommendation because he is available immediately, durable, and useful against ordinary ground waves. That is a recommendation, not an official ranking. Dierdre, Nivus, Ashbite, or Bonehart may be better when a stage specifically needs support, magic, flying movement, or area damage.
Are all heroes free?
It depends on the platform. Steam includes the full hero roster and does not use mobile-style hero purchases. Mobile editions traditionally combine campaign unlocks for Alric, Mirage, Cronan, and Bruxa with optional premium heroes. Other ports may package the content differently.
Are Reddit hero tiers reliable?
They can reveal useful player experience, but they are not definitive. Check the hero's level, ability upgrades, difficulty, towers, and stage before applying a ranking. A role-based comparison is usually more reliable than one universal tier list.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.
- OfficialIronhide official game page
- OfficialIronhide official Steam release announcement
- OfficialGoogle Play listing from Ironhide Games
- OfficialSteam store listing
- CommunityFrontiers heroes reference