Hero

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For complete list please visit Heroes page. 
Heroes are the leaders of armies in Era of Chaos. They are a key element around which players can construct and develop powerful armies, and are mandatory for any formation.
Category:Heroes
=Recruitment=
Like units, there are several ways to recruit a hero. All heros are recruited by collecting 30 Hero Tokens. These are different from universal tokens, and are specific to that hero. Depending on the hero these tokens can be collected from various game modes, or can be purchased. To learn How to Obtain all heroes, please visit Heroes page. 
All recruited heroes begin with a rank of 1 star (★).
=Rank=
The hero ranking system is unlocked at Player Level 16. This enables the hero rank feature in the user interface and allows ranking up of existing heroes.
Hero rank varies from ★ to ★★★★. Just like for units, in order to increase the rank of a hero, the player must acquire and spend Hero Tokens specific to the associated hero.
However, for heroes (except Archibald) the player also has the option to convert Universal Hero Tokens to specific Hero Tokens. This is the most cost-efficient means of upgrading heroes which are unavailable in stores. Therefore, it is recommended not to spend Universal Hero Tokens on heroes that are available in stores!
Note that the conversion is only possible for already recruited heroes. A hero cannot be recruited using Universtal Hero Tokens.
Hero Level	Token Cost
★ (Unlock)	30
★★ 	50
★★★ 	100
★★★★ 	150
Spell Mark	30
Total 	360
==Ranking-Up Effects==
Ranking-up has two primary consequences:
* It increases the Hero Attributes of that particular hero. (minor bonus)
* It activates the hero's Specialty Ability associated with that rank. (major bonus)
Further, when a hero reaches maximum rank, the ability to add a Spell Mark is unlocked.
=Stats=
Stats-wise, heroes are much simpler.
==Hero Level==
All heroes have a specific hero level that always matches the current Player Level. It has no significant impact other than increasing the maximum level of that Hero's Spells.
==Spell Characteristics==
All these characteristics influence the hero's abilities as a spell caster in a way or another. They generally do not scale with the hero rank or level. 
* Caster: determines the initial amount of mana the hero has at the beginning of combat. The base value is specific for each hero and can further be affected by Magic Guild, specific Unit Skills etc.
* Mana Regeneration: determines the amount of mana regenerated per second. The base value for every hero is 5, but this can further be affected by the Magic Guild, specific Artifacts (in particular Wizard's Well) or specific Unit Skills
* Spell Damage: a modifier applied to every spell's base damage. The base value for every hero is 100%, but this can be strongly boosted by the Magic Guild and Artifacts.
==Attributes==
There are four main hero attributes, namely:
* Hero Attack (ATK) - Increases the ATK stat of all your units by a flat value.
* Hero Defense (DEF) - Increases the DEF stat of all your units by a flat value.
* Hero Intelligence (INT) - Increases the damage of your spells by a flat value.
* Hero Knowledge (KNW) - Decreases spell damage taken by your units by a flat value.
Unlike in the original game, hero attributes are global and benefit all heroes equally. That comes in contrast with the original game where each hero had its own independent attributes.
There is a vast list of sources that can improve them, among which each individual hero Magic Guild, Main Story (Side Quests), Spell Bookshelf (by unlocking and/or upgrading spells) and most importantly, Artifacts. You can always check all these factors in the user interface - just click on the "i" icon at the top of the specific hero screen and a popup will give you a very comprehensive list of bonuses.
The heroes themselves contribute to the global attributes in three ways:
* The Hero itself - every hero possesses two specific attributes that increase with rank. The actual attributes and values are specific for each hero. Please consult the specific Heroes pages for more details.
* Hero Masteries - there is one specific hero mastery that will increase each specific hero attribute.
* Hero Skins - some hero skins in the player's collection will also contribute to one or more hero attributes.
==Global Stats Strategy==
Since small, incremental changes can add up and make the difference on the long run, it's a good idea to not neglect your side heroes. Since you are not going to use them in battle, consider the following:
* Rank them up to get a slight increase in their personal attributes. This will in turn increase the global attributes. Prioritization here should of course take into consideration the Specialty Global Ability.
* Adjust their Hero Masteries to attribute bonuses. Your army will still benefit from them.
=Specialty=
Every hero has a particular specialty that is native to them and can't be transferred to other heroes or obtained by other means. This is the most distinctive characteristic of each hero and what ultimately makes the biggest difference in their strengths, weaknesses, play-style, unit requirements etc.
Each specialty comes with four ranks (also colloquially referred to as Hero Abilities), with each rank unlocking new distinct effects for the hero. Each specialty rank is unlocked in parallel with the hero itself - so a hero of rank ★★★ will unlock the first three specialty ranks.
==Local Abilities==
Three of the hero abilities can be defined as "local". That is, they take effect only if the hero itself is present on the battlefield.
These abilities are significantly more powerful than the Global counterpart and are the very reason for employing a hero into combat.
==Global Ability==
Every hero features one global ability (generally ★★★ rank, occasionally ★★ rank). Once unlocked, it will take effect even if the hero is not on the battlefield.
While weaker than the local abilities, the global abilities stack with one another since they don't require the hero's presence. Consider them a toolbox that with time only gets better.
===Specialties Strategy===
Just like Masteries, Global Abilities can be a very good reason to rank-up heroes even if you don't plan on using them in combat. While the bonuses themselves are not always very high-impact, they do come "for free". 
* Unit Role Bonus - They bonuses will provide extra stats to a whole class of units (e.g. defenders, charger etc.). These are the most flexible global abilities and can be your go-to when in doubt what secondary hero to upgrade next! 
