Goseck and the Future of Gameplay (Empires and Puzzles)
Goseck is a legendary Hero from the Empires and Puzzles event, Sanctuary of Gargoyles. And, while he’s not very visible due to limited availability, many of those who have seen him, are calling for his head.
And since I’m quickly gaining a reputation for planting the kiss of death, I was asked to review him.
I’ll also be discussing High Damage Heroes, and considering their impact going forward.
PS. There’s a lot of speculation in this post.
Before we start, please consider sharing a link to this post with your alliance or on social media. It really does help.
This post may contain speculation, personal opinion, and adult comedy. It is not advice and is solely for entertainment and informational purposes.
Goseck’s Stats and Special Skills (Revengeful Smite)
✨This Hero was buffed after this review. Details have been updated, however, the review remains the same ✨
Element: Dark (Purple)
Class: Barbarian
Mana Speed: Slow
Family Bonus (for 1/2/3 Heroes) Immune to Poison damage / Immune to Poison and Burn damage / Immune to Poison, Burn and Water damage.
Revengeful Smite: 1. Deals 325% 350% damage to all. 2. The less HP the caster has, the more damage they will deal, up to 650% 700%.
Passive: Every time this Gargoyle casts a Special Skill, their Stoneskin hardens. The next 4 5 times they receive damage, it is dropped to 1. This effect can’t be dispelled.
Talent: WOUND ~ +30% chance to apply bleeding from any normal attack.
Underpinning the argument: Old Cynic on Empires and Puzzles
Empires and Puzzles is by far one of the best, most addictive, games available on any platform.
It does so many things really well and put together, they make up the popular game we know and love today.
And for my part, I really like the game, otherwise, why write about it?
All of that is important to note because what I have to say now isn’t a criticism or damnation, it’s just my observation:
The future of E&P gameplay looks set to incorporate harder-hitting monsters, and Goseck is symbolic of that fact.
-It’s simply the inevitable outcome of a never-ending power creep.
The only question left for me is, has Goseck jumped too far ahead?
Here are the 2 options I see, going forward:
- To nerf Goseck and set an upper limit on the amount of damage a Hero can inflict, or
- To leave him be and let the player base adapt to the new Meta.
Argument 1. Nerf Goseck
If you didn’t know, we’re here because Goseck will inflict up to 700% damage on his enemies.
Also, his Slow mana speed actually helps with his Special, because by the time he fires off, he’s already taken some decent damage!
And when he does go off, he causes soooo much destruction, he’s capable of wiping out an entire squad.
I’ve seen it with my own eyes, Guv; blood everywhere, people hollering, and sirens blaring.
And as a result of his unworldly strength, some folk, quite reasonably, are demanding he should be reined in a bit. [Forum]
However, as it stands, Mr Goseck is the most powerful damage dealer in all of Empires and Puzzles (as the following table will illustrate).
| Hero | Mana Speed | Damage | Secondary |
| Goseck | Slow (12 tiles) | Deals between 350% to 700% damage to all enemies | Has the Grim Reaper on Speed dial |
| 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) |
| Penolite | Average (10 tiles) | Deals between 245% to 490% damage to all enemies | All enemies get -50% decrease 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 |
| Ruby | Ninja-3 (15 tiles) | Deals 370% damage to all enemies | If you don’t know, you must read the review |
I faced Goseck this morning and can tell you, if his special goes off, all my Heroes become docile and adopt the Fetal position.
Of course, it is IF he fires off, because you could get to him before he goes off.
But, does SG actually want Heroes capable of ending the battle with one swipe? Singlehandedly? Even at Slow?
Maybe.
And if so, then players will have to adapt, which will be a lot easier for those with larger rosters.
And if not? You can expect the nerf in 3… 2… 1…
Argument 2. Adapt to Goseck
If Heroes like Goseck are to be part of the Meta going forward (and it’s a logical conclusion), then players will have to adapt to deal with them.
If I had to face Goseck as a matter of routine, I would definitely change my Raiding Team.
All of a sudden, Control Heroes (in particular Heroes who make you Miss), might become more popular. For example: Lepiota, Balbar, Ruby, and Bai Yeong.
Bai Yeong, even though no longer part of my main Raiding Squad, is still available on the bench, and currently working as a Coach and Mentor.
And the moment it feels like I can no longer handle the big hitters, I’ll turn to Heroes like him, in an attempt to regain control.
I should also add, Taunters and Dodgers already offer some protection against the mighty Goseck.
Goseck, the sign of things to come? (Empires and Puzzles)
My final thoughts:
We know Goseck’s a beast.
If he fires off, all hell breaks loose.
I’m more interested in your thoughts…
How do you manage him?
Do you think he’s OP?
Should he be nerfed?
Let me know in the comments below!
Hero Grade for Goseck (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 ⭐⭐⭐
This Hero was subsequently Buffed or Nerfed by the developers. Details have been updated to reflect the changes.
