Footmen vs Grunts 5.4c RF Hero Tier List

Heroes are separated into three categories: Commanders, Assassins, and Disruptors.

Commanders are such heroes that are best used to supplement or aid an army.
Assassins specialize in killing other heroes.
Disruptors are heroes that specialize in dealing damage to opposing armies.

There will be five tiers:
S - extremely good to the point that they might be broken and should be
nerfed
   A - extremely good heroes that you can hardly go wrong with
B - just worse than A but still serviceable heroes
   C - heroes that aren't very good
   D - heroes that are complete trash and should not be touched


If you wish to understand the rational between each hero's rating, simply Control + F the hero of choice and it will bring you down to the explanation
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HERO LIST:

Altar of Kings:
Garithos (2000) Grade A
Storm Bolt, Blessing, Command Aura, Summon Human's Elite   

Archmage (900) Grade C
Blizzard, Brilliance, Water Elemental, Mass TP         
      
Paladin (900) Grade B
Holy Light, Divine Shield, Devotion Aura, Resurrection            

Mountain King (900) Grade B
Storm Bolt, Thunderclap, Bash, Avatar         
      
Blood Mage (900) Grade B
Flame Strike, Banish, Siphon Mana, Phoenix   
   
Sniper (1400) Grade: N/A -ickman suggests A
Wind Walk, Focus, Critical Strike, Head Shot (1500 + 1500)   
      
Warrior of Light (900) Grade B
Blessing, Monsoon, Hex, Tranquility         
      
Keeper of the Grove (900) Grade C
Entangle, Thorns Aura, Summon Treants, Tranquility   

Priestess of the Moon (900) Grade A
Summon Owl, Searing Arrow, True Shot Aura, Starfall   
   
Demon Hunter (900) Grade B
Evasion, Immolation, Mana Burn, Metamorphosis      
      
Warden (900) Grade D
Shadow Strike, Fan of Knives, Blink, Avatar of Vengeance      
      
Ancient of War (900) Grade B
Battle Roar, Summon Treant, Rejuvenation, Rank Growth   
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Neutral Tavern:
Beastmaster (900) Grade C
Summon Quillboar, Summon Hawk, Summon Bear, Stampede      
      
Naga Sea Witch (900) Grade C
Forked Lightning, Frost Arrows, Mana Shield, Tornado   
      
Tinker (900) Grade B
Pocket Factory, Cluster Rockets, Engineering Upgrade, Robo-Goblin   
      
Pandaren Brewmaster (900) Grade S
Breath of Fire, Drunken Haze, Drunken Brawler, Storm Earth and Fire   
      
Pit Lord (900) Grade A
Rain of Fire, Cleave, Howl of Terror, Doom      
         
Alchemist (900) Grade A
Healing Spray, Acid Bomb, Pillage, Chemical Rage      
      
Firelord (900) Grade D
Incinerate, Soul Burn, Summon Lava Spawn, Volcano      
      
Dark Ranger (900) Grade C
Silence, Black Arrow, Life Drain, Charm         
      
Ranger (900) Grade D
Wind Walk, Summon Hawk, Searing Arrow, Avatar of Vengeance      
      
Druid of Elements (900) Grade B
Frost Nova, Banish, Soul Burn, Death and Decay      
      
Elder Sage (900) Grade D
Mana Burn, Hex, Summon Wolf, Parasite            
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Misc Tavern:   
Admiral (900) Grade C
Shockwave, Divine Shield, Hex, Doom            
      
Archmage Jaina (900) Grade B
Purge, Blink, Feedback, Thunder            
      
Great Summoner (900) Grade C
Summon Water Elemental, Summoner Treants, Summon Lava Spawn, Infernal   
      
Ancient of Healing (900) Grade B
Healing Salve, Healing Spray, Healing Wave, Big Bad Voodoo      
      
Falcon (900) Grade C
Wind Walk, Pillage, Drunken Brawler, Reincarnation         
      
Messenger of Death (900) Grade S
Thunder Clap, War Stomp, Death Pact, Reincarnation   
      
