AFK Journey has quite some interesting new approaches and will offer a ton of heroes as well so this list here should help you decide which heroes to focus on as they work in every team and which ones work only for particular setups (and the ones that never really work well).
About AFK Journey
AFK Journey, or also referred to as AFK 2: Journey or AFK Arena 2, is the next game in the AFK Arena universe where you discover a 3D world with new battle mechanics. I feel it’s a great hybrid between AFK Arena and SOULS where you can place your heroes a lot more freely and use different strategies.
Difference?
There is a ton different in how you obtain and ascend heroes in AFK Journey and I feel the developers have done everything right so far. I love it and it feels fresh and a lot like AFK Arena felt when it was first released.
What Are The Best Heroes in AFK Journey (Tier List)
Alright let’s dive into it. Please mind that there are huge changes between the different closed beta iterations so this list changes as well a lot! Please check back here when a new beta starts to be sure that you go the right direction. Also, please mind to check out the best teams for the different modes in AFK Journey here, this is sometimes more important than using the top heroes here and helps you a lot.
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- ReinierS+Best TeamsGreat to disrupt the enemy backline and already works without ascended much, even with 1 copy. Also important for Dream Realm in almost all comps so get him first from the Guild StoreStory: S+Dream Realm: S+PvP: S+Best Teams
- OdieS+Best TeamsCan snowball heavily with his energy recovery when he kills and his ability to insta-kill enemies with low health make him a great damage dealer. Small word of advice here, he needs to be Mythic+ or even higher to really start doing a great job but you need him a lot against Dream Realm bosses so one of the best choices fro your Dream Realm shop purchasesStory: S+Dream Realm: S+PvP: S+Best Teams
- ThoranS+Best TeamsGreat tank that can cheat death but also deal quite some damage. Is a great tank to carry early and useful later as wellStory: S+Dream Realm: SPvP: S+Best Teams
- Smokey And MeerkySBest TeamsHealing and buffing. Got more balancing in the past months before global release but is still very useful practically everywhere although his range is not the full map anymore. Can well take in when Rowan is not healing enough anymore and good in so many different modes in AFK Journey, including Dream Realm, that you really can build him and max him without regretsStory: S+Dream Realm: S+PvP: ABest Teams
- KokoSBest TeamsHer reflection, healing, buffing make her so great to use. Build her and you won't regret itStory: SDream Realm: APvP: S+Best Teams
- RowanSBest TeamsNot just a classic hero in AFK Arena, also in AFK Journey. Has pretty much the same role as in AFK Arena being a energy battery and his healing mechanics are also nice. Can sometimes be a little weak healer, espcially when not Mythic+ or higher but for his energy battery role he doesn't need much ascensionStory: SDream Realm: APvP: S+Best Teams
- ScarlitaSBest TeamsShields at start and deals damage later. A lot of her damage is not there before you invest in her Exclusive but if you do, she is actually pretty greatStory: SDream Realm: APvP: S+Best Teams
- CeciaSBest TeamsSummon is really useful and she can cc and damage AoE which makes her a great fit. She will carry you in story and AFK Stages a long time, easily into the 700+ so building and ascending her is no mistake and goes a long way and even investing in her exclusive and focus skill is a great optionStory: S+Dream Realm: APvP: SBest Teams
- ShakirSBest TeamsGreat universal hero with damage and support and core of any Mauler team. Doesn't get a ton of credit early but will get important later against some Dream Realm bossesStory: SDream Realm: A+PvP: SBest Teams
- FlorabelleA+Best TeamsShe summons and also has some cross-synergies with Cecia and latest at the point where you need multiple teams she will be valuable. If you are building Cecia right now you might not need to go all-in on her banners but she is a good hero with raising value towards later and I invested the money to get her earily and I love her honestly. Except Dream Realm useful in all modes actually.Story: SDream Realm: B+PvP: S+Best Teams
- DamianA+Best TeamsNeeds his Exclusive to buff and heal well, early on not that great!Story: A+Dream Realm: APvP: S+Best Teams
- TemesiaA+Best TeamsDeals alright damage but her overall ability to go through walls helps a lot messing with any kind of formation tactics of your enemyStory: SDream Realm: SPvP: ABest Teams
- EironnA+Best TeamsDon't be fooled by his early performance where he is bad - once you build his Exclusive he becomes incredibly strong by gathering enemies and debuffing them. Still, there are other S-Rank heroes to carry earlier so keep that in mind when you get chests where you can choose S-Rank heroes to build a hero like Thoran or Cecia first!Story: S+Dream Realm: BPvP: S+Best Teams
- LycaA+Best TeamsDeals AoE damage and buffs/debuffs and along other AoE damage dealers in AFK Journey a really strong hero. One of the best non-S-Rank heroes and easy to ascend with the multiple sources you can get her copies. Also, along Cecia a great combo in many stagesStory: SDream Realm: APvP: SBest Teams
- CarolinaA+Best TeamsYou will probably ignore her early and mid-game in AFK Journey but later with her Exclusive and Eironn with his Exclusive she becomes so strong in Aironn teams that there is only little ways around herStory: S+Dream Realm: BPvP: S+Best Teams
- HewynnA+Best TeamsGreat healing with full range of the whole battlefield. I'd still prefer Smokey but sometimes you just need a healer with a ton of range so early in AFK Journey not the strongest one. She picks up a lot tough when ascended higher when you get ehr universal damage reduction for the whole team which is hugeStory: S+Dream Realm: B+PvP: SBest Teams
