Update to the Hero Grading System (Empires & Puzzles)
I’ve been thinking about updating my Hero Grading System for some time now, and today I’m happy to disclose the details with you. Let’s jump straight in!
This post may contain speculation, personal opinion, and adult comedy. It is not advice and is solely for entertainment and informational purposes.
Why Change It?
The Empires and Puzzles portal is sooo busy! Busier than a toy shop on Christmas Eve. Busier than Kvasir’s Training Camp, and working harder than his deodorant.
They’re pumping out so many heroes from that portal that SG-HQ are thinking about moving onto symbols instead of names!
And with all that comes the Power Creep.
While I’ve got nothing against those things, it means that new heroes are designed to be, what I would define as, “Deities”.
However, when I first created my Hero Grades there simply weren’t as many Deities about. -As a result, it was a great barometer for distinguishing between a Monster who could heavily sway a battle, and all those who fell below.
But nowadays, with 99.9% of new heroes being classed as Deities, I think a further indicator of their perceived value would be beneficial.
And the way I propose to achieve that is with the introduction of a New Rating System for Deities:
Old Cynic’s Hero Grade: Deity ⭐★★
Old Cynic’s Hero Grade: Deity ⭐⭐★
Old Cynic’s Hero Grade: Deity ⭐⭐⭐
I hope to update all the Deities over the coming days/weeks.
My goal is to reserve, where possible, Tier-3 Deity Grades for the absolute game-changing monstrosities; the likes of Xnolphod, Khufu, Mother North, Kalo, and Milena.
The Difference between a Tier-1 Deity and a Tier-3 Deity?
For me, the Deity grade itself is what says a hero is elite. The Tiers are better seen as a consideration of a hero’s usefulness across the game, and their devastating impact on gameplay.
Hohenwerf was released the other day and here’s what he does:
Hohenwerf: Fire, Barbarian, Fast
Possessor of Penance: 1. Deals 450% damage to the target. 2. Summons a Gargoyle Fiend for the target. The Gargoyle Fiend absorbs healing and disappears when it has absorbed health equal to 30% of its owner’s max health. 3. The Gargoyle Fiend forces its owner to cast Mindless Attack on a random ally when mana is full, for as long as the owner has Gargoyle Fiends. This effect can’t be dispelled. 4. The Gargoyle Fiend explodes after 4 turns, dealing 150 damage to the target.
When I compare Hohenwerf with other Attacking Controllers, he definitely shines brighter than most.
While heroes like Malosi and Iris provide a way to manage the opposition, a hero like Hohenwerf completely renders them useless. Plus, he does much more.
So, you could not fairly rate him as an Archangel, like the other two.
He’s much more in the vein of Kullervo; a Deity.
But who would you choose between Hohenwerf and Kullervo?
There’s a lot to consider and I’m not saying it’s a slam-dunk for Kullervo.
What I’m saying is that Kullervo can take this amazing Special Skill and utilise it on Defense. And that versatility adds value.
Value that this new Tiered Deity System will recognise.
[Hohenwerf is a Tier-1 Deity while Kullervo is Tier-2.]
New 3 Tier Deities (Old Cynic Hero Grading)
This will also help when re-evaluating older heroes.
For example, I recently re-evaluated the Slayers Family and found that while I could comfortably demote most of them by a grade, I wasn’t quite ready to demote Senan.
It was a close call, but having this new system will allow me to better delineate his ailing value in the current game (Tier-1 Deity).
Final Section, but it’s relevant!
It can take a looonnng time to write a blog post. I’m not gonna make you sickly by talking all high and noble… I blog because I love writing (as poor as it may be at times!).
I want to write about interesting things, surround them with a chilled vibe/aesthetic, and sprinkle in some silly/dark jokes, if I can think of any.
I’ve never taken the position of an all-knowing expert because I truly am not, and don’t care to be.
I want to help, of course. And discuss, theorise, and strategize on how to break down what is a marvellously complex game (Empires and Puzzles).
All of this is relevant because it hopefully explains where I’m coming from, and where I’m headed.
Hope you like the new grading system!
