If you’ve spent any time grinding Brawl Stars ladder matches lately, you’ve probably run into Hank more than a few times, blasting players across the map with his massive water cannon. A common question new and returning players ask is is hank good in Brawl Stars, especially if they’re sitting on piles of coins and power points waiting for a new brawler to invest in. I’ve been playing Brawl Stars since its global launch, and I’ve mained Hank for the past three seasons, so I’ve got firsthand insight into where he shines and where he falls short. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to decide if he’s the right fit for your playstyle.
Is Hank Good in Brawl Stars? Tier Ranking and Viability Breakdown
Right now, Hank sits firmly in the A-tier for most casual and competitive playlists, with a few niche use cases that push him to S-tier on specific maps. He’s not overpowered enough to be a must-pick for every game mode, but he’s far from a useless low-tier brawler if you know how to play him correctly. A lot of players write Hank off at first because they don’t understand his unique attack mechanic: he charges his water cannon instead of firing individual shots, so you can’t just spam attacks mindlessly like you can with brawlers like Colt or Piper.
I’ve seen so many new Hank players waste their charged shots on minions or walls, then get taken out by a close-range brawler before they can recharge. That’s not a flaw with Hank himself, it’s a learning curve most players have to work through. For context, he has a 52% win rate across all ranked modes as of the latest balance update, which puts him above 70% of the current brawler roster. His viability shifts a lot by game mode too: he’s S-tier in Heist and Bounty on open maps, A-tier in Solo Showdown and Brawl Ball, and C-tier in Gem Grab on closed, wall-heavy maps.
Key Strengths That Make Hank a Valuable Roster Pick
Hank’s biggest advantages come from his long range, high burst damage, and surprisingly solid survivability for a long-range brawler. If you master his charge mechanic, you can shut down entire lanes and stop enemy pushes before they even get close to your goal. His core strengths include:
- Unmatched burst damage at long range: A fully charged shot from Hank deals 2800 damage at max power, enough to one-shot most squishy brawlers like Bea, Edgar, or Tick from across the map, no extra power ups required.
- Above-average health pool: He has 5200 health at max power, 30% higher than other long-range brawlers like Piper or Brock, so he can survive a few stray shots if you get caught out of position.
- Super ability that controls entire zones: His super drops a giant water balloon that slows enemies by 60% and deals 1000 damage over 5 seconds, perfect for blocking enemy spawns or protecting your team’s goal in Heist or Brawl Ball.
- Fast reload speed for charged shots: Once you get the timing down, you can fire a fully charged shot every 2.5 seconds, which is faster than most other high-damage long-range brawlers, letting you put constant pressure on the enemy team.
These strengths make Hank especially dominant in open maps with long sight lines, where you can pick off enemies before they can get close enough to deal damage to you. I’ve carried dozens of solo showdown matches with Hank by camping near the edge of the safe zone and picking off players who are distracted fighting each other. He’s also a top pick for competitive team play, because he can break open enemy Heist safes from a safe distance without putting himself at risk.
Weaknesses That Limit Hank’s Overall Usefulness
Don’t run off to upgrade Hank just yet, though, because he has some very clear flaws that make him a bad pick for a lot of common game modes and maps. The biggest issue most players run into is his awful close-range performance. If a brawler like El Primo or Mortis gets within 5 tiles of you, you’re almost certainly dead before you can charge a shot strong enough to take them out. You also can’t adjust the direction of your shot once you start charging it, so fast-moving brawlers can easily dodge your attacks if you don’t predict their movement correctly.
Another big weakness is that his charged shot gets canceled if you take damage while you’re charging. That means even a single stray shot from an enemy can force you to restart your charge, leaving you vulnerable for several seconds. He’s also basically useless on small, closed maps with lots of walls, like most Snake Prairie or Cavern Churn variants, because there’s no room to get the distance you need to charge your shots safely. I’ve made the mistake of picking Hank on closed bounty maps before, and I spent the entire match getting chased by Mortis without getting a single full shot off. So yeah, he’s not a one-size-fits-all pick by any means.
Tips to Get the Most Out of Hank in Your Matches
If you decide Hank fits your playstyle, there are a few simple tips you can use to drastically improve your win rate with him. First, always start charging your shot before you peek around a corner. If you wait until you see an enemy to start charging, they’ll have time to attack you or run away before your shot is ready. Instead, charge the shot while you’re behind cover, then peek just long enough to fire and duck back. Second, don’t always charge your shot to full power. If an enemy is already low on health, a half-charged shot is enough to take them out, and you won’t have to wait as long to reload. I used to always charge to full, and I lost so many kills because the enemy ran away before I was ready to fire.
Third, save your super for high-impact moments, not just to get extra kills. It’s way more useful to drop it on your team’s safe in Heist to stop an enemy push than it is to get one extra kill on a low-health brawler. You can also use it to slow down enemies that are chasing you, giving you enough time to run away and get back to a safe distance. If you’re going to upgrade Hank, make sure to get him to at least power 9 first, because his damage and health jump drastically at that level, making him way more viable in ranked matches. Finally, pair Hank with teammates that can cover his close-range weaknesses. Brawlers like Shelly or El Primo that can handle close-range fights work perfectly, because they can take out enemies that get too close to you while you focus on picking off enemies from far away.
At the end of the day, the answer to is hank good in Brawl Stars depends entirely on your playstyle and the maps you usually play. If you prefer long-range play, you have the patience to master his charge mechanic, and you mostly play open map modes like Bounty, Heist, or Siege, he’s an amazing pick that will help you climb the ladder fast. If you prefer close-range brawls or mostly play small, closed maps, you’re better off investing your coins in a different brawler. No matter what, don’t write him off after just a few bad matches. Give him time, practice his charge timing, and you’ll be shocked at how much of a difference he can make for your team.