So, what is a hero class?
The Hero Class is just a fancy name for the fifth tier in character progression. However, unlike the first four tiers, players are given 4 choices that allow for specialization. Obtaining Hero Class also costs 750,000 gold. This is non-refundable. If you use a character respec, you will lose this gold so choose wisely. Hero Class also requires 13 class points -- therefore only a level 52 character is capable of becoming a hero class.
You will find a list of the hero stats here -->
Hero Classes Progression
What class should I pick 1st?
I think this is the most asked question in NI, to be honest. This question has no right answer. This is truly up to you and none else as this is subjective. The easiest way to find an answer to this question for yourself would be to answer a few questions.
A. What do you want to do? (Ranged or Melee or a mix of both)
B. What do you see yourself doing job wise?
C. What do you enjoy more? Playing safe or aggressive or a mix of both?
Part A is a lot more important than B or C but its something to consider when playing a class.
Example using me.
1. I find I enjoy melee more than ranged but I like both.
2. For me, slashing is what I see myself doing a lot but I want to be able to go out onto the field and melee down some bots. I would also rather a longer 2h than a short 1h and shield.
3. A good mix of both. At times Ill play safe but when I know we are going to tome next wave or some other factors I want to play a bit more aggressive.
From this maybe you can tell my favourite classes are Sentry and Marauder followed by Jugg.
You don't need to think about this too hard as you can always make more than one hero or join me in having them all. All the heroes, in the end, do something in a way other heroes can't. There is no bad hero if you use it right.
What is the most op class?
Hmm... See this is the thing it's really hard to compare heroes that have just about nothing in common. On one side of the spectrum, you may have Warden that is a very powerful ranged class in the right hands and the other side Jugg that's an absolute tank compared to Warden. Both classes could be considered op in their field.
Variables like what mode you are playing matters heavily. Chosen Marksman would probably be the most op class vs Odin but vs wave 1 normal using a Dead Shot is maybe a bit overkill. Classes like Sentinel with very fast 1h's that can still 1 shot bots would be considered more op in that area of the game.
Most if not all classes could be considered op in their field. It comes down to what is your goal as I'm sure you can find the most Op class that suits your play style.
So, how can you trust my opinion on the matter?
I'm am someone that has played this game for years but more importantly, I'm one of the few that has all the heroes. I guess even more important I've played each hero for a good amount of time with some or all of the best items for that class. From this, I have a fairly good understanding of what that hero is good at and not using my real experience.
For what will be subjective and objective I'll try to keep this as objective as I can. Sometimes players say they know how a class is without even playing it once. Looking at stats can give you an idea about how a class works but you cant beat real game play. I can say for sure I may get subjective at some points but I'll try to come at it with some evidence of why I feel that way.
1. Warden
Summary
It is an archer with higher Archery skill and more Power draw making it the best at archery.
Gear
Gets better bows and arrows.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Rag, Cav, Hard, Normal
Analysis
Warden is a damage per second king in ranged. In the right hands, you will find yourself on top of the leader boards. If you are reading this it's highly likely you have a Warden or you plan to make one.
Positives
- Very high DPS (ranged)
- One of the best classes for Cav
Negatives
- For being the most picked class by a landslide the Typhoon, Tempests and Zephyr are in high demand so you will need to pay a pretty penny for them.
- Lowest armour and hp ingame so if you make any mistake or your team does good luck as you may need to be tomed in.
- It takes some time to become a really good sniper.
Summary
It is an archer with higher One handed skill and more Power strike making it the 3rd best at 1h's.
Gear
Gets better 1h's.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Normal, Hard, Cav, Rag
Analysis
It will be faster on its feet than Legionnaire and Aventurier but will have a lot less armour and less HP than Legionnaire. If any assassins spawn around the ranged you are best suited to take them out. With the speed and damage of the better Sentinel 1h's you will have no problem stun locking bots like prince. It will be a challenge to get him cornered my tip would be using a fellow shielder as bait or better pick a shield and do his job for him. Would also recommend picking up some 1h's that commandos bring in. Stuff like Dwp or even a 1h Moj will be a great way to do damage to more heavier armoured bots.
