War in the North Wiki

Characters

Complete War in the North character builds for Eradan the Ranger, Andriel the Loremaster and Farin the Champion — stat allocation, skill picks and best gear.

Playable Heroes

Stat Attributes

Skill Stances

On This Page:Introduction·Hero Comparison·Hero Roster·Core Mechanics·Advantages·Challenges·FAQ·Quick Tips·Articles·Explore More

Introduction

The three heroes of War in the North are Eradan, a Dúnedain Ranger with the blood of the ancient kings, Andriel, an Elven Loremaster of Rivendell who wields offensive and defensive spells, and Farin, a Dwarven Champion of Erebor who smashes through enemies with heavy axes. Together they form a fellowship that mirrors the original trilogy's man-elf-dwarf trio, and the Legacy Edition lets you switch between them instantly during combat. Each hero has unique skills, weapons and passive abilities, and understanding what each one does is the key to building a balanced party. This section covers every build, stat allocation and best-in-slot gear recommendation for all three heroes, plus how to slot each one into your party composition.

Hero Comparison

Hero	Role	Weapons	Signature Skill	Best For
Eradan	Ranged DPS & Stealth	Bow, longbow, greatsword or dual blades	Track Secret Stashes	Solo damage and boss burst
Andriel	Spellcaster & Support	Staff and magic	Brew Potions, Find Glyph Passages	Area damage and party healing
Farin	Tank & Bruiser	Heavy axe, axe and shield, crossbow	Smash Fissures	Front-line aggro and survivability

Hero Roster

Eradan

legendary

Dúnedain Ranger — stealth, bow and greatsword

PlaystyleEradan is the party's ranged assassin. He lands critical headshots from the bow, opens fights with stealth kills, and can switch to a two-handed greatsword or dual blades when enemies close in. His tracking ability reveals secret stashes and hidden supply caches that other heroes simply cannot see.

Key SkillsHis skill trees emphasise bow damage, critical strikes and stealth. Headshot multipliers make him the strongest single-target damage dealer, while his stealth branch grants invisibility and bonus backstab damage against unaware enemies.

Build DirectionInvest in Dexterity for ranged damage and critical chance, with Stamina for survivability. A balanced split works, but a pure Dexterity bow build is one of the highest damage ceilings in the game.

Pro TipOpen every encounter by scouting with the bow. Removing enemy archers and casters from range before the fight starts lets your party roll into the melee with a massive advantage.

Andriel

epic

Elven Loremaster — spells, staff and support

PlaystyleAndriel is the party's spellcaster and support. Her staff attacks work at range, her offensive magic melts swarms of enemies, and her healing and defensive spells keep the party alive through the hardest fights in the North.

Key SkillsShe can brew potions from gathered ingredients, detect hidden glyph passages that lead to bonus loot, and unlock powerful area-effect spells as her Will stat and skill trees grow.

Build DirectionMaximize Will to scale her spell damage and mana pool. Support builds can sacrifice some damage for healing efficiency, while pure damage builds focus on the most expensive offensive spells.

Pro TipKeep a mental mana budget. Andriel's best spells are expensive, so mix her staff attacks between casts to regenerate mana and avoid being left defenceless during a boss's enrage phase.

Farin

rare

Dwarven Champion — axes, shield and brute force

PlaystyleFarin is the party's frontline bruiser. He swings heavy axes, raises a shield to absorb damage, and smashes through enemy lines with charge attacks. His crossbow offers a ranged option when he cannot reach a target.

Key SkillsHis melee tree builds combo chains and fills the Hero Mode meter fast, his defensive tree grants parry windows and damage reduction, and his unique ability smashes open fissures in walls to reveal hidden loot.

Build DirectionStrength drives his melee damage, while Stamina keeps him standing under heavy fire. A tank build prioritises Stamina and defensive skills, while a bruiser build splits between Strength and Stamina for both damage and survivability.

Pro TipLet Farin hold enemy aggro while Eradan and Andriel attack from range. His heavy attacks interrupt enemy combos, and his shield blocks even unblockable attacks when timed correctly, making him the anchor of any party.

Core Mechanics

Each hero levels independently but shares the party's experience pool, so your whole team grows together. When a hero levels up, you receive three stat points and one skill point to spend on that hero's three stances: melee, ranged and defensive. Stat points go into Strength, Will, Stamina and Dexterity — Strength for melee damage, Will for Andriel's magic and the mana pool, Stamina for maximum health and Dexterity for ranged damage and critical strikes. Each hero also unlocks a unique set of abilities through their skill trees, from Eradan's stealth-based traversal to Andriel's potion brewing and Farin's ability to smash open hidden wall fissures for extra loot.

Advantages

The three-hero system gives you a tool for every situation. Eradan's bow and stealth let you thin out enemy groups before they reach your party, Andriel's spells melt swarms and heal your allies, and Farin stands in front of heavy armour and bosses so the squishier heroes can deal damage safely. Because the Legacy Edition lets you hot-swap mid-combat, you are never locked into a single role — you can open a fight as Eradan to land headshots, swap to Farin when the enemy closes in, and bring Andriel out for a burst of healing when your health bars run low. This flexibility is the strongest argument for learning all three heroes.

