Soul Exchange May 2025 (Empires and Puzzles)

Empires and Puzzles Soul Exchange Pin

Empires and Puzzles May 2025 Soul Exchange is just days away, and I’m here to overthink the life out of it in hopes of assuredly saying, “this is the best one!”.

There are some great options available this time, with a few likely to affect the outcome of battles.

Interestingly, at the top of the middle selection (15 Souls), we are offered the polar opposites of each other: One Hero who serves to outright destroy their enemies and one who would seek to gently pacify them.

What’s brilliant is that you can choose to be either a gentle, mediating puzzle-warrior or a menacing pain-inducing overlord.

And no one will see the connection between your strategy and the inner workings of your personality!

No one but me.

I joke, of course. This is just a simple puzzle game, and I’m stretching.

Right?

Before we get started, please note that I am not the be-all and end-all. I’m just some guy with a fancy font and an opinion. ~And my views are often influenced by my own roster and playstyle.

That’s precisely the same criteria I urge you to utilise when selecting a Hero from our illustrious Exchange.

Finally, if you would like to help me, please share links to this post far and wide. Oh, and Subscribe! Thank you!

SPECIAL NOTICE:

This post was released before the May 2025 Soul Exchange and is based on the Tier predictions circulating within the E&P community. Until release, we will not know for sure which Heroes will go for 10, 15, or 20 souls.

If there are any changes, I will endeavour to update this post on the day. You’ll know whether it’s been updated by the following signal.

🌝 = No Update
🌞 = Updated

Current Status: 🌝

Update: 23 May 2025 – No changes have been made to this Soul Exchange.

Hero card images have been collected from in-game Defences over the last 24 hours, so while the stats are correct, the talent path taken is unique to the owner’s preference.

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

Old Cynic Soul Exchange Housekeeping:

Giving up 10, 15, or 20 Heroes in exchange for 1 is always gonna be a big decision, so please get other opinions, too!

There’s a lot to consider, including your current roster.

For example, you might not have a great 5-Star Ice Hero but might already have a solid 5-Star Holy Hero. So, it could make more sense for you to exchange for the Element you’re weak in, rather than doubling your already strong Holy range.

But if you stack, maybe improving your Stack is the way to go.

That said, sometimes it’s best to pick the absolute best Hero you can because their strengths might outweigh any concerns about their Element.

There’s also the real danger of overstretching for that top-tier Hero and completely depleting your reserves.

Lots to consider, so take your time!

All Heroes: Soul Exchange, Empires and Puzzles May 2025

The longer along the road we travel with E&P, the more crucial Power Stats become.

I know it’s not a popular subject, but I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention it.

At the end of the day, Lord Loki is one of the best offensive Heroes in the game. However, he’s gonna get slapped up without a Costume to pad him.

Sadly, that means researching the Hero’s age (NooOooOOoo!) and taking that into consideration when ranking them.

Here we go. All of the Heroes currently up for grabs in the May 2025 Soul Exchange:

All Heroes in Empires and Puzzles Soul Exchange May 2025

For 10 Heroes

Voidstar, Gongniu, Cardinal Richelieu, Milady de Winter, Teddy

For 15 Heroes

Aramis, Jana, Torben, Fortuna, Smarttongue

For 20 Heroes

Costumed Anubis, Meg Giry, Madhammer, Guardian Hippo, Ferrus

(As always, this is subject to change)

Tier One (10 Heroes) – Soul Exchange, Empires and Puzzles May 2025

The 5 Heroes on offer in exchange for 10 Legendary Heroes:

Tier 1 Heroes in Empires and Puzzles Soul Exchange May 2025
  • Voidstar
  • Gongniu
  • Cardinal Richelieu
  • Milady de Winter
  • Teddy

Tier One Heroes in the Soul Exchange [Empires and Puzzles]

OK, let’s get going!

This first tier is much better than we’ve seen in the past. If you were new to Empires & Puzzles, you’d undoubtedly be able to pick up a solid Hero in this class.

While #1 was an easy pick, many of the rest are “good”. They just don’t have the Power Stats to back up their Special Skills.

The game has moved on.

#1. Voidstar (May 2025 Soul Exchange)

All Stats are from the Forum.

Born: Apr 2024
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1236 DEF: 1374 HP: 2237

Let me share a straightforward yet vital observation about Empires & Puzzles, in fact, this goes beyond E&P and concerns all the workings of Earth:

It’s repeating.

As the Heroes age and become weaker due to the Power Creep, they are replaced with new Heroes with similar functions.

Along the way, peculiar evergreen Special Skills are introduced (one to appear later in this Soul Exchange); however, Heroes who provide powerful and fundamental Skills are always going to be of value.

As long as their Power Stats allow them to stay relevant.

