Generation 1 hero guide

Howard Guide: Conquest, Arena, Counters and Best Position

A data-backed Howard guide covering Conquest value, preliminary Arena performance, best position, skills, teammates, counters, and evidence limits.

Beginner HeroesConquestArenaCounters Updated July 16, 2026

Howard quick verdict

Howard profiles as a frontline anchor with a current Conquest tier of B and a preliminary Arena tier of B. The best recorded or projected position is Front right.

EvidenceStrong
Highest trusted winStage 381
Best positionFront right
Conquest tierB
Arena projectionB
RoleFrontline Anchor
Evidence status

Strong Conquest evidence, including a trusted win through stage 381.

How Howard works

Howard is a 1-generation epic Infantry built primarily as a frontline anchor. The kit centers on team Defense buff, area damage, self mitigation, and knockback.

Conquest skill 1

Howard gives an enemy a solid whack with his heavy shield, knocking the target back while dealing Attack * 280% Area of Effect damage.

Conquest skill 2

Howard leads the effort to fortify defenses, increasing Defense by 15% for all heroes

Conquest skill 3

Howard trades in his shield for an upgraded model, reducing damage taken by 30%.

Gameplay-observed tags

area damageknockbackteam Defense buffdamage mitigationfrontline tendencyself mitigation

Howard in Conquest

The hero has successful evidence through stage 381, mainly as an older or mid-progression option.

The current composite ranking weighs stage ceiling, trustworthy lower-power performance, role utility, position versatility, raw stats, and generation ceiling. Howard is not ranked from raw win rate alone because heroes enter the dataset at different stages and are tested with different frequency.

The pattern is supported strongly enough to guide formation choices, while exact powers and private rows remain hidden.

Howard in Arena

Preliminary Arena projection

The Arena rating is preliminary. It combines Conquest evidence, raw stats, generation age, targeting value, and utility such as team Defense buff, area damage, self mitigation, and knockback. A very small amount of direct Arena evidence exists, but it is not large enough to publish as a firm result.

In Arena, Howard should be judged by whether the formation can use team Defense buff, area damage, self mitigation, and knockback before the hero is removed or controlled. Newer-generation raw stats matter more in direct PvP, but specialized older heroes can remain useful three or four generations later when their development and utility still justify the slot.

Best position for Howard

The strongest trusted position in the current dataset is Front right. Trusted wins also appear from Front left.

  • Trusted winning positions: Front left and Front right.

The starting target map still applies: front left and back left pressure enemy front left, while front right, back middle, and back right pressure enemy front right. Retargeting then follows the closest valid target.

Howard strengths and limitations

Main strengths

  • Team defense buff.
  • Area damage.
  • Self mitigation.
  • Knockback.
  • Damage mitigation.

Main limitations

  • Cleanse and control immunity reduce the value of the control package.
  • Damage vulnerability, repeated pressure, or delayed burst can work around the defensive window.
  • Newer generations gain a raw-stat advantage, so continued use depends on development and specialized utility.

Who Howard counters—and who counters Howard

Strong or useful into

Amadeus — Direct counter Strong evidence. Howard has an observed advantage into Amadeus. Most often observed with Howard in front right, initially pressuring the enemy front right.
Helga — Direct counter Moderate evidence. Howard has an observed advantage into Helga. Most often observed with Howard in front right, initially pressuring the enemy front right.
Margot — Direct counter Strong evidence. Howard has an observed advantage into Margot. Most often observed with Howard in front right, initially pressuring the enemy front right.
Eric — Direct counter Strong evidence. Howard has an observed advantage into Eric. Most often observed with Howard in front right, initially pressuring the enemy front right.

Threats to watch

Jabel — Direct counter Strong evidence. Jabel has an observed advantage into Howard. Most often observed with Jabel in back right, initially pressuring the enemy front right.
Gordon — Direct counter Strong evidence. Gordon has an observed advantage into Howard. Most often observed with Gordon in front left, initially pressuring the enemy front left.
Quinn — Direct counter Strong evidence. Quinn has an observed advantage into Howard. Most often observed with Quinn in back middle, initially pressuring the enemy front right.
Saul — Direct counter Moderate evidence. Saul has an observed advantage into Howard. Most often observed with Saul in back left, initially pressuring the enemy front left.

Named matchup conclusions remain position-dependent. A direct counter should be placed in the lane or slot that creates the observed interaction.

Best teammates for Howard

QuinnObserved partner in trusted Conquest wins.
JabelObserved partner in trusted Conquest wins.
GordonObserved partner in trusted Conquest wins.
SaulObserved partner in trusted Conquest wins.

Observed partners show formations that have worked in the raw Conquest data; projected partners are role-complement suggestions and still need direct testing.

Howard data facts

EvidenceStrong
Highest trusted winStage 381
Best positionFront right
Conquest tierB
Arena projectionB
RoleFrontline Anchor
  • Trusted winning positions: Front left and Front right.
  • The hero has successful evidence through stage 381, mainly as an older or mid-progression option.
  • Exact row counts, private powers, ratios, and full recorded lineups are intentionally not published.
  • Evidence labels are refreshed when the guide library is rebuilt from the raw Conquest tab.

Conquest conclusions use the current raw Conquest Lab dataset. Arena conclusions are preliminary projections unless a section explicitly says otherwise. Exact private rows, lineups, powers, and ratios are not published.