Flak

Flak is the first and the only free hero in the game. He is available in the first level.

He is basically a sturdy melee hero with no armor but good damage and good speed.

Abilities

 * Flak throws a grenade every 10s dealing splash damage up to 150 damage to 2-3 Creeps

Stats

 * Flak has a 5s Respawn Time
 * Flak doesn´t have armor excluding the ability
 * Flak has average speed

Utility Edit
Strategy while leveling:

Flak requires a grind before he becomes useful when compared to other purchasable heroes. He unlocks his perks later than any other hero and doesn't kill in mass enough to make the leveling go fast. Assuming you don't buy other heroes, or only buy one, Flak will grow up soon enough with intensive use. Keep Flak on a defensive line where he can do damage. Usually, this means the front line. With Body Armor, Flak is not so squishy that he will die without killing a few creeps. Leveling Flak may start to flatline in the middle of the campaign as creeps get stronger and Flak struggles to unlock Rage and C5 Explosive. Take advantage of double EXP weekends and gems to edge Flak forward. If you want to beat certain levels, consider subbing out Flak for other heroes who are offensively stronger. When compared to Heroes like Surge and Scorch, Flak doesn't earn his place on the battlefield until he unlocks Bounty Hunter.

Max ability strategy:

At top-level, Flak gains his use in even the hardest missions. Flak is solid enough that he can kill a few creeps before being killed. His grenades do high damage or deathblows to the toughest of creeps. Still, Surge, Scorch, and a top-level Skybolt outright kill creeps with their attacks. He has enough health and armor to be a step above squishy but lacks the endurance of Cinder or the defensive perks / fast respawn time of Oracle to be considered defensively gifted. With Bounty Hunter unlocked, Flak's moderate abilities allow him to generate energy on the front line. He has enough damage ability and enough defensive strength to pull off kills and generate energy on even the toughest of maps.

Keep Flak on the front lines, backed by infantry and killing towers. Let him go through his cycle of killing a few creeps, dying, and repeating while he gets additional energy for you to build better towers.

Most complementary heroes:

Flak pairs well with heroes who have gained enough of their perks to be either offensively strong or defensively strong. Assuming Flak and the other heroes have unlocked all their perks, Flak pairs well with anyone. If the 2nd hero hasn't gained enough perks to be effective in their role, Flak doesn't pair well with them. Flak is offensively outclassed by other offensive heroes and is not great on defense; he cannot carry a 2nd weak hero.

Flak serves a purpose as a moderately potent front line offensive hero who generates additional energy. Cinder, Roxie, and Oracle could be defensively positioned on the rear line with powerful towers built from Flak's bounty hunter ability. Surge, Skybolt and Scorch could be placed in the front line with Flak or in the rear line.

How fun is this hero to use:

Flak is hardy and fun in the early levels but as the creep get tougher, his becomes outclassed at his low levels. Flak has a very difficult grind to proceed through before he reaches his potential. It takes him longer to unlock his key perks than any other hero. This drives down the fun factor. At top-level though, Flak is very fun. His Bounty Hunter ability makes it easier to build powerful towers that blast creeps to bits.

Should you invest:

Flak is the only free hero. So, there is not a question of should you buy him but rather should you invest time into leveling him. At his top level, Flak has a specialty role that no other hero can match. Take time to help him grow.