Warlock (900) Grade A
Rain of Fire, Firebolt, Endurance Aura, Battle Roar      
      
Necromancer (900) Grade B
Death Storm, Summon Dead, Vampiric Aura, Animate Dead      
      
Ice Witch (900) Grade A
Breath of Frost, Frost Armor, Brilliance Aura, Frost Rays   
      
Skeleton Mage (900) Grade A
Carrion Swarm, Cripple, Unholy Aura, Finger of Pain      
      
Naga Myrmidon (900) Grade C
Crushing Wave, Frost Bolt, Brilliance Aura, Summon Reef Elemental      
      
Sea Giant (900) Grade B
Blizzard, Pulverize, Ensnare, Avatar            
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Creep Tavern:   
Mur'gul King (900) Grade B
Healing Wave, Monsoon, Brilliance Aura, Summon Shadowcasters
NOTE* Shadowcasters immune to magics such as (inner fire, bloodlust, slow, faerie fire, roar, spirit link, spell steal, war drums, AM shield, Cyclone)

Forgotten One (900) Grade B
Acid Bomb, Summon Tentacles, Devotion Aura, Contamination   
      
Death Revenant (900) Grade C
Death Coil, Life Drain, Evasion, Tranquility      
NOTE* A player is supposed to get both Death Revenant and Ice Revenant together and they would become A tier - ickman believe it's S tier when combo’d
      
Ice Revenant (900) Grade B
Frost Bolt, Frost Nova, Siphon Mana, Tornado         
NOTE* A player is supposed to get both Death Revenant and Ice Revenant together and they would become A tier - ickman believe it's S tier when combo’d   

Dragonspawn (900) Grade C
 Frost Nova, Summon Dragon, Frost Armor, Summon Black Dragon   
      
Furbolg Shaman (900) Grade B
 Shockwave, Inner Fire, Bloodlust, Resurrection      
      
Earth (900) Grade B
Hurl Boulder, Spiked Carapace, Howl of Terror, Slam         
      
Dark Wizard (900) Grade A
Devour Magic, Feedback, Mana Decay, Mana Flare      
      
Magnataur (900) Grade A
Summon Mammoth, Holy Light, Command Aura, Anti-Magic Shell   
      
Harpy (900) Grade B
Chain Lightning, Blink, Trueshot Aura, Phase Shift         
      
Poison Troll (900) Grade A
Shadow Strike, Poison, Trueshot Aura, Parasite      
      
Satyr (900) Grade A
Shackles, Ray of Disruption, Endurance Aura, Big Bad Voodoo      
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Creep Tavern2:   

Shadow (900) Grade A
Sprout, Death Pact, Disease Cloud, Locust Swarm         
      
Druid of the Claw (900) Grade C
Rejuvenation, Hex, Scary Roar, Earthquake      
      
Orc Warchief (900) Grade A
Sleep, Rain of Fire, Unholy Aura, Big Bad Voodoo      
      
Faceless Deathbringer (900) Grade B
Impale, Howl of Terror, Command Aura, Summon Zergling       
      
Dark Troll (900) Grade A
Silence, Drunken Haze, Dispel Magic, Renunciation      
      
Tuskarr (900) Grade C
Blizzard, Frost Bolt, Summon Dragon, Summon Hydra         
      
Centaur Archer (900) Grade A
Entangling Roots, Searing Arrow, Unholy Aura, Multishot   
      
Draenei (900) Grade B
Death Coil, Holy Light, Shadow Strike, Scourging         
      
Nerubian Queen (900) Grade B
 Acid Bomb, Summon Spiderling, Web, Contamination      
      
Lizard (900) Grade S
Fire Bolt, Breath of Fire, Devotion Aura, Burning Sky      
      
Razormane Witch Doctor (900) Grade A
Healing Wave, Purge, Trueshot Aura, Resurrection   
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Creep Tavern3:   
Assassin (900) Grade C
Wind Walk, Assassin Training, Orb of Annihilation, Finger of Pain      
      
Sorceress (900) Grade C
Frost Bolt, Frost Armor, Brilliance Aura, Ice Block      
      
Banshee (900) Grade S
Sleep Rigidity, Chain Lightning, Anti-Magic Shell, Mass Teleport   
      
Bloodfied (900) Grade A
Death Coil, War Stomp, Vampiric Aura, Avatar         
      
Wendigo (900) Grade A
Frost Nova, Blink, Bash, Frost Blink of Doom         
      
Ghost (900) Grade A
Devour Magic, Blink, Faerie Fire, Sincerity         
      
Rabbit (900) Grade D
Evasion, Critical Strike, Hit, Kaboom!            
      
