Survival, the primary game mode in Age Of Darkness: Final Stand, offers six playable heroes across the three available factions. All six are quite strong, and will form the cornerstone of your army from the beginning of the run to the end, and you’ll likely find one or two that fit your personal playstyle the best.
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If you’re looking for an overall power ranking, though, a few Heroes stand well above the others. We’ve broken down each character’s strengths and weaknesses to get an overall sense of who Erodar’s greatest defender truly is.
6
Vizargo Oriah
The Consumed Hand
The leader of the growing Volatist cult, Vizargo can be extremely powerful when played skillfully, but you really can’t afford any mistakes with him. He has some of the weakest stats of any Hero, counterbalanced by his exceptional attack skills. That said, he needs to level up before he gets access to any of those powers, so he has to rely heavily on his troops early in the game.
Be careful not to let Vizargo get caught out of position when using Claw Dash. He has no armor whatsoever, so if he gets surrounded without support he will likely die.
Vizargo’s ability to heal himself and nearby allies at night (including Death Nights) make him a very efficient leader when it counts. As long as you’re careful with him, he can play like a more aggressive Merek.
5
Sir Edwin Everard
Wielder Of The Flame
If you’ve played the campaign, you’re likely very familiar with Edwin’s frontline melee approach. His solid armor and cleave attacks make him great for small-scale engagements, but he can really struggle against large waves.
Crackfire and Flame Shield have some nice area damage that are useful for clearing Crawlers, and Edwin’s Enlightenment passive lets nearby troops Embolden faster than normal. Beyond that, though, he doesn’t do much to actually support nearby units, so be sure to take advantage of his access to unique Order units like Knights and Catapults to make up the difference.
4
Sir Merek Longhold
The Bolstering Might
Merek boasts the highest Armor and HP of any Hero, which is a pretty big benefit in a game that’s all about defense. Between the healing offered by Drinks On Me and an area armor buff late in the game from Holy Protector, Merek is the ideal Hero for leading a squad to hold the line at any cost.
That said, Merek’s focus on defense comes at a price; while his base attack is very respectable, his Halberd Hurricane and Crushing Weight don’t quite do enough damage to deal with major threats. A bully through and through, Merek prefers to pick on enemies smaller than him. When the time comes for the Final Stand, Merek really needs to rely on towers and the Order’s advanced siege weaponry, or all that armor won’t do him any good.
3
Cyrus Bravaris
The Rebel Arm
Cyrus is even more fragile than Vizargo, but since he’s the only ranged Hero in the game he’s much less likely to find himself in danger. He benefits from setting up well-prepared killzones where his Caltrops and the gas traps of his Hunters can slow enemies down, keeping them in the line of fire for towers and his Violent Volley.
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Deploying Cyrus effectively requires precision, so don’t be afraid to pause the game often to line up the perfect Snipe shot. His Shred is fairly low, so have Hunters or Impalers soften up armored enemies before turning Cyrus’ longbow against them; in the meantime, he’ll have plenty other targets to shoot at.
2
Aelis Syren
Queen Of Nothing
The leader of the Rebellion – and rightful Queen of Erodar – has the highest base DPS of any Hero, and gets even more damage from her squad of Loyal Guards. She may have low HP and no armor, but her ability to sacrifice Loyal Guards to save herself makes her uncommonly survivable in spite of it.
Aelis’ only real downside is that her willingness to sacrifice troops can go a bit too far if you let it. Queen’s Rage gives affected units an attack speed buff, which pairs great with the enhancement to attack speed from the Melee skill tree, but it reduces their maximum HP while it’s in effect. If you’re not very particular with how you use this ability, overuse of Aelis’ abilities can leave her facing the swarm alone.
1
Aurelia Pelagren
Daughter Of Ruin
Aurelia’s stats are middle-of-the-road, but she isn’t missing anything important. As a former Order Squire, she has a little bit of armor, which is uncommon in general when playing as the Volatists, and her abilities are truly top-notch.
Aurelia’s centerpiece skill, Dark Fury, gives her and her nearby troops a significant boost to damage, Shred, and regen, making even lowly Cultists able to swarm and overcome powerful Nightmares. She can use Flail Whip to get the Dark Essence she needs to fuel this power, and likely still have plenty left over for high-tier upgrades and Harbinger recruitment.
Aurelia also boasts one of the game’s most effective combos. First, place a Midnight Bloom to create a decoy that attracts and slows enemies; then, once they’re all together, unleash Crimson Lightning to turn all but the most powerful foes into heaps of ash.
Aurelia’s hubris may have brought Erodar to the brink of ruin, but more than anyone else she also has the power to save it.
Real-Time Strategy
Survival
- Released
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January 15, 2025
- ESRB
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m
- Developer(s)
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PlaySide Studios
- Publisher(s)
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PlaySide Studios