Honor of Kings tier list – Ranking the Best Heroes for Each Class
Honor of Kings, has finally launched for Brazil! Players can download and install Honor of Kings as a free-to-play title on both the Google Play Store and iOS App Store with in-game microtransactions enabled. The game features an intense 5v5 Battle royale gameplay mode where each team has only 1 objective to win the game – “Destroy enemy’s Core”!
Table of Contents
| BEST MARKSMAN HEROES | |
| NAME | ROLE |
| MARCO POLO | Marksman |
| GONGSUN LI | Marksman |
| JUNIPER | Marksman |
| BEST TANK HEROES | |
| NAME | ROLE |
| KAI | Tank |
| SUN CE | Tank |
| ECLIPSE | Tank |
| BEST MAGE HEROES | |
| NAME | ROLE |
| NUWA | Mage |
| KONGMING | Mage |
| MILADY | Mage |
| BEST ASSASSIN HEROES | |
| NAME | ROLE |
| LI BAI | Assassin |
| HAN XIN | Assassin |
| PRINCE OF LANGLING | Assassin |
| BEST SUPPORT HEROES | |
| NAME | ROLE |
| YARIA | Support |
| VOIDCALLER | Support |
| TIMEBENDER | Support |
In this tier list for Honor of Kings, we will be ranking the best heroes for each class at the time of the Brazilian launch for the game. When taking into account the best heroes, we must determine their usefulness in different aspects such as team fighting, individual pushing, and their relative usability according to the class. For example, Marksmen type heroes might be judged on the basis of their DPS output since their main objective is to deal as much damage as the time of the game progresses. Marksmen are usually the higher DPM (Damage Per Minute) heroes when it comes to the late game. Similarly, Support type characters should be judged based on their utility that they provide such as Healing, Crowd Control, and Buffs.
We are also going to be taking some reference from the China server of the game that has seen the competitive nature of the game rise and gloom since over a decade. Lastly, all players have different playstyles and we do not want to impose a typical play style for each player. Hence, this tier list is going to be a general reference point for new players joining Honor of Kings.
Best Marksman Heroes
Let’s take a look at some of the best marksman type heroes:
MARCO POLO
Marco Polo is a ranged marksman that is classified as a Deft Marksman. Marco Polo’s 1st active ability Gorgeous Revolver shoots magical bullets in a straight line that deals 130 + 27% physical damage per bullet to the enemies hit. He also gains 10% movement speed while shooting the bullets and recovers 10 energy per bullet hit. The additional attack speed will affect the number of bullets fired by the skill. When the attack speed reaches 0/75%/150%, the number of bullets is 5/7/9. His passive ability Chain Reaction states the following – “Marco Polo launches two shots for each time a normal attack. The first shot hits 70% of the physical bonus point and the second shot causes 40% of the physical bonus point.”
Marco Polo’s ultimate ability Fevered Barrage states the following – “Marco Polo spills ammunition all around, increasing the movement speed by 10% when attacking, and inflicting 200/250/300 (+30% physical bonus) physical damage. Barrage can trigger the normal attack’s effect. Extra attack speed affects the skill. Shooting barrage wave number, when the attack speed reached 0/75%/150%, the number of bullets fired 5/7/9; Passive: When there are enemy heroes near Marco Polo, it will increase 20% damage and 25% movement speed.”
GONGSUN LI
Gongsun Li is a ranged marksman that is classified as a Deft Marksman. Her other name in-game is “Arli”. Gongsun Li’s 1st active ability Lunar Recall states that she dashes in a chosen direction, leaving her paper umbrella in place if the umbrella is on her. This skill deals no damage but is primarily used to position her umbrella in a suitable position. Her 2nd active ability Gust of Illusion states the following – “Gongsun Li twirls and hit enemies two times, each hit dealing 180/240/300/360/420/480 (+65% AD) magic damage.” This ability can also block all incoming projectiles towards her. She can recast this ability to teleport to the position of her umbrella anywhere in the circle.