Ogre (900) Grade B
Berserk, Thunder Clap, Critical Strike, Giant Ogre         
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Altar of Horde:   
Thrall (2000) Grade A
Command Aura, Storm Bolt, Healing Spray, Summon Orc's Elite   
      
Lich (900) Grade C
Frost Nova, Frost Armor, Dark Ritual, Death and Decay      
      
Crypt Lord (900) Grade B
Spiked Carapace, Summon Carrion Beetle, Impale, Locust Swarm   
      
Dread Lord (900) Grade A
Carrion Swarm, Sleep, Vampiric Aura, Summon Infernal      
      
Death Knight (900) Grade A
Death Storm, Unholy Aura, Death Pact, Reanimate Dead      
      
Far Seer (900) Grade D
Chain Lightning, Summon Wolf, Silence, Earthquake      
      
Tauren Chieftain (900) Grade A
Shockwave, War Stomp, Endurance Aura, Reincarnation   
      
Blademaster (900) Grade N/A
WindWalk, Bladestorm, Critical Strike, Mirror Image      
      
Shadow Hunter (900) Grade A
Healing Wave, Hex, Shadow Sentry, Big Bad Voodoo      
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Explanations for Grades:
Garithos at Grade A (commander)
An all-around great hero. Storm Bolt is a powerful single target sun, blessing is a great AOE heal, and command aura boosts damage of melee units. But Garithos' ultimate ability is what makes him shine and makes him highly oppressive in mid-late game. At level 24 Summon Human's Elite allows Garithos to summon 6 War Golems on the spot and cause absolute havoc. The optimal strategy for Garithos is that there are as few allied heroes as possible so that he may soak up additional exp. But this comes at the cost of team utility, and combined with the 2000 gold cost, makes Garithos rank A, and not S.
Archmage at Grade C (commander)
Sorry, the standard meta hero in standard WC3 brawl is complete doo-doo in Footmen vs Grunts. Blizzard is barely useful when it is max level (meaning lvl 22 archmage), brilliance aura, while it has its uses, is a weak aura and at max level doesn't provide muchAs a aura alone is weak, however when you factor in necro having virtually unlimited mana they can cast unholy frenzy on the summoned units over and over and only become more OP with the more units that become mana starved through prolonged fights i.e. Shamans, heroes casting frost armor, etc., summon water elemental does not change much on the battlefield. The only saving grace for the Archmage is mass Teleport, his ultimate, which allows for some creative flanking or ambush maneuvers. But if you're looking to utilize Mass teleport, there is another hero that is simply much better, the Banshee.
Paladin at Grade B (commander)
In previous patches where the Paladin's heal was an AOE heal, I'd grade the Paladin with an A. But as it currently sits, the only two good abilities that do anything useful are Devotion Aura, a very powerful armor-boosting aura, and Resurrection. However, his devotion aura has redundancy with the Bandit Lord's devotion aura, reducing the value you obtain when purchasing the unit and it's upgrade. There are simply better commanders suited for leading Alliance armies, but the Paladin is still serviceable.
Blood Mage at Grade B (Disruptor/Assassin)
In previous patches, Phoenixes could be stacked, making every hero with the Phoenix ultimate, quite literally, overpowered. And therefore the Blood Mage in previous patches would be Grade S on the ultimate alone. But now that we are past that phase, we can properly analyze the Blood Mage. Flame Strike is one of the stronger AOE nukes in the game, considering how much reduced impact AOE nukes are in Footmen vs Grunts. It is very serviceable against backline armies. The Banish ability allows some proper assassination attempts combined with Phoenixes. Phoenixes are still strong as they can not be webbed properly, are immune to magic, and do immense splash magic damage. The Blood Mage is a solid hero for dealing damage to enemy armies.
Mountain King at Grade B(Assassin/Disruptor)
A bearded angry midget isn't your pick to be an assassin now would it? But that's simply how the kit works out. Storm Bolt is a powerful single target stun, mix it in with Bash, slap Blink Boots on, and you've got an oppressive Assassin that can lock you down. But if you choose not to go that route, the MK makes a decent disruptor with the right items due to his Thunder Clap and Avatar. His kit isn't optimized for one or the other, but he has two viable routes to focus through.
