CThe Dealer
Wheel and Deal Active
Swing a mace to deal 225 (+25% Max Health, +200% Attack, +150% Magic) damage and Stun for 3 seconds. Every 4 casts, create a random item.
Hero
Niklas
Tier S
Vanguard
The Dealer
Niklas tier and best specialization
S
S tier on patch 0.5.12
Player tier lists for Red Rift rate Niklas the top front liner, able to hold a line alone from rank B on The Executive, and his runs are won more often than almost any other hero's, though less so on SSS difficulty.
Specializations, best first
Picked at rank B and locked for the run. The order weighs what each one does for this hero in the comps that win, not the ability on its own.
- S
The Executive PassiveAnother item slot plus Shields per equipped item for Rush (15); player lists rate it his best, and its runs win the most of his three. - B
The Hoarder Passive · +TankMakes him a Tank, and attacked Tanks and Vanguards hit back per Shard generated, for Rush (20) only since the 0.5.5 nerf; its runs sit mid-pack. - CThe Dealer ActiveWheel and Deal stuns and creates a random item every 4 casts; players still rate it weak after the 0.5.5 buff, and its runs win the least.
Guides
Tiers are reviewed by hand after each patch (latest: 0.5.12), weighing the runs players share, most of them in Red Rift, the comps that clear the high difficulties, current player tier lists and recent balance changes. All 25 heroes side by side are on the hero tier list.
Niklas eats an item every time he survives a fight, keeping half its stats permanently and refunding most of its value in Shards. He is an economy engine with an extra item slot to feed it, and the only hero whose build is meant to be rebuilt: buy cheap items to consume, not expensive ones to keep.
What the leftmost slot is for
Red Hot Deals always consumes the leftmost item, so the order of his slots decides what Niklas gives up after each fight he survives. The share of stats he absorbs is 50% plus 25% per rank; until 0.5.4 it was a flat 100%. The spare slot that comes with the passive is recent too. It arrived in 0.5.3, the patch that cut The Executive from two extra slots to one, so an Executive Niklas still carries two more slots than a standard hero.
Only stats are absorbed, which makes plain stat items the tidiest fodder: a Hammer is 25 Attack with no effect attached. Item Windfall supplies three random common items, and Item Bazaar takes 2 Shards off every item, which lowers the cost of keeping that slot full.
Choosing at rank B
Two numbers in his kit count equipped items: the Rush (14) Burn on Red Hot Deals, 1 plus 1 per 500 Max HP for each item, and the Shields from The Executive. Every meal leaves a slot empty until it is refilled, and the three specs deal with that in different ways.
- The Dealer adds Wheel and Deal: 225 plus 25% Max HP, 200% Attack and 150% Magic damage with a 3-second Stun, and a random item every fourth cast, which is fresh fodder for the leftmost slot. Patch 0.5.5 raised the base from 175 and swapped a 25% chance per cast for that fixed count.
- The Executive adds one slot and, for Rush (15), Shields worth 33% of Max HP per equipped item. On his base 1,150 health that is about 380 Shields for each item he wears.
- The Hoarder makes him a Tank with 30 more Defense. For Rush (20), a gate since 0.5.5, any Vanguard or Tank that is auto attacked deals 1 damage to the attacker per Shard generated this game, and the spec still pays out from the reserves while Rip or Skorn hold the front.
Base stats
- Health
- 1150
- Defence
- 44
- Attack
- 40
- Crit
- 15
- Magic
- 0
- Range
- 1
- Max mana
- 90
- Mana regen
- 4
What Niklas gains per rank
A hero climbs C → B → A → S — 3 upgrades in all. Every stat rises at the same rate on every hero, with one exception: the primary stat of the class rises three to four times faster. For Niklas that stat is Health.
| Stats | Per rank | C → S |
|---|---|---|
| Healthprimary | +25% | +75% |
| Defence | +8 | +24 |
| Attack | +6 | +18 |
| Magic | +6 | +18 |
| Attack speed | +5 | +15 |
| Crit | +4 | +12 |
| Mana regen | +1 | +3 |
Health rises as a percentage of base health; every other stat is a flat addition. The specialization is chosen at rank B, and the class modifier pools open at A and S.