Gongsun Li’s ultimate ability Autumn Tide states the following – “Li knocks back the enemy in front, dealing 250/375/500 (+80% AD) magic damage. (She throws the umbrella in the chosen direction in front of her if the umbrella on her).” Her passive ability Maple Dance states the following – “A Li’s basic attack damage will apply a mark of maple leaf on a target, every four charges of the applied mark will explode in a small AOE, dealing 150 (+30% AD) magic damage to surrounding enemies. Refreshing the mark back to 1 and apply it to all enemies hit.
When using abilities or after A Li’s umbrella automatically returns, her next basic attack will have an additional projectile, dealing an extra tick of (30% AD physical damage. When A Li uses any abilities when the umbrella is on her, she will leave the umbrella out, she can recast her ability again to teleport where the umbrella is.”
JUNIPER
Juniper is a ranged marksman that is classified as a Combo Marksman. Her other name in-game is “Consort Yu”. Juniper’s passive ability Forest’s Blessing states the following – “Yu Ji has a 25% chance to shoot two bolts, dealing a total of 100 (+120% AD) physical damage, and reduces enemies’ move speed by 15% for 2 seconds. This effect can be stacked up to 3 times.” Juniper’s 1st active ability Oak Bolt is a charged type ability where she charges a powerful beam in a straight line, damaging all enemies caught in the projectile. The bolt deals 365/540/715/890/1065/1240 (+200% AD) physical damage to the first enemy on the path. Subsequent enemies hit after the 1st enemy take 15% reduced damage, capped at maximum 40% reduced damage.
Her ultimate ability Frontal Leap states the following – “Yu Ji dashes to the target, stuns them for 0.5 seconds and reduces their move speed by 90% for 2 seconds, and then leaps backward to the original spot; When the ability is used she quickly shoots 2 bolts at the target, each bolt deals 180/225 /270 (+85% AD) physical damage. After landing, Yu Ji gains a 30/40/50% attack speed buff for 4 seconds.” During the duration of the ultimate, Consort Yu is immune to any crowd control effects.
Best Tank Heroes
Let’s take a look at some of the best tank type heroes:
KAI
Kai is a melee tank that is classified as an Assassin Fighter. Kai’s 1st active ability Vortex Brand states the following – “Kai throws his blade in the target direction, dealing 200 (+55% Physical Attack) physical damage to the first enemy hit and reducing their Movement Speed by 80% for 2s. The blade then bounces between nearby enemies (hitting each enemy only once), with each bounce dealing an equal amount of damage and reducing the target’s Movement Speed by 30% for 1s. After completing all possible hits or bounces, the blade returns to Kai’s location, recovering 100 (+35% Physical Attack) +5% of his Health, reducing the cooldown of Skill 1 by 30%, and boosting Attack Speed by 15% and Movement Speed by 20% for 3s.”
Kai’s ultimate ability Invincible Warrior states the following – “Kai summons his demonic suit of armor. After a 1 second delay, he deals 300 magical damage to nearby enemies and enhances himself for 8 seconds. While enhanced, Kai gains 100 Physical attack, 50 movement speed, and 70 damage blocking, while also dealing 60 magical damage to nearby enemies every 0.5 seconds”
SUN CE
Sun Ce is a melee tank that is classified as an Assault Fighter. Sun Ce is a hero that gets pretty much as tanky as they get in Honor of Kings. His basic attacks increase his enhanced attack that heal him when he attacks 6 times in a row. Further, when he receives damage, he gains 1 stack of Undaunted that provides him with 20 armor for 6 seconds, up to 6 stacks maximum. His 1st active ability Wave Render allows him to dash in a specific direction, dealing damage to enemies at the tip of the end point of the dash. Although the damage and damage numbers aren’t significant, he also launches them in the air for 1 second in a specific AOE-targeted area. At later stages, this ability acts a great crowd control skill at a short cooldown of 6 seconds.
