I've played a lot of matches online where people have misused their hero, and thus gotten them killed. So I've thrown together this short guide that attempts to tell you how to use heroes effectively in 3 steps.
STEP 1 Okay, the first and most important step is to know your hero's strengths and weaknesses, and what your hero is best at. For this purpose, I have created several classes of heroes.
Support Hero:
A support hero's role is generally to support units and heroes in the field, using abilities like buffs or healing. Support heroes are generally weaker than other standard heroes, and as such should not be used to take down another hero 1 vs. 1. They should also certainly not be expected to eliminate or stall a large army for a long or even a short amount of time. Support heroes are usually fairly inexpensive due to their weak armor and stats, so they are early-game heroes most of the time.
Examples of Support Heroes:
-Arwen
-Wormtounge
-Nazguls
Army Killer:
An army killer's role is self explanatory: to destroy or weaken an enemy army, or stall it until reinforcements can arrive. Army killer heroes can someimes be effective at killing an enemy hero, but generally are more effective at taking down large armies. Most army killers have area-of-effect attacks, such as Rogash's leap attack or The Witch-King's standard attack while on foot. Area of effect attacks are very useful in killing armies, as you can usually take down up to ten foes with one attack. Army killers can also be used quite effectively to kill an enemy structure. Army killers are very strong, so they are usually quite expensive. As such, they are late-game heroes most of the time.
Examples of Army Killers:
-Rogash
-Gandalf
-The Witch-King(on foot)
Hero Killer:
Hero killers are also self-explanatory: they are best at killing enemy heroes. They usually have special abilities that excel in hurting an enemy hero, such as Lurtz's Cripple or Thranduil's Thorn of Vengeance. Generally, hero killers should not be ordered to attack a large army unless they have stealth abilities or excellent range. Hero killers vary from being early-game to mid-game heroes, depending on their cost.
Examples of Hero Killers:
-Lurtz (Cripple ability)
-Thranduil (Thorn of Vengeance)
-Glorfindel (Blade of Purity, plus he can get away fast using Wind Rider)
All-Around Heroes
All-around heroes are arguably the best type of hero. They can usually perform all of the roles to an extent, though they are perhaps not as good at each role as the heroes specifically designed for the role. All-around heroes can be early, mid, or late-game heroes, depending on their cost. These heroes usually have an ability for each type of role. Take Aragorn, for instance. With his Athelas and leadership, he can support allied troops and heroes. With his Blade Master, he can easily take down enemy heroes. With his Army of the Dead ability, he can take down armies.
Examples of All-Around Heroes:
-Aragorn
-Legolas
-Gimli
STEP 2: The next important thing is to analyze all enemy heroes. Note which role they fit into, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. It is important to analyze all of the heroes your enemy can build, even if they haven't been built yet. This way, you can be prepared for an unexpected hero attack.
STEP 3: Once you have analyzed both your heroes and your enemy's heroes, you can take action based on your analysis. For instance, if you notice that your enemy has a hero that is causing you a lot of trouble, you can send a hero killer to take them out. If your army is simply getting crushed by your opponent, send a support hero along. If a large army's on the way, send an army killer to either eliminate it or stall it while you send help. To truly use a hero effectively, you need to take advantage of your hero's strengths and your enemy's weaknesses.
I hope this guide helped you. Note that it was written for new players. Also note that though I have tried as accurately as possible to sum up a hero's skills or roles, many heroes excel at things that I have not mentioned here. If you find something a hero excels at that I haven't mentioned here, by all means post it and I will add it to this guide. Cheers.
Yes, I began my journey alone, and I ended it alone.
But that does not mean that I walked alone. ~ Brandon Sanderson
A support hero's role is generally to support units and heroes in the field, using abilities like buffs or healing. Support heroes are generally weaker than other standard heroes, and as such should not be used to take down another hero 1 vs. 1. They should also certainly not be expected to eliminate or stall a large army for a long or even a short amount of time. Support heroes are usually fairly inexpensive due to their weak armor and stats, so they are early-game heroes most of the time.
Examples of Support Heroes:
-Arwen
-Wormtounge
-Nazguls
An army killer's role is self explanatory: to destroy or weaken an enemy army, or stall it until reinforcements can arrive. Army killer heroes can someimes be effective at killing an enemy hero, but generally are more effective at taking down large armies. Most army killers have area-of-effect attacks, such as Rogash's leap attack or The Witch-King's standard attack while on foot. Area of effect attacks are very useful in killing armies, as you can usually take down up to ten foes with one attack. Army killers can also be used quite effectively to kill an enemy structure. Army killers are very strong, so they are usually quite expensive. As such, they are late-game heroes most of the time.
Examples of Army Killers:
-Rogash
-Gandalf
-The Witch-King(on foot)
Hero killers are also self-explanatory: they are best at killing enemy heroes. They usually have special abilities that excel in hurting an enemy hero, such as Lurtz's Cripple or Thranduil's Thorn of Vengeance. Generally, hero killers should not be ordered to attack a large army unless they have stealth abilities or excellent range. Hero killers vary from being early-game to mid-game heroes, depending on their cost.
Examples of Hero Killers:
-Lurtz (Cripple ability)
-Thranduil (Thorn of Vengeance)
-Glorfindel (Blade of Purity, plus he can get away fast using Wind Rider)
All-around heroes are arguably the best type of hero. They can usually perform all of the roles to an extent, though they are perhaps not as good at each role as the heroes specifically designed for the role. All-around heroes can be early, mid, or late-game heroes, depending on their cost. These heroes usually have an ability for each type of role. Take Aragorn, for instance. With his Athelas and leadership, he can support allied troops and heroes. With his Blade Master, he can easily take down enemy heroes. With his Army of the Dead ability, he can take down armies.
Examples of All-Around Heroes:
-Aragorn
-Legolas
-Gimli
I hope this guide helped you. Note that it was written for new players. Also note that though I have tried as accurately as possible to sum up a hero's skills or roles, many heroes excel at things that I have not mentioned here. If you find something a hero excels at that I haven't mentioned here, by all means post it and I will add it to this guide. Cheers.
But that does not mean that I walked alone. ~ Brandon Sanderson