* Magic Bonus - These bonuses improve a class of elemental magic (e.g. water, fire etc.). At least one of these will definitely benefit each hero, so they are never a bad choice assuming your main hero can benefit from them. It's a no-brainer if your main hero has mostly spells focused in one magic school (e.g.: Earth Magic for Sandro, Air Magic for Astral, Water Magic for Gem, Fire Magic for Dragon Mutare) 
* Faction Bonus - These bonuses provide a boost for all units in a particular faction. They usually come attached to Premium Heroes, but if you ever notice such an ability attached to an accessible hero and your formations feature a significant number of such units, it's a good investment.
* Specific Unit Bonus - These bonuses boost a single specific unit. They are the most niche.
=Spells=
Every hero has 4 predefined spells available in their arsenal. They are automatically unlocked at Lv1 when you recruit the hero. These spells are fixed and may not be altered. Together with the Specialty they make each hero play uniquely.
The first spell of every hero is considered that hero's Ultimate Spell. It is (in general) more powerful than the rest of the spells. In some situations, this spell is in fact unique to the hero itself and is not available to any other hero.
Note: at the beginning of the game, Catherine will start with fewer spells. Progression through the first two Main Story chapters will unlock the rest of the spells.
=Leveling Up=
To improve a hero's spell, it must be leveled up by spending Spell Scrolls.
Spells are leveled up in steps - the number of steps required depends on the spell's slot and current level.
To fill in the bar for one step, a particular amount of Spell Scrolls must be spent. 
There is a chance of a critical increase (estimated at 20%), filling two bars instead of one. 
When upgrading there is also a chance of a breakthrough, immediately upgrading the spell to the next level.
You can either check the full list of Spells or a specific Hero's page for a more in depth explanation on how each spell scales as it is leveled up.
Current Spell Level	Steps Required	Cost*/Step	Worst Case Cost
1 	6 	1 	6
2 	7 	2 	14
3 	8 	3 	21
4 	9 	3 	27
5 	10 	4 	40
6 	10 	5 	50
7 	10 	6 	60
8 	12 	8 	96
9 	12 	8 	96
10 	15 	10 	150
11 	15 	12 	180
12 	15 	15 	225
13 	20 	15 	300
14 	20 	15 	300
15 	20 	16 	320
16 	20 	16 	320
17 	20 	18 	360
18 	20 	18 	360
19 	20 	20 	400
20 	20 	20 	400
21 	20 	20 	400
22 	20 	25 	500
23 	20 	25 	500
24 	20 	25 	500
25 	20 	30 	600
26 	20 	30 	600
27 	20 	30 	600
28 	20 	40 	800
29 	20 	40 	800
30 	20 	40 	800
31 	20 	50 	1000
* The cost is doubled (x2) for the Ultimate Spell, and quadrupled (x4) for the Spell Mark Slot.
=Spell Maximum Level=
The maximum level of each spell (starting with level 2) is limited by the Hero's Level. Each Hero Level increases the Maximum Level of one, or two spells owned by that hero. Please consult the table below for how the Maximum Level is determined:
Spell 	Maximum Spell Level
Ultimate Spell (#1)	17 + (Hero Level x 3)
Spell #2 	18 + (Hero Level x 3)
Spell #3 	19 + (Hero Level x 3)
Spell #4 	20 + (Hero Level x 3)
Spell Mark Slot 	17 + (Hero Level x 3)
The formulas above basically state that each particular spell upgrades every 3 Hero Levels, starting with hero level 20. For example: 
*Hero level 20 unlocks Ultimate Spell LV2
*Hero level 21 unlocks Spell #2 LV2 
*Hero level 22 unlocks the Spell #3 LV2
*Hero level 23 unlocks Ultimate Spell LV3 and Spell #4 LV2
*Hero level 24 unlocks Spell #2 LV3
*Hero evel 25 unlocks the Spell #3 LV3
*Hero evel 26 unlocks Ultimate Spell LV3 and Spell #4 LV2
*Hero level 27 unlocks Spell #2 LV3
*Hero level 28 unlocks the Spell #3 LV3
Notice how Spell #4's maximum level adjusts together with the Ultimate, except it is always one level behind.
Spell Mark Slot follows the same pattern as the Ultimate.
=Spell Mark=
Spell Mark unlocks at Player Level 70 when the Spell Bookshelf becomes available. The two are closely related and must be understood together.
The potential of a hero does not end with his final upgrade to ★★★★. Instead, for an additional cost of 30 Hero Tokens, the player has the option to unlock the Spell Mark Slot of a hero. 
This slot is similar to a regular spells slot. It appears in the same menu of the user interface, and once unlocked can be upgraded just like any regular spell (but for a 4x cost!). 
You may read more about the Spell Mark in the dedicated article to find out more about how it functions.
Keep in mind that it is the Spell Mark Slot that is being leveled up, not the Spell itself. Any Spell added to the Spell Mark Slot will have its level transferred to it.
=Mastery=
Masteries are another way in which heroes can be customized. They are a total of 4 static talents that are associated with the hero and that offer either Local bonuses (only relevant when the hero is deployed) or Global (effect still in place even if the hero is not present).
Read more about this feature here.
=Adjutant=
Upgrading a hero to 4* allows the player to enable and utilize it as an Adjutant in Formation Support.
Proceed to the dedicated article here for more information.
You can also find a complete list of adjutant abilities here.
=Memory=
Once a hero reaches 4* rank any extra shards are considered excess (while 30 more can still be used to unlock the Spell Mark slot). To put them to good use, the game provides a Memory functionality. Memory is a pair of functionalities that translates into extracting Memory Crystals from excess hero tokens, and then exchanging them for other hero tokens in the Memory Store. The feature unlocks at Player Level 70.