Zagrog Review – Empires and Puzzles HotM March 22

Zagrog is the March 2022 Empires and Puzzles Hero Of The Month (HotM). He’s a hitter who bypasses defensive buffs and also has a few other bells & whistles. But, is he worthy of Mats?

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Zagrog’s Stats and Special Skills (Indifferent Blade)

Element: Fire (Red)

Class: Rogue

Mana Speed: Average

Special Skills (Indifferent Blade): 1. Deals 430% damage to target and minor damage to NB enemies. 2. The attack will bypass defensive buffs including counterattack. 3. The caster gains 20% mana if any defensive buffs were bypassed. 4. [Element Link] All Fire allies get +10% defense for 4 turns. This effect can’t be dispelled.

Passive: 1. Resist Attack Status Effects ~ Includes Stacks, Ailments, and Buffs. 2. Resist Mana Ailments.

Talent: EVADE ~ +20% chance to dodge direct damage from offensive Special skills.

Legends 2022 Family Bonus: 1/2/3 Heroes: +10%/+15%/+20% attack. Bonus for 2+ Heroes: Element Link affects all allies.

Is Zagrog worth Levelling? (Empires and Puzzles)

Not for everybody.

Question is:

Do you prefer control Heroes, functional Heroes, or flat-out hitters?

If it’s the hitters you like, Zagrog may be for you.

But bear in mind, he’s not a sledgehammer to a Watermelon; he’s not Quenell, Mr. Pengi, or Penolite.

He’s more a Season 1 knuckle-dragger, like Richard or Thorne.

Regarding the Defensive bypass

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the Can’t-Miss we see from Russell, Zagrog is only effective against Defensive Buffs.

He will not hit through Dodge or Taunt, although he will hit through Defense-up, counterattack, and other protections.

Also, the 20% mana boost will only trigger once per hit, Max. -No matter how many buffs he bypasses.

Zagrog Vs. Iris… Empires and Puzzles

Zagrog’s slapping form is similar to last month’s HotM Iris, however, he lacks her useful secondary:

Here’s the thing: If Zagrog’s meant to be this badass hitter then he needs to actually hit. If not, he’s destined for mediocrity…

I am joking a bit (gotta get the kittens in), because 430% to the target and Minor Damage to Nearby, is perfectly reasonable for a HotM -all considered.

It’s just not enough to create any real buzz, not when compared with the other new Heroes we see.

And sure, the 20% mana boost looks nice on paper, it just feels a lot like Political Math…

“Today, we’re delighted to announce the introduction of a Financial Package designed to support the economy. In unrelated news, we’re expecting a bit of Inflation over the coming years, which we’ll be offsetting with a “settlement” tax, payable in 2025… Questions?”.

😒

As it is, he’s just a bit “meh”.

Next Up, in completely unrelated news, here’s a table populated with some random Heroes:

How Good Is Zagrog? (Empires and Puzzles March HotM)

Zagrog looks real nice in the Cobalt comparison, after all, Cobalt is elite.

However, Cobalt hits all 3 targets and arrives with a fresh playbook full of strategic options, adding a versatility that Zagrog could only dream of.

Zagrog actually reminds me of Richard (with a different Secondary).

And while I like, “bypasses defensive buffs and Counterattack”, it’s not a game-changer for me.

Zagrog’s Element Link and Passive Skills

Zagrog has a decent core build, besides *this*:

To start with, he’s Rogue Class (Evade), which is becoming more valuable with every new Hero introduced.

Second, he has a useful Element Link (+10% Defense for 4 turns), -which should be for ALL allies with the Family Bonus next year.

And third, he has 2 adequate passives;

• Resist Attack Status Effects ~ Includes Stacks, Ailments, and *Buffs*.
• Resist Mana Ailments.

*And that’s the odd part: He’ll be immune to new Attack buffs.

Regardless, none of this makes too much difference to his overall value.

Zagrog – Empires and Puzzles HotM March 2022

My final thoughts:

There are 3 clear caveats to this review:

1. Not every new Hero has to be the “Best Hero”. We need average Heroes to make the great ones, great.
2. My assessment could be wrong.
3. This Hero is in Beta and may be changed before release.

At the end of the day, Zagrog doesn’t do enough damage (Vs. mana) to WOW anyone. -But that doesn’t mean he won’t fit into your squad.

If you’re playing a FIRE-strong Raid team, he may be the Hero you need. And if you don’t already have a decent 5-Star red, Zagrog could also fit neatly into your Defense line-up.

All that said, Zagrog doesn’t do anything well enough to be a stand-out target for me.

Hero Grade for Zagrog (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? No.

If not, do they still bring enough to the party to help defeat the deities? No.

Old Cynic’s Hero Grade: Warrior

What are your thoughts? Did I get it wrong or miss something? Let me know in the comments below.

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

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