Heroes Deserve Better:
Stop Treating Them Like Placeholders
One of the biggest mistakes I see new players make is thinking heroes are “good enough” the moment you unlock them.
They’re not.
Most players sprint to Eye of the North, grab a handful of heroes, slot whatever random skills they have, and call it a day. That’s not how heroes work—and that mindset is why so many people struggle with content that should be manageable.
Heroes aren’t NPC baggage.
They are players you fully control.
And if you build them like an afterthought, they will perform like one.
Heroes Are Only the Beginning
Unlocking a hero is step one.
That’s it. From there, you need to treat them exactly like you would your own character:
Proper builds
Proper gear
Proper runes and insignias
Skipping any of these is leaving performance on the table.
Builds Matter (A Lot)
Random skill bars kill hero effectiveness.
Now, to be clear: I’m not a true fan of PvX. It’s not gospel, and you shouldn’t blindly worship it.
That said—it’s a solid starting point.
PvX builds are tested, functional, and usually hero-AI friendly. Use them to understand why a build works, then tweak it to fit your playstyle, available skills, and campaign progress.
A hero with a coherent, purpose-built bar will outperform a sloppy “whatever I unlocked” setup every time.
Gear Is Not Optional
Heroes don’t magically scale.
Give them the best weapons you can afford
Use proper mods
Match weapon choices to their role
A healer with a junk wand is still junk, no matter how good the skill bar looks.
Runes and Insignias: Mandatory, Not Optional
This is the step most people completely ignore, not just for heroes but themselves.
Heroes do not come optimized. Their armor is empty unless you fill it.
Add runes
Add insignias
Tailor them to the build
If your hero’s armor is bare, you are intentionally running a weakened party.
There’s no excuse for it.
The Payoff
When heroes are built correctly:
They cast smarter
They survive longer
They carry fights
They make hard content trivial
When they’re not?
You wipe
You blame the game
You think content is harder than it is
It’s not. Your heroes just deserve better.
Bottom line:
Heroes are not collectibles. They are your team.
Build them like players—or don’t be surprised when they perform like amateurs.