Costumed Guardian Panther Review – Empires and Puzzles
Costumed Guardian Panther recently joined us via the Challange Festival portal. She’s an incredibly powerful hitter who’s likely to light up Empires and Puzzles for some time to come.
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Caveat: This post contains gameplay speculation and personal opinion. It may also contain adult comedy and sarcasm. It is not advice and is solely for entertainment and informational purposes.
Costumed Guardian Panther Stats and Special Skills
[This hero was nerfed after this review. Details have been updated, however, the review remains the same]
Core: Dark, Paladin, Fast
Special Skills (Roar of the Panther) 1. Deals 280% 285% damage to all enemies. 2. All enemies get -64% -34% Defense against Dark for 3 turns. 3. All enemies are immune to new status effect buffs for 3 turns.
Family Bonus- Guardian (2/3/4/5): 1. +5%/+10%/+15%/+20% defense. 2. +4%/+6%/+9%/+13% healing.
Costume Bonus: 5% Attack Bonus, 5% Defense Bonus, 10% Health Bonus, 5% Mana Bonus.
Talent: PROTECT ~ +25% chance to get +25% defense for 2 turns after receiving and damage. The effect is applied at the end of the turn.
Costumed Guardian Panther Challenging the Status Quo (Empires and Puzzles)
You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard all the noise surrounding Guardian Panther.
For my part, I’ve unearthed some shocking documents dating back to before her release, showing clear evidence of a proposed stand-down.
-Players and Beta testers came together to make their plea, “please don’t release her like this”, they urged.
Men and women worldwide, all dressed in white baggy outfits, interlocked their hands and swayed in unison, as they mimed out the words to, ‘We Are The World’.
Community leaders set up street parties with Kissing Booths and Water Dunk Tanks, while one group of players is preparing to run the Redwood Trail half marathon ‘to help raise awareness’.
And can you believe it? Someone actually asked me to donate to their charity bungee jump.
I too have been playing my part, collecting 2 buckets full of loose change, which were left abandoned by the exit of my local supermarket.
And all of this goodwill is in aid of one single cause; keeping Empires and Puzzles well balanced.
Does Guardian Panther represent a shifting trajectory?
When I think about other games which are similar to Empires & Puzzles, it’s apparent to me that:
- Some Revivers will revive 100% of the time (at least 1 fallen ally)
- Hitters will cause vast amounts of damage, and
- Controllers will manipulate you, ‘til you’re the one left apologizing
And that’s where I think we’re headed.
I also expect (in my theorized projections of the future) that there will be a larger gap between P2P players and the rest.
But here’s the thing:
I don’t know any more than you. I just hope along with everyone else, that E&P keeps creeping towards the future and doesn’t take any barmy giant leaps!
How Good is Guardian Panther?
Guardian Panther is so good that instead of discussing one of the upcoming Kalevala heroes, we’re discussing her.
She’s sooooo powerful that we’re talking about nerfing, and the dreaded Power Creep, all over again.
Not only does she come along and take the Fast Hitter’s Pound-4-Pound crown, but she also raises them a monster element Defense-down, and still not content, she stops all enemies from receiving Status Buffs for 3 turns!
I don’t know what more she could possibly be expected to do.
Her pockets must be stuffed with notes so she can remember it all! Just think of all the stress she’s hiding under that mask.
Also, let’s reflect on poor old Quintus again, because this is totally wrenching stuff.
Quintus is Slow and only hits all enemies for 270% damage.
He longs for the days when he stood for something, -back when people respected him.
Now Guardian Panther’s got that Tesla technology going, and doing f*ck-tons of damage on a Fast charge.
Making Quintus look like the proper chump.
Maybe they should do a one-off special buffing for him? He could summon a minion to keep him company? Or count as 2 heroes for the Soul Exchange?
Costumed Guardian Panther Vs Guardian Panther
Here’s her base card:
And now with them side by side:
| Hero | Mana Speed | Hit | Ailment | Immune/Dispel | Class |
| Costumed Guardian Panther | Fast (8 tiles) | Deals 280% damage to all | All enemies get -64% defense against Dark for 3 turns | All enemies are immune to new status buffs for 3 turns | Paladin |
| Guardian Panther | Fast (8 tiles) | Deals 210% damage to target & NB | Target & NB get -54% defense against Dark for 4 turns | Dispels buffs from target & NB | Fighter |
That’s a big difference in strength right there.
Before, she only did 210% damage to the target and nearby enemies. Now she does 280% to all. Wow. Did Tobey’s finger slip?
Also, that ‘immune to new status buffs’. -That’s huge by itself. Crazy stuff.
