Heist mode is no easy feat, my fellow brawl buddies. You need the best brawlers by your side to help you get to the treasure before the enemy team does.
So, without any further ado, let’s talk about some of the most epic and pixelated heroes that will make your heist game stronger than ever before! And don’t worry, I’ve got some sneaky tips up my sleeve to help you dominate the competition. Let’s go, brawlers!
Heist mode is a 3v3 Game mode, where both side have to protect their own Safes locating at the spawning zone. Which side breaks the enemy Safe first will win the game. Your main objective in Heist is to protect your Safe first while trying to destroy the opponent Safe.
If neither Safe is broken, the side that has more Safe HP will win the game. If both Safes have the exact same HP at the end of the game, or both Safes are destroyed at the same moment, it’s a draw!
3 vs 3 mode! Each team has to protect their own Safe and try to break the enemy Safe first to win the game. Both Safes are located at the spawn zone.
Best Brawlers for Heist Game Mode in Brawl Stars
Until the newest update, this would have been the most Standard Team Comp for Heist:
Bull, El Primo, Barley!
But now Barley is in an awkward spot… he is very exposed and cannot get his artillery and DoT going as easily. It’s a map-by-map basis.
Solid Picks
Brock: He needs at least one teammate with high DPS.
His Super works well on leveling the Vault.
Keep distance between you and the enemy brawlers.
Colt: Almost self-explanatory.
At Power Rank 8, he gets 475 damage off per bullet. At 6 bullets per auto, that is close to 3000 damage.
Think about it. That is only 10-15 autos to win by yourself. As a bonus, his Super mows down the Vault.
Dynamike: Plays like Barley, but needs more care and the damage is immediate (per dynamite) versus Area of Effect (AoE) damage-over-time (DOT).
Your goal is to pick off enemy Brawlers, destroy problematic walls, and unleash hectic mayhem from behind obstacles where you can.
If your position is compromised, keep moving and throwing at the Vault or retreat and go back in.
You don’t want to be completely reckless, but you are Dynamike. You have a short fuze! Go crazy ham!
Leon: His DPS is arguably the best if used right.
His backdoor is more than to be respected.
Shelly: Plays like Bull but with more utility.
The difference is in the use of the Super.
Advantage varies with the map.
Okay Picks
Ricochet: Like Colt but without the dynamic wall destruction.
You have to play off the walls for maximum DPS.
If there are no viable walls left on the battlefield, you are still useful if you make your shots count.
With his recent buff, he might be in a better spot now.
Depending on the map, he might even be an essential now, given there’s no more Vault walls.
Penny: High damage, slow reload time (~2 seconds). Relies heavily on good cannon placement.
In a pinch, the cannon doubles as a quick shield.
Try to place it off to the side/hidden in a corner or behind a wall/obstacle.
If your Super is up, and the enemy is going for the one currently down, throw your new one as far away from that one as possible.
The goal there is to waste their ammo and their time. Meanwhile, you’re still doing damage to the vault or them.
Nita: Her utility is in her Bear.
You need to rush your Super on grouped enemies. and get the Bear on the Vault.
In an emergency, it is a good defense. If you are being chased, throw your bear a little ahead of you in the direction you are going so it spawns on top of you. Then, you can turn the chase around.
If you are killed before then, don’t sweat it. Live and learn.
Frank: Great tank, but poor execution if played sloppy.
Your focus is maximizing your Super’s stun (i.e., teamfights or animation cancels).
Darryl: He’s an assassin.
Basically, don’t try to 1-v-1 that Bull in an open face-to-face dogfight. It just might not end well for you.
Look out for your golden opportunities to roll in. Or — be a target!
Roll into the enemy Vault so they chase you and you buy time for your team, especially on the maps with long ponds.
Better yet, use your Super to cancel an enemy’s where possible (think Barley, Frank, Brock, Colt…).
Pam: She has the DPS but she will need good support. You need to hit every gear to be effective.
However, since she shoots in a cone, it is easiest to do this by getting close to the Vault.
Bo: Good mine placement is critical.
You want to place them in the most commonly used path by the enemy, by or around the enemy vault if you are engaging, or on your own vault for defense.
If you suspect a flank, plant the mines there. Don’t forget that the mines spread outward on the spot you choose—you may need to adjust your aim.
Poor Picks Or Very Niche
Jessie: She’s more geared towards defending if your team comp is not DPS heavy.
Otherwise, maximize your auto’s bounce/spread. Place your turret on the enemy vault (offense) or on yours (defense). Trust me, good turret placement is annoying to deal with on defense. It’s a significant stressor to the enemy.