Starting ability
Red Hot Deals Passive
Niklas has an extra item slot. When he survives combat, consume the item in his leftmost item slot to permanently gain 50 (+25 per Rank)% of its stats and Shards equal to 80% of its value. For Rush (14), auto attacks inflict 1 (+1 per 500 Max Health) Burn per equipped item.
Specializations
A hero unlocks one of these at rank B. The choice is locked for the run, and it decides which role the hero ends up playing.
SThe Executive
+2 item slots
The Executive Passive
Gain an item slot. For Rush (15), gain 33% Max Health Shields per equipped item.
BThe Hoarder
Extra classes it can gain: Tank
Gain the Tank class and 30 Defense.
The Hoarder Passive
For Rush (20), whenever a Vanguard or 
Tank is auto attacked they deal 1 damage to the attacker per Shard generated this game. Backup.
Class upgrades
Picked at rank A and again at rank S. Drawn from the shared pool for the hero class, so two heroes of the same class compete for the same upgrades.
Rush Overdrive
Rush abilities last 3 seconds longer. Backup.
Distraction
After Stall (10, Stall 20, Stall 30, Stall 40, and Stall 50): Taunt all enemies.
Bulk Formation
At start of combat, give this Hero and adjacent Heroes 25% Max Health Max HP.
Vindictive Shields
The first time each combat this Hero goes below 50% Max HP, they gain 50% Max Health Shields and deal 50% Max Health damage to adjacent enemies.
Calming Presence
Vanguards gain 13 (+10 per Rank) HP/S. Backup.
Intimidating Aura
Each second, deal 3% Max Health damage to adjacent enemies.
Rushed Offense
On Rush trigger, gain 100 Max HP, 12 Attack, and 10 Attack Speed.
Rushed Size
For Rush (12), gain +100% Max HP.
Burning Aura
On auto attack or when auto attacked, inflict 1 (+1 per 800 Max Health) Burn on the enemy (Max: 7).
Aggressive Presence
Vanguards gain 50 (+50 per Rank) Attack. Backup.
Burning Eye
At start of combat, inflict 30 (+1 per 50 Max Health) Burn on all enemies.
Burning Restoration
On auto attack or when auto attacked, if the enemy has Burn gain 1 HP/S.
Violent Presence
Whenever a
Vanguard auto attacks or is auto attacked, they gain 25 Shields. Backup.
Brutal Vitality
Gain 1000 Max HP and 20 Omnivamp.
Shield Line
At start of combat, give all Heroes in the front 2 rows 66% Max Health Shields.
Guildrun Heroes
Questions people ask
What tier is Niklas in Guildrun?
Niklas is S tier on patch 0.5.12. The strongest specialization is The Executive, rated S.
What class is Niklas in Guildrun?
Niklas is a Vanguard hero with 1150 health, 44 defence, 40 attack and 15 crit at rank C.
Which specializations can Niklas take?
Niklas has 3 paths: The Dealer, The Executive, The Hoarder. One is picked at rank B and stays locked for the rest of the run.
What does Niklas gain per rank?
Every stat rises at each rank, but Health rises three to four times faster than the rest, because it is the primary stat of Niklas’s class. There are 3 upgrades between C and S.
What is Niklas’s starting ability?
Red Hot Deals (Passive). Niklas has an extra item slot. When he survives combat, consume the item in his leftmost item slot to permanently gain 50 (+25 per Rank)% of its stats and Shards equal to 80% of its value. For Rush (14), auto attacks inflict 1 (+1 per 500 Max Health) Burn per equipped item.
What does ranking a hero up actually do?
Rank B unlocks the specialization. Rank A adds a class upgrade. Rank S adds a second class upgrade and a fourth item slot. A hero below rank B cannot take a specialization at all.
Can a hero play outside its class?
Yes, and that is the point of the game. Specializations exist to pull a hero out of its class role. A Mage can end up as the damage carry, a Vanguard can end up generating shards.
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