Defending against every hero archetype in Be The Final Boss requires a specific tactical answer for each threat, and the wrong answer loses you waves while the right answer steamrolls them. This hero counter strategy page catalogs every major hero archetype from the UPD2 patch, the specific minion loadout that defeats them, and the skill tree investments that make the counter consistent. Where the tier list ranks heroes by threat, this page ranks them by counterplay — the difference is intentional, because the best counter for a B-tier hero is sometimes stronger than the best counter for an S-tier hero when resources are tight.
Counter-strategy in Be The Final Boss is not a single trick but a layered system of three decisions per wave: which minion to place, which skill tree node to prioritize, and when to fire your weapon. The first decision is per-hero (this page is your guide). The second decision is per-session (your long-term build). The third decision is per-second (your micro play). This page focuses on the first decision because getting minion placement right makes the other two easier.
Hero Counter Matrix (Quick Reference)
The matrix below matches every major hero archetype to its single best counter. Use it as a quick lookup during the inter-wave window to confirm your minion loadout for the upcoming wave. Each counter assumes you have the relevant minion unlocked; if you do not, swap to the secondary counter listed in the detailed section below.
| Hero | Primary Counter | Secondary Counter | Hero HP Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phantom Assassin | AOE damage minion | Frontline tank + ranged DPS | Single crit kills backline |
| Aura Mage | Single-target burst minion | Weapon burst at max range | Aura amplifies all heroes |
| Storm Knight | Spread formation | Stun-immune minion | AOE stun disables frontline |
| Healing Cleric | Single-target burst minion | AOE damage on clustered wave | Heals entire wave |
| Siege Golem | Sustained DPS + Castle Defense | Six-player burst coordination | 5,000 HP checkpoint boss |
| Berserker | Slow or stun | Two frontline tanks | Speed buff after first hit |
| Knight | Standard tank + DPS | Nothing special | Balanced melee |
| Archer | Frontline tank blocks LoS | Ranged DPS with longer range | Deals damage from afar |
| Scout | Tank at chokepoint | AOE damage on clustered scout | Fast but fragile |
| Cavalry | Backline tank | AOE damage | Charge damage on first hit |
| Banshee | Single-target burst | Spread formation | Silences minions |
| Warlord | Frontline tank + spread | AOE damage | Buffs melee heroes |
Counter Strategies by Hero Type
The detailed sections below expand each row of the matrix into a full tactical breakdown. Where the matrix tells you what to summon, the sections below tell you how to position it, when to fire supporting abilities, and why the counter works against the hero's specific mechanic. Read through these once and you will never need to recheck during a match.
Phantom Assassin Counter
The Phantom Assassin appears from Wave 18 onward and is the most matchup-warping single-target damage hero in the game. She performs a single crit strike on one of your backline minions, dealing 500+ damage and usually deleting the target instantly. Without a counter, she deletes your damage dealers one by one and clears a path for the rest of the wave.
The primary counter is to place an AOE damage minion behind your frontline tank. When the Assassin crits your backline, she takes retaliation AOE damage from any source in the vicinity. Pair this with a bulky frontline tank that redirects her path through the AOE zone, and she dies before reaching your damage dealers a second time. The secondary counter is to spread your formation so she cannot reach your backline in one crit cycle — place damage dealers at least 3 tiles apart.
| Phantom Assassin Matchup | Counter Detail |
|---|---|
| Best minion | AOE damage minion behind frontline tank |
| Formation spread | 3+ tiles between backline minions |
| Weapon priority | Save ammo for the assassin if she survives first crit |
| Skill tree priority | Population + AOE damage nodes |
| Matchup difficulty | Hard without AOE; trivial with AOE |
Aura Mage Counter
The Aura Mage appears from Wave 12 onward and amplifies the damage of every nearby hero by 25%. Her aura has a 5-tile radius, which means a single Mage can buff half the wave. Without a counter, your frontline tanks evaporate in seconds and the wave reaches your castle at full strength.