Yes, in the higher brawler trophy levels (~300+), I have seen an increase in Jessie plays in Heist. It is critical that she maximizes the bounce of her bullets. Especially in chokeholds/shutters where the enemy is clumped or trapped, Jessie can turn a game around.
I’d say that my personal experiences at the time of writing reflected observations that Jessie players were underperforming rather than causing the expected mayhem, particularly with turret placement. Example of good placement: Whatever makes the enemy frustrated / makes them turn back to go get it because it redirects their focus or troubles their macrogame (i.e. Vault damage).
Piper: Not good here for her low reload time, but the damage is good.
You will just be providing cover fire from the backline 8/10 times.
Crow: Focus your poison on brawlers wanting to heal or use your Super to go ham on the Vault.
In a pinch, it’s an escape to make the enemy chase you if you have the presence that match.
You must be annoying or you can’t make him work here.
Spike: Good damage, but narrow options of play if your team does not fit him well.
His Super on the Vault is a similar effect to Barley’s, being DoT.
Tara: Same reason as Pam but lacks her DPS.
As an assassin, you look for the openings that shut down the enemy team’s engage. Hold on to your Super for the niche openings.
Mortis: He is just… awkward here.
From what I have seen, he would fall into Piper’s situation.
Poco: Think Nita but without the Bear Super.
Your plays will be centered on what your teammates do.
Gene:
Not enough information at this time.
General Tips for Heist
You will almost always want some Tank on your team (El Primo is usually a must).
In general, you want a thrower and brawlers with devastating Supers and high or constant/consistent DPS.
Hence, a team like Dynamike, Colt, and Bull can do very well.
The poor picks can be strong if you are very confident in your ability in those Brawlers, but keep in mind the trade-offs and the strengths and weaknesses you will be losing/gaining by doing so.
If—for any reason—you find yourself doing more defending than being on the offensive, you have a huge dilemma. The start of the match sometimes forecasts this. Get to the line of scrimmage and sort yourselves from there.
Don’t get me wrong, defense is important, but that’s not the ultimate goal of Heist. It is but it isn’t.
If you like to play defensively, then select one enemy brawler and zone him out all game. Switch only if your teammate needs a pick or if the threat isn’t high enough right then. Think of man-to-man defense in basketball. It’s about pressure and quick tactical thinking. You want to throw off the flow of the enemy team so you can absolutely steam-roll them. Create the upset.
If you are against a mirror matchup of 2+ brawlers (the enemy team has same brawlers as your team), follow these steps:
- Don’t automatically give up. Every game is different.
- Tell yourself you are more proficient in that brawler than they are. Even if the Primo has 2 Power levels on you. It’ll be fine.
- Be more aggressive than them. Assert yourself. Make them go back and defend. But don’t forget to be smart. You need combined DPS to pick them off efficiently.
When the 
El Primo Supers to your Vault, he will aim for on top of the Vault 99% of the time. Stand a few tiles back before engaging so you don’t get hit by the shockwave or burnt by the Star Power.
When a 
Barley is by himself at your Vault and a wall is between you and him and you are not a thrower, do not lose focus. Let’s say you are opposite of each other such that you could not catch him. Here are some options:
- If you are on the Vault side of the wall, stay within the line of the Vault and go to the side closer to him. If he moves to the opposite, that is fine. Eventually it will even out because he has to cut corners and thus has to travel more distance. That is, anyway, if he doesn’t mirror your movements and does not go around corners.
- As a last resort, use your Super on the wall. This is the case if it does more good than harm to do so.
- Keep the Barley on the move. If he has his Super, it could throw off the aim, as he needs to stand still to get the best damage gain from it.
If all three enemies have their Supers (Barley, Bull, Primo) and both teams are at your Vault, here are some tips:
- Stand slightly away from the Vault but stay close. Why? Because that is where the enemy fire is being concentrated. If you have ever played an RTS game, you know that more units on a single target gets the job done faster. This is tough to coordinate with randoms, but not impossible.
- Positioning. You can either triangulate yourselves or have some formation for converging fire.
- Matching. Go after the brawler you counter or isolate them away from the Vault.
- Good Barleys like to have a safe distance while they launch their artillery. Get close and personal to him and shoo him out. Put pressure on him. His DoT will absolutely wreck your Vault.
Read more: Best Tips and Team Compositions For Winning Heist Mode
ALSO READ:
Heist
Article submitted by Wulf!
Bezbakri
1st.
X-Bow FTW/Dreemurr/Umbresp
this game mode is broken, attacking is too easy and defending is too hard
mega knight a little too OP
really?