What Hero To Level & Give Alpha Aethers? (Empires and Puzzles)
I’m frequently asked: Who should I give my Alpha Aethers to (Limit Break 2)? And it’s a complex question that’s not as simple as X, Y, or Z. So in this post, I want to share my own personal process for choosing the right Hero to Level and Limit Break.
If you’re looking for a Limit Break 2/Alpha Aether Guide/Tool, you can find it here.
While this post is written with 5-Star Legendary Heroes in mind, it should also apply to the lesser tiers.
Before we go any further, please note that I don’t claim to be an all-knowing-deity.
I’m a casual player who only plays for my own enjoyment.
On we go!
Caveat: This post contains gameplay speculation and personal opinion. It may also contain adult comedy, sarcasm, and Human error. It is not advice and is solely for entertainment and informational purposes.
Level Heroes You Use (Empires and Puzzles)
My general ethos concerning Ascending and Limit Breaking Heroes is to invest in the Heroes that you actively use.
There is no point in LB2 a Hero you’re not using.
And the more you use them, the higher up the food chain they should go.
So, three simple early qualifiers could be:
- DOES THIS HERO FEATURE IN RAIDS/DEFENSE OR TITAN TEAMS?
- HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY TO MY SUCCESS?
- IS THE AETHER POWER SIGNIFICANT/RELEVANT TO THE HERO OR TEAM?
Once you’ve gone through this process with your roster, you’ll likely have a shortlist of Heroes to choose from.
These Heroes will likely be your favourite Heroes. Your Raid Heroes. Maybe a Raid Hero who also appears on Defense.
And hopefully, in time, you’ll get to Limit Break them all.
But for now, how do you whittle the selection down?
Should I Give Alpha Aethers to Kai? (Empires & Puzzles)
As many of you may know, I was lucky enough to pull Kai and have been slowly levelling him.
I find this topic particularly interesting because when I pull a Hero after I’ve graded them, there’s naturally some hope that my review is a fair reflection of what I have… whether I’ve previously used the Hero in Beta or not.
Kai was graded a Deity: T1, and I’m happy to say, that’s just about right.
But more than a T1, he’s a really useful Sniper who also happens to be E&P Royalty (in one of the most important E&P Families).
That means, when the Big Balance Update happened, he received a nice boost in his Power Stats.
And the difference in his Stats when compared to mere mortals is ridiculously apparent.
In my mind, I had an image of Kai becoming a Super Sniper for me, slaying all the chumps who would dare oppose.
As always, with any Hero who has this potential, I intended to take him to 3/70 to test him out. And he was already looking like a fully grown Hero!
He hit like a truck and his Skills looked useful, too. -So based on that evaluation, I continued to develop him.
Had I been disappointed at this stage, I would have stopped and put him aside.
Next, I fully Ascended him; still testing the teams I could build around him.
Until finally, I decided to give him the first Limit Break and a full set of Emblems.
However, I stopped there.
While he was a monster, I knew he wasn’t a candidate for Alpha Aethers.
How? …
Why Kai Didn’t Get Alpha Aethers (Empires & Puzzles)
I didn’t give Kai Alpha Aethers because I couldn’t get him into a team that worked.
By “worked”, I mean a team that was stronger than my main Raiding Squad.
See, at my level of play, with the limited resources available to me, I can not afford to give rare Mats to a Hero that’s likely to warm the Bench 80-90% of the time.
While my main Raiding Squad can bring down elite Teams, nothing I could build around Kai had that same ability.
The main issue was a need to Stack and a lack of top-end Heroes to facilitate it.
I could not replace what Malosi, Devana, and C. Roc, provided as a trio.
There was no Synergy to find that would outperform what I already had.
The next best option was to swap out R&N for Kai. But R&N offers more general Control (although, it’s a close call).
Further, Kai is not an OP Defense Hero, although, with the new Aether Taunt on many Defenses, he could certainly fill a role there. Still, he doesn’t need Alphas for that.
And lastly, Kai doesn’t need a LB2 to hit the Titan or perform any other task within the game.
So in the end, The Process made the decision for me.
Limit Breaking a Hero isn’t always as simple as: WHO’S THE BEST HERO?
It’s about: HOW DO I GAIN THE MOST FROM THESE ALPHAS, AS A TEAM?
In fact, I could make an argument, having seen Kai’s ridiculous Stats, that he shouldn’t get the Alphas at all, even if he had been a key player.
But Kai may represent something different to you.
He might be the superstar on your roster and you might have more Mats than you know what to do with!
Who Do I Pick?! Empires and Puzzles Levelling and Limit Breaking
On the whole, I wouldn’t suggest Snipers are the best place to start with Limit Breaking.
It seems to me, that priority should go to Heroes with a larger sphere of influence.
Also, consider their Special Skills and how they might benefit from the extra Attack, Defense or HP. For example, a Summoner will likely produce fatter Minions when Limit Broken.
Like LotL. Her 14% Minions would gain a little from the boosted Stats.
Or consider damage output. As mentioned in my review, if Cinisia were given Alpha Aethers, she would really hurt somebody. She would also benefit from the Attack Up Aether Power.