Sniper at Grade N/A (Assassin)
Simply put, if you're a noob, you're shit with the Sniper and you earn a D. If you're a pro, you can make great use of a Sniper and he can earn an A. His ultimate does more single target damage than other similar ultimatez, if you didn't know. But an assassin like the Sniper can always be rather easy to counter.
Priestess of the Moon at Grade A (Commander)
An all-around great commander unit. You'll often see a PotM supporting a Night Elf army because of the bonuses of True Shot Aura. Summon Owl enables her to see invisible units which can keep pesky assassins off her. And Searing Arrow is a great autocast ability with tons of damage. And while the PotM wont be hunting heroes anytime soon, an Assassin might think twice going up against her Searing Arrow. And of course, Starfall is simply beautiful. Great hero with innate defensive and offensive capabilities and support option as well.
Warrior of Light at Grade B (Commander)
The Warrior of Light is suited to protect and heal an army. Blessing is an AOE heal, Hex, can be obnoxious against Assassins, Disruptors, and heroes with channeling abilities. Monsoon is not a half bad AOE nuke but it takes levels for it to have use. And Tranquility is another nice heal. He's a solid hero, but if only he could trade an ability for some aura, he'd be rank A.
Keeper of the Grove at Grade C (commander)
He's just not good. Entangled has its use. But Thorns Aura is limited use in Footmen vs Grunts, and in my opinion, summoning anything that isnt immune to magic is just feed. Tranquility is alright. But there are much much better options for supporting an army.
Demon Hunter at Grade B (disruptor)
The Demon Hunter has the capability of being an extremely oppressive disruptor in the mid-late game. Immolation at max level can do around 100 damage per second. Evasion makes him hard to kill. And metamorphosis let's the Demon Hunter eviscerate unsuspecting backlines. However, you might see noobs who have no idea how to play him at all and do complete trash with him. But dont be discouraged, give the Demon Hunter time and the right items, he can turn the tides of war. He receives a Grade of B for the simple fact that it takes a while for him to ramp up, but even then in the very late game he doesnt scale as well.
Warden at Grade D (Assassin)
Sorry girl, you got jack shit to show. Her kit is all sorts of trash. Shadow Strike might be decent… and that's it. The Warden isn't killing much of anything with Shadow strike and Fan of Knives. Okay she has Blink to stay locked on heroes, but what good does it do without any damage? Her ultimate has nothing to do with an Assassin's kit: it summons trash. Spirits of Vengeance are simply dispelled and the Avatar is like… nothing. Complete trash. Dont touch this hero I'm doing you a fat fucking favor.
Ancient of War at Grade B (commander)
He has some nice actives with Roar. But it is his ultimate that is quite underrated. You do NOT want to fight in a Mass Entangle. Simply a solid hero.
Beastmaster at Grade C (no category)
Oh you might say theres a category known as Summoner. Sorry, in my books that category is known as Feeder. His ultimate, Stampede, has the potential to do good damage, but this guy is a feeder. You'll find success with the Beastmaster fighting noobs and his Ultimate is ok, and that's the only reason why hes not as low as Grade D.
Naga Sea Witch at Grade C (Disruptor)
Forked Lightning is okay. Tornado does damage as well, it's quite okay. But what good is Mana shield and Frost Arrow? This mermaid is just a slippery eel of mediocrity.
Tinker at Grade B (Disruptor)
The cancer of Footmen Frenzy makes it's way into Footmen vs Grunts. His ultimate and his passive makes him an annoying tank that you cant nuke. Cluster Rockets is a damned nuisance to deal with. He might not do the most damage in his category, but he is relevant as soon as he hits level 6. No one has fun fighting the Tinker.
Pandaren Brewmaster at Grade S (Disruptor)