I say all of that to call out Magni and Kadilen, the Season 1, born with the game, Heroes.

They offer a similar function, but with a weaker constitution.

Voidstar is a little slower than those two, checking in at Average speed. However, her attack never misses, she deals greater damage, and she heals all allies for 40% of the damage she dealt.

In my test, she slapped my Satori for 1504 and healed all her mates for between 601-613 HP.

This healing would also help with Insanity.

I like Voidstar because there’s a chance of her firing off before the slower or overpowered Heroes dominating the game, providing a solid attack, some decent healing, and a barrier of defense for when the inevitable onslaught begins.

She is not a simple sniper, but it helps that her recent Power Stats mean that she can still operate under that guise.

Her shared damage will make her feel sturdier, but at the expense of her allies.

You could argue that another Hero in the 10 Soul list might be better overall. However, I don’t believe that’s the case once you account for her recency.

Worth 10 Souls? Yes
Possible placement: Tank, Flank
Usefulness: Raids, Defense, Maps, Event Quests [Maybe Titan for Stats, Special defense, and micro healing]

#2. Cardinal Richelieu (May Soul Exchange)

Born: Sep 2023
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1087 DEF: 1071 HP: 2214

Cardinal Richelieu Empires & Puzzles

You could make cases for 2, 3, and 4 in this countdown.

I’ll quickly mention the others: Gongniu has a huge secondary value in that he carries the Lunar Passive. That’s like having the Ark of the Covenant stashed away in your pantry in case of War.

And then there’s Milady de Winter, who, for a brief moment in time, was a total badass.

I went with Cardinal Richelieu because he’s very similar to my Amethyst.

With so much healing and boosted healing going on in today’s Empires & Puzzles, Fiends can be of great benefit because they stop the healing.

And the fatter the fiend, the better.

Cardinal Richelieu is Average speed and pumps out Fiends that require 30% of the target’s max-health to remove.

Amethyst provides a good benchmark. On her second Ninja charge, which takes the same amount of time to charge as the Cardinal’s Average speed (10 tiles), she produces a Fiend that requires 50% of max-health healing.

You can see why I like her.

However, Amethyst’s Fiends don’t do anything else besides some general smothering.

On the other hand, Cardinal Richelieu’s Fiends will actively put hands in pockets and steal buffs at the end of each turn.

In my view, Cardinal Richelieu provides a strategy for suppressing the powerful Healers in the game (like the one who appears below); he also happens to have a decent slap and a means for retrieving buffs not belonging to him.

Sticking a Fiend onto a face is timeless. I often wish I had another Amethyst in the War for that reason.

Worth 10 Souls? Yes
Possible placement: Flank, Wing [Tank, if you want to ensure at least one firing for lower-level players]
Usefulness: Raids, Defense, Maps, Event Quests

#3. Milady de Winter (Empires & Puzzles Soul Exchange)

Born: Mar 2023
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1026 DEF: 1018 HP: 1927

Milady de Winter Empires and Puzzles Hero Card

Milady De Winter is still a cool Hero.

Her Special Skills offer blanket coverage of buffs and ailments. It’s simple enough, but can be tough to deal with.

That said, her Special needs to fire off, and as time passes, so do her chances of getting to that point with her current Stats.

And when it does fire off, it’s no longer the game-ender it once was (depending on what Heroes you have).

As with a few of the others on this list, de Winter has to inflict an ailment, and loads of modern Heroes reject ailments as if they were optional supplements.

Worst of all, the game has moved beyond buffs and ailments and created new contraptions that are often used the higher up the social ladder you climb.

In today’s game, Milady de Winter can still be a force, but at a lower level. If you don’t have anything better and don’t fancy another 10 Souler, she could be worth it.

I guess my main issue is that you’ll likely need to LB2 her to find viability. Whereas, the other two will provide function much earlier.

Worth 10 Souls? Yes, just. Depending on your level and need
Possible placement: Flank, Wing
Usefulness: Raids, Defense, Maps, Event Quests

#4. Gongniu (May 2025 Soul Exchange)

Born: Feb 2024
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1079 DEF: 1285 HP: 2298

Gongniu Empires and Puzzles Soul Exchange

Gongniu is an ODD ONE!

One of the best Passives in the game, lumped onto an indecisive time-waster.

I was tempted to rank him above Milady De Winter on Stats and the Passive alone!

Look, Gongniu will walk onto any battlefield and, without even so much as a tile caressing an opponent’s leg, will nullify all Minion activity in the vicinity.

That’s an Alpha move right there.

He sucks the joy out of all the Minion Summoners in E&P, and you could possess that great power for yourself.

However…

You’ll have to accept mediocrity along with him, because that’s what Gongniu brings, otherwise.

