Direct answer
What should you do?
Start a formation with a battle plan: decide who holds pressure, who controls enemies, who deals the decisive damage, and what keeps the team functioning. Upgrade choices become clearer when every hero has a job.
Official video
See this decision in the game
15 secondsAlliance at War Hero Choice: Ice Witch, Assassin, or Orc
Watch the official Alliance at War hero-choice Short and learn why formation role, position, target access, and timing matter more than appearance alone.
Watch the official video →Key takeaways
- Define roles before comparing raw hero power.
- Position troops so important skills have time and space to work.
- Change one variable at a time and test against repeatable content.
1. Give every slot a purpose
A balanced formation normally needs durability, damage, and a way to control or recover from pressure. The exact heroes can change, but the jobs remain readable. A control-focused Dwarf King, burst-oriented Sorceress, or revival-focused Oracle represents a different answer to the same question: how will this team win?
Avoid filling the formation with heroes that all need the same protected position or resource priority. Complementary roles make the team less fragile when one plan is interrupted.
- Front line: absorb or redirect pressure.
- Damage: convert control windows into progress.
- Control or support: delay threats, protect tempo, or restore the team.
2. Connect hero role to troop position
A hero skill is only valuable if the formation survives long enough to use it against the right target. Watch the first seconds of a battle: which troop receives pressure, which hero is exposed, and whether units block one another.
Manual movement adds another layer. A formation can begin in a safe shape, then split or flank once enemy attention is committed. Plan the opening position and the first movement together.
- Protect slow or high-impact skills from early interruption.
- Do not move every unit at once; preserve a stable line.
- Use flanks when they create a target advantage, not merely extra motion.
3. Test formations without losing the lesson
Choose a repeatable campaign or safer activity and compare one change at a time. If you replace both a hero and a guardian while changing troop position, the result will not show which decision mattered.
Record survival, target access, skill timing, and the moment the battle changed. These observations are more useful than a single final power number.
- Keep the opponent and objective consistent.
- Run enough attempts to distinguish a pattern from a lucky result.
- Recheck after major hero, troop, or guardian upgrades.
Decision table
| Formation need | Role to consider | Battle signal |
|---|---|---|
| Front line collapses | Durability or control | Key damage heroes are exposed immediately |
| Battle stalls | Burst or sustained damage | Team survives but cannot finish targets |
| Skills fire too late | Protection, speed, or position change | Important hero is interrupted or defeated first |
| Enemy back line is safe | Movement or flank pressure | Damage remains trapped on durable targets |
Frequently asked questions
Is the highest-power hero always the best choice?
No. Power matters, but role fit, troop position, target access, and skill timing can make a lower-power option more useful for a specific objective.
How many formations should I develop?
Build one dependable formation first. Add specialized teams after the primary team has a clear role structure and stable resource plan.
How often should I change a formation?
Change it when the objective, opponent, or available heroes require a different plan—not after every isolated loss.
Official sources and scope
This guide is based on current official product information and product-team review. Exact values, event rules, and unlock requirements can change; verify time-sensitive details in the live game.
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Use the guide as a decision framework, then confirm current values and rules in the live game.