New player seeking some direction

[rho]

Hi everyone, first post here so please be a bit patient with me. A bit of background: I started playing about 3 weeks ago, got completely addicted, then made the newbie mistake of getting too enamored by all the shiny legendaries they showcase in the epic summons. Before I realized what I was doing, I dumped $300+ into this game and have exactly ZERO 5* to show for all that.

The small silver lining is I did get some decent 4* heroes, and looking at the ascension mats needed to get even a single 5* to 3/70, I’m thinking maybe it’s a blessing I didn’t get any legendaries, so I can focus on building up a decent 4* team before playing the long game on 5*. (ok I’m just trying to make myself feel better about my terribad luck, anyways).

In terms of progression, currently at SH12, and have 2x TC11 and 1x TC6. Progressed up to 1-15 just so I could unlock Atlantis. Have not done a single Atlantis stage due to WE requirement (waiting for Atlantis rising).

Before I go into any specifics, a few general questions first:

1. Can I at least beat the Dark Lord with a maxed 4* team? How about 3/60?
2. Assuming I eventually get all the ascension mats required, how far would a maxed 4* team take me? While I do enjoy the PvP aspect, I’m not terribly competitive, and would be content to have a solid footing in the gold league, maybe on the edge of platinum
3. If by some miracle my luck changes in the next few months and I get a legendary, would it still be advisable to focus on building a maxed out 4* team before tackling the 5*?

Now for the specifics, so here’s my roster of heroes (that matter) and my defense team:

I know there are some obvious gaps in there, mainly the lack of a purple hitter, and not a single decent yellow (Chao and Li Xiu are very meh), but I’m just trying to work with the deck I got dealt. I pulled Grimm from the elemental summons two days ago, and just pulled Caedmon today, which is why they’re still somewhat underpowered right now. My plan is to replace Valen with Grimm and Berden with Caedmon when they’ve been appropriately leveled. The lack of a usable dispeller has been killing me when it came to facing teams with Boril/Cyprian, as I have no workaround against their perfect riposte. Anyways… I know this is an extremely generic and annoying question, *but how do I make the most of out of this deck that’s been dealt? I’ll try to narrow it down somewhat:

1. When (or if) should I level Sonya? She’s essentially the blue version of Caedmon but tankier, and seems like would be better suited in a defense team.
2. Same question with Boril. My original plan was to have the Boldtusk-Boril-Rigard trifecta, but then I don’t really have any heavy hitters apart from Scarlett, and she’s very squishy. In fact, I’d say the main thing holding me back in my defense is the lack of decent snipers. Having two healers is one thing, but if I can’t dish out enough damage fast enough, the other team is going to break through my defense eventually.
3. Is Kashhrek worth leveling if I already have BT+Rigard? I know he’s a very good tank, but he seems to be somewhat of a one-trick pony.
4. What purple hitters would you recommend? “Classical” heroes would get priority at this point simply because they’re much more accessible, and playing slots with the event summon is going to burn another giant hole in my wallet. Although if you guys agree Merlin is worth rolling the dice on, I might throw some more $$$ at it…
5. Besides Wu Kong which seems to be a must-get 4* yellow, any other 4* yellows (particularly hitters) worth rolling for? I really would like a Jackal but that’s at least few months out (plus $$$$).
6. Can’t decide Chao vs Li Xiu for defense. Li Xiu is average speed but cuts mana for all, whereas Chao is fast but hits one only (and the consensus is the AI is pretty stupid). On that note, who should I level first? I’m leaning towards Chao as he’s more useful in offense, and Li Xiu seems to really be a defense hero only.
7. Hero placement? Scarlett is fast but on wing position I’m not sure if she’s durable enough to get at least one special off before she gets plastered.

Any other comments/feedback welcomed! TIA!!!

[Murphy]

At your level it’s best to focus on building 2 rainbow teams of 3 stars. Ascension items for 4s are still hard to accumulate- easier than for 5s, but still rare. A solid maxed 3 star team should get you a long way in Season 1 which you will need for farming food, iron and crafting materials. Longer term a maxed 4 star team will let you beat the dark lord. Lots of good advice in the gameplay section of this forum.

[LogBomb]

1. Can I at least beat the Dark Lord with a maxed 4* team? How about 3/60?
2. Assuming I eventually get all the ascension mats required, how far would a maxed 4* team take me? While I do enjoy the PvP aspect, I’m not terribly competitive, and would be content to have a solid footing in the gold league, maybe on the edge of platinum
3. If by some miracle my luck changes in the next few months and I get a legendary, would it still be advisable to focus on building a maxed out 4* team before tackling the 5*?