The primary counter is a single-target burst minion placed directly at the Mage's spawn path. The Mage has relatively low HP and dies in 2-3 hits from a burst minion. The secondary counter is weapon ammo discipline — fire your weapon at the Mage the moment she spawns, from maximum range, so the aura never lands. If both fail, retreat your frontline to break line of sight with the aura, which forces the Mage to walk back into your formation and gives you a second chance to burst her.
Storm Knight Counter
The Storm Knight appears from Wave 15 onward and performs an AOE stun that disables every minion in a 2-tile radius. The stun lasts 3 seconds, which is enough time for the rest of the wave to slip through the gap. Without a counter, the Knight stuns your entire frontline and the wave walks directly to your castle.
The primary counter is a spread formation with 2+ tile gaps between every minion. The stun then catches at most one minion, and your formation stays operational. The secondary counter is a stun-immune minion placed at the chokepoint, which serves as your stun-absorbing anchor. The tertiary counter is to bypass the Knight entirely by placing your formation behind his stun radius, sacrificing chokepoint positioning for stun immunity.
Healing Cleric Counter
The Healing Cleric appears from Wave 10 onward and heals every nearby hero for 200 HP every 5 seconds. Her healing outpaces a standard damage formation, meaning the wave reaches your castle at near-full HP. Without a counter, you can deal 10,000 damage to the wave and the Cleric undoes all of it.
The primary counter is a single-target burst minion placed at the Cleric's spawn path. The Cleric has very low HP and dies in a single burst cycle. The secondary counter is AOE damage on the clustered wave — Heroes cluster around the Cleric for the heal, so AOE damage hits them all simultaneously. Either counter works; the burst minion is faster but the AOE counter is more forgiving if your placement is slightly off.
Siege Golem Counter
The Siege Golem appears at Wave 25 as the first checkpoint boss. He has 5,000 HP, deals 200 damage per swing, and walks slowly toward your castle. The fight is a sustained DPS race: deal more damage per second than he heals (zero regeneration) and he dies in roughly 3 minutes. Without a counter, he reaches your castle and ends your run.
The primary counter is Sustained DPS + Castle Defense nodes. Maximize your damage output (full formation, weapon at tier 4+, Demon Mutation applied) and pre-invest your coins in Castle Defense so your castle HP can absorb 3+ minutes of Golem swings. The secondary counter is six-player burst coordination — three BOSSes can burst the Golem down in 90 seconds, but coordination requires voice chat or clear text pings. Solo BOSSes should never attempt the Golem without Castle Defense nodes online.
Berserker Counter
The Berserker appears from Wave 8 onward and gains a +50% movement-speed buff after taking 200 damage. The buff transforms him from a medium-priority threat into a chokepoint-bypassing emergency. Without a counter, your tank misses the catch and the Berserker walks directly to your castle.
The primary counter is a slow or stun effect placed at the chokepoint. Most minion types apply a slow on hit, which prevents the Berserker from building up the speed buff in the first place. The secondary counter is two frontline tanks placed at staggered chokepoints, which guarantees one tank catches the Berserker before he reaches the castle even if the first tank misses.
Universal Counter Principles
Some counter principles apply regardless of which hero you face. Master these five rules and you will beat 90% of waves without dedicated counterplay. They are listed in priority order — the first rule is the most important and the last is the most niche.
Rule 1: Always Tank at the Chokepoint
Every counter strategy starts with a frontline tank at the highest-traffic tile on the hero march path. Heroes reroute around obstacles but they cannot reroute around a chokepoint. Place your most durable minion at the chokepoint first, then build the rest of your formation behind it.
Rule 2: Match Minion Role to Hero Role
Ranged heroes require a frontline tank that blocks line of sight. Support heroes require a single-target burst minion that kills them before they apply their buff. Boss heroes require sustained DPS plus tank support. Identify the hero's role and pick the matching counter from the matrix above.
Rule 3: Spread Formation Against AOE Heroes
AOE heroes like the Storm Knight and Banshee punish clustered formations. Spread your minions 2+ tiles apart so their AOE catches at most one minion. The damage loss from spreading is smaller than the damage loss from a stunned or silenced formation.
