In Brown Dust, Best-in-Slot heroes can take weeks, if not months to obtain. Gacha games will be Gacha games, after all. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun in the meantime. In fact, it’s perfectly possible to clear a big chunk of Campaign stages using only 3-Star mercenaries.

What’s more, unlike many other releases in this niche, Brown Dust is fairly generous with its premium currency. By spending just one day captaining your team, you can obtain 1,000+ Diamonds, which you can spend for a chance at 4- and 5-Star heroes. You can find out how and where to farm more effectively in a different article; for now, let’s focus on which starter heroes are actually worth your time in the early game.

The Tankiest Early Game Defenders

Defenders are as important during the early game as they are in top tier arena matches. Ideally, you’ll want 2-3 of these to protect your lanes and allow your damage dealers to work their magic.

Mercedes. A defender with mediocre stats across the board, Mercedes is made better by her superior skills. Her DMG Reflection ability returns 85% of the damage she takes and increases her Crit chance by a staggering 35%, while Titan’s Strike packs a decent punch on offense. When awakened, she gains a Taunt ability that helps keep enemies away from your main damage dealers.

Sloan. This mercenary is better than most 3-star defenders because he strikes a good balance between tankiness and offensive capabilities. He has a decent amount of health and a higher DMG rating than his peers, which is made even better by his Poison Counter ability. The latter afflicts any enemy that attacks Sloan with poison DMG, a type of debuff that is particularly potent against tanks.

The Most Powerful Early Game Warriors

In the early game, warriors are your best friends. Because your enemies in most Campaign stages are fairly week at this point, a good amount of damage done up-front is the best way to clear content quickly. You can use up to 3 warriors in your main team if you own no superior magician.

Marron. This warrior may not deal a lot of damage compared to other 3-star mercenaries, but she has something far more useful – a silence debuff. Her Silence skill can affect up to 5 enemies at a time, preventing them from using any abilities and decreasing their damage output by as much as 50%. When you’re up against tough opponents, Marron can even out a seemingly impossible fight.

Ron. A fantastic addition to your team when you lack decent defenders, this warrior uses a Taunt skill to draw the attention of enemies to himself. He also does a fair amount of damage, albeit to just one target in his line of sight, while his DMG Counter (awakened) skill can help dwindle his attackers.

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Beatricé. One of the mercenaries you get simply by completing the first few chapters of the Campaign, Beatricé has the highest DMG rating among 3-star warriors. Her two main damage abilities, Iron Wall Bash and Bleeding (awakened) double and triple her DMG against tanks, thus opening the lanes for your other warriors/magicians.

The Best Early Game Magicians

Although better than warriors in most end-game arena matches, magicians are not as impressive as warriors during the early game. They attack only once every two turns, but if you’re up against a party that will survive that long, they’re worth the wait.

Noel. When the enemy team has a nasty damage dealer on the back line, this mercenary provides a swift answer. She targets the last enemy in his line of sight, as well as all other enemies on the same vertical lane. She does a hefty amount of base DMG and +75% DMG on crits, while also applying a Burn debuff to all targets.

Maria. You get this magician by completing the early chapters of the Campaign, which is awesome considering her decent DMG rating and Crit damage. Although her base attack is not as strong as that of Noel, she can target up to 3 enemies in one shot and her Ultimate Strike ability increases her DMG by 125%.

The Most Useful Early Game Supporters

Like magicians, supporters are not necessary unless your opponents are strong enough to last for a couple of turns during combat. As you advance in the game, however, these mercenaries become some of your team’s most powerful heroes – not through their DMG output, but through their buffs.

Hyeon Wol. She might seem tiny, but this mercenary is the only 3-star supporter that can compete even with 5-star heroes of the same role. She can buff up to 5 targets and her usefulness stems from the fact that, when upgraded, she increases her allies’ Crit chance and damage by a significant amount. In addition, Hyeon Wol’s awakened skill, Binding Purification, removed any DMG reduction buffs from her targets.

Arines. This is the supporter you get from completing the early Campaign chapters, but with a decent HP pool and a 5% DEF bonus, she stacks up fairly well against other mercenaries of the same type. She can buff up to 9 allies per turn with a DMG rating and Crit chance boost. Arines’ awakened skill, Weakening Purification, eliminates any debuffs that lower your heroes’ stats during combat.

You’ll get some of the 3-star heroes above just by going through the PvE Campaign, while others you’ll have to obtain by using Premium Scrolls. However, all of these mercenaries are much easier to collect than 5-star BiS defenders, warriors, magicians, and supporters. In addition, they are more readily upgraded and can be awakened without sacrificing too many good heroes.

Not sure when and how to upgrade your team? Check out our dedicated guide to boosting mercenaries in Brown Dust. Don’t forget that when a lot of farming is involved, playing this Gacha game on BlueStacks can save you time and resources!

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