1. Yes on the Maxed 4* if it has good Synergies, like Wilbur + Wu (or any Def Down + Att Up) and possibility of stacking (using more than 1 of each color, while missing on other colors). No on the 3/60

2. A Maxed 4* team will be much stronger than a 3/70 5*, especially because you can use Emblems to beef up your heroes, so work on them. You will also need a deep roster for Wars and 4*s are fantastic for that, even when you start getting some 5s they are great support and complement heroes

3. Yes. Unless you have the Mats for the 5* or no good 4* from that color, focus on the 4*s.

[LogBomb]

1. When (or if) should I level Sonya? She’s essentially the blue version of Caedmon but tankier, and seems like would be better suited in a defense team.
2. Same question with Boril. My original plan was to have the Boldtusk-Boril-Rigard trifecta, but then I don’t really have any heavy hitters apart from Scarlett, and she’s very squishy. In fact, I’d say the main thing holding me back in my defense is the lack of decent snipers. Having two healers is one thing, but if I can’t dish out enough damage fast enough, the other team is going to break through my defense eventually.
3. Is Kashhrek worth leveling if I already have BT+Rigard? I know he’s a very good tank, but he seems to be somewhat of a one-trick pony.
4. What purple hitters would you recommend? “Classical” heroes would get priority at this point simply because they’re much more accessible, and playing slots with the event summon is going to burn another giant hole in my wallet. Although if you guys agree Merlin is worth rolling the dice on, I might throw some more $$$ at it…
5. Besides Wu Kong which seems to be a must-get 4* yellow, any other 4* yellows (particularly hitters) worth rolling for? I really would like a Jackal but that’s at least few months out (plus $$$$).
6. Can’t decide Chao vs Li Xiu for defense. Li Xiu is average speed but cuts mana for all, whereas Chao is fast but hits one only (and the consensus is the AI is pretty stupid). On that note, who should I level first? I’m leaning towards Chao as he’s more useful in offense, and Li Xiu seems to really be a defense hero only.
7. Hero placement? Scarlett is fast but on wing position I’m not sure if she’s durable enough to get at least one special off before she gets plastered.

1. Later. One dispeller should be enough for now. I like Sonya more than Caedmon, but unless you need more than one dispeller for wars focus on more variety for now. Having different heroes is important.

2. Boril is a great tank, arguably the best 4* tank. I would work on him if you do have the mats for him, independetly of the rest of your team

3. Nope. I was super excited when I got him and leveled him to the max and haven’t touched him in ages - even in wars

4. Don’t throw more money at this until you have more mats. Work on the heroes you have for now, you have a good long road ahead of you. Save gems and try Elemental pulls if you want. That’s how I got some of my classic heroes to fill color gaps in my roster. Level one TC to 13 or 20 and start training asap.

5. Wilbur is a must have imo. He’s a 5* in disguise and very few red 5* will take his place on my team. Proteus is another one, essential to finish challenge events, even if I don’t use him on most of my main teams (only when dark stacking). I can think of a few others from events but they don’t come around often - Buddy is good, Hansel is great.

6. I worked Li before working Chao. I prefer her. Average vs fast, yes there is some difference but mana down all is great to have.

7. Depends on the rest of the team. Looking at the team you showed, you should not pair 2 heroes of the same color next to each other - makes it easier for the strong tiles to hit them both. Also, in an ideal defense team, the tank (middle hero) color is unique and not repeated in the rest of the team. Most players will stack the strong color against the tank and having more heroes of that color can be detrimental.

[Olmor]

Accidentally deleted a long post.

[rho]

@LogBomb

5. Wilbur is a must have imo. He’s a 5* in disguise and very few red 5* will take his place on my team. Proteus is another one, essential to finish challenge events, even if I don’t use him on most of my main teams (only when dark stacking). I can think of a few others from events but they don’t come around often - Buddy is good, Hansel is great.

6. Depends on the rest of the team. Looking at the team you showed, you should not pair 2 heroes of the same color next to each other - makes it easier for the strong tiles to hit them both. Also, in an ideal defense team, the tank (middle hero) color is unique and not repeated in the rest of the team. Most players will stack the strong color against the tank and having more heroes of that color can be detrimental.