In short, Gongniu has a below-par Skillset, and most of the time you’ll be fielding him for the Passive.

Worth 10 Souls? No, unless you want to pay for the Passive… Then maybe. It’s tempting for those still suffering with the Minion flocks
Possible placement: Wing (Keep his Passive safe, let him slowly charge and hope it makes a difference). His Alpha will give him boosted health over 6 turns
Usefulness: Raids, Defense, Maps, Event Quests [Solely for the Passive. Noteworthy that with LB2, he will get 300 boosted health for every wave in a Map/Event stage]

#5. Teddy (The Soul Exchange)

Born: Oct 2023
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1229 DEF: 1229 HP: 2006

Teddy Hero Card

Teddy is not bad!

A lot of these Soul Exchange Heroes are attack-all, which really broadens their use across the game.

Let’s review his Special Skills:

  • 180% damage to all at 1229 ATK – He has a high Attack Stat, but I don’t think it’s enough considering his Average Mana speed
  • All enemies fall asleep – Not a horrible mechanism, but you have to be able to maximise its effect, which can be challenging. This has lots of potential to buy time across the game, especially if you can avoid hitting the target (Ghosting) on Offense
  • All allies regenerate 1200 HP over 4 turns – It’s hard to get behind an incremental Healer (although he offers decent numbers here). I’d also prefer the boosted variety

All in all, I like Teddy, but I think he needs a purpose-built team around him to properly benefit from his Sleep ailment, while the other Heroes ranked above him don’t.

Even if you did, I suspect it would be tricky to trigger things in the correct order consistently.

Worth 10 Souls? No, unless you’re willing to build a team around him, otherwise, he’s taking up a valuable slot that another Hero could take
Possible placement: N/a (He’s not ideal for Defense because you can’t control how the Heroes behave – It might work, but it’s a gamble)
Usefulness: Raids, Maps, Event Quests

Tier Two (15 Heroes) – Empires & Puzzles Soul Exchange May 2025

On to the 15 Soulers!

The 5 Heroes on offer in exchange for 15 Legendary Heroes:

Tier 2 Heroes in Empires and Puzzles Soul Exchange May 2025
  • Aramis
  • Jana
  • Torben
  • Fortuna
  • Smarttongue

Tier Two Heroes in the Soul Exchange [Empires and Puzzles]

I liked the 10 Soul options. There were some decent Heroes up for grabs (for most players), but things get even better in this tier!

#1. Torben (Soul Exchange May 2025)

Born: Oct 2023
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1275 DEF: 1165 HP: 2014

Torben Empires and Puzzles Hero Card

Once I’ve put them in order, it feels like it’s my job to explain my reasoning, like I’m a kid again and I’ve just stuck a pair of scissors into the floppy disk drive of the classroom computer.

Sure, it happened, but I’m an old man now and make better decisions!

Smarttongue and Torben are the polar opposites I was alluding to in the intro.

Torben tags an enemy and causes their utter destruction, while Smarttongue reduces their attack to the verge of pointlessness.

Both of them have fundamental problems, though.

For Torben, the problem is that loads of new/modern Heroes have built-in resistance to ailments, including Smarttongue’s own Aether Skill: Ailment Immunity.

The bigger problem for Smarttongue is the Garrison Guard Family.

Dealing with Torben first: If he fires off and can’t stick the ailment, then he’ll feel worse than Malosi at a Toon party.

That’s the danger.

But if he connects and it sticks, then the resulting damage should destroy the target.

I picked Torben above Smarttongue because being able to punch a way through a cornerstone of the Defense will have massive consequences in battle.

I see him as a Hero who can carry his team to victory, through Defense Teams, Maps, and Event Quests.

That said, Smarttongue, in my eyes, also has game-changing power.

This isn’t a cut-and-dry decision for me. Both of them are very good.

They also happen to have their own areas of expertise: they will be stronger against different enemies and in different situations.

However, Torben’s directness, speed, and utility secured him the No. 1 spot in my countdown.

Worth 15 Souls? Yes
Possible placement: Not ideal on Defense, but you could stick him on if you had nothing else
Usefulness: Raids, Titan (for the -44% reduced Defense – not to the 80% ailment), Maps, Event Quests

#2. Smarttongue (Empires and Puzzles)

Born: Sep 2023
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1120 DEF: 1170 HP: 2057

Smarttongue Empires & Puzzles Hero Card

If Smarttongue fires off her Special twice, her Wither effect will reduce the enemy’s ATK Stat to near pointlessness.

They could hit you with all their might, and it probably wouldn’t bother you. Instead, you could focus on the important things, like what’s for dinner and why you decided to join the simulation.

Did you pick your avatar, or are they like bowling alley shoes: smelly and reusable?

