Complete Arena Guide (through Generation 9)
Two lineups per generation — one for free-to-play or light spenders and one for spenders — plus a hero tier list and positioning rules, so your limited upgrade resources go to heroes that stay useful for several generations.
What this guide answers
- Which arena heroes should you pick in each generation?
- How should the heroes be positioned?
- Which heroes give the best value and stay competitive for several generations?
Basics
- Current-generation heroes are the usual recommendation, but upgrade resources are limited, so it pays to pick the "evergreen" heroes that are easy to obtain and stay strong for several generations.
- Most highly rated arena heroes come with area-damage skills, and that is the key reason they sit high on the tier list.
Positioning rules
- Damage heroes go in the back row, heroes that soak damage go in the front row.
- The front row does not have to be infantry only — lancers work too.
- Infantry are not limited to tanking; they can deal damage as well, for example Jerónimo and Magnus.
- Field heroes according to your own upgrade level. This positioning targets mainstream play and does not cover off-meta compositions.
Hero tier list
Five tiers from C to S+, ordered by generation within each tier. Tap a hero to see skills and upgrade data.
Godlike skill sets: area attacks that also raise attack damage, sweeping the enemy row in one go.
Gwen comes from the Hall of Heroes and daily deals, while Bradley and Fred come from the wheel — save up diamonds and legendary shards so you do not miss them.
Powerful skill sets, and some are obtainable from the wheel, which makes them friendly for most players. They often carry across several generations — strongly recommended.
Skills carry special effects such as poison and stun. From this tier upward, focused investment is recommended.
Serviceable in their own generation but quick to fall out of the meta after the next update, with ordinary skills and no standout effects. Cloris is the exception: a damage boost plus area damage lifted them from C to B.
Mostly "production" heroes that are a poor fit for fighting. Some land here because their skill is single-target; when the lineup calls for it they can be moved up to tier B.
Lineups from Generation 1 to 9
Two plans per generation: the free/light-spending plan weighs how hard heroes are to obtain, while the spending plan goes for the generation’s peak power. Lock in the back-row damage first, then fill the front row.
Gen 1
Sergey Infantry - Put Molly in the center.
- Put Molly in the center.
- Jerónimo can serve as the main back-row damage and holds up until Generation 4, but he is hard to obtain, so he is not mentioned again below.
Gen 2
Sergey Infantry - Put Molly in the center.
- Between Molly and Alonso, whoever is further upgraded takes the center slot.
Gen 3
- For the remaining damage slot, pulling Greg with shards is recommended.
- From this generation on, back-row positions can be adjusted to your upgrade levels; this is not repeated below.
Gen 4
Gen 5
Gen 6
Gen 7
Gen 8
Gen 9
- Gatot or Hendrik can be swapped for Magnus when it suits you.
Tiers and lineups shift with each version, and the outcome also depends on upgrade levels, gear, experts and pets. Adjust to your own situation.