I would suggest that your stronger, more versatile Heroes (the ones who get you results), are the Heroes that you should LB2.
And no, Season 1 Heroes aren’t good candidates. I also don’t think you should LB2 a Hero in an attempt to make them useable, due to their really poor Stats.
For example, Poseidon looks pretty squashy, but if my only reason for giving him Alphas is to make him useable, I wouldn’t. -Because it most likely won’t be enough and could end up feeling unsatisfactory.
Finally, my Ranking Page may also be of assistance. ~While it’s true that I occasionally get the grades wrong, I like to think I’m in the ballpark most of the time.
And if in doubt, ask around. Ask…
- Your Alliance
- The Reddit Community
- The many Facebook Communities
- At the Forum
- Or even my own small Facebook E&P Group
If you’re still unsure, pause. There’s no pressure to take any action. Take your time.
Since I’ve come this far, I may as well go further…
A Silly Logic Levelling Table By The Old Cynic…
| HERO LEVELLING LOGIC (OldCynic.com) | Check |
| Does this Hero already Feature in my Raid, Defense, or Titan Team? (The more, the better) | |
| Is this Hero Important to My Success? | |
| Is their Aether Power Relevant or Add Value? | |
| Does this Hero Impact 1, 3, or 5 Allies or Enemies? (The more the better, generally but not explicitly) | |
| Will increased Stats improve the Hero’s Abilities? (Are they a Summoner, or a Hitter, etc…) | |
| Can I Build Effective Teams that Include this Hero? | |
| If in doubt ask someone (Alliance, Reddit, Facebook, Forum, OC’s Fb) |
I didn’t have this Logic Table in mind when I started to write this post, but hopefully, somebody will find it useful.
Please feel free to share your own tips in the comments below.
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[Please always check in-game Hero Cards to confirm details and never chase Heroes]
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This is useful, just did pengi yesterday and still have 12 left, probably will do 3 epics, 3 rares instead of a 4th legendary, currently have ludwig, jove and pengi at 90 and all are on my defense and hard mode offense
Hi f5alcon, Looking strong. Jove must make a mess…
Thanks for reading!
The top Reds to advance are tough for me…. Barkley,Khufu, Tetisheri and Alucard. Finger keeps moving to different ones.
Love your thoughts/ advise.
Tough choice but good heroes to own. Waiting is always the best option when in doubt, the Meta may change tomorrow. Thanks for reading!
Hello Skito!
This is purely individual, but among those I would do Barkley.
Alucard is most useful against minions, which he removes regardless of his own strength.
Tetisheris best feature is when she almost kills someone, so you can get the 20% mana boost, so you don’t want her to be TOO powerful.
Khufu I personally only use against titans and on challenges.
Barkley is a monster, and he is also EXTREMELY powerful against taunters. One could argue that like with Teti you don’t want him to kill someone on the first hit, but after the fiends have attached, but as he hits three, it is much more likely to happen.
My 5 cents
I am a healthcare provider. This check list is like some kind of table in my medical textbook. Good work!
😁 That’s how seriously we take things ‘round here! Thanks for doing what you do.
You suggest dont level season 1 heroes to make them useful. And yet there are three heroes I am thinking about as I have all three costumes and use them a bit now: Khagan, Joon, and Obakan. Alright C2 Obie is a beast so maybe he doesnt count in THIS discussion.
But I use C2 Joon a bit because he is fast and hits 3. I use C Khagan for titans and C2 khagan for VF wars. It will cost me 1 or 2 extra aethers. But – second – and this is where I think debate is open – might it be better to take a hero from pretty useful to very useful than from very useful to beast?
Hi DaNo, no I wasn’t referring to Costumes, just plain old Season 1 Heroes. I suspect you’d have to be pretty unlucky to only have access to those.
With the ‘LB2 to make em better’, I consider it relative to the moving baseline above. All things being equal, I reason that weak squashy Heroes will always remain that way when compared to/facing the new monsters. Although, each case on its own merits.
For example, if Titan killing is the main goal, then it doesn’t matter about facing new monsters, but rather, taking a hit from the Titan is what matters.
By all means, if a Hero can benefit from improved stats then why not? I’m just saying that shouldn’t the the Only reason it’s done.
If the Hero isn’t being used before a LB2, the Break won’t likely change that. Again tho, each case on its own merit.
For example, an older Healer might gain more from a LB than a older Hitter (because you can completely ignore damage because it’s not important (imv)). It is what it is and contributes to damage, but we wouldn’t seek to improve it with a LB.
Anyway, that’s my 2c! Thanks for reading.
This was really useful, thanks for taking the time to write it up. I have been wondering who LB2 next as I did Krampus first and that has really paid dividends. He is now not just a good Tank but an outstanding one.
I do think I will follow up with other members of my top team, I was in 2 minds about trying to make a lesser hero into a better one and you are correct, that is a waste of resource, if I am not using them that much already why bother?
So thanks again, and keep up the good work.
No worries Steve, thanks for reading!
