For awhile now I’ve been tracking the stats of all the heroes, partly for some side projects I’ve been working on that may be useful later on for people, partly so I could work out which of my heroes benefit most from stat boosts from Class Emblems and partly as I wanted to track the power creep in hero stats. As I think the analysis may interest the community at large I thought I’d post them here along with a couple questions I’d been pondering both over the long term and on recent beta developments.
Firstly this analysis slightly modifies the CP formula that @Garanwyn reverse calculated here: CP Calculation - #15 by Garanwyn . As we’re just interested in the hero stats the analysis uses this comparative metric:
Stats Power = ((Attack * 0.35) + (Defence * 0.28) + (Health * 0.14))
It ignores the Base CP for Stars and Special Level from the CP formula as not relevant here and doesn’t round as the fractional increases between heroes helps track power creep more accurately.
Furthermore the analysis will focus on 5* heroes as whilst there has been some slight power creep between Season 1 4*, event 4* and Season 2 4* heroes the creep is less significant – a product of fewer 4* being added to the game.
Season One 5 Star Hero Stats Power
The Average Stats Power for Season 1 5* heroes is: 630.80. This value will be used later to compare the percentage improvement of event, season 2 and HOTM heroes vs the Average Season 1 5* hero.
Stats Power Table for all Season 1 5* Heroes
| Hero | Collection | Stats Power |
|---|---|---|
| Elkanen | Season 1 | 633.01 |
| Thorne | Season 1 | 632.80 |
| Quintus | Season 1 | 632.73 |
| Azlar | Season 1 | 632.59 |
| Kadilen | Season 1 | 632.52 |
| Sartana | Season 1 | 632.38 |
| Khagan | Season 1 | 632.38 |
| Domitia | Season 1 | 632.17 |
| Obakan | Season 1 | 631.26 |
| Lianna | Season 1 | 630.91 |
| Richard | Season 1 | 630.56 |
| Isarnia | Season 1 | 630.35 |
| Vivica | Season 1 | 630.14 |
| Marjana | Season 1 | 630.07 |
| Justice | Season 1 | 629.93 |
| Magni | Season 1 | 629.79 |
| Elena | Season 1 | 628.67 |
| Horghall | Season 1 | 628.25 |
| Leonidas | Season 1 | 627.83 |
| Joon | Season 1 | 627.69 |
HOTM Stats Power
With one new hero being added each month it gives us a better idea of how stat creep has been going steadily over the long term. If we separate the HOTM into groups of five by chronological order (so each group contains the set of 1 colour each/keeps each Elemental Link group together) we can see a steady increase in the average Stats Power for each group.
N.B. Heroes from HOTM 6 collection are still in Beta so are subject to further stats changes, their power is based on currently published figures.
Average Stats Power of each group of HOTMs
| HOTM Group | Heroes in Group | Stats Power | Compared to Season 1 Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOTM 1 | Hel, Athena, Ares, Musashi, Alberich | 640.19 | +1.49% |
| HOTM 2 | Thoth-Amun, Perseus, Natalya, Zeline, Delilah | 641.58 | +1.71% |
| HOTM 3 | Aeron, Alasie, Gravemaker, Gregorion, Drake Fong | 643.37 | +1.99% |
| HOTM 4 | Khiona, Aegir, Zimkitha, Evelyn, Onatel | 644.07 | +2.10% |
