Unlocks around Day 50 (server age > ~40 days). This is where the first genuinely "permanent" heroes appear — Zoe, Hilde, and Marlin remain relevant 3-4+ generations after release, much longer than most heroes.

Zoe — Infantry

  • How to get: Hero Roulette (her dedicated feature banner).
  • Kit: Gets progressively stronger below 50% HP — a high-risk, high-reward defensive/tank profile.
  • Role: Your garrison cornerstone for 4+ generations. Max her stars first — she's widely considered the single best F2P infantry investment in the early-to-mid game.
  • F2P note: Top priority the moment Gen 2 unlocks.

Marlin — Archer

  • How to get: Hall of Heroes — unlock with 10 shards, then level to 3-4 stars using generation Mythic Shards. (Note: Marlin is not the Hero Roulette feature for Gen 2 — that's Zoe.)
  • Kit: AoE damage dealer who can also stun. Has 3 stacking effect types (Wild Card, Rumhead, Dynamo) that buff squad-wide damage/lethality — this team-wide support is why he holds S+ tier value even against newer heroes.
  • Role: S-tier rally attack leader; also strong in Arena and Expedition.
  • F2P note: Even a 3-star Marlin outperforms a 5-star Diana — the shard investment pays off fast. Your ranged carry all the way into Gen 3.

Hilde — Cavalry

  • Kit: A dedicated healer who can also briefly disable/stun enemies.
  • Role: One of the best healers in the game — less flashy if you don't need healing, but essential when you do. Also has strong joiner-stacking value (pairs well with Saul from Gen 1 due to differing skill IDs).

Chenko — Epic Cavalry (if not already available in Gen 1 on your server)

  • How to get: Easy — via events, no gems required.
  • Kit: First Expedition skill gives a flat +25% team Lethality — no conditions attached.
  • Role: The undisputed F2P queen of Bear Hunt joiners. When multiple Chenkos join the same rally, the effect can stack, making her one of the single best sources of Bear Hunt damage in the game. Raise her to 4 stars to unlock her full skill set, then stop investing further — she's not worth building as a main combat hero (limited Conquest performance, only 3 skills total).

F2P Priority Order (Gen 2 window)

  1. Zoe — max stars immediately, garrison foundation
  2. Jabel (carried over from Gen 1) — free secondary defender
  3. Chenko or Amane — collect for Bear Hunt joiner duty, no gems needed
  4. Marlin — unlock via Hall of Heroes shards, feed to 3-4 stars
  5. Amadeus (if VIP-accessible) — permanent joiner/rally infrastructure