Dragonsword Awakening (one of the trending titles of Steam Developed by Hound13) is full of different characters. However, there is a catch. Every character in the game is something you earn by playing. No pain, no gain, guys.
You unlock characters in the exchange tab using Fate’s Invitations and the game shows you nothing about a character before you spend one. No preview and no move-set. You just pick a portrait and hope. So here is what is behind each of them.
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How to Unlock Dragonsword Awakening Characters
There are two ways heroes end up on your roster. Some join automatically as you meet them in the main story. The rest need Fate’s Invitation. Fate’s Invitations are the currency and the exchange tab is where you spend them. You get your first one at the start of the game, then more come as you push through the main story. Nothing’s for sale. Therefore, it really is just a matter of playing.
The order is entirely yours to pick, which sounds generous until you remember the game will not show you what you are getting. That is the whole reason a tier list is worth reading before you tap anything.
Dragonsword Awakening Characters Tier List
This is my personal tier list and it covers 11 of the 19 heroes at launch. I have not put enough time into the rest of the roster yet (Lute, Castella, Aria, Ornette and others) to rank them fairly, so treat this as a first pass rather than the full roster.
High Tier Characters
Charlotte
Among Dragonsword Awakening characters, Charlotte is the one I would point most people toward first. She inflicts poison, airborne and knockdown. Three status elements on a single character, WOW. Status elements are what feed your tag combo attack. Invisible drops a decoy that pulls aggro while you slip around unseen.
Poison Dagger sends her into the air throwing a long stream of poison projectiles. Fun to play and immediately useful.
Theresia
Theresia fights with two chained flails and stacks bleed and stun. Consecration slams forward and leaves the flails spinning for a while afterward which extends and improves her basic chain while it lasts. Celestial Verdict is a jumping slam with a stun shockwave on landing. The real reason she’s up here is reach. Each swing feels like it catches everything on screen. She’s still fast enough to be good against a single target.
Roxy
Roxy is your pick if you would rather shoot than stab.
Almost everything she does builds bleed. Crimson Spiral is a forward kick that scoops up and piles every enemy it passes through. Bloody Shower plants her in place for a rapid burst of bow shots, also bleed. One of the best ranged playstyles here.
Eileen
Eileen carries a halberd and is not much of a status character, except Barging Spear inflicts airborne. Brave One plants a banner that buffs her attack and anyone standing in it. Her reach and speed are what push her to the top of this tier.
Mid Tier Characters
Dana
Dana is the summoner. She is built around frost. Summon Chako puts a big ice golem on the field who fights as a second body and pulls Aggro with heavy hits.
Dana acts independently but gets pop-up prompts to direct him. You can flip Chako into a shield mode that soaks incoming damage. Summon characters usually are not my thing and this one still won me over.
Reina
Reina is a sword knight and probably the best pure juggle starter on this list. Both her openers cause airborne. Rising Cutter is a multi-hit combo where the last hits carry her and the target skyward. Wind Slayer closes distance with one swipe and pops enemies up. Simple kit, specific job, does it well.
Kalien
Kalien is the fire caster. Burn on most things, stun on one.
Fox Parade sends a pack of little fiery foxes swarming in to detonate burn on whatever is nearby. Fox Chase summons one bigger fox that also burns and can be detonated again if Kalien runs into it. What you see is what you get: fire, explosions, easy to play.
Low Tier Characters
Low tier means did not make my rotation. You might click with these where I did not.
Tarte
Tarte works a magic tome, mostly shock, with one attack that heals a little. Lightning Shock is a stationary Palpatine-hands electrocution that charges up the longer you hold it. Bolt Bubble is closer to a stance. You move around trailing bubble orbs that damage on contact. Did not love her, did not hate her, just never found a reason to bring her.
Alex
Alex is the shield guy. Knockdown is his status. Down Smash is a multi-hit knockback and any attack where his shield flashes white has active guard frames baked into it.
Guard Stance blocks and chains into a counter or you can just keep poking with the sword behind the shield. Nothing clever, but if you want honest sword-and-board, he is honest sword-and-board.
Astria
Astria is the one I liked with least. She is a crossbow hero who starts with no status ailments at all, which in a game built on status stacking is a real hole. Siege Assault locks her into a turret stance for stronger single bolts. Wideshot fires a spread. The bigger issue is that she stops to shoot and reloads regularly, so anything that rushes you will swarm her. She works if you like softening things up from the back and tagging out before they arrive.
Sion
Sion throws a boomerang-style relic and deals shock plus knockdown. Divine Crash sends the relic out to spin and multi-hit whatever touches it.
Divine Smash buries it in the ground for knockdown and an area buff you can toggle between red damage and blue defence. Decent support tools. The problem is his standard attack orbs, which drift along slowly enough to be frustrating.
Dragonsword Awakening Combat Tips: Three Things Worth Knowing
Status effects are the whole game. Stacking different elements is what powers your tag combo attack. That is why the multi-status characters are in high tier.
Tag out mid-animation. Long ability animations do not have to be watched. Start the ability, swap out and your first character keeps swinging while the new one gets to work.
Grab, then swap. Big enemies and some bosses give you a grab prompt that latches you onto them. Switch characters while you are up there and the first one stays attached. Two active fighters, one health bar to chew through.
So Who Do You Unlock First?
Charlotte, if you want the safest answer. Three status effects means she starts generating combos from your very first fight.
If you would rather stay at range, Roxy. If you want to cover as much screen as possible with each swing, Theresia. If you like the idea of a permanent second fighter on the field, Dana.
One more thing worth knowing: Hound13 has already confirmed four more heroes (Ryza, Jerome, Veronica and Logan) landing free later this year as post-launch content.
Stay tuned! I will update this article regularly with new character reviews.