| HOTM 5 | Kunchen, Frida, Anzogh, Margaret, Ranvir | 645.37 | +2.31% |
| HOTM 6 | Seshat, Miki, Nadnog, Kingston, ??? | 645.42 | +2.32% |
Stats Power Table for individual HOTM
| Hero | Group | Stats Power | Compared to Season 1 Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kunchen | HOTM 5 | 645.68 | +2.359% |
| Onatel | HOTM 4 | 645.68 | +2.359% |
| Miki | HOTM 6 | 645.54 | +2.336% |
| Seshat | HOTM 6 | 645.54 | +2.336% |
| Nandog | HOTM 6 | 645.40 | +2.314% |
| Anzogh | HOTM 5 | 645.40 | +2.314% |
| Ranvir | HOTM 5 | 645.40 | +2.314% |
| Kingston | HOTM 6 | 645.19 | +2.281% |
| Frida | HOTM 5 | 645.19 | +2.281% |
| Margaret | HOTM 5 | 645.19 | +2.281% |
| Zimkitha | HOTM 4 | 644.14 | +2.115% |
| Khiona | HOTM 4 | 643.93 | +2.081% |
| Aeron | HOTM 3 | 643.65 | +2.037% |
| Evelyn | HOTM 4 | 643.51 | +2.015% |
| Gravemaker | HOTM 3 | 643.51 | +2.015% |
| Alasie | HOTM 3 | 643.37 | +1.992% |
| Delilah | HOTM 2 | 643.37 | +1.992% |
| Drake Fong | HOTM 3 | 643.23 | +1.970% |
| Zeline | HOTM 2 | 643.16 | +1.959% |
| Aegir | HOTM 4 | 643.09 | +1.948% |
| Gregorion | HOTM 3 | 643.09 | +1.948% |
| Thoth-Amun | HOTM 2 | 640.71 | +1.571% |
| Perseus | HOTM 2 | 640.57 | +1.549% |
| Athena | HOTM 1 | 640.57 | +1.549% |
| Hel | HOTM 1 | 640.43 | +1.526% |
| Natalya | HOTM 2 | 640.08 | +1.471% |
| Alberich | HOTM 1 | 640.01 | +1.460% |
| Ares | HOTM 1 | 640.01 | +1.460% |
| Musashi | HOTM 1 | 639.94 | +1.449% |
Current Event 5 Star Hero Stats Power
Similarly the Average Stats Power for each group of the Challenge Event heroes follows the general trend of getting better the later the event was first introduced. Interestingly though it isn’t until Grimforest and Wonderland that the difference becomes more pronounced. In the stats table for heroes individually the heroes from the first three Challenge Events are more interchangeable.
I’ll include all the Seasonal Heroes as a group at the bottom of the event table for reference (even though they seem to have been treated differently by SG -likely due to lower pulling chances – as Wonderland heroes that came later had lower stats than some Seasonal Heroes included earlier) as well but should be noted Master Lepus’s Stat Power is much lower than the rest in his group, refer to full individual table for more.
Current Event 5 Star Hero Stats Power
Similarly the Average Stats Power for each group of the Challenge Event heroes follows the general trend of getting better the later the event was first introduced. Interestingly though it isn’t until Grimforest and Wonderland that the difference becomes more pronounced. In the stats table for heroes individually the heroes from the first three Challenge Events are more interchangeable.
I’ll include all the Seasonal Heroes as a group at the bottom of the event table for reference (even though they seem to have been treated differently by SG -likely due to lower pulling chances – as Wonderland heroes that came later had lower stats than some Seasonal Heroes included earlier) as well but should be noted Master Lepus’s Stat Power is much lower than the rest in his group, refer to full individual table for more.