Positives
- Very high DPS (1h melee)
- For being the just about the least picked class by a landslide the Steel Stinger and other very good 1h's for Sentinel are dirt cheap.
Negatives
- For being a melee class you are you have really low armour.
- Need to pick up a shield as atm no shields are available.
- For being a 1h hero you have the same 1h stats as Jugg and a lot less 1h's to pick from.
Summary
It is an archer with higher Two handed skill and more Power strike making it the 2nd best at 2h's.
Gear
Gets better 2h's.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Hard, Normal, Rag, Cav,
Analysis
This is a faster Zweihander in 2 ways. it's faster from having lighter armour and more Athletics and the 2h's locked to Sentry are the fasted 2h's in the game.
Currently just about everything Sentinel can do you can do better. You have more weapon length, more cut and it being a 2h means you have the ability to slash over a shielder. You would have trouble cornered given you have just about no shield skill but like Marauder that's not your job. Your job is to get the kill.
It's a shame Sentry has no hammers but you can always pick up one if it's available.
Positives
- Very high DPS (2h melee)
- For being not being picked a lot the Pride is normally cheaper than the Legacy for Zwei.
- You have the ability to drop your bow and just become a slasher for that round or a full run.
Negatives
- For being a melee class you are you have really low armour.
- In melee most of the time you are not going to have a shield on you but if you pick one up you have little to no skill in that area.
- For being a 2h hero you have the almost the same 2h stats as Jugg.
- Marauder and Zweihander have more options in terms of tools they can bring in that would help in melee.
Summary
It is an archer with higher Ironflesh and its armour is almost as good as a Sharpshooters. It will be slower on its feet than the other 3 Sniper heroes but will have more armour and HP.
Gear
Gets better Body armour, Head armour and can use some gloves and boots that the others can't.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Cav, Hard, Rag, Normal
Analysis
Once a hated hero by most of the community now is a semi-common site to see. An armour ranged class sounds a bit backwards as you don't plan to get hit in the 1st place but when you do you are really thankful you picked Ranger and lived with almost no HP. At times you will question for sure was it worth it but over the years and years, I've problem made my money back just from surviving a few more arrows than the other 3 sniper heroes could.
Positives
- You can pick up Typhoon, Steel Stinger, Pride but those that bring them cant pick up your armour.
- For not being picked as much as Warden you don't need to deal with the "Warden tax" on armour as you have your own.
- You have the ability to play a bit more aggressive given more armour or you can play the same and have a better chance to live.
- One of the best classes for Cav
Negatives
- You don't really specialize in anything. Yea you have a lot better armour than a normal sniper would but its nothing outstanding.
- The Ranger armour is a bit heavier than normal sniper armour
5. Master Peltast
Summary
It is a pikeman with higher Throwing skill and more Power throw making it the best at throwing.
Gear
Gets better Throwing Spears.
As secondary it has some body armour it shares with Marauder.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Rag, Hard, Normal, Cav
Analysis
One of the most picked classes in-game so this needs no intro. I personally think Master Peltast makes for the best kiter given, unlike any sniper class you have spears that can go through shields and if you wanted a faster weapon well there's always daggers that basically do the same job as a bow. If you picked this class you only have one job and that to throw then refill and repeat.
Positives
- Very high DPS (ranged)
- Given how throwing works you can give your full team Rupturers or whatever on wave 1 vs waiting for a respawn.
Negatives
- Rupturers or really any throwables are all highly wanted in this game
- You are a bit low on armour and hp
- You will become friends with the refill box
Summary
It is a pikeman with higher Polearm skill and more Power strike making it the 2nd best at Polearms.
As secondary it has the same basic shielding skill (8) as most Commandos.