OK, my friends. I believe that my digression is a clear sign that I need a break. Let us return to proceedings on the morrow!


And we’re back…

Smarttongue does more than inflict Wither; she also reduces max-health and reduces defense against Special Skill damage to the tune of 45%.

Together, her Skills can only be described as fantastic!

The problem?

Well, it’s the Garrison Guard Family. Some of them will remove all Wither effects, and that’s a massive piece of Smarttongue’s expertise gone right there.

Without so much as a right of reply.

That said, I do feel like this presents more of an issue with putting Smarttongue on Defense, because with a little due diligence, on Offense, you’ll be able to avoid the Guard Rally Passive altogether.

Another noteworthy point is that finishing a team might require other Hitters to operate alongside Smarttongue.

I really like Smarttongue and wish I could get her and Torben.

Update: Regarding Torben vs. Smarttongue, as mentioned in the comments. The level of play is relevant because if you never/rarely see the Guard Rally Passive or anti-Wither Heroes, then Smarttongue is favourable. This comes down to picking the Hero that works best for you in your roster and level of play. Both are very good.

Worth 15 Souls? Yes
Possible placement: Flank, Wing, Revna
Usefulness: Raids, Defense, Maps, Event Quests

#3. Jana (Empires & Puzzles)

Born: Jul 2023
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1135 DEF: 1076 HP: 2118

Jana Soul Exchange Hero Card

Ok, Jana! I like the double slap-a-dap. That’s cool.

The order of the Special reads thusly:

  1. Jana will hit a target for a very substantial 470% (by 1135 ATK)
  2. Then the target gets -44% Defense for 4 turns
  3. Then, Jana gets to slapping again for the same value, but to a random enemy
  4. Finally, the second target gets -44% Mana generation for 4 turns

So, a Taunter will likely be offed if they happen to be on duty at the time.

Otherwise, on Offense, you can target a Hero for the first, but only cross your fingers for the second.

And, as the enemy numbers dwindle, the likelihood of the same sucker being hit again will rise.

Yes, I like. She’s not gonna change the world, but while her Stats keep her Special Skills meaningful, she’ll be useful.

Worth 15 Souls? Yes
Possible placement: Flank, Wing
Usefulness: Titan, Raids, Defense, Maps, Event Quests

#4. Fortuna (May Soul Exchange Heroes)

Born: Nov 2022
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1010 DEF: 1056 HP: 1953

Fortuna Empires and Puzzles Hero Card

Jana presents the quicker path to victory, whereas Fortuna is all about the long game.

Just like with Cardinal Richelieu, Fortuna will seek to banish all the pseudo-healing going on around here.

  • First, we have a Dispel of all buffs from all enemies, at Fast
  • Next, we have an underwhelming attack on all enemies. Not much, but that’s not what we’re here for
  • Then, we have the 22% Fiend slapped on faces
  • Finally, those Fiends will lower enemy attack values by -36% while attached

That still looks great.

Fortuna looks decent at face value for the function I’d use her for.

That said, Fortuna is OLD, making this price relatively high! Her Power Stats are pants.

Worth 15 Souls? Not really. I’d prefer 10. But if you really want her, besides Power Stats, she still looks good. Don’t expect her backhand to have much meaning.
Possible placement: Flank, Wing
Usefulness: Raids, Defense, Maps, Event Quests

#5. Aramis (Empires & Puzzles Soul Exchange)

Born: Dec 2022
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1076 DEF: 962 HP: 1729

Aramis Hero Card

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

You were kicking my ass from pillar to post, but look at you, now!

I’ve been meditating on you, and the universe has heard my cry and sent forth judgement upon your candy ass!

Yes, friends, this tyrant has learnt the hard way that Father Time slaps all!

All right, jokes aside, it is a surprise to be ranking Aramis 5th in any list.

Not so long ago, he was the neighbourhood bully; now, he’s a constant reminder of why we should always be humble while ascending.

I sought him out to battle in a Raid, and he was shot.

I don’t know if it’s age (happens to us all) or if he’s been drinking too much pixel juice; either way, my team flattened him and stamped on his hat.

In reality, by my memory, Aramis was a great Hitter and a decent Healer. He is a good example of a Hero who lacks evergreen appeal because the core of his value resides in his strength.

And it’s only gonna get worse from here.

Aramis isn’t terrible and will still have a use. I just don’t think he’s worth 15 Souls. -That is, I don’t think he’s enough of a difference maker.