This endangered species is secretly OP. A very underrated hero. Drunken Haze can completely neuter an army's offensive capabilities, and that is if you dont choose to ignite it with Breath of Fire. Drunken Brawler is mediocre, but it's his ultimate that raises hell. At level 6, turn him into 3 storm dudes, you actually have an extremely lethal assassin. But at level 24, you turn into 3 mega tanky units with high damage, pulverize, and immolation. Did you know they're immune to magic as well? The ultimate also benefits from Summon Upgrades. What constitutes something as OP? When there is no counter or it is much much too difficult to counter it. There is no counter to a well placed Pandaren Ultimate. And did I mention he doesnt need items?
Pit Lord at Rank A (Disruptor)
An underutilized and underrated hero. Rain of Fire is one of the stronger AOE nukes in the game. Howl of Terror is extremely good and can neuter an army's offense. Doom can also nuke enemy backlines. In previous versions Doom created multiple Doom Guards, but now it's just 1. But that damn mother effin cleave. At max level it does 50% AOE damage. Cleave ignores armor. You can quite literally build the Pit Lord into an army killer with his auto-attacks. But of course, you'll need a lot of gold and exp to make it happen.
Alchemist at Grade A (Assassin)
A very underutilized hero and quite underrated. Chemical Rage turns him into a machine gun. Theres no other way to put it. Give him some Blink, maybe some attack speed, maybe an Orb of Corruption, and when he walks up to someone watch them die. Also, this MFer can farm gold off auto attacks. And I've never seen anything else in a game single handedly melt a tower faster than the Alchemist.
Firelord at Rank D (?)
The Firelord is so bad he doesnt even have a category. Lava spawns feed. Soul Burn is to… lock down an enemy? Incinerate does peanuts. And volcano is a big fat sign that says "stun me while I piss off my teammates". The only useful Firelord is the one who spams Lava spawns in the early game fight and then you sell your Firelord. Thats how bad he is.
Dark Ranger at Grade C
At first glance, the Dark ranger's kit is quite bad. Black arrow doesnt produce armies of skeletons, they produce smaller numbers of mediocre skeletons that feed. Silence and life drain are hardly used well. Even Charm is low impact. But what keeps the Dark Ranger from plummeting to D? There exists one very very good technique with Charm that allows the Dark Ranger to be extremely extremely oppressive in the early and mid game. But I wont tell you what that secret is.
Druid of Elememts (Assassin/disruptor)
The Druid's kit is wholly meant to make its target more susceptible to nukes and magic damage. It works rather decent. Plus he has Death and Decay.
Elder Sage at Grade D (?)
Hes so bad he doesn't even have a category. Sorry jedimaster, but this hero is utter garbage. Complete zero impact whatsoever. Not an assassin, not a commander, not a disruptor. No innate good passive abilities. Useless.
Admiral at Grade C (Disruptor)
Just a mediocre shockwave plus Doom. Rest of the kit is limited use.
Archmage Jaina at Grade B (Assassin)
A unique assassin whose work is done with blink, locking down an enemy with purge, and burning mana for extra damage. You can build Jaina as an effective Assassin. Plus her Thunder is like a pretty Starfall. Solid Assassin.
Great Summoner at Grade C (?)
Summoners feed. And boy oh boy are players who play Summoner notorious for feeding badly. However, the Infernal Ultimate is really really quite powerful. A large AOE nuke that summons an extraordinarily powerful summon that is tanky, has immolation, cleave, high damage, and immune to magic. Perhaps one can utilize a strategy to have multiple Summoners purely for the sake of using Infernals.
Ancient of Healing at Grade B (Commander)
Heals.
Falcon at Grade C (Assassin)
Dont get me wrong you can play quite a solid Falcon. Wind Walk and Drunken Brawler facilitate his ability to be an Assassin. But the rest of the kit doesn't make much sense and doesnt help with much of anything.
Messenger of Death at Grade S (Disruptor)
The Pit Lord's cousin is even stronger. Could you imagine a hero being graded with an S despite having one completely useless ability? That's how good the Messenger of Death is. The combination of Thunder Clap and War Stomp completely eviscerates backlines at medium levels. Give the Messenger of Death some cheap utility items, blink, speed, mana, and watch him do way too much damage to way too many units in the blink of an eye. And his Reincarnation makes him a very very safe hero. As I said things that are Grade S can not be countered or it is much too difficult to counter. The Messenger of Death falls into that category.