Gear
Gets Polearms that can be used in 1 hand that also make it a weapon "perfect" to use with a shield. It also gets some nice shields.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Rag, Cav, Hard, Normal
Analysis
The strangest classes of this game. The learning curve on using 1h Polearms is the biggest in all of the classes in my opinion. If you don't use it right you will hit a wall or a cade or a player... Anyway... once you understand how to use it becomes a very powerful tool. This melee weapon could have the best damage per second on Odin if you can use it right... Unlike the Dead Shot, the Elegy is a speed demon so it becomes a weapon that's good on any bot. The real downside to this class is how hard it is to use.
The shield skill on this class gets a bit overhyped I would say. Yes, it's 8 the same as a Commandos but you don't call Zwei or Leg a shield class do you?
Positives
- Very high DPS (melee)
- Given how hoplite is a meme just about you will find Elegy is cheap vs any other red polearm same can be said with Vigilance vs Phoenix Shield.
- You can be a backup shielder
Negatives
- This class needs to come with a manual on how to use it
- You are a bit low on armour and hp but at least you have a shield.
- In terms of polearm skill as soon as a Marauder picks up your spear he can do your job better other than having not as good shield skill and Hp.
Summary
It is a pikeman with higher Polearm skill and more Power strike making it the best at Polearms.
Gear
Gets Polearms that normally have a 2nd mode with crush through.
As secondary it has some body armour it shares with Master Peltast. It also has a helmet locked to it.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Rag, Hard, Normal, Cav
Analysis
This class is at heads with Zweihander for what is the best slasher. It has less armour than Zwei sure but it can also throw. To me at least, thus cancels each other out as both do have a place in Ni. For what is better well they both do different jobs. With Mara, we have polearms like Mangler that do pierce and have a very nice 2nd mode that has crush though. The best company I found to a Mangler is a Jormungandr given you now have both main ways to slash as a pikeman.
Positives
- Very high DPS (melee)
- The 2nd mode that has crush though on Mangler and other mara polearms was a game changer.
- Given you have more reach than Zwei you may be able to hit things he just can't
Negatives
- You are a bit low on armour and hp for a slasher
- For how popular Mara and Mp are Tiger Scale Armour is a very wanted armour and Mangler is not much better in this department.
- As sad as it is Mangler and other slashing polearms, in general, can be too long to work in some area's being you hit to roof.
Summary
It is a pikeman with higher Ironflesh and its armour is almost as good as a Commandos. It will be slower on its feet than the other 3 pikeman heroes but will have more armour and HP.
Gear
Gets better Body armour, Head armour and can use some gloves and boots that the others can't.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Hard, Normal, Rag, Cav
Analysis
Bit of the middle child of going from Ranger to Jugg. An armour Pikeman sounds more normal than an armour sniper to me but they get the same benefit. You don't plan to get hit in the 1st place but when you do you are really thankful you picked Halberdier and lived with almost no HP. Given how people know how good slashing can be on Master Peltast well its no different here but you have a lot more armour to back you up.
Positives
- You can pick up Rups, Elegy, Mangler, ... but those that bring them cant pick up your armour.
- For not being picked as much as Mp, Mara and maybe even Hoplite at this point the Leather Overmail is a lot cheaper than Efs and even more so to Tsa.
- You have the ability to play a bit more aggressive given more armour or you can play the same and have a better chance to live.
Negatives
- You don't really specialize in anything. Yea you have a lot better armour than a normal Pikeman would but its nothing outstanding. You are more competing with Legionnaire than any other class.
- The Halberdier armour is a bit heavier than normal pikeman armour
9. Chosen Marksman
Summary
It is a Sharpshooter with higher Crossbow skill making it the best at Crossbows.
It will have less Health than Repeaterman but will have more Athletics.
Gear
Gets Crossbows that are very slow but have big damage and will knock down on headshot.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Rag, Hard, Cav, Normal
Analysis
This is practically overkill for most of the bots in this game... This class is made for one person and that's someone that wants to kill Odin with as little effort as possible. This class clearly outputs the most damage in 1 shot but the cost is the long reload time.