Average Stats Power of each group of Event Heroes
| Event | Heroes | Stats Power | Compared to Season 1 Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonals | Mother North, Santa, Rana, Yunan, Victor, Lepus | 646.02 | +2.412% |
| Pirates | Lady Locke, Captain Sargasso, Captain Kestral | 640.29 | +1.504% |
| Teltoc | Guardian Panther, Guardian Kong, Guardian Owl | 640.34 | +1.512% |
| Avalon | Guinevere, King Arthur, Morgan Le Fey | 640.38 | +1.519% |
| Grimforest | Red Hood, Boss Wolf, Rumplestiltskin | 642.60 | +1.870% |
| Wonderland | Alice, The Hatter, Queen of Hearts | 644.14 | +2.115% |
Stats Power Table for Current Event Heroes
| Hero | Event | Stats Power | Compared to Season 1 Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Claus | Christmas | 649.88 | +3.024% |
| Victor | Halloween | 648.76 | +2.847% |
| Rana | Summer | 647.43 | +2.636% |
| Mother North | Christmas | 645.75 | +2.370% |
| Yunan | Summer | 645.68 | +2.359% |
| Alice | Wonderland | 644.91 | +2.237% |
| Mad Hatter | Wonderland | 643.79 | +2.059% |
| Queen of Hearts | Wonderland | 643.72 | +2.048% |
| Red Hood | Grimforest | 642.81 | +1.904% |
| Boss Wolf | Grimforest | 642.74 | +1.893% |
| Rumplestiltskin | Grimforest | 642.25 | +1.815% |
| Guinevere | Avalon | 640.57 | +1.549% |
| Guardian Owl | Teltoc | 640.57 | +1.549% |
| Morgan Le Fey | Avalon | 640.50 | +1.537% |
| Captain Kestrel | Pirates | 640.43 | +1.526% |
| Guardian Panther | Teltoc | 640.36 | +1.515% |
| Lady Locke | Pirates | 640.29 | +1.504% |
| Captain Sargasso | Pirates | 640.15 | +1.482% |
| Guardian Kong | Teltoc | 640.08 | +1.471% |
| King Arthur | Avalon | 640.08 | +1.471% |
| Master Lepus | Easter | 638.61 | +1.238% |
Season Two 5 Star Hero Stats Power
In terms of stats Season 2 heroes are CURRENTLY the most powerful 5* in the game with the best Stats Power scores in the game. The Average Stats Power for Season 2 5* heroes is: 648.75 representing a +2.845% improvement in stats over the Average Stats Power for Season One 5* heroes. Whilst the heroes were released incrementally there exists artwork released before Season 2 was first released in which obscured versions of many cards can be seen (if not fully read at the time) indicating they were likely originally all devised around the same time with just beta tweaks months before they would be drip fed into the game so a comparison by family wouldn’t reveal anything but here is the table for individual heroes.
Stats Power Table for Season Two 5 Star Heroes
| Hero | Family | Stats Power | Compared to Season 1 Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poseidon | Atlantis | 650.65 | +3.147% |
| Ursena | Atlantis | 650.30 | +3.091% |
| Mitsuko | Sakura | 650.16 | +3.069% |
| Misandra | Lagoon | 649.53 | +2.969% |
| Tarlak | Lagoon | 648.76 | +2.847% |
| Inari | Sakura | 647.99 | +2.725% |
| Mok-Arr | Lagoon | 647.99 | +2.725% |
| Kageburado | Sakura | 647.64 | +2.669% |
| Ariel | Atlantis | 647.29 | +2.614% |
| Atomos | Atlantis | 647.15 | +2.592% |
Beta - Challenge Event 5 Star Hero Stats Power
As always the stats on anything currently in Beta can change so this part of the analysis could likely be made irrelevant in a short space of time but based on the numbers here across the group of heroes as a whole represents a conscious decision by SG to increase stats this much rather than creating an accidental OP hero or two for beta tweaking.
The average Stats Power of the 10 Challenge Events heroes being tested in Beta is 655.52 representing a +3.918% increase on the Season One 5* average.
Stats Power Table for First Beta Release of New Challenge Event Heroes
| Hero | Event | Stats Power | Compared to Season 1 Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finlay | Pirates | 656.11 | +4.012% |
| Puss in Boots | Grimforest | 656.04 | +4.001% |
| Lady of Lake | Avalon | 655.76 | +3.957% |
| Guardian Chameleon | Teltoc | 655.76 | +3.957% |
| Guardian Gazelle | Teltoc | 655.69 | +3.946% |
| Snow White | Grimforest | 655.62 | +3.934% |
| Marguerite | Pirates | 655.48 | +3.912% |
| Jabberwock | Wonderland | 655.13 | +3.857% |
| White Rabbit | Wonderland | 654.99 | +3.835% |
| Black Knight | Avalon | 654.57 | +3.768% |
Discussion
Long ramble from me on significance of it all that those who’ve followed it may or may not be interested in, otherwise people can draw their own conclusions
Given the way the damage formula works in Empires and Puzzles (Linky linky: Damage Calculation) in which:
Even a small increase in the total stats of a hero can have significant effects on the amount of damage they deal and the amount of damage they take when hit.
