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This tier list ranks Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance’s heroes and towers by how reliably they contribute to a battle, while accounting for the game’s two-hero and five-tower loadout limits. The latest dated ranking available here is Pocket Gamer’s September 16, 2026 guide for version 7.00.62, which names Aurion and Dragon as its newest additions; that is a dated snapshot, not confirmation of the live version today. Ironhide’s official roster page lists 16 heroes and 18 towers, but does not publish an official strength ranking. Pocket Gamer’s guide and the official game page are useful reference points for roles and roster context.
How to use this tier list
There is no developer-certified universal order for every hero or tower. The ranking below is an editorial assessment framework for choosing a loadout, not a claim that one unit is best on every map. A strong pick should be judged by what it adds to the other four towers and second hero, as well as its performance on the particular stage and difficulty.
For heroes, consider damage and wave clear, mobility to cover leaks, survivability and stalling, crowd control, support, and synergy with the partner hero. For towers, consider damage type and armor interaction, cost efficiency, range and lane coverage, crowd control, unit support, upgrade investment, and reliability at the selected difficulty. Manual repositioning and stage mechanics can change the value of either roster.
The official site describes 18 towers with special skills and 16 heroes; Pocket Gamer notes that a battle permits five towers and two heroes. Treat tiers as a starting point, then adjust for campaign versus DLC stages, difficulty, upgrades, and the demands of the map.
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Hero tier list
Pocket Gamer’s September 16, 2026 guide labels its coverage version 7.00.62 and identifies Aurion and Dragon as the latest additions at that time. The available evidence does not establish a full, source-backed ordered ranking of all 16 heroes, so this list focuses on substantiated roles rather than inventing placements for every name.
| Hero | Placement | Why the role matters |
|---|---|---|
| Aurion | Not ranked here | Pocket Gamer identifies Aurion as one of the latest additions in its version 7.00.62 snapshot, but the available source information does not establish enough detail to assign a defensible tier. |
| Dragon | Not ranked here | Pocket Gamer identifies Dragon as one of the latest additions in its version 7.00.62 snapshot; a precise placement is not established by the available evidence. |
| Other heroes | Not individually ranked | The official roster page confirms 16 heroes, but does not provide rankings; a complete ordered list cannot be substantiated from the cited information. |
Hero roles that can anchor a pair
When selecting two heroes, avoid simply doubling the same function unless a stage rewards it. Pair a damage-focused hero with a mobile leak-stopper or a durable controller, or pair a frontline holder with a support-oriented option. These are selection principles, not claims that one named pair is universally optimal.
Rank #2
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Tower tier list
The official roster includes 18 towers, but the official page does not rank them. Pocket Gamer’s guide gives role-based examples that support useful comparisons; the placements below are therefore role assessments, not a complete ordered tier chart of all 18 towers.
| Tower | Placement | Strengths and trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Wizard | High-priority specialist | Pocket Gamer describes strong magic damage that penetrates armor, an instant-kill upgrade, and an ability to boost allied towers. These tools make it a flexible answer where armored targets or tower synergy matter; its value still depends on cost, upgrade investment, and the stage. |
| Eldritch Channeler | High-utility control pick | Pocket Gamer highlights attacks that can bounce, slow targets, and transform enemies. That mix offers control as well as damage, particularly where slowing or affecting groups helps the rest of the defense. |
| Arborean Emissary | Support and control pick | Pocket Gamer notes healing fairies and damaging brambles that trap enemies. Its combination of sustain and control can complement damage-heavy towers, but its best use depends on the lane and the rest of the loadout. |
| Other towers | Not individually ranked | The official roster confirms 18 towers, but the cited source details do not establish defensible relative placements for the remaining towers. |
Build a five-tower loadout around coverage
- Cover different damage needs instead of relying on one damage type; armored enemies can make magic penetration especially valuable.
- Include tools that buy time, such as slowing, trapping, or other crowd control, so damage towers have more opportunities to work.
- Account for lane coverage and range: a powerful tower is less useful if it cannot affect the relevant route or threat.
- Use support effects where they strengthen several nearby defenses or help sustain a hold, rather than treating every tower as a standalone damage source.
- Invest in abilities selectively. An upgrade that changes a tower’s role or enables a key answer may be more important than spreading upgrades evenly.
Why rankings change with updates
Ironhide’s February 11, 2025 balance-patch announcement says weaker towers and heroes were buffed. A later official Dragon Wars balance-news result describes campaign and stage adjustments, including tower-cost buffs and a reduction to Murglum’s campaign stun duration. These examples show why a tier list needs a date and version: costs, control effects, and stage balance can alter a unit’s practical value. The official pages cited here do not provide a complete current balance log, so check the game’s live version before applying an older placement.
Rank #3
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Sources: Pocket Gamer’s tier list; Ironhide’s official Kingdom Rush Alliance page; official Steam game listing; Ironhide’s Steam news listing; Steam community guides.
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