Worth 15 Souls? Not for me
Possible placement: Lower-level players = Flank, Wing. Maybe Tank. Higher-level players = Swiss Cheese.
Usefulness: Raids, Defense, Maps, Event Quests

Tier Three (20 Heroes) – Soul Exchange, Empires and Puzzles May 2025

The 5 Heroes on offer in exchange for 20 Legendary Heroes:

Tier 3 Heroes in Empires and Puzzles Soul Exchange May 2025
  • Costumed Anubis
  • Meg Giry
  • Madhammer
  • Guardian Hippo
  • Ferrus

Tier Three Heroes in the Soul Exchange [Empires and Puzzles]

Fin-a-lly! The premier class.

Let’s go!

#1. Costumed Anubis (Best Hero May 2025 Soul Exchange)

Re-Born: Feb 2024
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1424 DEF: 1463 HP: 2790

Anubis Empires & Puzzles Soul Exchange

When I think about evergreen Special Skills, Heroes like Ludwig, Torben, and Lord Loki come to mind.

That’s because their Special Skills either scale in percentages or don’t scale at all.

So that just leaves their Power Stats to worry about over the passage of time. However, with C. Anubis, we can take comfort in the fact that he was only recently reborn into his new skin, so he has lots of life ahead of him.

Being evergreen doesn’t automatically make you great. You need to be able to help in some meaningful way.

And that’s what Anubis does.

Greed will stop enemies from sharing and conspiring against you: It will prevent them from buffing, healing, and Growth’ing, each other.

You tag the target with Greed, and everyone else gets ignored.

It’s a debilitating skill. Moreover, it’s a blanket condition. This isn’t just stealing buffs (which we all like to do on occasion), but it is the wholesale prevention of many actions.

It’s a line of code the Devs probably kept aside for game-testing, until one day someone seeking a bonus suggested it. And here we are with it made available to the masses in this Soul Exchange.

Not only is it powerful today, but imagine how powerful it might be in the future.

Costumed Anubis will do well against those who prefer to conspire with their allies before taking action; however, he will struggle against those who seek to lash out first and ask questions later.

BUT THERE’S MORE!

C. Anubis will not only poison their minds, but he will poison their bodies. Inflicting a solid 693 damage (which has been scaled to 1155 in the image above with levelling) over 3 turns.

And finally, he drops their defense by -28% for 3 turns. This is a nice little sting in the tail, if only to reverse a buff already in place.

I also wanted to highlight his Passive: A 60% chance to damage all enemies for 70% and dispel their latest buff.

The downside here is that Greed is limited to 3 turns, so waiting it out may be an option when facing him on Defense.

One other point that needs to be noted by newer players is that Anubis is not a one-button win Hero. The two Heroes listed for 15 Souls (Smarttongue and Torben) would be better in that regard.

Anubis is a strategist. A key component. A specialist.

He will not win you battles by himself. He will heavily control Buffers for 3 turns, effectively tying them down (even salting them with a bit of reduced defense). However, his expectation will undoubtedly be that his allies follow his lead and capitalise on the situation.

Worth 20 Souls? Yes.
Possible placement: Flank, Wing
Usefulness: Raids, Maps, Event Quests, Defense

#2. Meg Giry (Soul Exchange – Empires & Puzzles)

Born: Mar 2024
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1219 DEF: 1310 HP: 2740

Meg Giry Hero Card

Meg Giry is a simple, almost old-fashioned Healer.

The headline figure is 60%. That’s a tremendous amount of healing that makes her ideal for facing damage dealers and Fiend flingers.

Not only does Meg Giry cleanse the latest ailment, but she will relocate it to a random enemy. And then make it uncleansable.

Finally, all allies get 60% defense for 4 turns.

Of course, we all wish the cleanse came before the healing and was a complete cleanse.

Nonetheless, this is the sort of Hero that, as a Tank, could cause you immense problems if you don’t bring enough killers along with you.

She could quite easily get into a loop of healing that can be tricky to stop.

Meg Giry is a fantastically solid Stat-Bomb Healer. Sadly, she’s also a little boring.

A very worthy pick if you want a strong Healer that will stand the tests of time due to the nature of her healing.

Worth 20 Souls? Yes.
Possible placement: Tank, Flank, Wing
Usefulness: Defense, Raids, Maps, Event Quests

#3. Ferrus (Soul Exchange)

Born: Jun 2023
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1130 DEF: 1120 HP: 2219

Ferrus Soul Exchange Card

Ferrus is an extremely powerful 3-Hitter. Let us list the ways:

  1. Decent 3-hit (390%), although lots of Power Stats on HP
  2. OK Bleed-damage over 3 turns
  3. Construct Core
  4. Resistance against Skill blockers
  5. AND -60% defense against Nature

Points 1 to 4 make Ferrus a great Hero for new to mid-level players.

Point 5 makes him a target for all the Titan haters out there.

Point 5 is actually something that we could all use to improve our Titan scores, and it’s also a viable strategy for Raiding.