Costumed Guardian Panther Vs the rest of Empires & Puzzles
Here she is in a full lineup:
| Hero | Mana Speed | Damage | Additional |
| Costumed Guardian Panther | Fast (8 tiles) | Deals 280% damage to all enemies | -64% defense against Dark for 3 turns, All enemies are immune to new status buffs for 3 turns |
| Costumed Master Lepus | Fast (8 tiles) | Deals 280% damage to all enemies | Caster gets -24% mana generation for 4 turns |
| Lewena | Fast (8 tiles) | Deals 260% damage to all enemies | Blocks Talent activation for all enemies for 6 turns |
| Morel | Fast (8 tiles) | Deals 180% damage to all enemies | All enemies get -34% defense |
| Mr. Pengi | Fast (8 tiles) | Deals 450% damage to the target | Will potentially hit another 15 times -up to 1,498% damage |
| Quenell | Fast (8 tiles) | Deals 320% damage to the target & NB | Gains a +40% power boost for her next Special, with a possible top-end hit of 520% damage to 3 targets (1,560% total) |
| Faline | Fast (8 tiles) | Deals 330% damage to the target & NB | -64% mana generation to the quickest of the heroes hit (all 3 if the same) |
| Irritated Penolite | Average (10 tiles) | Deals 490% damage to all Summoners | All enemies get -50% decreased healing |
| Costumed Killhare | Average (10 tiles) | Deals 330% damage to all enemies | All allies get -20% attack |
| Congalach | Slow (12 tiles) | Deals 310% damage to 5 random enemies | Stacks -9% attack on target |
| Cristobal | Magic 2 (12.3 tiles) | Deals 215% damage to all enemies | Deals 430% damage to all enemies IF they have more than 50% HP |
| Milena | Magic 2 (12.3 tiles) | Deals 420% damage to all enemies | Dispels buffs from all enemies |
It’s clear she’s a different breed. Maybe just call her a 6-Star and we can all get on with our day?
Look at Congalach, with his 310% damage to 5 on a Slow charge.
And these are all elite heroes. Imagine the table populated with some more common heroes, say from 2nd-Class seating:
- Bertila, a 2021 HotM, does 290% damage to all on a Slow
- Senan, a Slayer, does 275% damage to all on a Slayers Slow
- Chakkoszrot, who has a similar skillset, does 235% damage to all on a Slow
But all that said, Costumed Guardian Panther is still somewhat manageable. Still killable.
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Costumed Guardian Panther Review (Empires and Puzzles)
My final thoughts:
I don’t think Costumed Guardian Panther is a massive problem for the Empires and Puzzles ecosystem. However, she is another sign of things to come.
For now, she’s a rare monster you might spot, out in the wilderness. Another super hitter, itching to destroy your team in 3 turns.
Is she OP?
Definitely, but she doesn’t break the game.
Moving forward, I hope the same driving force which is behind monsters like her will also motivate the developers to keep the game well-balanced.
What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments below!
Thanks for reading.
Hero Grade for Costumed Guardian Panther (Empires and Puzzles)
So for my grading, the question is:
Is this hero’s Special capable of/likely to change the outcome of a battle? Yes.
If not, do they still bring enough to the party to help defeat the deities? N/a.
Old Cynic’s Hero Grade: Deity ⭐⭐⭐
[Please always check in-game Hero Cards to confirm details and never chase Heroes]
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“We are the world” – written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie
Images used by way of review/tutorial – Copyright owned by Empires & Puzzles: Small Giant/Zynga Games
I am braced for all the squealing and complaining when she gets nerfed! If I pulled her I would wait a couple of months to see what happens to her, see if she still worth investing in.
Random thought though. One way to limit / reduce her impact is to make her vary rarely available. Also, ascension pieces seem to be in real short supply so maybe this is another way the game is being controlled. Or am I becoming a conspiracy theorist? (Heavens forbid).
Hahaha, she’s also Purple so might not see her too much on Defense at the top end. Sounds like a good idea, holding back for a sec.
I’m sort of resigned to the fact that the goal is to go bigger and better. That in time we’ll be here, but the persistent question is, are we ready now?
Thanks for reading!
I checked top défenses tokay. Costumed Guardian Panther is presently the most prevalent heroe. A lot of teams up there feature 2 of them. Some even up to 3. I’ve only got one but she is extremely strong and polyvalent.
Having limited funds I have been restricted to pulling only when using the free coins or a very special offer so, other than Arfanias that showed up with a 3 star pull a week or so ago my 5 star acquisitions have been coming mainly from Hero Academy 10 (mainly S1 costumes as of late). I had pulled nothing of consequence from the Challenge Festival 1 and was resigned to save everything I could for Kalevala. However, on my last level I got an evil chest which, with the completion bonus, brought my tokens up to 10 and tried again. Viola, out popped Guardian Panther + Costume and, after reading your always in-depth and compelling analysis, I have pushed her to the top for fast tracking to max/emblems as I have 11 tabards in inventory. Thanks again for another insightful review! Keep up the awesomeness!
That’s awesome Dave! The numbers back it up, she’s a superstar, congrats. It always happens that way for me too, when I least expect it, I get something. I’ve been lucky lately: I got C.roc of course, picked LotL in the Soul Exchange, and pulled Morel… all of that on free pulls. Crazy. Now I’ll be busy for months working them up. But thanks to the Soul Exchange I have a little more space for feeders!