Thanks as always for the great analysis and spot-on advice. I still have all 24 alpha aethers I’ve acquired. I really hate the mechanism and the way the game has to try to adapt to the never-ending power disparity created when two “4* heroes” can be as far apart in power as an L70 with no emblems vs. an L80 with a costume and 20 nodes. Yet they are still considered the same rarity and can be used interchangeably. And it’s only going to get worse as the 3rd and 4th tiers of aethers are released. The game has needed a better mechanism than rarity for a long time (like a realistic Power score) and to date, every move they’ve made has exacerbated the problem rather than making a more sustainable long-term path for the game. Thanks for letting me rant.
No worries Xyfell, I share some of your frustrations. 24 is a good number; burning a hole in your pocket I’m sure. I can’t imagine where the game will be in 2/4/6 years. Thanks for visiting.
Totally depends on the hero and the costume for sure. I think there are some fantastic s1 4* 2nd costumes like Kiril, Caedmon, Rigard, Tusk, maybe even Li Xiu that would be good candidates for Alphas. I think these can be better options than most s1 5*s atm. I gave alphas to Kiril’s first costume. He now anchors both my defense (raid & war) as well as my mono blue team. His stats are on par with recent 5*s– 1029, 1002, 1813 for 1008 power. I debated breaking an alternate blue healer but he really synergizes well with my current defense and mono teams. That att & def down can be unrelenting. To echo the OC, always go for value.
Cheers Kayth, and thanks for sharing your thinking.
Thanks for all your hard work you continue to put into this game, it’s always a huge help! I am really valuing the 3 aether reset tokens the game gave out because I definitely rushed my initial decision. I found it interesting that you brought up Kai because he was one of the hero’s I took to 90, and he is my second line green hero. He hits like a truck and having him paired with Becky and Phenexa is working out really well. Keep up these amazing threads, and once again thank you for all of your hard work.
No worries Mill, thanks for the support, it really helps!
HI everyone
I gave my atheries to Tinsel, not only because she is strong but can protect other two with percetages. But if Tinsel is stronger the defence for the other two will be stronger too.
I am thinking about continuing this pracztce. Exept for Jequin I am still thinking about wheter to limit brak him the 2nd time. I just staráted the first limit break I will see the outcome.
Hey Lara, thanks for sharing your pick and some info!
Hello old cynic; Thank you for your work and reviews. I personally like your approach and it helps. A question about Neith. I don’t have any new current monsters, but Neith is a very good mainstay in my defense. Mana control is and should be important no matter what new monsters spawn. Thx for a tip.
Hi _NecronLord_, thanks for reading.
My position is to LB the best Heroes you have based on the criteria above. That said, I can’t in good faith tell you it’s a good idea to LB2 a Hero from 2019! (According to the Forum)
Even at F2P, it’s reasonable to expect something better in time (I was F2P for a long time and have long spells of not spending at all). That said, and the reason for writing this post, was that I don’t know your full gaming history or situation.
So, in isolation regarding Neith I would say, hold off for now and wait until you have collected more Alphas. When you have enough to Break 2 or 3 Heroes, come back and see if you still fancy Neith.
In that time, you should get some idea of if your luck will present better Heroes. You can also use the time to consider other Heroes.
Ultimately, there’s no rush to use Alpha Aethers, no pressure, no timeline.
But if Neith is the best Hero you’ve ever owned and you’ve been playing for 3 years, then why not?
It’s all about the logical options available given the situation (imv).
Oh, and yes, please ask another source and get another opinion.
Thanks for reading!
Thank you,
that with age, was the reason that made me doubt. I have patience, time and sufficient ether. So I’ll wait. 🙂
This is a very good strategy and way of thinking, thanks! Tbh things get more complicated when you put 4 star heroes in the equation. Because you don’t use them as much, but some have great skills and they get power equal to a finished 5* hero when you double break them, while you spend less than 1/3 second LB materials than for a 5* hero. Having that in mind I started by second LB my beloved tank and personal fave Khepri, then moved to Franz, who became stronger than many of 1 time LB 5 star heroes, and then moved to Kalo. They are both slow and very slow and I dont use them daily but they are really helpful in war offenses and vf war deffense…not sure if I did the right choice with Kalo though, cuz if I waited a bit I would have enough Alphas for another 5* now…and I was really thinking to double LB Tyr Costume (or Sneferu). Thinking of taking them back from Kalo to do this… its a tough call haha
anyways thanks for the advice!
Yes, it’s deffo a resource issue with the lower tiers. Thanks for reading and sharing Grigoris!
I am obsessed with balance, I am also reluctant to spend resources on 4-star heroes, I mean emblems and LB.
Therefore, I will not LB2 any hero until I can break the limit of 5 five-star heroes, one of each element. So far, I have 26, I have a long road ahead.
Gotta play it your way, and bite down hard when facing the 3/4-star LB2 monsters in tourneys!
You know what? It is not that hard. If you combine good synergies and skills, you can beat LB2 4 star heroes.
For LB2 3 heroes, as long as Dawn charges, nothing else matters…
Would you alpha aether break Winifred or xnolophod?
I have three yellow heroes I want to LB2 but can only LB2 one of them. They are Jana, Furdinand and Hachiko. You’re thoughts on this would be appreciated.