- ValaA+Best TeamsThe way Vala can deal with backline heroes in AFK Journey is unreached and valuable in almost all cases, often enough crucially important to deal with certain setups. She is the first banner hero with the global release so you can easily pull and build her and once at the highest ascension stages where she can turn invisible, she takes out backline hero after backline hero and is also a good damage dealer against Dream Realm bosses so getting her copies is nothing bad, espcially with the amount of pulls you get early on.Story: SDream Realm: A+PvP: ABest Teams
- DionelA+Best TeamsHe is a great damage dealer, if you build him which is a long process.Story: S+Dream Realm: BPvP: SBest Teams
- KorinA+Best TeamsHis shield and protection along cc make him really strong in keeping a team alive before the first chain piece breaks. Needs his Exclusive for Dream Realm but also before that he is a strong support hero in AFK JourneyStory: SDream Realm: S+PvP: BBest Teams
- BryonA+Best TeamsCan revive and deal damage but needs quite some investment in his ExclusiveStory: SDream Realm: APvP: ABest Teams
- SethA+Best TeamsGreat assassin if built, but early just a suicidal glass cannonStory: SDream Realm: APvP: ABest Teams
- ViperianABest TeamsDeals a lot of AoE damage and can wipe out enemy lines and has energy control over them. Yes, he seems a litte lackluster early but he picks up later and in PvPStory: SDream Realm: C+PvP: SBest Teams
- MarileeABest TeamsMust-have damage dealer in Dream Realm and deals true damage through her Exclusive.Story: ADream Realm: S+PvP: BBest Teams
- Granny DahnieABest TeamsGreat tank with cc, self-healing and debuffing make her last very long. She is a great early tank and later your best choice in Faction TowerStory: SDream Realm: C+PvP: SBest Teams
- BrutusABest TeamsPrimarily great for his invincibility period that can make him survive crazy bursts or help your team to survive a little longer. Technially he can be a hero you don*t ascend much to fulfil that role. I have to disgree with many tier lists for AFK Journey that place him in the lower tiers, with his invicibility and along heroes like Rowan and Smokey he can easily tank you into the AFK Journey Stages 700+ and also do a lot in certain mode fights where you need to overcome high burst damageStory: A+Dream Realm: B+PvP: ABest Teams
- IgorABest TeamsCan be annoying with cheating death and coming after target team HP, but with the recent nerfs he became more of a PvP heroStory: SDream Realm: CPvP: SBest Teams
- CassadeeABest TeamsSolid damage dealer but primarily shines in magic teams in Dream Realm later onStory: ADream Realm: SPvP: BBest Teams
- BerialABest TeamsAssassin that is amazing against single enemies but when enemy lines stay together he is not useful anymoreStory: ADream Realm: BPvP: SBest Teams
- SilvinaABest TeamsGreat assassin if you need one, but without ascended enough she can easily go on one-way trips and be a glass cannon. Still, in some stages or in PvP setups she can be your swiss army knife.Story: SDream Realm: CPvP: SBest Teams
- ArdenABest TeamsGreat in Eironn teams and cc teams when you built him. Not an early-stage hero in AFK Journey but keep that in mindStory: SDream Realm: CPvP: SBest Teams
- AntandraABest TeamsGood off tank with shielding but as primary tank not good enoughStory: SDream Realm: C+PvP: ABest Teams
- RhysB+Best TeamsDecent damage dealer overall but his mix of single and area damage doesn*t make him great in any of those which is is current flawStory: ADream Realm: APvP: BBest Teams
- WalkerB+Best TeamsGood to cc casters and not as useless as he is in AFK Arena. Hopefully he can outlast that stigma as he is not that bad in AFK Journey.Story: B+Dream Realm: APvP: BBest Teams
- ParisaB+Best TeamsSimilar to Satrana a damage and buffer but often enough she is not doing well in fulfilling either roleStory: BDream Realm: BPvP: ABest Teams
- NiruB+Best TeamsOnly good with his invulnerable skill for allies and needs his Exlcusive to be built. Needed for endgame story but otherwise you find better heroes in AFK JourneyStory: SDream Realm: CPvP: BBest Teams
- KrugerBBest TeamsPhysical Damage debuffer that is needed for Dream Realm, but not really useful anywhere else. He can also work that role with a few copiesStory: CDream Realm: S+PvP: CBest Teams
- LuciusBBest TeamsExactly the same as in AFK Arena, shields and tanks which is nice very early but later just not strong enough to really tank by himself. You actually won't use him anymore once you have a tank like Brutus Thoran or Granny ready and a little bit ascended and you will pull copies anyway but don't buy any in the shop!Story: BDream Realm: BPvP: BBest Teams
- SatranaC+Best TeamsDesigned as buffer and damage hero but she is hard to keep aliveStory: CDream Realm: BPvP: CBest Teams
- SalazarC+Best TeamsHis kit seems to be a tank-killer but he doesn*t have enough damage output to really do much so you have him hammering with other heroes on the tank without doing much moreStory: CDream Realm: BPvP: CBest Teams
- ValenCBest TeamsHe is good in the very early parts of the story but he falls off quickly after that and has no real place in the meta of AFK Journey so don*t invest too much in himStory: CDream Realm: CPvP: CBest Teams
- LumontCBest TeamsI was so excited for him but then I realized that he is not useful as a tank as he will die too quickly, even when you invest heavily into him!Story: CDream Realm: CPvP: CBest Teams
- KafraCBest TeamsNo real damage, can't stay alive... stay away from him for now.Story: CDream Realm: CPvP: CBest Teams
Conclusion
I am so excited for the global release of AFK 2 Journey as the beta was so much fun already with having the original AFK Arena feeling back but with new elements that gives you the feeling it’s also a new game at the same point as well. I participate in the beta stages so please understand that changes here are quite drastic between the beta stages but I hope this gives you a good idea what’s happening so you can enjoy the beta stages to the fullest or just keep an eye on what’s happening until AFK Journey is released globally.