[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
![The Best HEALERS in Empires and Puzzles [Top 10]](https://i0.wp.com/oldcynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Best-Healers-Empires-and-Puzzles-Feat.jpg?fit=768%2C402&ssl=1)
I think 3 star deities are heroes you build the rest of the team around, either defense or offense. 2 stars are ones you want on your primary teams and 1 star are support or niche tournament/war teams but can’t carry you to victory by themselves.
Thank you f5alcon, I like the sound of that.
Be good to have a long list of all the heroes you’ve reviewed categorised into which rank you see them falling into. Be fab if you could put a one line explanation summary as to why they rank there eg great attack but only hits 3. This could me a master sheet you update each time heroes are released so we can sort it ourselves and see what you’re thinking.
Hey EandPuzzlesFan, I have been thinking about how to best implement this. It’s late here but I’ll keep pondering. What I will do tomorrow is set up a new category where you can isolate Tier-1, Tier-2, and Tier-3 Deities in their own groupings. So, when you press “Deity”, you will have the option to further select Tier-1 | Tier-2 | Tier 3.
Thanks for the suggestion and for stopping by!
Hi David. What if instead of stars, you use the tiers provided by the game? I mean Deity Gold, Deity Platinum and Deity Diamond.
And talking about Power Creep, do you think we are too close to the point of no return?
Thanks for the suggestion Mig-El, I wanted something that worked visually to distinguish between them and the star system is universal.
I have re-worded the post to read Tier-1/Tier-2/Tier-3 instead of Stars to avoid confusion with the standard hero levels in-game.
I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible, but that was a cool idea!
Are you also going to recalibrate the grades of the heroes that you have reviewed previously?
Btw, this is amazing job. As a fellow E&P player and forum user, I really enjoy reading your blogs on E&P content.
Hey XJ, I do plan on going back over all the old Deities and if they no longer warrant the Deity grade, I’ll demote them. It will take time of course but I’ll get there. Thanks for reading!
you should build a “grade page” as a quick link with the list, and have that link to the reviews
Good idea. It won’t be sortable but I could create a simple list which would run from Deity Tier-3, right down to Meek. I’ll add this to my to-do list.
Thanks!
So in a mindless world, would you rank Alfrike and the new c2Quintus (to be released) as Tier- 3 Dieties while Kullervo is Tier-2 and Hohenwerf is Tier-1?
I was discussing Hohenwerf with an alliance mate. One benefit of Hohenwerf’s mindless fiend is it can’t be equalised away in an Equaliser War.
Hi Shere, that sounds about right. I would have to consider them both in isolation (Alfrike and C2-Quintus when he arrives).
For me, the Deity grade itself is what says this hero is elite. The Tiers are better seen as a consideration of their overall usefulness and devastating impact. (I’m gonna add that to the post because I think it’s helpful)
Hohenwerf is a fantastic hero who will really shine in a number of spots in the game. But 3 key areas for me are Raids, Defense, and Wars. And on the whole, Kullervo is a no-brainer on D whereas Hohenwerf is not.
We can argue usefulness and implementation with ref to the Equaliser, or his Gargoyles Skin, or his FB, but then another will argue Healing/Minions/Fiend control as a counter.
Same for Kullervo, with his FB and Passive, and concerning a Malosi type or Cleanse. (I’d argue that you either have these or you don’t whereas Healers are generally more common)
But it’s all a matter of personal preference and personal rosters. But on the whole, all-things-even, Kullervo is more immediately versatile, and that is something I want to identify. Even if his build is not as good, he will seek to stop 2 enemy heroes and cause a lot more damage for 2 extra tiles. But that is not to lessen or devalue Hohenwerf. He is a Deity, after all.
Thanks for stopping by Shere!
Nice update Old Cynic!
Definitely a wise move to reevaluate the grading as the bar is moved.
Older heroes who where A/A- just can’t measure up anymore with the influx of strong heroes.
I am continuing to follow your writing with great pleasure
Hello Tobov, great to see you. I want a Deity to be considered elite, but we do need to differentiate between the top of the tree and the branches below. Thank you for reading and stopping by!