[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/Zynga Games
With all the MAJOR adjustments to heroes recently it begs the question of how effective is beta testing anyway? Shouldn’t the experienced testers be able to ferret out over and under powered heroes before they are released to general gameplay and mitigate the massive modifications that have plagued the game in the last few months? When these heroes are released it is almost immediately discovered how powerfully (or not) they affect play that simply having this being missed during beta is not believable. Small adjustments are necessary from time to time since not every scenario can realistically be tested for but the kinds of changes we have been seeing are worrisome in their frequency and scope, especially for 4 star heroes that will be acquired by a higher percentage of players during the first few summons (and leveled and emblemed before any adjustments are even hinted at). Perhaps the quantity of new heroes and events being pushed out are overwhelming the beta system and testing is done only on a limited basis, but the solution is pretty simple if this is so – SLOW DOWN NEW OUTPUT.
Dave, you are bang on the money with everything you say in particular the SLOW DOWN NEW OUTPUT.
I have given up chasing new 5* heroes, I have so many waiting for final ascending, maybe that is the game plan, get people to spend money chasing the new, super powerful 5*’s but then don’t allow them to be fully levelled up.
I feel I am becoming a 2nd class citizen in what was a 1st class game because I won’t spend the necessary money.
I’m just glad that it’s not fighter class. Even without fighter class and just paired with MN or other reviver this could be a huge pain in the a##. I seriously need to push my Kravekrush to make sure it stays dead.
I hope this hero is not nerfed! I am currently leveling him. His strength is unmatched right now.
Goseck is a pain. The damage he gave out are ridicilous. Being slow, he’ll surely took damages before he goes off. After that, that damn irritating stone skins sets in making it hard to kill him.
I have been trying out a few strategies when i go against him. Mono Yellow for 3 tiles kill. But he’s rarely at tank so its kinda difficult.
Next up I also dodger heroes in my raid team. though high % of dodges, the one that didnt dodge either crippled or dead. With my mono yellow, if I ever faced Goseck, he’ll be on my top kill first list along with MN & Alfrike & Kalo. But with all those heroes in the same team, its kinda hard to achieve. I did have a grotesque loss when i faced a team with MN Goseck Alfrike Krampus & Kalo. Failed all 3 tries. If I focus on 1, the others run rampant. Man, its getting harder and harder to keep up with the new meta.
Caro Oldcynic aprecio muito os seus comentários. Eles são muito didáticos e você consegue explicá-los com bastante simplicidade permitindo que o jogador iniciante assim como o veterano possa entender tranquilamente. Sobre o Goseck observei que ele enquanto beta batia 350 e poderia chegar a 700. Então acredito que já ouve até um pequeno nerf. Continue assim meu amigo e um grande abraço.
Translated: Dear Oldcynic, I really appreciate your comments. They are very didactic and you can explain them very simply allowing the beginner as well as the veteran player to understand easily. About Goseck I noticed that while beta he hit 350 and could reach 700. So I believe that he already hears a small nerf. Keep it up my friend and a big hug.
They already weakened him after beta. He did 700%, and was a fighter.
That is a crazy starting point!
Thank you again for a good post Old Cynic. Always a pleasure reading your stuff.
About Goseck and his strength. I have a table were I input all heroes. I calculate their damage based on atk (4/80) x % of there Special, and times how many they hit (I also calculate effect pr. enemy), to find a relative point of reference that is more precise than just the %.
Goseck is head, neck and torso above the rest. It’s insane.
He hits for a full 26 300 on max.
Number 14 on the list is brand new ninja Peridot. On a 3xcharge he hits for 13 040. Half of Goseck. Topaz is forth on the list with 16 000. The gap is sooooo big. (Can you guess number 2 and 3? They both have prerequisites but end at 20 000 and 16 400)
Even at full health he is number 13 on the list.
His effect pr. enemy is stronger than EVERY SINGLE SNIPER in the game. Its stronger than Fenrir’s 640% at below half health.
He is not next level, he is three stories up and laughing at the puny mortals. Goseck wants to smash.
The idea is cool, but they just made him too powerful in my opinion.
Anyway, I see the heavy hitters as a result of an abundance of health boosters. I have two in my attack team, and if I can survive a couple of rounds I am at 3000 health each. I think this makes it necessary to increase the effect of some attackers. So my way to handle him in regular raiding is boosting like crazy, and then either firing Alfrike or getting the beloved Lady up and running to control him.
In war I would probably specialize more, but with Mana control as main method
Anyways, thanks again for your posts
Hey Tobov, sounds like a great list (send me an email if you wanna share). Also, I have little to gain in guessing 😁! But, let it not be said I’m not a good sport!
If it’s a pound 4 pound list, with consideration for mana speed Over damage, and all heroes on Attack path? Then, my bet would be Quenell’s second, C. Master Lepus, oh -and Mr. Pengi.
If it’s who(m)ever does the most, period. Then maybe Irritated Penolite, Milena, or Cristóbal.
I’m sure I’m forgetting somebody, but look forward to finding out…
Thanks for the insight, and for reading!
Hello!