Warlock at Grade A (Commander)
AOE nuke? Check. Long range stun + damage? Check. Nice aura? Check. The ultimate is solid, not the best, but it is good. However will warn you, the ultimate can cause disconnections.
Necromancer at Grade B (Commander/Disruptor)
Vamp aura and AOE nuke. Reanimate dead is okay. Solid hero.
Ice Witch at Grade A (Disruptor)
Frost breath? Ow. Frost armor makes her hard to kill. Brilliance Aura is a nice add. But it's her ultimate that is a killer. Her Ultimate is one of few AOE ultimates that happen over a duration and is not channeled. This makes such ultimates uncounterable. Fortunately the rest of the kit isnt that great alone, but in conjunction with the Ult, gives her a Grade of A, almost an S.
Skeleton Mage at Grade A (Commander/Assassin/Disruptor)
Hes primarily a commander. Unholy Aura is one of the best auras in the game. Cripple is used to shut down really pesky Heroes. Finger of Death is a hero nuke. And you cant go wrong with carrion swarm in case you don't need cripple. A great Hero all around.
Naga Myrmidon (Commander)
Crushing Wave is serviceable. Frost Bolt is serviceable. Brilliance Aura is meh. Summon Reef Elemental is serviceable. The Naga Myrmidon is purely serviceable, but theres much better options.
Sea Giant (Disruptor/Assassin)
Pulverize and Avatar makes the Sea Giant a tank who does big AOE damage with auto attacks over time. However, he needs items, stats, big time. Ensnare is good for locking down Heroes. Plus he had Blizzard.
Murgul'King at Grade B (commander)
This was hard to grade. Healing wave is good. Monsoon is serviceable. Brilliance Aura is underwhelming. The Ultimate is unique. It essentially summons some relatively tanky spellcasters with moderate damage and support abilities which are immune to magic. These summons dont get stronger with level, just more numerous. Very useful is War Drums on those, a 20% damage buff. This Hero is a solid pick up for Alliance Armies or Undead Armies that might curb costs on Orc support units.
Forgotten One at Grade B (Commander)
Almost at Grade A, but the Forgotten one is quite solid. Devotion Aura is one of the best auras in the game. Its tentacles are immune to magic, but Careful not to feed. Acid bomb? Has its uses. The ultimate is obnoxious, and it will screw over noobs, but it is easily countered.
Death Revenant and Ice Revenant
Individually, they're not good. Together they are oppressive nuking Assassins.
Dragon spawn at Grade C (?)
He summons dragons. They feed. Frost nova and frost armor are mediocre. But at times you just cant deny how freaking annoying the dragons can be even if they feed.
Furblog Shaman at Grade B (commander)
The furblog could easily be grade C because half the kit are autocast buffs. Such buffs are easily dispelled but they most certainly have an impact in the early game.
Earth at Grade B (disruptor/assassin)
In previous patches his ultimate made him Grade S. The ability to click one button and cause an entire army to disappear was quite literally beyond broken. Not to mention he was a lethal assassin..Thankfully that has been nerfed. Now he is a giant mega tank, his Hurl Boulder still hurts, but the ultimate is much weaker thank god.
Dark Wizard at Grade A (Disruptor)
You could make the case that she is Grade S. She eats mana. She eats buffs. This is unique utility. But her ultimate is very very powerful. It is a channeling ultimate, but it cant be interrupted, and it murders anything that uses mana. A very oppressive ultimate that easily turns the tide of war.
Magnataur at Grade A (Disruptor/commander)
A summoner who has good use! Can you believe that? He summons mammoths. Mammoths are giant tanks. Mammoths have immolation. He keeps them alive with anti-magic shield AND holy light. And he had command aura! Very good. He used to be Rank S when immolation was stronger.
Harpy at Grade B (Commander)
If it werent for True shot Aura shed be grade D. The rest of her abilities are rather limited use.
Poison Troll at Grade A (Assassin/Commander)