Positives
- You can be almost sure that Odin kill has your name on it
- You still can use a normal crossbow really well or even pick up a repeater
Negatives
- Good luck getting a Dead Shot
- For as good as a Dead Shot is its a 1 trick pony. Yes, it can 1 shot well most things but the cost is speed and that speed is what can make some crafted items arguably better a lot of the time.
Summary
It is an Sharpshooter with higher One handed skill and more Power strike making it the 2nd best at 1h's.
Gear
Gets better 1h's.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Hard, Normal, Cav, Rag
Analysis
This class is for someone that wanted to go Legionnaire but would rather use an Eagle Xbow vs Twigs. It will be faster on its feet than Legionnaire but will have a lot less armour than Legionnaire. In turns out its a good mix of having a slow but powerful xbow and a fast 1h.
Like Sentinel If any assassins spawn around the ranged, you are best suited to take them out. Would also recommend picking up some 1h's that commandos bring in. Stuff like Dwp or even a 1h Moj will be a great way to do damage to more heavier armoured bots.
Positives
- Very high DPS (1h melee)
- For being the just about the least picked class by a landslide the Rebellion and other very good 1h's for Aventurier are dirt cheap.
- This is the 1 class that would use Noble Bastion and for that reason, it's really cheap also
- A very fast class to the point you can kite normal if it came down to it.
Negatives
- For being a melee class you don't have the best armour possible but it still better than a lot of classes
- You don't have much shield skill to back up your 1h skill.
- For being a 1h hero you have only 10 more One handed skill than Jugg and a lot less 1h's to pick from.
Summary
It is a Sharpshooter with higher Crossbow skill making it the best at Crossbows.
It will have more Health than Chosen Marksman but will have less Athletics.
Gear
Gets Crossbows that are very fast but have low accuracy and lower than normal damage.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Cav, Rag, Hard, Normal
Analysis
This is just about the easiest class to use. Just aim in the vague direction and click. If you like being efficient but still want to get kills this is for you. You can easily stun lock bosses you just need to look out for that reload.
Positives
- Very high DPS (ranged)
- Very easy class to use and learn
- One of the best classes for Cav
Negatives
- You are slower than most classes so if the bots get in good luck running away
- Can be a bit mundane playing this class
- Gear wise getting Alia is hard for how much this class is played
Summary
It is a Sharpshooter with higher Shield skill making it the 2nd best at Shielding.
Gear
Gets Shields that are very cool that you can place using the [v] key.
As secondary it has some body armour and a helmet locked to it that is a bit better than normal.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Rag, Hard, Cav, Normal
Analysis
You are practically a backup shielder as you have less armour, no extra hp and have less shield skill than Rg... To add to the fire your shields are not as good... or are they? The shields to Pavise Champion have a 2nd mode where you can place them like a dep shield. This means you can trap bosses with practice and walk away like it's not your problem or when 2 Royal Guards die mid wave you can drop one or 2 shields on one side and shield the other.
This class may as well be called moving cade at this point.
Positives
-It's super satisfying when you know you saved the run by placing some quick shields
-Once you learn how to trap bosses it becomes something worth the risk even more so if you are the only one that can get him cornered
Negatives
- You will never be as good of a shielder as Royal Guard
- Getting a Tower Shield maybe a bit hard now
13. Legionnaire
Summary
It is a Commando with higher One handed skill and more Power strike making it the best at 1h's.
It is a Commando with higher Throwing skill and more Power throw making it the 2nd best at throwing...
Gear
Gets better 1h's and gets throwing spear that has good melee stats.
As secondary it has some helmets locked to it that are a bit better than normal. Also has some lighter than normal armour available as well. Some are shared with Zweihander.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Hard, Rag, Cav, Normal
Analysis
This class because of its stats it can ready up for anything. Need a backup shield ye can do that... Need a backup slasher ye can do that... Don't need anyone at the cades well ill just throw... This class is a multi-tool so use it well and it will be very rewarding.
Positives
- Having 2nd best throwing and best 1h skill is some big flex
- For being one class you could throw one wave shield another then slash the next... This class can do most things well enough
- Really fast on his feet for being a Commando
- One of the best classes for Cav
Negatives
- For how much this class is played the throwing is heavily wanted
- A bit low on Hp
Summary
It is a Commando with higher Two handed skill and more Power strike making it the best at 2h's.