Sun Ce’s ultimate ability Set Sail states the following – “Seafarer pilots his ship, charging forward for 12s, during which time his speed gradually increases and he gains Immune. The ship deals 370 physical damage to enemy minions and non-ancient monsters and knocks them back. While the ship is moving, using the skill again will cause Seafarer to jump out toward the selected direction. When the ship collides with a wall, building, ancient creature, or enemy hero, or when the ship duration ends, the ship will stop and explode, dealing 250 (+80% Physical Attack) physical damage, launching enemies for 1-1.5s (duration increases with piloting duration), and reducing the armor of hit targets by 15% for 4s.”
ECLIPSE
Eclipse is a melee tank that is classified as an Attack Fighter. Eclipse’s passive ability Soul Sacrifice states the following – “Eclipse creates a dark orb that deals 100 (+50% Magical Attack) damage to enemies, plus extra magical damage equal to 3% of the target’s max Health. At the same time, Eclipse recovers 100 (+40% Magical Attack) (+3% max Health) Health. When orbs hit non-heroes, Eclipse recovers 1% of his max Health. Eclipse can have up to 3 dark orbs simultaneously.” Her 1st ability Eclipse also allows her to simultaneously create more Dark Orbs surrounding her permanently that deal AOE-targeted magical damage in a small area.
Eclipse’s ultimate ability Forsaken Contract is a single targeted crowd controlling skill that suppresses the target for 2.2 seconds. When the enemy hero is suppressed, she and the enemy hero will share all the incoming damage. When casting the ultimate, Eclipse instantly gains 3 Dark Orbs.
Best Mage Heroes
Let’s take a look at some of the best mage type heroes:
NUWA
Nuwa is a ranged mage that is classified as an Artillery Mage. Nuwa’s passive ability Brilliant Guidance states the following – “Nuwa increases her vision range by 2% per level (up to 42%), and at the same time increases the range of basic attack and abilities by 2% (up to 28%). Nuwa’s abilities hitting heroes will mark them, attacking the marked hero will make her and her allies increase their move speed and heals them by 16% (Max HP + 40 (+12% AP)). per 0.5 seconds, this can only be triggered once every 10 seconds”
Nuwa’s 1st active ability Command Radiate does as follow – “Nuwa releases a polygonal shaped energy in the designated direction, dealing 280/325/370/415 (+30% AP) magic damage and knockback the enemies on the path, and gradually stops after hitting the enemy, and unfolds a cross (+) shape Array, causing 250/290/330/370 (+36% AP) magic damage to the hit enemy; the center of the cross shape will be dealt double damage.”
Her ultimate ability Command Destruction states that after a short delay, Nuwa releases a pure burst of unmaking energy in a global line target causing 700/1050/1400 (+88% AP) magic damage to enemies on the path.
KONGMING
Kongming is a ranged mage that is classified as an Ambush Mage. Kongming’s passive ability Time for Tactics states the following – “Kongming receives 1 stack of Mark every time his active skills hit an enemy, up to 5 stacks. At 5 stacks, Kongming summons 5 orbs, which circle around him for 10 seconds and attack the nearest enemy unit, dealing 135 + 25% Magical Attack damage. Orbs prioritize attacking enemy heroes and will not attack monsters that are not currently in combat. Orbs only deal 60% damage to monsters.”
His ultimate ability Winning Strategy states the following – “Kongming locks onto an enemy and channels a Spirit Bomb, then launches it at the target, dealing 450 (+55% Magical Attack) magical damage. Targeted non-heroes and enemies hit along the way suffer an equal amount of bonus damage and are launched for 0.5s. Spirit Bombs deal an extra 2% bonus damage for every 1% of max Health lost. When Spirit Bombs kill an enemy hero, Kongming immediately gains max stacks of marks, and his ultimate’s cooldown is reduced by 80%.” If an enemy hero is killed while a Spirit Bomb is being channeled, Kongming’s ultimate cooldown is likewise reduced by 80%.”