True shot Aura alone makes a hero grade B when it comes to supporting an army. But the Poison Troll is a dedicated Assassin, great at hunting heroes. And since his abilities are low cooldown he is great at killing individual units and wracking up gold as well.
Satyr at Grade A (Commander)
He has shackles to lock down any hero. He has ray of disruption to counter summons and magic. He has endurance aura for good army support. And he has Voodoo. All around great hero. You could hardly ask for more.
Shadow at Grade A (disruptor)
Whoever designed this hero designed it with one thing in mind: doing damage. And the Shadow does it quite well. Being only targetable by magic attacks and spells, the Shadow is an unrelenting swarm of AOE damage. Solid Grade A.
Druid of the Claw at Grade C (?)
I am honest, I have no idea what this hero is supposed to do. He certainly doesnt do anything bad, but hes not a hero who is going to net much gold. He is known for Scary Roar which quite literally makes units run away. Maybe he ought to be Grade D.
Orc Warchief at Grade A (commander)
One of my most-used and personal favorite heroes. Unholy Aura is great for army mobility which is so important in Footmen vs Grunts. Sleep is used and can be spammed to lock down any hero. Big Bad Voodoo is Big Bad Voodoo. And to top it off, if you wish to go the route of damage, he has Rain of Fire as well.
Faceless Terror at Grade B (Commander)
Howl and Command Aura: 2 great abilities. His ultimate summons stuff, unfortunately they are not immune to magic, and therefore in my books: FEED. Solid hero but doesn'tdoesnt deserve higher than a B.
Dark Troll at Grade A (Commander)
Another unique mana-eating champion. Renunciation is a large AOE armor reducing debuff.
Tuskarr at Grade C (?)
He summons stuff. None of it is immune to magic. He has Blizzard and Frost Bolt. Not much to say here. Hes quite mediocre.
Centaur Archer at Grade A (Commander/Assassin/Disruptor)
A very good well-rounded kit. Unholy Aura for army mobility, Entangle to lock down a hero, Searing Arrows to kill said hero, and Multi Shot to to kill many enemies. Build the Centaur archer with the proper items and he is a versatile pain on the battle field.
DraeneiDranei at Grade B (Assassin)
Back in the old days his ultimate didnt kill him. Now it can. A very hard to use Assassin whose focus is nuking the hell out of heroes without cooldown. But now he can die.
Nerubian Queen at Grade B (Commander)
Want to lock down air units? Check. And check. Want to be a nuisance with Acid Bomb and Contamination? Check.
Lizard at Grade S (Commander/Disruptor)
Where do I even begin with how absurdly good this hero is. Devotion Aura is a very powerful defensive aura that makes him worth getting alone. Fire Bolt is a long range stun to shut down channeling abilities. Want AOE damage? You have Breath of Fire and his goddamned Ultimate. Like the Frost Queen, his Ultimate is a damage over time AOE ultimate that isnt channeled, like Locust Swarm. It even hits immune to magic units. Such Ultimates can not be countered. But heres the cherry on top, Devotion Aura makes him hard to kill. Hes also a Strength Hero, even harder to kill with so much HP. And lastly, hes flying, but can't be webbed. Absurdly absurdly powerful hero and easy to use. Clear Grade S.
Razormane Witch Doctor at Grade A (commander)
Another one of my personal favorites as I often opt for the Witch Doctor over Priestess of the Moon. The Witch Doctor has Trueshot Aura to augment your ranged units and Healing Wave to counteract AOE nukes. But what is great is Resurrection which can make your attack on the enemy heart oppressive as you replenish your lost troops. It is often quite a game changer in close fights.
Assassin at Grade C (Assassin)
Unfortunately the Assassin is rather mediocre at being an assassin. Her passive ability does little to boost her offensive capabilities, her autocast active is weak compared to Searing Arrow and simply better replaced with Orb of Corruption. Wind Walk is quite alright and so is the Finger of Death. But theres simply better options as an Assassin.
Sorceress at Grade C (Commander)
If the goal is to slow the enemy, then the Sorceress is rather mediocre. Brilliance Aura isnt great and an autocast active in Frost Armor is hardly serviceable from a single hero. The Ice Block is just a fat summon that slows with it's aura and does no damage. A Frost Tower is more useful than this chick.
