Thrud

Strategy: Thrud's value comes from an unusual design choice: most support effects are cast once and decay, but Ancestral Guidance is a rolling trigger — every four Cavalry attacks, all squads (not just Cavalry) get +25% damage dealt and -25% damage taken for two turns. In a single Thrud march that's already strong. Stack three or four Thrud joiners in the same rally and the triggers overlap enough that the buff is functionally always active, which is why he's the single most sought-after joiner hero in high-level alliances rather than just a good solo pick. Battle Hunger adds a second, narrower layer on top — a flat +15% damage / -15% damage-taken specifically for Infantry and Archer squads, which stacks with Ancestral Guidance's army-wide version rather than overlapping with it. Between the two, a Thrud-stacked rally is buffing every troop type through two separate, non-redundant sources. Skill priority: Ancestral Guidance first — it's the rolling buff and the entire reason to bring him. Battle Hunger second. Axe Flurry and Brutal Throw matter less for a joiner Thrud, though Berserker's Edge (his exclusive skill, 35% stun chance during Axe Flurry) is worth grabbing if he's ever your primary rally lead rather than a joiner. That's the real caveat: Thrud is a support hero wearing a Cavalry lead's stat sheet. His own damage output is mediocre compared to Sophia or Petra. Use him as a joiner whenever possible, and only run him as your actual rally lead if you genuinely have no better Cavalry option yet.