I’d love to award Ferrus a WILDCARD grading, because this Hero’s value is predicated on how much you enjoy Titan hitting, and/or how likely you are to implement a predominantly Nature-based Raiding Squad.

If those two things are important to you, pick up Ferrus. Even if not, he’s a solid 3-Hitter with some exceptional side perks.

Worth 20 Souls? Yes.
Possible placement: Flank, Wing
Usefulness: Titan, Defense, Raids, Maps, Event Quests

#4. Madhammer (Empires and Puzzles)

Born: Oct 2023
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1158 DEF: 1143 HP: 2085

Madhammer Empires and Puzzles Hero Card

OK, nearly there.

Madhammer.

Madhammer is a full-blown Goblin with Mega Minion ready to go.

Not only does her Mega Minion weigh a ton and slap like Flipper, but it also prevents cleansing. Meaning, there’s a wonderful opportunity for blessed synergy!

I don’t have many issues with Madhammer and think the idea of picking up a Goblin is cool.

That said, re. her second slap: I don’t like to have a chance at anything; it too often leads to disappointment.

Regarding Mega Minions: They’re pseudo-boosted healing for vast amounts; however, they only cover the caster.

All that aside, Madhammer is an awesome Hero who might be exactly what you need.

Worth 20 Souls? Yes.
Possible placement: Flank, Wing
Usefulness: Defense, Raids, Maps, Event Quests, Titan

#5. Guardian Hippo (May 2025 Soul Exchange)

Born: Jan 2023
Stats at 4/90 – ATK: 1021 DEF: 965 HP: 1828

Guardian Hippo Empires and Puzzles Hero Card

HAhahahaHAhaha!!! I made it!”

I wrote those words at the end of my last Soul Exchange, and as my fingertips pound their sore yet squishy bums onto this keyboard, I can truly say that those words still resonate today.

THIS WAS LONG!

I really hope it helps and was worthwhile. – And you’re not all using Ad blockers!

OK, Guardian Hippo. I’m still a massive fan, but yes, she is very old now.

Her first hit, without any other buffs, is pretty weak. In recent tests, I got between 185 and 296 damage from her.

Following +250 Growth, her hit escalated to a much more interesting 349 to 580.

In short, I don’t think she can do enough damage in PvP to be deserving of 20 Souls, and add to that, she’s as squishy as my tubby fingertips.

She could be scaled and could be useful, but I think she’s already losing the battle to Father Time, and when that happens, you just gotta look away and grace ’em with privacy.

Worth 20 Souls? No
Possible placement: N/a
Usefulness: N/a

Empires and Puzzles May 2025 Soul Exchange

I love Raiding and Defense, two parts of the game that lend themselves quite well to completing Maps and Events, too.

Whenever I consider a Hero, I wonder how I would use them to destroy my enemy. Or, what role they could play in a team.

That’s the way I play, but that doesn’t make me right. Always pick Heroes based on your roster and playstyle.

I hope that this has helped!

With the introduction of the Outfitter, some will be wondering about Costumes; sadly, I don’t have any further information on that front. If you do, let us know!

For the record, none of these Heroes are absolute top-end elite. However, I truly believe that a few (those listed at the top of their tiers) could help with defeating the elite.

Forgive me for any errors; there’s a whole bunch of information on this page, and I am only one person.

Let me know who you’re selecting and why in the comments below.

I would really appreciate it if you could share this link somewhere. Thank you!

Enjoy the Soul Exchange, everybody, and Peace!

Find all my Soul Exchange countdowns here.
Read about the current HOTM May here.
Read my new Titan Guide here.
And subscribe here.

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



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  1. Nice breakdown! I understand your choice for tornen, and if i wasn’t working on madhammer now he’d be on my list, but i also still have demilune to start on. So i’ll sit this one out. I am still a Massive fan of smarttongue. In the league i’m in she still creates Havoc to my enemies. She’s really a silent killer actually. The opponent doesn’t feel the damage at first but gets crippled without even knowing what happened. The Garrison league doesn’t even bother me that much actually. She’d always be my nr1 pic for 15 souls. A bargain if you can lb her twice and use a legendary troop for her!

      1. Hey Duende, thank you for sharing. It was very close between them for me. She is so useful across the board. With Torben, I kept coming back to his speed and destruction, punching a hole through. They are both very good.

        Thanks again! Good to see you.

  2. I am going to take starvoid or sparttongue. Sonsimilar to You. In that case I think that 10 soul is much better option. Better cost to quality. I have only 16 duplicates…

    1. Thank you for sharing, Lukasz. I have 10 Souls but wish I had 15. I am strongly considering Starvoid myself.

      Good luck, I hope the exchange is positive for you!