Banshee at Grade S (Commander)
The only other hero in the game that utilizes Mass Teleport, and to great effect. Sleep Rigidity is a large, long duration, AOE stun. Chain Lightning is a powerful nuke. And the Anti-Magic shield is a great defensive tool for the Banshee. She has seen nerfs to Mass TP in the past, but she can still be put to oppressive strategic use with the ultimate mobility.
Bloodfiend at Grade A (Disruptor/Commander/Assassin)
War Stomp to stun enemies and do damage? Check. Vamp Aura to sustain your melee forces? Check. Avatar for extra tankiness? Check. And if you are feeling cheeky, a single target nuke that deals a lot of damage. A very versatile hero all around.
Wendigo at Grade A (Assassin)
A very unique style of play the Wendigo has. Frost Nova for damage and slow, Blink and Bash to lock down a hero. These three abilities alone give the Wendigo a proper kit to be an effective killer. But the ultimate is cheeky, it is a Frost Bolt that literally teleports the Wendigo to his target over and over again. Theres no escape!
Ghost at Grade A (Commander)
Theres only 2 abilities that make this hero good. Devour Magic which eats magic and sincerity which is a healing aura that consumes mana. And he has Blink and Faerie Fire.
Rabbit at Grade D (Assassin)
Trash. The Rabbit is good for one thing and one thing only: killing a super buffed Disruptor after ridiculous investment in items and stats. But this hero is a noob trap and easy feed. Oh sorry hes good at two things. The second thing is feeding and dying. Pure garbage and people who pick the rabbit generally tend to be pure garbage who rage quit when they die in 1 second.
Ogre at Grade B (Disruptor/Assassin)
A rather odd combo of the two. Thunder Clap is a powerful AOE ability, his ultimate makes him a tank, but his Berzerk and Critical ability is designed to make him a strong single-unit attacker. You can be creative and make use of an Ogre as either a Disruptor or Assassin.
Thrall at Grade A (commander)
The Orc version of Garithos.
Lich at Grade C (Disruptor)
Hes just not that good. Frost Nova is his only nuke and Death and Decay is easily countered or negated.
Crypt Lord at Grade B (Disruptor)
His first 3 abilities are underwhelming. But Locust Swarm is a long duration, non-channeled AOE ultimate. And you know where I stand on such abilities that have no counter.
Dread Lord at Grade A (Commander/Disruptor)
Vampiric Aura sustains your melee units very well. Sleep protects you and locks down enemy heroes. Do you want to go the route of damage? Infernal + Carrion swarm is a deadly deadly combo. I like the Dread Lord over the Bloodfiend for his added utility but both are Grade A heroes.
Death Knight at Grade A (Commander)
The de-facto go-to Commander for an Undead Army. Unholy Aura for mobility, Death Coil is an AOE heal and nuke, and Reanimate Dead is a very irritating Ultimate.
Far Seer at Grade D (Disruptor)
You could do better than Chain Lightning. Wolves are summons. Silence is okay? But Earthquake does no fucking damage, slows down your units as well, and is counted by a 150 gold item known as the Speed Scroll. Earthquake hardly does good damage to structures as well. Utter trash.
Tauren Chieftan at Grade A (Disruptor/Commander)
If there was ever a hero that you could imagine actually leading an army into battle on the front lines, it's the Tauren Chieftan. With two potent nukes in Shockwave and War Stomp (though Shockwave could be better), he can wreak decent havoc. But he augments his army with Endurance Aura and has little survivability issues with Reincarnation. A worse version of the Messenger of Death, but has a great aura.
Blade master at Grade N/A (Assassin/Disruptor)
Easily put, it's just like the Sniper. If you're bad you're shit, and if you're good, you're pretty good. Of course there are many noobs who pick both these Assassins and can hardly do anything with them.
Shadow Hunter at Grade A (Commander)
Few are Grade A Commanders without an aura. The Shadow Hunter is one of them. Spam summoning Serpent Wards can be quite oppressive. Healing Wave is nice. Hex to lock down an enemy hero. And Voodoo is as we know, terrific.