I’ll share, it’s a work in progress, but I have started an improved list, and would love to have your input on a couple of parameters.
As a thank you I’ll send you the list. I have fun with it both regarding statistics and for looking up specific abilities.
Anyway; great guess. Irritated Penolite is correct!
He is number two, if ALL 5 heroes he fires agains are summoners. That would be a wooping 20 000, which is way below Goseck and way above number 3, who is the much forgotten Snow White. Regular Snow White with costume bonus, and an impossible 16 ailments/buffs to pull on will hit for 16 400. This was the highest until the gargoyles came along
ehh, I might be blind, but where do I find you e-mail address to send the list?
Haha, I threw enough at it!
I’ve sent you an email. Thanks.
Goseck does not deal 26000 damage across a full team when he goes off. He CAN deal that amount of damage, provided a lot of very specific and largely uncontrollable conditions are met – unlike
many of the heroes you compare him against who just baseline deal those damage values once they have mana, no other conditions needed.
He does not deal more damage than any other sniper in the game. He CAN deal more damage, under very specific and impossible to control conditions.
He is neither next level nor any stories above any hero, outside of the very rare case where the perfect conditions for his effects are met. Which is far and wide from every single match.
He is an RNG gamble hero. He looks like god tier on paper, but in actual play he is more often than not far from being as powerful as many other hard hitters in the game. You will very rarely get to see him actually pulling off that mythic 650% damage hit, which makes basing his comparative damage output on whether he is overpowered or not a moot concept.
By that logic, you could say that Quintus is an overpowered monster damage dealer because he can kill your entire team in one hit IF…. he has 165% damage buff from Wu-kong and the enemy has -60% defense from the blue clown and -44% elemental down from Panther.
Hello Luc!
Just to be clear. The damage number is not an official number, it is just a comparable damage output that I use in my calculations; which calculates atk-power multiplied with percentage of the special.
To me this is just a way to see the comparable potential damage output. And yes, there are requirements, but Gosecks requirements are quite easy, and he is powerful anyway.
Even at full health he is the 12th on the list (13 if you count Snow White with and without costume bonus as two heroes)
Even at full health he hits harder than Periodot at third charge, harder than Octros on full effect, harder then total damage output of Congalach, and harder than new upgraded Killhare.
On full health, all heroes above him except Khafre are either heroes on third charge or with requirements that are harder to reach then his.
It is the nature of the game to try to reduce the health of your opponent, so very seldom will he be at full health, and if he is, he is happy with that, as it means he will probably fire again later if needed. The thing with Goseck is that is not an either or, it’s a sliding scale, so it will be very seldom that he hits on his “weakest” unless you use health boosters.
So however you look at it, he is an extremely powerful hero, and a very very hard hitter.
Please note, I am NOT calling for a nerf. I don’t think it is necessary. I am just noting that he is extraordinarily powerful
Met him, killed him.. its highly adaptable.
The part id like to nag about is the synergies when the entire team you meet are gargoyles..
-That is OP.
If they are adding this much to each other when teaming, they should have an achilles heel drawback like slower mana 1/2/3/4/5 -5%/10%/15%/20%/25% or worse.
With my roster i have no problem rustling up a 75% successrate team on them.. but this game should include all players, and its way off to have this much power infuse into one family/type.
Aaah yeah.. the youtube clip of Goseck going bananas and ending a long match singlehandedly?.. oh well albeit powerful, many of us will probably say: -had worse, done worse 😉
😂
Well… i just maxed my team of 5 gargoyles: El Duque Gaillard Arco Peñolite Goseck… Will soon become LB and enblemed.
Awesome team! They refuse to take damage. Congrats 🎊🎉
I did not see that Goseck buff coming. Reading previous posts he’s back to beta levels. Perhaps he doesn’t get the full hit off as often as we think.
Feels like I can double down on this prediction!
He needs an update.
He’s now even more a powercreep 😀
Just throw Kullervo against him… if you got him. I did.
I pulled Goseck last week and I have him leveled and LB. His stats are
872 attack 848 defense and 1527 health and that is with one axe emblem. I have been testing him on purple mono raids of Goseck, Kehpri, Xnolphod, Hannah, Khonshu with Goseck on the right wing. I use a level 23 wizard troop on him too with a level 23 mana on Xnolphod 11 wizard on Kepnri and Khonshu level 20 crit troop on Hannah. I like going shields and health for emblems but with Goseck that could be different since his special Improves with lower health and that once he does fire he has four turns of 1 attack on him. What emblem path do you suggest?
Love your post.
Hi Gipe, this is an interesting one for me. -I have a somewhat controversial stance on Talent Paths as seen here.
That said, the more damage Goseck takes the more damage he causes.
It wouldn’t change my position though, in fact, it would entrench it (as it means he already does a ridiculous amount of damage so why not give him more Health/Defense).
Anyway, I can only tell you the way I would personally go, and that might not be as rewarding for you. Please consider all the information, including the views of your alliance, and decide from there.
Thank you so much for stopping by!