Bob’s Basic Guide to the Feb 2025 Fated Summon
A set of impressions about the FS picks: I’m going to briefly touch on reasons why one might want to pick each choice. As noted above, I’m not going to generally comment on the raw power level, because we know that these are older heroes and that is really not the point. AFAIC, FS (and SE) are all about “my roster is like, super missing something and while it would be nice to have a Modern Monster that does that thing, it’s better to have something than not.”
a quick Visiting Outfitter note: if thinking about trying to land a costume from VO when he decides to descend from his cloud next, that’s the S4 heroes here; not only is the S4 costume a stats update, but the passive comes with overhealing-busting and a slight boost heal.
Keep in mind whether one of these FS picks would be a higher priority for you for VO than any queue of heroes you already have, though – at least so far, it doesn’t appear that VO is a frequent visitor.
Season 4
Hulda - those chunky support minions (meat walls for all that continuously heal over time and give +mana gen and defense boost); tankier, obviously, if you VO the costume (note that you may well need 2LB to get full benefit, since minions have a 1000hp limit before 2LB, 2000hp limit after)
Aouda - you really hate facing overhealed foes; doubleplustrue with costume
Morel - you want that “quickly apply defense down to everybody, then smack them with someone else” ability (if nothing else, for boss waves, much less PvP). gains mild HoT with costume
Phileas Fogg - the headline is EDD: green, but priority dispel sniper is still nice utility; costume is mostly stats=“bit more of a sniper” plus general costume passive
Zenobia - you want a sniper vs the edges (or double-smack vs lone remaining target) plus tile-affecting shenanigans; costume is like Fogg’s (bit more of sniper, general passive)
HotM
Turgruk - you want a Very Fast sniper, who also has a bit of utility in longer fights (+damage stacks)
Gilligan - you really want to make that “free mana every turn for each enemy buff” passive pay off
Suzuna - cleanse-3, reflect-ailments-3, HoT-3; it’s only to 3, but it is at Fast
Viselus - busts minions (from 3); also hits-3, DoT (poison) to 3, minor boost healing from poison (possible combo with other poisoners)
Roughian and Nurgib - pretty tasty utility sniper; already Fast, faster every time they get healed AND when eating enemy minions for free as a passive, plus takes a bite out of enemy mana… plus, for a hero this old/on this list, not altogether shabby sniper in terms of damage
Clash of Knights
Ludwig - OMGWTFBBQ it’s freaking Ludwig if you don’t have one, getting him from Pity Counter is for YES PLEASE. Sure, yes, he’s old but his Taunt comes served with a side of GREAT STEAMING PLOPS OF FREE MANA ARE YOU KIDDING ME; still feels especially like an exploit at least in PvE when paired with Phenexa or any other “renews buffs” hero which, when carefully managed, means A SLOW BUT INFINITE CYCLE OF FREE MANA. yowsa (also: Wolf family stacking for undispellable buffs)
Eloise - busts minions, blocks minions, also hits all. (Note: significantly reduced effects against mega-minions; shut down vs W3K costumes.) (also: Raven family stacking for undispellable ailments)
Esme - busts fiends, block fiends, also boost heal to all. (Note: significantly reduced effect against mega-fiends) (also: Wolf family stacking for undispellable buffs)
Quenell - hit-3 then… hit-3 harder. (also: Wolf family stacking for undispellable buffs)
Lewena - you want to turn off super annoying emblem Talent Skills for everyone at Fast, a fairly unusual ability; hits all. (also: Raven family stacking for undispellable ailments)
Tower of Magic
Agrafena - tactical flexibility between really quick small debuff or slower big buff
Motega - tactical flexibility with sadistic butterflies! Seriously: nasty utility on quick small minions that tag enemies with +damage ailment, or slower fiends that permanently big-blind your enemies ahahahahaha Also: “passive” means small heals to boot. (note that you may well need 2LB to get full benefit at least from fiends, since minions/fiends have a 1000hp limit before 2LB, 2000hp limit after) Minions probably play better when mixed in with other bigger minions and/or minion-boost effects.
Milena - tactical flexibility between heal/cleanse, and hit/dispel. Both in one hero? Yes please. (Plus, her “passive” can poop out free mana for her allies; yowsa.)
Cristóbal - tactical flexibility of quick sniper or hit-all, just note whether your foes are over or under 50% hp; also mana-curse “passive”
Ray - the headline is EDD: red, but the tactical flexibility of DoT/EDD/dispel vs HoT/cleanse, with passives that throw mana-curse stacks and pooping out free mana? Also, Ray is a more recent Mage than the others, so his stats are natively bigger. Great Scott, Ray’s a busy guy.