Kongming’s 1st active ability Arcane Assault does as follow – “Kongming fires 3 orbs in the targeted direction, each dealing 500 (+70% AP) magic damage to enemies in the path. When multiple orbs hit the same enemy, subsequent orbs only deal 20% damage.”
MILADY
Milady is a ranged mage that is classified as a Forward Mage. Milady’s passive ability Mechanical Minion states that for every minion she kills on the battlefield, she summons 1 mechanical minion. These minions have a short lifespan of 8 seconds and explode at the end, dealing magical damage to nearby enemies. At maximum, Milady can have 5 mechanical minions on the battlefield. When this limit exceeds, the mechanical minions summoned first will explode regardless if 8 seconds have passed or not.
Milady’s 1st active ability Air Superiority allows her to release an air projectile that targets the enemy’s first in line of sight, dealing them magical damage. After targeting twice, the aircraft attacks the nearest target 3rd time, dealing 140 magical damage. Using her 1st ability again will cause another aircraft to bombard the nearest target multiple times, dealing 80 magical damage. Having both the aircrafts attack the same enemy will cause the enemy to lose 50% movement speed for 1.5 seconds.
Her ultimate ability Chaos Field states the following – “Milady fires a signal device at the target enemy or enemy building, marking the target for 3s. non-building units are stunned for 0.75s. Marked targets receive 80 (+4% Magical Attack) magical damage every 0.5s, and their Movement Speed is reduced by 30%. The mark explodes at the end of its duration, dealing magical damage to the target and its nearby enemies, equal to 25% of the total damage received by the target while the mark was active.”
Best Assassin Heroes
Let’s take a look at some of the best assassin type heroes:
LI BAI
Li Bai is a melee assassin that is classified as a Roving Assassin. Li Bai’s passive ability Way of the Sword states the following – “Whenever Li Bai hits a non-building unit with his Basic Attack, he gains 1 Sword Energy for 3s. This duration is refreshed for each enemy hit, up to 4 stacks. At 4 stacks, Li Bai enters an enhanced state-Way of the Sword, where he gains an additional 30 Physical Attack and unlocks the seal to his ultimate. Li Bai can accumulate new stacks while he is enhanced, refreshing the duration of Way of the Sword if he gains 4 stacks.”
Li Bai’s 1st active ability Stupor Slash is a dashing ability where he instantly can dash 2 times for a certain distance. After the 1st dash, the 2nd dash can be used in any other direction. Players can re-use the ability after the 2nd dash to move back to his original position on the map before he began dashing. Enemies hit by the dashes take physical damage and are stunned for 0.25 seconds. Li Bai’s ultimate ability Flickering Fury states the following – “Li Bai imbues himself with Sword energy and slashes 5 times at the target area, dealing physical damage. When hitting multiple enemies, damage is reduced by 15% for each subsequent hero hit, for a max reduction of 30%. While casting the skill, he removes all crowd control effects on himself and cannot be targeted.”
HAN XIN
Han Xin is a melee assassin that is classified as a Roving Assassin. Han Xin’s passive ability Killing Spear states that his 4th basic attack launches enemies in the air for 0.5 seconds. Further, he gains 50% attack speed when his abilities or enhanced basic attacks hit a target. Han Xin’s 1st active ability Ruthless Assault is an AOE-targeted leap ability that can be casted 2 times with the 1st leap launching enemies for 0.75 seconds and the 2nd leap dealing physical damage.
Han Xin’s ultimate ability The Unrivalled Spear states the following – “Han Xin executes a 4-strike flurry with his spear in a fan-shaped area in the target direction, with each strike dealing 200 (+85% extra physical attack) physical damage to enemies within range, with the final strike launching enemies for 0.5 seconds. While casting the Ultimate, Han Xin is immune to crowd control effects and 30% damage reduction.”