Gear
Gets better 2h's that have a 2nd mode. It also has some hammers.
As secondary it has some helmets locked to it that are a bit better than normal. Also has some lighter than normal armour available as well. Some are shared with Legionnaire.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Rag, Hard, Cav, Normal
Analysis
This class is at heads with Marauder for what is the best slasher. Marauder has less armour than Zwei sure but it can also throw. To me at least, thus cancels each other out as both do have a place in Ni. For what is better well they both do different jobs. With Zwei, I would pick it if you don't plan to use ranged weapons it just about that simple. For being a slasher your best tool is your sword or hammer but what saves you as a Zwei is your shield.
As Zwei was my 1st hero I found the key for a good set up is a 2h sword for bots without shield than a hammer for the ones that do and bosses of course. That 3rd slot is the shield. You don't need to have a 1h with a shield as your shield is your safety net when your hp gets low. If your Hp gets low pull out the shield and hope or ask for help or better try to move back so you can run for your life.
Positives
- Very high DPS (melee)
- The 2nd mode on the swords is a nice way to melee over the cades if there are no spots for any more slashers
- Hammers are satisfying
Negatives
- You are a bit slow so if the bots get in its either fight hope you are fast enough
- For how popular Zwei is and Leg getting Plate over Leather maybe a bit hard and Ironsong is a very wanted item in terms of melee.
- You have just about no ranged skill
Summary
It is a Commando with higher Shield skill making it the best at Shielding.
Gear
Gets better Shields.
As secondary it has some helmets and body armour locked to it that are better than normal.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Rag, Hard, Normal, Cav
Analysis
This class can be the most important class in some runs. If you get killed or go afk for too long the team is dead. An active Rg is the best thing to see coming from a slashers perspective but the key for being a good Rg is playing safe... A good Rg is one that has little to no deaths in events and even in public. You do have the ability to outlast everyone because of your shield skill. You can sacrifice yourself to make the run go on longer.
Positives
-You can be the difference for some runs making it to w15 vs w4 rag.
Negatives
- Can be a bit mundane playing this class
- Good shields are not cheap
- You have just about no ranged skill
Summary
It is a Commando with higher Ironflesh and its best armour ingame make this class a tank on the battlefield. It will be the slowest class in this game.
Gear
Has full sets of armour for itself.
Game modes I think this hero does best at (in order)
Hard, Cav, Rag, Normal
Analysis
The tank of the game and it only lasts a few seconds in some normal waves... The key for playing this class is understanding roughly how much damage will each wave do to you. For me, I know if the heals are consent on Hard I can tank all the waves and that's with a full set of Defender, not my upgraded one. Heals play a really big roll in this game but even more so if you are playing Jugg. Heals can be the difference between being able to walk into the middle of Ballistaman on Hard (w14) or die on wave 3 hard with no heals.
Heals and game knowledge of how hard each bot can hit is very important here.
Positives
- You can pick up Exc, Legacy, Sok, ... but those that bring them cant pick up your armour.
- At times people will be saying that's op when you stand out in the open killing away on a deadly wave to any other class
- For being the tank of Ni the Defender set is nicely priced
- The 1/2h skill is better than normal
- One of the best classes for Cav
Negatives
- Playing can feel very Inconsistent at times.
- You are the slowest class
- You have just about no ranged skill
This thread is an update to this one -->
https://forum.nordinvasion.com/showthread.php?tid=15529. This one was last updated in 2015 so I think an update would be good.
I would like to see peoples opinions on the heroes they have played just in case I'm overlooking something. I didn't want to talk much about points like how in theory RG makes for an ok slasher... this topic is trying to talk about how the heroes differ as much as I can.
If you disagree with something here feel welcome to say so by giving a reason why. I don't want a "Hoplite is clearly the best" as this says nothing on the topic. Try to be as objective as you can.
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