How Good is Costumed Vanda? Empires and Puzzles Halloween Review

Screenshot of Costume Vanda Empires and Puzzles hero

Costumed Vanda is a 5-Star Hero from the Empires and Puzzles Halloween event (Return to Morlovia). This review only concerns the Costumed Vanda however, we will be comparing her with her non-costumed counterpart.

This Halloween event (October 2021) has seen the introduction of Costumes for all of the 5-Star Halloween Heroes, and Costumed Vanda is awesome.

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This post may contain speculation, personal opinion, adult comedy, and human error. It is not advice and is solely for entertainment and informational purposes.

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Costumed Vanda’s Element, Class, Special Skills, & Talents

Here’s her info:

Element: Fire (Red)

Class: Wizard

Mana Speed: Very Fast

Special Skills (Twilight of Ruin) 1. Deals 115% damage to all enemies. 2. The caster steals 51% of any healing applied to all enemies for 3 turns. 3. All allies are immune to new status ailments for 3 turns.

Talent: JINX ~ +25% chance to deal +15% extra damage per each active buff the enemies have. The extra damage applies to both normal attacks and Special Skills.

Family Bonus (Morlovia): 2/3 Halloween Heroes on the same team benefit from a 5%/12% mana generation.

Costume Vanda – Empires and Puzzles

Is Costumed Vanda worth Levelling? (Empires and Puzzles)

Yes.

Looking at her Special skills, we see that she offers a very sought-after buff: All allies are immune to new status ailments for 3 turns. That buff alone, makes her useful on Defense, especially at her Very Fast mana speed.

Sure, it would’ve been nice if Costumed Vanda Cleansed before casting Immunity, or healed, but not every Hero can be so one-dimensional. Sometimes, we have to work with what we got, and with Vanda, you’ve got a nice little package.

The 115% damage to all enemies isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s the type of strike that could push a few damaged Heroes over the edge. And a Defense-down Hero firing before would make it feel all the stronger.

What I actually really like here, is the 51% of all enemy healing that Costumed Vanda will receive over 3 turns.

We know Immunity is important, and that makes keeping her alive, important. To that end, this free healing will help.

Let’s take a look at her Very Fast competitors, focusing on those who attack the entire enemy team, or those who cast Immunity:

Costumed Vanda in a line-up (Empires and Puzzles)

HeroMana SpeedBag Of Tricks
Costume VandaVery FastDeals 115% damage to all, caster steals 51% of all healing for 3 turns, & all allies are immune for 3 turns
VandaVery FastDeals 125% damage to all, caster steals 61% of all healing for 2 turns, & all allies are immune for 2 turns
GrazulVery FastRecovers 22% health for all allies & All allies are immune to new status ailments for 2 turns
GarnetNinja x1 Charge180 HP for all allies (over-healing if already maxed) & all allies are immune for 2 turns
Costume KadilenFastDeals 170% damage to all, all allies get +45% chance to dodge Specials for 3 turns, & each dodge summons a Minion (15% HP / 15% Attack)
MorelFastDeals 180% damage to all & all enemies get -34% defense for 3 turns
OldCynic.com – Costume Vanda compared to similar Heroes

Note: While reviewing these Heroes, it’s important to know what order their Special skills occur. To learn more about Hero Cards, see this post.

I couldn’t find another Hero who attacks all enemies, on a Very Fast mana speed (please comment if you can think of any).

Looking at the list, it’s clear that they are all top Heroes. They’re all quick and do something worthwhile. And Costumed Vanda actually stands out, with her excellent skillset.

In a race of sprinters, Costumed Vanda may well get there first and the end result is Immunity. And her Immunity will last 1 turn longer than Garnet’s.

Finally, Costumed Vanda is a direct improvement over her non-costumed counterpart. Losing out on 10% damage and 10% healing is a fair trade-off, to get that extra turn of Immunity.

Related: How good is Faline?

Costumed Vanda – Empires and Puzzles Halloween Circus

My final thoughts:

Costumed Vanda is another of these zippy Heroes who, on the right team, will help make quick work of the opposition. Sat next to a Defense-down Hero, for example, she’ll have you closing one eye, as you disassociate from the pounding your team is taking on-screen.

I don’t quite make her “the best of the best” though, as she’s not a solo game-winner; but she is a major irritation that can’t be ignored.

Old Cynic’s Hero Grade: Archangel

What are your thoughts? Did I get it wrong or miss something? Let me know in the comments below.

[Please always check in-game Hero Cards to confirm details and never chase Heroes]



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Images used by way of review/tutorial – Copyright owned by Empires & Puzzles: Small Giant Games

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11 Comments

  1. I pulled her but am rather disappointed. I think she’s the worst of the bunch. Francine was amazing and is now even better. The purple guy is really good now too. Vanda? Oh wow, she got one extra turn of status ailment block but lost 10% of damage. Maybe if I didn’t already have Emilio she’d be nice to have, but I’m not impressed. Wish I’d gotten any of the others instead of her.

    1. Hey byzanthia, sorry to hear. Hopefully you get the hero you want next time. None of the Halloween heroes match up to some of the recent OP heroes we’ve seen. Francine does look great, as does Victor. Still, Vanda would be a welcomed addition to my roster.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      1. I think my opinion is colored by having Emilio. If I didn’t, I’d rank her higher. Status block is amazing, so if you pull her and don’t have anyone who can do that, her usefulness is much, much higher than for me 🙂

        Thanks for the article!!

  2. I really enjoyed your summary of the E&P heroes I’ve read so far. Thanks for all your hard work!
    L33-VORTEX

  3. Got her today. Thinking she’ll synergize well with Hannah, Elizabeth, Motega. Fiends and health stealing plus ailment protection should work nicely.

    1. Hey FJ. I haven’t really studied the new costumes so my opinion may change with more input. Also, don’t know your roster or playing style. On the face of it, here’s how I rank them (1. being best):

      1. Gravemaker (costume)
      2. Vanda
      3. Saoirse

      Saoirse would be 2nd, if I had the Slayers Family Bonus. All about speed for me.

      1. I need to choose between Saoirse and Gravemaker. Still waiting for one ring.

        Currently my red heroes in my list are Elizabeth and Cap Nemo. Before I get Gravemaker (with costume), I plan to limit break Cap Nemo or Saoirse. But now I’m not sure.

        Thanks for your reply.

        1. SAOIRSE if you can couple it woth other slayers, like I do with Senan Caitlin Rian and Kalø. Otherwise costumed Gravemaker hands down. About Vanda I use here only on offense with easter heroes like Killhare Lepus or Roostley, for the immunity at the uncleansable ailments. Grazul and Aeron provide the same kind of protection.

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