      1. I have more reflection. We need to check about a class becasue most of us dont hava a lot of Legendary troops. That’s why Smarttongue start to be bettet to me, bacuse I have good for him. Also I have a lot sniper (Lianna Toon, Leonidas Toon, Richard Glass or even Gladius) but I dont have a lot answer to defense team with lot of healer (only Neema oraz Grovevert). So mayby thats the way to choose… but all in all it cost will be other 5 souls…

        PS. Great Job – Yours blog is great!

  3. Thank you for writing it all out, your hard work is appreciated!
    I’ll be taking a hard look at Ferrus and Madhammer as they look like they’ll be the best for my lineup. I could use green but I love a strong red hero and I don’t have a goblin yet. Decisions, decisions!

      1. Nice to see you on here! Thank you for the great evaluation. I’m trying to decide between Voidstar and Torben. How to decide?

  4. Thanks for the thorough and interesting info. Im F2P, but I’ve managed to accumulate some good heroes during my time with E&P. However, I don’t have any of the heroes on this list, so I’ve a lot of decisions to make. Voidstar is one of options that I’m looking at. He’s a bargain for 10. I also like Torben for 15. He’s a brute! But I really need a holy healer. My best holy hero is the original Vivica. But 20 souls for Meg….I don’t know. Well it’s going to be fun deciding,

  5. Thanks for your opinion! You could add to Voidstar’s description that her “heal” counts in removing insanity from her team. There’s no such thing as too much healing at insanity wars 🙂

  6. I find your reviews insightful and thought provoking. Thank you for your efforts and helping me choose the best heroes for my team. Cheers! Keep up the great work!

    1. Thank you, Ace. I’m glad it provides food for thought. I may not be right, but hopefully my reasoning aloud at least helps to clarify things for others.

      Thank you!

  7. Thanks as always for the great analysis. I’m torn between Torben and Smarttongue. I get a lot of mileage out of Quintin, and Torben is very similar to him in a lot of ways. But I love (hate) the way Smarttongue destroys me when I face him. For someone who already has Quentin, but no Goblins, and very few “modern” heroes, would you still say Torben over Smarttongue?

    1. There’s a decent stat jump but how does Quintin hold up nowadays? If Quintin can still do the same job, I would get Smarttongue.

      Level of play is also relevant. If you never see garrison heroes, or other counter wither heroes, then Smarttongue would be favoured.

      My thinking is, once you hit a certain level, Smarttongue may lose some value while Torben will gain some.

      As always, I might be wrong and am just offering food for thought.

      I hope you have a great exchange!

      1. Great perspective. Thanks. I only use Quintin in PVE, but even then, there are definitely some places where keeping him alive is hard work. On the flip side, I would have a tough time naming a Garrison Guard hero, so either I don’t see them or I don’t recognize them. Over time, though, I’m sure they’ll grow in prevalence. Tough choice. I wish I thought we’d see them again. Then I could get one now and the other later. Thanks for your help!

  8. I’m 95% sure of going with Meg Giry; the 20 soul price gives me pause

    Holy is my weakest color, and Meg is an evergreen healer that is gonna be useful for a long long time.

    All things equal, i’d prolly take Voidstar for 10 (best value) but I am so stocked with purple she’d likely never see play.

    I’m giving thought to Smarttounge at 15, but her weakness against Garrison heros is pretty bad. Torben is nice, but the ailment immunity along with constant reflects and spells that flip ailments (like Meg !) make him less valuable.

    1. Hey Jeff, thanks for sharing.

      The game is so much more complicated than it was before. Even with all the words on this page, I still haven’t touched on every relevant factor or interaction. It’s tough but hopefully whoever you pick will have more strong days than weak!

      Good luck!

  9. I’m going for Meg Giry because I have Silverpaw and the combo is so strong. But without that synergy I m not sure she’s worth 20 souls — yeah she’s very good but good healers aren’t particularly rare (Blossom was available for 10 souls in the last one, and Guardian Gazelle Costume was available from fated summon+outfitter)

    Voidstar and Anubis are the two standouts imo – Voidstar for pure value and Anubis for being super strong and usable even in high diamond (Meg is too obvioaily). I’m not sure any of the 15 souls are actually better than Voidstar tbh, and I think he’s better than some of the 20 souls too

  10. Nice breakdown and in line with what I was thinking. I think I’ll go for Voidstar as I need another good Dark hero for my second dark team. I have Torben, Smarttongue and Hippo from the choices already and all 3 are great. While Hippo’s stats are dated, the extra mana generation helps all your heroes fire quicker and even your healers turn into hitters, so I think the benefits outweigh the older stats. I still use Hippo on my main mono blue team along with Starwalker, Nautica, Costume Loki and Waterpipe. The overall damage Hippo gives to all enemies if you fire her first then the others straight away is significant.