Challenges

Managing three heroes at once requires active attention. The two heroes you are not controlling fight under simple AI, and if you never give them good gear or skill points they will fall behind and die constantly on higher difficulties. The Legacy Edition improves this with full party equipment and skill control, but you still have to update every hero's loadout, not just your main. Hot-swapping also demands that you understand when each hero should be on the field — a hero swapped in at the wrong moment can be caught mid-animation and take heavy damage before you regain control.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best hero for beginners?+

Eradan is generally the most beginner-friendly hero. His bow deals reliable damage from a safe distance, his stealth skills let you avoid unnecessary fights, and his ability to track secret stashes means you will find more loot on a first playthrough. Farin is the easiest to understand mechanically because he is a straightforward melee bruiser, but he takes more damage by design. Andriel is the hardest to start with because spell management and mana conservation take practice. Since the Legacy Edition lets you hot-swap, try the opening hour with each hero and keep the one that feels best in your hands.

Can I respec my hero's skill points?+

Yes, the Legacy Edition makes respeccing more forgiving than the original game. You can redistribute your skill points between the three stances, which lets you experiment with different builds without restarting. Stat points are more permanent, so it is wise to decide your stat direction early and commit. If you want to try a completely different playstyle, New Game Plus carries your unlocked heroes into a fresh run where you can allocate points differently from the start.

How should I build my party?+

A balanced party keeps one hero in each role: a damage dealer, a supporter and a frontline. Eradan covers ranged damage and stealth, Andriel provides magic damage and healing, and Farin handles aggro and survivability. If you play solo, you control the active hero and the other two follow as AI, so make sure their gear and skill points are kept current. In co-op, each player typically picks one hero and commits to that role for the session, which lets you specialise far more deeply.

Quick Tips

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Keep every hero's gear and skill points current, not just the one you play most. The Legacy Edition lets you hot-swap mid-fight, so a hero you have neglected will fall behind exactly when you need to bring them in. After each chapter, spend a minute checking all three loadouts and upgrading any piece that is more than two levels old.

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If you play Eradan, learn the stealth approach early. His ability to track secret stashes reveals hidden supply caches, and scouting ahead with the bow lets you remove archers and spellcasters before the melee fighters engage. Using stealth to start fights on your terms makes the hardest encounters dramatically easier.

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Andriel's potion brewing turns gathered ingredients into powerful consumables, and her healing spells are the difference between a comfortable boss fight and a wipe. Keep her Will stat high, watch her mana pool, and do not be afraid to swap to her for a burst of healing even if you usually control another hero.

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Farin is the party's wall, and his fissure-smashing opens shortcuts and hidden rooms full of loot. Let him absorb enemy aggro while Eradan and Andriel attack from range, and use his heavy attacks to interrupt enemy combos. A well-geared Farin makes Legendary difficulty survivable for the whole party. Keep Farin's gear and skill points current even if you rarely control him, because his defensive value is tied directly to his stats. A well-equipped Farin absorbs aggro and survives the heaviest hits, which makes every other hero's job dramatically easier in the late game.

Featured

War in the North Ranger build: stealth bows and stances

Craft the ultimate War in the North Ranger build for Eradan. Optimize stealth, bow damage, and sword stances with stat distribution and gear to dominate every.

War in the North Ranger buildWar in the North Dunedain RangerWar in the North Andriel buildWar in the North Loremaster build

War in the North Eradan: stealth bow and dual sword mastery

Master War in the North Eradan with stealth bows, dual swords, and shield combos. Learn his skill tree, stat priorities, and how to dominate as the Dúnedain.

War in the North EradanWar in the North AndrielWar in the North FarinWar in the North best character

War in the North best Andriel skills for support and damage

Discover War in the North best Andriel skills for healing, area damage, and party buffs. Prioritize stances and Hero Mode combos to keep your team alive.

War in the North best Andriel skillsWar in the North best Farin skillsWar in the North character comparisonWar in the North heroes explained

War in the North change appearance: Bree haircut mirror

Learn to change appearance in War in the North using the Bree haircut mirror. Discover unlockable customization options and which hero suits your playstyle.

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War in the North dwarf build: strength, stamina, and axes

Build a tanky War in the North dwarf with Farin. Allocate strength and stamina, master axe combos, and pick crossbow skills for resilient frontline play.

War in the North dwarf buildWar in the North character statsWar in the North strength buildWar in the North will build

War in the North ranged build: bows and crossbows for DPS

Optimize a War in the North ranged build using Eradan's bows and Farin's crossbows. Learn target locking, stat priorities, and gear for sustained damage output.

War in the North ranged buildWar in the North stealth buildWar in the North tank buildWar in the North dps build

War in the North solo build: self-sustain and hot-swap tips

Create a War in the North solo build that thrives alone. Use hot-swapping, balanced stats, and self-healing skills to conquer Middle-earth without co-op allies.

War in the North solo buildWar in the North co-op buildWar in the North character levelsWar in the North max level

Explore More

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Skills

Every War in the North skill tree explained — melee, ranged and defensive stances, Hero Mode combos, Beleram's summon and the leveling math behind strong builds.

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Weapons

The best weapons and armor in War in the North, tier-ranked for early, mid and late game — endgame uniques, set bonuses and the best loot farming spots.

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Guides

Beginner-friendly War in the North guides — combat basics, controls, difficulty modes, New Game Plus, Steam Deck settings and everything new players need for the Legacy Edition.

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