Some Heroes vastly outperform their Crystalian peers, while others look great on paper but don't always live up to the hype in practice. No matter how good a Hero may appear, I believe that only by playing them can you truly validate their usefulness.
Welcome to this living document where I will be chronicling my experiences, as well as those of others who wish to contribute. This article will be updated periodically as more games are played and more players give their input. If you wish to contribute, please contact me on the Discord and we will add your feedback. Please base your feedback on gameplay experience (as opposed to theory from looking at the card) and let me know which system (Classic or Arcade) you are basing the feedback on.
In doing this I will be rating each Hero with the rank I believe they belong to, based on the following:
S rank
This Hero can dominate the dungeon almost on their own by performing more than one vital role at unprecedented levels of effectiveness. You should probably burn a Princess Coin on principle just for bringing this Hero. They can shore up an otherwise poorly constructed party, compensate for tactical errors that might otherwise cost the Heroes the game, or turn the tide of otherwise hopeless situations.
A rank
This Hero performs a role or roles effectively and efficiently, taking their place as a vital component of a well constructed party. This Hero carries their weight well but good tactics and smart party construction are still needed for success. Well used, this Hero will impact the game in meaningful and positive ways.
B rank
This Hero may have a trick that looks good on paper but under-performs on the table. The ability may not be as efficient or effective as it first appeared. The Hero doesn't detract from the party, but doesn't bring anything game changing to the overall flow of battle.
C rank
This Hero's abilities are so mediocre that bringing them seemingly creates a vacuum in the party. This Hero may be thematically cool, but requires that other Heroes pick up their slack if the party should hope to succeed.
Now onto the Heroes, starting with the one that inspired me to write this article.
Hero: Zenyo Ryu
Roles: CROWD CONTROL, SLAYER.
Rank: S
Game mode used in: Classic
Zenyo Ryu gets this ranking for her sheer volume of attacks. A stationary Zenyo can fire off (5) range5 DEX attacks in a turn. She loses her Wind of Blades attack if she moves, but still gets 4 attacks, which is still powerful. In the games I have played we noticed a few things that make her formidable:
-Loot comes to her, and the rest of the party, very quickly due to how quickly she chews through minions.
-The wound she suffers from Storm of Arrows is negligible because there isn't usually much left to swing back at her.
-The Fizzy Beverage loot card (+1AP) makes her absolutely insane. 6 attacks if moving, 7 if stationary, and she's often gotten it, just because the loot deck cycled so quickly.
-She's often key in replacing potions by virtue of how frequently she's rolling red dice.
-Whiffing a dice roll here and there is mitigated on Zenyo, compared to characters that make a single AOE attack (like the Glimmerdusk Ranger) because the action economy is spread over several attacks, as opposed to a single Sparkleburst roll that could go badly.
-When stacked with gear, Zenyo is capable of one-shotting Mini-Bosses and Dungeon Bosses alike. As mentioned above, this gear should come quickly to her.
-Monsters with Stealth may be her one weakness, cutting her range down to 2. In one of our games I took Nether Kobolds against her, forcing the Heroes to do more work, but they were still able to pull through in the end.
In general any party bringing Zenyo Ryu should consider bringing one less Princess Coin at the start of the game (in accordance with the ADJUSTING DIFFICULTY section on page 31 of the core rules) unless the Dark Consul player's skill level is high and/or the dungeon/spawning pool setup is equally powerful.
My final determination: Overpowered
Hero: Royal Paladin
Roles: HEALER, SLAYER, SUPPORT, TANK.
Rank: A
Game mode used in: Classic
I have ranked the Royal Paladin at A rank because, while he performs more than one vital role very well, it's critical that the party have a means to efficiently cut down the hoards of minions, and the Royal Paladin does not do this. His potion is one of the best healing potions in the game, IRON HALO will help keep the party alive longer, and he will become a capable SLAYER as he gains more STR gear, but he is just one element of a well constructed party, placing him squarely in the A-Rank category from my experience. A few notes regarding effective use of the Royal Paladin:
-If you are bringing this Hero, you are embracing somewhat of a defensive build. Don't be afraid to put at least one piece of ARM gear on each accompanying Hero, as this compliments his Iron Halo aura.
-His potion should always be the first to be replaced. Also the Potion Bandoleer is a great piece of gear for this Hero.
-As mentioned above, shore up this Hero by bringing at least 2 AOE Heroes in the party. Also the Moonspire Guardian compliments the Royal Paladin very well because his potion essentially stacks on the effects of IRON HALO.
-The Ember Mage is another good Hero to pair with the Royal Paladin. Not only does she bring an AOE attack to the table. Her Healing potion compliments the Paladin's very well.
In my experience the Royal Paladin is a strong choice, but not an overpowered one. He fills a vital role in the party, but will not compensate for bad tactical decisions or a poor party build. Properly used, he will reduce the number Princess Coins the party loses by affording the Heroes more successful ARM rolls and providing valuable healing where it's needed.
My final determination: Balanced
Agree? Disagree? I'd love to hear your gaming group's experience with this Hero. Message me on Discord and we can add your perspective to this article.
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More Hero reviews coming soon...
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@Drew, I fully agree. We call it potion baiting in my group. The other tactic is to draw a Hero into a position where the Paladin's potion isn't enough. The Kobold Warrens spawning pool does this very well with Mob and Dragon Rage, often inflicting critical damage. Knockdown is another great hard counter to the Paladin's potion since it turns off all abilities and potions are worded as 'unique abilities' in the rules.
An interesting thing I have noticed with the Royal Paladin is that he changes the way that Consul players distribute damage. Normally, a consul is very likely to try and pile all of the damage onto a single hero. With the Paladin's Heal 3 potion, the consul is much better off damaging each hero a little before piling damage onto one of them for the kill (the idea is that you want to have a hero that is already damaged by two or three points when the Paladin's potion is no longer available).