Difference between Experience and Heroic ability??

[Tuna-Fish]

Experience stars are given out to everyone at a certain amount of xp points, and they always give the same benefits (search for them, they are on the forum)

Heroic ability is given to the "best of the best", that means 5-15 commanders, depending on game settings, whose experience and kill count are the biggest in game. Look for statistics/ hall of fame. Pretender gods can be in the hall of fame, but cannot get a heroic ability.

Having a commander with not even a single experience star is possible, but not common, unless you are in very early game (2nd turn) where no-one has yet claimed the empty places in the HoF