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Hero Guide (Season 5)

Heroes · 2026-03-24

What Changes in Season 5

Season 5 brings the most hero changes since Season 1. Four major updates land simultaneously:

  1. Venom UR Promotion — a new Missile hero enters the competitive roster
  2. Fiona's Exclusive Weapon — transforms her into the strongest Missile carry in the game
  3. Stetmann's Exclusive Weapon — brings him back into contention for Tank squads
  4. Morrison's Exclusive Weapon — amplifies his defence shred, making the DVA-Morrison pipeline even deadlier

For the core hero mechanics (rarities, skills, star upgrades, Tactics cards), see the Pre-Season 1 Hero Guide. This guide focuses on what changes in Season 5.

The Season of Missiles

Two of the four hero changes directly benefit Missile squads. Fiona's Exclusive Weapon and Venom UR make Missiles genuinely competitive with Aircraft for the first time. Players who invested in Missile heroes early are rewarded massively this season. The tier list shifts accordingly — Fiona rises to the top of S-tier for Missile players.

Season 5 Hero Tier List

S-Tier (Top Priority Investment)

HeroTypeRoleWhy S-Tier in Season 5
DVAAircraftSingle-Target BurstEnergy Master at Level 30 with Morrison's enhanced defence shred. The DVA-Morrison pipeline is the highest burst damage in the game
FionaMissileAoE DPS / CarryNEW Exclusive Weapon transforms her into the strongest Missile carry. Radiation DoT with weapon amplification is the best sustained damage in the game. Rises to top of S-tier
MurphyTankDefence/SupportStill the most versatile hero. Essential for Tank squads, the Murphy Exception in Aircraft, and Bank Stronghold garrison defence. Multiple seasons of investment make him a monster
KimberlyTankAoE DPSRocket Shadow at Level 30 with multiple seasons of star promotion. Still the best Tank carry with no sign of falling off
TeslaMissileDPSLightning Chain energy damage remains essential for Missile squads. Co-carry alongside Fiona — dual damage types force opponents to choose which to defend

A-Tier (Strong Investment)

HeroTypeRoleWhy A-Tier in Season 5
MorrisonAircraftDefence ShredNEW Exclusive Weapon this season. Enhanced Armor-Piercing Shot amplifies DVA's burst. Rises from B-tier to A-tier — his weapon amplifies squad-wide damage
VenomMissileDPS / Off-TankNEW UR promotion. Season 5 signature hero with accessible shards. Strong stats and kit designed for S5 mechanics. Enters at A-tier
StetmannTankAoE DPSNEW Exclusive Weapon brings him back. Competitive with Mason for the Tank secondary DPS slot again. Rises from B-tier back to A-tier
ScarlettTankDefenceUR established since S3. Multiple seasons of investment makes her a genuine defensive powerhouse for garrison duty
MarshallTankSupportExclusive Weapon from S3 at high level. 16.5% attack buff and 30% cooldown reduction amplified by weapon. Undisputed top UR support
WilliamsTankDefencePercentage-based damage reduction scales with Season 5's higher damage output. Still effective at lower investment

B-Tier (Situational)

HeroTypeRoleNotes
CarlieAircraftTankExclusive Weapon from S2 is well-levelled. Still the Aircraft tank for non-Murphy-Exception formations. Lower priority because most players run Murphy Exception
MasonTankDPSUR since S1 but now competes with Stetmann who has an Exclusive Weapon. Mason retains PvE edge; Stetmann takes PvP edge with weapon. Both viable
LuciusAircraftTankSilver Armor and Knights Spirit remain essential for Aircraft front row. No major changes
SchuylerAircraftCCStuns remain important. No major changes from previous seasons
McGregorMissileDPSBeing replaced by Venom in the Missile formation. Keep invested McGregor until Venom catches up

Key Tier Changes from Season 4

Fiona: S-Tier → S-Tier (Top)

Fiona's Exclusive Weapon is the single biggest hero power spike in Season 5:

  • Radiation DoT with weapon amplification becomes the strongest sustained damage in the game
  • She moves from co-carry to primary carry in Missile formations
  • Investment priority: Fiona's Exclusive Weapon is the number one investment for Missile players

Morrison: B-Tier → A-Tier

Morrison's Exclusive Weapon elevates his value significantly:

  • Enhanced defence shred amplifies the entire Aircraft squad's damage
  • He was always essential but had low individual impact — his weapon changes that
  • Investment priority: Push weapon to Level 20 immediately for squad-wide damage increase

Venom: New → A-Tier

Venom enters the roster as a strong A-tier Missile hero:

  • UR stats make him competitive immediately upon promotion
  • His kit synergises with Season 5 mechanics
  • Shards are accessible through S5 events and the season shop
  • Investment priority: Promote to UR first, then invest in skills and gear

Stetmann: B-Tier → A-Tier

Stetmann's Exclusive Weapon reverses his decline since Season 1:

  • AoE damage amplification makes him competitive with Mason again for the Tank secondary DPS slot
  • If you kept Stetmann invested, his weapon is a significant power spike
  • Investment priority: Push weapon to Level 20, then evaluate whether he outperforms your Mason

Mason: A-Tier → B-Tier

Not because Mason got worse, but because Stetmann's Exclusive Weapon makes him competitive again:

  • Mason retains his PvE advantage with zombie bonus damage
  • For PvP, Stetmann with weapon may now be the better choice
  • If your Mason is heavily invested and your Stetmann is not, Mason is still your pick

Exclusive Weapon Priority (Season 5)

Four new Exclusive Weapons this season. Priority order for each squad type:

HeroWeaponPriority
FionaRadiation amplification — transforms her into Missile primary carryHighest priority for Missile players. Push to Level 20 immediately, then 30
MorrisonEnhanced Armor-Piercing Shot — deeper defence shred for squad-wide damageHighest priority for Aircraft players. Push to Level 20 immediately
StetmannAoE damage amplification — competitive with Mason for Tank secondary DPSHigh priority for Tank players running Stetmann. Push to Level 20
VenomUR promotion kit — designed for S5 mechanicsPromote to UR first, then invest in weapon materials as they become available
All Previous Weapons Carry Forward

Every Exclusive Weapon from previous seasons carries forward into Season 5. DVA's Energy Master, Kimberly's Rocket Shadow, Murphy's Mitigation Master, Marshall's weapon, Scarlett's weapon, Carlie's weapon — they are all still active. Season 5 adds four new weapons on top of the existing roster. By Season 5, most squad members should have weapons at Level 20+.

Season 5 Investment Strategy

For Tank Players

  1. Stetmann — Exclusive Weapon to Level 20 (the big new investment)
  2. Kimberly — continue Mythic gear and star promotion
  3. Murphy — continue defensive progression (benefits Aircraft too)
  4. Marshall — continue weapon levels and skill investment
  5. Scarlett/Williams — maintain for garrison and matchup roles

For Aircraft Players

  1. Morrison — Exclusive Weapon to Level 20, then 30 (squad-wide damage amplifier)
  2. DVA — continue Mythic gear and star promotion
  3. Murphy — continue progression (cross-type value)
  4. Lucius — maintain defensive investment
  5. Schuyler — maintain CC investment

For Missile Players

  1. Fiona — Exclusive Weapon to Level 20, then 30 (top priority this season)
  2. Venom — UR promotion, then skills and gear
  3. Tesla — continue progression, Mythic gear
  4. Swift — maintain support skills
  5. Adam — maintain tankiness

Caffeine and Hero Synergy

The Caffeine Institute interacts with hero investment:

  • Skill Damage coffee amplifies Exclusive Weapon output — brew it before every fight
  • Class-specific Bars (Tanker/Pilot/Missileer) enhance your primary squad's heroes
  • The VR bonus from coffee is additive with hero stats — higher hero investment multiplied by higher VR yields exponential gains
  • Always match your coffee to your activity — Skill Damage for raids, Defence for garrison

Common Season 5 Hero Mistakes

  1. Ignoring Fiona's Exclusive Weapon if you run Missiles — this is the biggest Missile power spike ever
  2. Not promoting Venom — his shards are accessible and his UR stats are free power
  3. Skipping Morrison's weapon for Aircraft players — it amplifies your entire squad, not just Morrison
  4. Over-investing in Stetmann's weapon when your Mason is already maxed — only switch if the weapon closes the investment gap
  5. Not using Caffeine buffs before major combat — coffee multiplies your hero investment. Fighting without it wastes your gear and weapon levels
  6. Spreading new weapon upgrades too thin — focus on one new weapon to Level 20 before starting the next

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