Balthor

Summary
"His hammer knocks all enemies down"

Balthor is the first hero the player receives, during the first level of the tutorial.

Ability: Thunderstrike
Balthor uses his Thunderstrike upon engaging his first enemy. He pounds his hammer on the ground, knocking down all enemies within a large radius.

Upgrades
Level 7: Close Ranks

After the initial hit, Balthor's squad gains armor for a few seconds.

Level 17: Growing Thunder

Every strike partially recharges Balthor's Thunderstrike.

Level 23: Distant Thunder

Thunderstrike knocks down all enemy units (not just those nearby).

Level 32: Thick Skin

Balthor gains Armor.

Level 57: Last Stand

Balthor gains Armor if there are no allies near his squad.

On Defense:
Balthor's Thunderstrike on defense is much more difficult to use properly than on Attack, because the initiation happens on the opponents terms more often than not. However, a stun that happens at an opportune time can still turn the tide, and it helps run down the clock to buy just a few more seconds. The trick is having it executed at the proper time; Balthor is susceptible to being disrupted by a number of things, most notably it can't be stopped when an Attacking Taigar uses her Stag directly on top of him, or if improperly protected from them Grimm's zombies can use up the stun early. This overall lends Balthor to being a more aggressive defender, wanting to approach himself to give the rest of his team the full advantage of his stun that reaches across the entire map once the "Distant Thunder" ability is obtained.

Balthor requires proper planning and execution of defensive plans to be truly effective. This makes him work well with Freya as she can suggest direct confrontation by means of her Ice Wave and "Icy Clutch" once unlocked. As when "Distant Thunder" is unlocked the stun reaches across the map, Wesley can benefit from this on a different front than Balthor himself. The "Growing Thunder" upgrade becomes potent when Balthor is well defended through the game, making Cladwall's Holy Shield a valuable asset to help increase that survivability.

 Strong: 


 * Brutes are potent with Balthor, providing him immunity to the Attacker's stun and freeze effects that may delay his stun. It allows him to initiate well and threaten anybody.

 Good: 


 * Soldiers are similarly effective to Brutes, however they don't provide stun immunity. Still a great choice as they have high Health, Armor, and Attack, and they do have a higher squad size, making them more effective if planning to leave Balthor isolated to benefit from the "Last Stand" ability once unlocked, and can potentially take more advantage of Thunderstrike thanks to their higher numbers.

 Fair: 


 * Serfs can be used to decent effect, as the highly numbered squad can take worthwhile advantage of Balthor's Thunderstrike to deal damage. Can also support other squads such as Sentries and Archers by being a barrier for them.
 * Sentries can be a potent squad with proper planning. However they rely on another squad to be a barrier between them and the enemy to be truly effective, which lets the enemy toss more stuns Balthor's way with less worry.
 * Knights can be an effective choice when using a flanking maneuver. However, this requires Balthor to take up an awkward position at the start to utilize it fully, and makes him more vulnerable to wasting his stun on a stray unit.

 Poor: 


 * Archers aren't the worst combination, but there are better. Balthor does provide a small barrier, and a stun to take advantage of for the Archers, but Balthor can be stunned and killed quickly, before even using his own Thunderstrike. Archers also require more support, which lends to opponents having no qualms using more stuns to deal with the situation.

On Attack:
Balthor becomes a wrecking ball on the offensive, with his ability to initiate to allow allies to take full advantage of Thunderstrike with ease. He can hold back until all other squads have engaged, then jump in and stun the whole enemy team with his Thunderstrike, giving a great edge to your whole team. Proper care must be taken to avoid being caught out by an opposing Grimm, as if Balthor is on the front lines he may lose Thunderstrike early thanks to the zombies spawned. Taigar's Stag can also pop out in an instant, and if Balthor is near it he can be forced into using Thunderstrike early.

Balthor wants more melee heroes to be in the fray with him and help him survive, potentially making use of his "Growing Thunder" ability once unlocked. Cladwall helps greatly with this, as he not only prefers melee troops himself, but provides additional survivability thanks to his Holy Shield. Iriel's Falcon on attack is a powerful tool that allows Balthor to immediately initiate and use his Thunderstrike without having lost any of his squad from the charge. Grimm spawning zombies adds more troops to the melee, further increasing his survivability. Dyna's a strong partner to attack with as well, as she has a slight range to her attacks that can hit multiple enemies at higher levels, taking great advantage of the Thunderstrike. She has a second stun to futher capitalize if multiple enemy squads are at the combat site. Freya's "Ice Wave" provides a long freeze, during which time Balthor can attack to recharge his Thunderstrike.

 Strong: 


 * Brutes allow Balthor to initiate thanks to their immense Health, Armor, and Attack. He can also plow through the Defender's planned stuns and freezes without worry, then punish with his Thunderstrike.
 * Sentries give incredible damage potential paired with another squad of Serfs or Soldiers providing a barrier between them, as they have Attack and ignore the enemies Armor stat. They also abuse Thunderstrike well for that same reason, paired with their decent squad size.
 * Soldiers prove to be a reliable choice again, as they provide excellent initiation potential, high damage and squad size to abuse Thunderstrike well. Their high Health & Armor stats also help them last the combat more often than not.

 Good: 


 * Serfs provide cover for other attacking allies, and a number of troops to absorb blows until Balthor can get off his Thunderstrike. Because of their high squad count, they also can take good advantage of the stun's duration and deal noteworthy damage.
 * Knights allow Balthor to maneuver to a strong flanking position and initiate in time without too much worry. This can take out an unsuspecting squad of Archers or attack Sentries from behind, removing their benefit of a forward guard.

 Fair: 


 * Archers may not be the best choice, but they're far from being a bad choice when Balthor is on Attack. Balthor can afford to stand back while other squads initiate so he can be sure the whole team can benefit from Thunderstrike. Archers can be firing during this time, and his positioning is less susceptible to wayward defenses triggering Thunderstrike early.