Rule 4: Burst Down Buff Heroes First
Buff heroes like the Aura Mage, Healing Cleric, and Warlord multiply the threat of every other hero. Burst them down with single-target damage before they apply their buff. If you cannot burst them in time, retreat your frontline to break line of sight, which forces them to re-enter your formation.
Rule 5: Pre-Place Counters Two Waves Ahead
Place counter minions at the start of each wave, not in the middle. The inter-wave window is the right time to swap your formation based on the upcoming hero composition. Use the unit index to confirm which minions you have unlocked and which counter is most accessible.
Minion Loadout Templates by Wave Range
The minion loadout templates below are optimized for the hero composition of each wave range. Adjust based on your unlocked minions, but the role distribution should remain similar.
| Wave Range | Recommended Loadout | Role Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | 1 tank, 2 ranged DPS, 1 backup DPS | 1/4 DPS split |
| 6-10 | 2 tanks, 3 ranged DPS, 1 burst minion | 1/5/1 split |
| 11-15 | 2 tanks, 3 ranged DPS, 1 burst, 1 AOE | 1/3/1/1 split |
| 16-20 | 2 tanks, 2 DPS, 1 burst, 1 AOE, 1 stun | 2/1/1/1/1 split |
| 21-25 | 2 tanks, 2 DPS, 1 burst, 2 AOE, 1 sustain | 1/2/1/2/1 split |
| 26-30 | 2 tanks, 1 DPS, 1 burst, 2 AOE, 2 sustain | 2/1/1/2/2 split |
Early Game Template (Waves 1-5): Pure Tank and DPS
The early-game template uses only the cheapest minions because you have not yet built Population skill tree nodes. One tank handles all early heroes; two ranged DPS provide passive damage; one backup DPS fills in if the first is destroyed. Save souls for emergency summons rather than upgrading existing minions in the early game.
Mid Game Template (Waves 11-20): Add Burst and AOE
The mid-game template adds two new roles: burst (to kill support heroes before they apply buffs) and AOE (to counter the Phantom Assassin and Storm Knight). The total population is six or seven minions, requiring at least the first two Population skill tree nodes. This is where most BOSSes start seeing the difficulty spike, and the loadout shift is what makes the difference.
Late Game Template (Waves 21+): Add Sustain
The late-game template adds a sustain minion (one that heals adjacent minions or generates souls) to keep your formation alive through the longer waves. The total population is eight (full cap), requiring maximum Population skill tree investment. Sustain minions are the difference between a Wave 30 run and a Wave 50 run.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hardest hero to counter in Be The Final Boss?
The Siege Golem is the hardest hero to counter because of his 5,000 HP pool, his 200 damage per swing, and his ability to absorb sustained punishment while walking toward your castle. Beatable with proper preparation, but his combination of stats makes him the single toughest opponent in the game.
Can I counter multiple heroes at once in Be The Final Boss?
Yes, and you must. Most waves contain 3-5 hero types simultaneously. The counter matrix above shows the role-based counter (tank, burst, AOE, sustain), which handles multiple heroes at once if the heroes share a role. For waves with mixed roles, combine your counters: 2 tanks for the frontline, 1 burst for buffs, 1 AOE for backline threats.
Which minion type counters the most heroes?
The frontline tank counters the most heroes because nearly every wave contains melee units that need a chokepoint held. The tank is the foundation of every counter strategy and should always be placed first. After the tank, the AOE minion counters the second-most heroes because it handles backline threats like the Phantom Assassin, AoE threats like the Storm Knight, and clustered buff heroes like the Healing Cleric.
How do I counter the Banshee in Be The Final Boss?
The Banshee silences one minion at a time, which prevents them from using abilities. Counter her with a single-target burst minion placed at her spawn path, exactly like you would counter the Healing Cleric. The Banshee has lower HP than most S-tier heroes and dies quickly under burst pressure.
Do counters change with patches in Be The Final Boss?
Yes. The UPD2 patch shifted several counters: the Banshee required a new burst minion counter, the Warlord required a spread formation, and the Doomfist unit provided a new sustainable DPS option. Our hero counter matrix is updated within 48 hours of every patch to reflect the latest changes. Bookmark this page and recheck before any major update lands.