PRINCE OF LANLING
Prince of Lanling is a melee assassin that is classified as a Burst Assassin. Prince of Lanling’s passive ability Secret Skill – Rush states that he gains 20% movement speed when moving towards enemies. His 1st active ability Secret Skill – Split states the following – “Slashes at nearby enemies causing (+85% physical bonus) physical damage. At the same time, Lan Ling summons a shadow clone to randomly attack a nearby enemy with the same damage as the slash.”
His 2nd active ability Secret Skill – Sling states the following – “Projects a shadow dagger in a specified direction, causing (+57% physical bonus) physical damage to enemies on its path and reducing their movement speed by 90% for 2 seconds. Enemies hit by the dagger will be marked for 3 seconds, Lan Ling’s next attack inflicts a 1 second stun and restores (+60% physical bonus) health. When the mark disappears, the target will also suffer 24% physical damage of its lost health. Prince of Lanliang’s ultimate ability Hidden states the following – “Prepares to enters an invisible state after 1.5 seconds for 30 seconds. After revealing himself, Lan Ling increases his attack speed by 50% for 5 seconds. If he is invisible near an enemy for more than 3 seconds, invisibility state will be automatically cancelled.”
Best Support Heroes
Let’s take a look at some of the best support type heroes:
YARIA
Yaria is a ranged support that is classified as a Buff Support. Yaria is a great pick against a lot of crowd controlling type heroes in enemy team. This is due to the fact that her passive ability Deer Spirit removes all crowd control effects while transforming her into a Deer that refreshes all her ability cooldowns while she cannot be targeted.
Her ultimate ability Verdant Protector allows her to possess her allies where she grants them a huge Shield that negates incoming true damage. Further, once the ally she possesses dies, she will get her ultimate ability cooldown reduced by 50%. During the possession, she provides buffs to her other skills in different manners. Overall, she has a unique playstyle that works in solo queue greatly.
VOIDCALLER
Voidcaller is a melee support that is classified as an Attack Support. He is one of the best supports in the game that can also deal a decent amount of magical damage with his abilities. This is due to the fact that his abilities have good damage multipliers. Voidcaller’s 2nd active ability Join Me is a direction hook that can be used to pull the enemy hit towards him and deal magical damage along the way. When an enemy hooked is marked, they will also be stunned for 0.5 seconds.
Voidcaller’s ultimate ability Into the Void states the following – “Voidcaller charges and opens Vacuity, stacking up to 16 devouring effects on enemies and dealing a total of 1920 (+288% magic attack) magical damage. Voidcaller also gains a Shield that blocks 45 damage when casting this spell.
TIMEBENDER
Timebender is a ranged support that is classified as a Tactical Support. He is a great damage dealer and poke unit as well that can consistently deal damage to enemies from range. His supportive nature can also be undermined sometimes if the player wishes to play him as a mage. His 1st active ability Time Bomb is a single targeted ability that latches a bomb on the enemy that explodes after sometime, dealing magical damage for a short area near the enemy. Timebender’s 2nd active ability Flux Capacitor is an AOE-targeted allied buffing ability that increases the movement speed of himself and his allies by 40% for 2 seconds. At the end of the duration, he also heals equal to 50% of the damage taken during this period.
Timebender’s ultimate ability Time Lapse states the following – “Timebender throws an enhanced bomb in the target direction. Upon hitting an enemy or reaching its max range, the bomb unfurls an energy field, dealing 500 (+45% Magical Attack) magical damage to enemies within range and slowing them by 90% for 1s. Interrupting an enemy’s skill will silence them for 1s. The energy field explodes 5s later, dealing 1500 (+135% Magical Attack) magical damage to enemies within range.”
This concludes the definitive tier list for the best heroes for each class in Honor of Kings. To install and play Honor of Kings on a bigger screen of your PC, it is highly recommended to use BlueStacks along with your keyboard and mouse.