I got her on 1 pull. I am very excited! She is a real beast! No Nerf, No Nerf, No Nerf!!
😆 Congrats Terry! Fingers crossed 🤞 Hahaha
I don’t think she’s too overpowered. Her special is pretty great but not ridiculously so compared to some of the new heroes. Couple that with the fact that her base stats are quite a bit lower and I don’t think she should cause balance issues. That being said, I’m trying to level her as
😁 Congrats, have fun!
I am now especially disappointed at having got Guardian Panther out of the previous Challenge Festival portal, sans costume…
Much like with Costume Finley, I am not a big fan of costumes being released that are just vastly better than the original, without any real trade off to consider, versus say LotL, for whom there is at least a reasonable debate over whether or not to use her costume.
Yes, totally agree, it’s nice to have options. There are some new heroes currently in Beta which you’d really enjoy; the Styx family. It feels like having multiple heroes at your fingertips for each one. Thanks for reading!
I totally hate what they are doing with the game balance. Started with C Finley… I play kinda a lot but now I feel like I should just uninstall and never come back.
It feels that they totally put their income way too much before anything else. Just to put inception to you head that you cannot afford not to have such hero…
I’m seriously frustrated:-(
Hey zdendadix, for me it’s a matter of perspective; they were always gonna created more heroes and drive the company forward, after all, it’s a business. As someone who doesn’t chase heroes, it doesn’t make too much difference. Sure, it’s nice to have a new hero to work on every once in awhile, but I really don’t expect to get hold of these unless really jammy. As mentioned, I expect the gap to widen between the P2P and the rest, but that’s just the economics of the situation. I think E&P can do both, *create new super-monsters & *cater for C2P/F2Ps.
At the moment, I’m still in hopeful wait-and-see mode. That said, if the games getting you down, maybe you should see if any other games take your fancy… You can always return. Hope you feel better!
Its remarkable how they target the heroes that was hot, hot stuff way back when they were released and give them all of the topping from the costume bag while they still havent adressed the long sitters on the bench, the ones they failed to keep afloat even from day 1.
If this was RL they would be facing prosecution for discrimination and bullying.
For example: Bosswolf, Guardian Chameleon, Red Hood would easily sue their pants off if it were to land in court.
Oh well, its 2022, its time to see new heroes in the Fotm ctp teams.. and its most certainly GP..
I doubt we see any of the Kalevala sh**sacks there though.. they look immensly useless.
‘they look immensly useless.’ That is awesomely direct and to the point! 😄
I think there are 3 which are great and with the rest, I nearly agree (when talking top-tier, as you are!). They are Seasonal heroes though, and we know they’re not meant to be the showstoppers!
Thanks for sharing Cougar, it’s always fun to read your views.
Hehe, well it was maybe a bit rash to call them immensly useless, there are some nuggets of fun in Kalevala.
That Kullervo-fabio-guy looks to be a fun dude.. but all this extra tilt into power vs one specific color is meeh.. at best 😉
Being Scandinavian its pretty fun with the finnish name tho.. legend has it that finnish from the beginning was a collection of curses and gutteral sounds from the other scandinavian languages and as a joke was collected into one book.. and from there scholars created a new language.
just taste words like:
-MUSTAPIPPURI! (black pepper)
-KARHUNPASKA! (bear poop)
-PERKELE! (hell)
-MAKKARA! (sausage)
Cougar, are you kidding. I’m pretty sure you do not have Kalevala 5*, otherwise you should certainly have another opinion. I was lucky enough to get the 2 best ones : Kullervo and Louhi. Kullervo LB and emblemed is extremely usefull on offense. One of the besy attackers overall. A real monster. Louhi will be the next purple to get fully ascended, though I have at least 15 others waiting at 3-70, like Senan, Ursena, second Alfrike and Sesha, etc. Louhi is outstanding , for défense as well as offense.
Did you say she gives +64 defence to purple??!!
Nah she gives the opposite to the enemy
Hi,
Point # 2 in the special skill is incorrect. First time I’ve noticed such an error.
Excellent review, as usual. Thoroughly enjoyed
Thanks!
Thanks Satish, bizarre that I didn’t see that! Thanks for reading.
Hello, is it possible to place some pic of hero talent grid with costume and regular. Just to have guide how to fill talent tree before hero reach lvl 80 with costume
Hello VoxSD! Sorry, people have differing views on which way to take a hero so it’s not ideal. My views are not the prevailing opinion, as explained here.
Thank you for visiting!
About talent path, it depends on the heroe and the use you intend to make. For costumes, I would also recommend to compare the path with the regular heroe, because it is where you will put the emblems. For Panther, I use exclusively the costume version for offense so I chose the attack path, which is the same for both versions here. This is not always the case. If you intend to use it in defense, like in top defenses presently, where CGP is the most prevalent heroe, with lineups up to 3 CGP, you should choose the defense- health path.