  11. Why I would put my money on C Anubis or Ferrus:

    RE: C Anubis
    After “The Great Ma’at Free Second Copy Summons” (and next Hero Coach), mine is sitting at 1500+, literally best hero on my team, and resource wise, all it cost me was emblems & leveling up a costume. My advice would be wait a few minutes or hours, check the forums, and if there’s a 2nd copy for free, grab it and enjoy tossing fire/poison/ice on enemies that cannot be cleansed and fiends that cannot be healed away. Good times!

    RE: Ferrus
    After “The HOLY CRAP THEY GAVE AWAY BLOSSOM FOR 10 SOULS Summons”, mine is at 4/85 & 19 emblems, about 1100 team power. However, I have a very strategically planned Fighter/Cleric 5* troop which bumps her to about 1500 defense & 3000 health. And for me, the important thing about Construct family is that Bearndette’s special doesnt work against them (or a couple of HotM, and glass/toon heroes have good defense too). Ferrus hitting like a truck & dropping massive EDD are just bonuses.

    Also, if anyone could paint “Save Ferrus” on a water tower ….

    1. What exactly do you mean by “free second copy”?
      -OC great reading as always, keep up the good Work 🙂

  12. G.Hippo is poor now because of the stats, but I still use her in mono blue team, paired with a C.Perseus with huge DD. The Hippo still bypasses everything with her attack and the increase in mana generation is very helpful indeed. She definitely needs a costume tho.

  13. so if you were going to choose out of any of them — and the cost was irrelevant… who would you be taking?

    Just considering everything, cards on the table, who would you go for, OC?

    1. That’s outrageous!

      For me personally, it would be between Voidstar, Torben, Smarttongue, and C. Anubis.

      I’m currently running a Fire2/Ice2/Purple1 Raid Squad that could be made stronger with Torben. Smarttongue would likely improve my defense (also be great for PvE). It’s tough. C. Anubis and Torben are more evergreen, while Voidstar and Smarttongue are both very strong but are less evergreen.

      I think Smarttongue is a very strong hero for a wide group of players, it’s just when you hit the 3000+ cup range you might have to move pieces every so often.

      It’s difficult for me to answer the question the way you’d like because I’m aware so many people might be affected. At the end of the day, those 4 are great for most players and the small adjustments should concern your personal roster and playstyle! 😁

      1. appreciate the candor… and you handled it perfectly. I was just interested in what you thought were the four best options without restriction, rather than ranking 1-5 based on cost (10 tier, 15 tier, 20 tier). Aka, who is truly the best bargain.

        For me, personally, I have three that you mentioned, and I was between Torben and Madhammer… but feel like Madhammer is a more likely drop since Goblins tend to come around a lot more often than Bear family does.

        So Torben it is! At least for me.

  14. I think I am going with Smarttongue. If you recall, in 2024, Anne was one of the 20 soul heroes. I wanted her since she came out, and she continually hammered my teams when I opposed her. Nevertheless, I went with Cupido, a good hero, and I regretted it ever since. The same is true with Smarttongue. I have wanted her since she came out, and she has regularly hammered my team. So, even though my Nature team is strong, I have some strong Nature heroes on deck to level, and Torben would be a great addition to my Fire team (a team that could use a boost), I feel compelled to go with Smarttongue

  15. Thank you for your posts. They are so good and I eat them up every time a new one comes out. I’m curious what your thoughts are on the recent red lucky summons. The summons is a guaranteed 5* and they are selling 100 coins for 10 bucks. Would love to see a full post on it. If I got to pick which 5* they would have my money already but since it’s still random which one you get, I have so far resisted.

    1. Hi Nbw, sorry I’ve been busy! Historically, $10 is a great deal for a mid-level hero. They never had deals like that back in the day. That said, you’d really need to want a particular hero to pay the money. And of course, then you’d need some luck!

      I never tended to comment on in-game deals because I don’t want to sway things either way.

      Thank you for supporting my blog! I hope it helps in some way!

      1. Appreciate the advice. As a relative new comer of 7 months with only 12 five stars I may go for it. Outside the time saver it would be the first money spent. I did read your post about the money you spent… great post and thanks for sharing that. It’s clearly a slippery slope lol. Anyway, Anything I get will likely help. Keep up the most excellent work!

        1. Currently at level 111. I have spent money growing my team but for the last year, I have severely limited expenditures in the main dame and even less spending in the dragon world.Having fun and being patient makes the game fun again. Not to mention playing with a stable team that I no longer lead.

  16. Hi Old Cynic,
    As usual your review was very helpful to make my choice. 👍👍
    Good to have you back and alive & kicking 😜in the E&P community! I look forward with eager for all the articles you are going to write (no pressure 😵‍💫)
    KR
    Capagi

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