However Power Creep is inevitable in pretty much all games especially when you have regular additions such as HOTM that developers would naturally want to make more attractive in comparison to what came before. All players may find this power creep worth remembering whenever they are reading the forum and getting wrapped up in the hype of a hero they missed out on. Considering the much lower chance of pulling a past-HOTM from Atlantis and that many of the more widely used HOTM often start seeing more direct counters appear before they have their debut in the Atlantis portal (eg. Before Gravemaker appeared in Atlantis portal for first time fast cleanser Zimkitha and Ariel had been introduced to the game and there is a good chance Nadnog with status immunity will be in game before Gravemaker makes second appearance) that it is often much better off to forget about what you couldn’t get first time round (especially HOTM where the drop rate is best when they first appear) than get too hung up on trying to get it at a later date. Hero Academy may become the more logical method to try get those past HOTM after some time and instead focus gems on going for one of their counters when they come up.
Up through to the end of Atlantis the inevitable power creep has been kept relatively under control with just a +3% rise in Hero Stats between the Season 1 Hero Averages and Season 2 Hero Averages. It is important that the power creep does not become too dramatic for all players. Making the Season 1 heroes many F2P and C2P players rely on is not advisable as these players I would imagine form the bulk of the player base and alienating them would see many alliances losing long term contributors. From the perspective of P2W and heavy spenders a large power creep is also problematic considering the average cost of getting heroes. When the average cost for a hero is roughly the cost of a holiday abroad in a trip you will likely remember for most of your life you don’t want the heroes you just got for an equivalent cost to be made obsolete within a couple months of power creep, it also hastens the lifespan of the game with paying players finding the game too expensive to keep up and F2P and C2P feeling priced out and in the event a game goes under you lose all the heroes you paid for.
With all this in mind those of you who’ve already spotted the issue are likely alarmed at the rate of the power creep in stats for the new Challenge Event heroes that have just hit Beta. The current Number 1 in terms of Stats Power is Poseidon but the weakest in terms of Stat Power of the new heroes in Beta is +3.92 over Poseidon. To put this increase in perspective it is worth considering:
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It wasn’t until the release of Onatel 19 months later that there was a HOTM that was +3.92 or more Stats Power greater than the first HOTM Hel. This is compared to the jump from Poseidon that was released earlier this year.
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It wasn’t until the release of Wonderland that there was a Challenge Event hero with a Stats Power that exceed +3.92 Stats Power over the Pirate Heroes.
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When Tarlak appeared in the first gate of Season 2 as the 5* with the lower Stats Power of the two newly released 5* in the gate his Stats Power was only a +1.33 improvement on the then Stats Power leader Rana.
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The Stats Power increase between the average of the Season 2 5* heroes and the new Challenge Event heroes in Beta is even more extreme rising by a whooping +6.77.
Personally if it was up to me when it comes to the revamp of the Challenge Event heroes that (as well as adding some 4* heroes) the stats of the new 5* heroes being introduced be pegged back a bit to the level of the Wonderland heroes (the new heroes already have the advantage of some big specials) and that the other Challenge Event 5* heroes have their stats buffed to the level of the Wonderland heroes also so that there is more parity between the events and their heroes which share the same event rotation.
Given that the stat power creep had been relatively well controlled up to this point I find it alarming the scale of the increase here and hope that I will be able to edit this post later for more reasonable stats less likely to threaten the long term viability of the game. Whilst others may not be so bothered I know I for one would seriously be put off trying for heroes whilst in the knowledge of the accelerated power creep. I am a bit at a loss as to why such a power creep has made it to the testing phase. A charitable view would be they’re making it a better pay off if you get them given that 5 x event 5* heroes in each gate dilutes the odds of getting each of them. A less charitable view would be the hike is coming just before stat increasing skins (likely pay to obtain) for the Season One heroes to make buying them necessary for heroes to remain relevant.