5. Yeah the Atlantis heroes just seem to be better, but the RNG gods hate me with a passion.

6. That’s what I kinda figured as well, but BT just seemed a tad tankier than Rigard. Plus Rigard is the only cleanser so I could get DoT’d to death if he fell first, which is why BT took the tank position. But sounds like it might work better like this: Li Xiu-BT-Rigard-Berden-Scarlett. (Berden will be replaced as soon as Caedmon is leveled up, desperately need a dispeller in there)

[LogBomb]

That sounds like a solid team to start with no doubt. Would be great to get a def down or def up hero in there, but that should do for now

[Zteev]

You’ve got a lot of good advice here, I highly recommend being flexible as you get new heroes, and have an in-game organizational system. My first team is the heroes I’m working on leveling, so that I can easily find them.

One other thing, is that when you get costumes, you hero priority may change - there are suddenly more cleansers, for example.

Good luck and have fun.

[Sarah2]

Belatedly, welcome to the forum,

You’ve ve got a lot of advice on your hero roster, so I won’t add any more.

I would however recommend being part of a training alliance with knowledgeable people who welcome questions. Speaking from personal experience I avoided alot of the pitfalls new players fall into like levelling 5* heros instead of building a rainbow 3*/4* roster.

If you’re not in one already, check out the alliance recruitment section. GL!

[Oksure]

There’s already very detailed and solid advice here, I will just add one thing, in your position I would completely stop making elemental or epic hero summons for S1 heroes, even with the free Epic Hero Tokens. Just save all your gems and tokens for Atlantis or events. Rest of S1 heroes you can collect in time from TC20.
Caed, Rigard, Boril, Li, Scarlett could be a solid start for defence with what you have.

[SupremeAlienRaptor]

I’d save your tokens, especially gold Epic Hero Tokens to use during the seasonal events.

And if you aren’t in a training alliance, find one.

[zephyr1]

@Olmor

Accidentally deleted a long post.

I restored a post that might be the one you lost:

@Olmor

Welcome @rho

Focus on 3* and 4* first.
5* will also come from TC20.
4* with emblems can take you through the 1st 2 years.

Li is one of the best 4* tanks.
Definitely her over Chao.

Sonya, Caed and Melendor will counter riposte for you.

Kash isn’t worth imo, but not bad, heals over time and fire shield.

Level up all your healers to beat the dark lord and for wars. It is possible even with 3* and the right items.

Heroes to level:
Rigard, Boldie, Mel, Grimm, Sonya, Caed, Scarlet, Boril, Colan.

3.60 is okay in the beginning.

Possible defenses:

1. Boldie Grimm Li Rigard Caed
2. Mel Scarlet Boril Rigard Chao

[bobiscool]

Just some random thoughts, I’m not questioning your authenticity, and welcome to the game, but you spent $300 dollars and that’s all the heroes you have? That’s not a huge selection.

But regardless, IMO, most of the advice here is pretty generic, but if you are the kind of player who might eventually want to spend a good amount of money on the game (which your initial spending seems to hint at you don’t mind spending money on entertainment), I would suggest going a slightly different route.

First of all, a set of good, synergistic 4 stars can do everything in the game, except rank at the top in pvp. Since you’re not interested in pvp, you can effectively do everything, even finish the hardest stage on hard mode in season 2 without any 5 star heroes whatsoever.

But, if you are planning to potentially spend more money, I wouldn’t want to spread myself too thin right now. You seem to be leveling all kinds of heroes randomly; a costumed melendor, a non-costumed melendor.

You’re asking very specific questions, which shows you’re probably done a lot of reading. But a lot of times, theory is theory. You don’t truly understand theory until you’ve experienced it.

So my personal suggestion is focus on a single set of rainbow heroes; get your TP up first. With season 1, you should be able to complete it even without good, synergistic heroes or stacking; I know I did.

And once you reach harder stages, or start having an interest in pvp, and once you gain more experience in the game, with the theory you gained from all your reading, I think you’ll automatically see what kind of heroes you might want/need.

Especially since you’ve had experience with pairings that might not be optimal, you’ll see a big difference when you bring in some heroes like wilbur and proteus. Just listening to everyone else’s advice from the start on which heroes to use, you’re not really playing the game yourself, you’re kind of letting everyone else play for you. And as a result, you don’t really understand why and you can’t see a difference between how an inferior combination of heroes might have worked.

And at that point, you can decide to use an inferior 4 star version, or buy more gems for a 5 star version and start working on your 2nd, 3rd (and beyond) set of heroes.

[rho]

Thanks for that slightly contrarian response, appreciate it! Out of the $300 I spent, I think only half of it went towards pulls, the other half was spent mainly on expanding hero roster and WE refills (yeah yeah I know), oh and the occasional ascension mat offer that comes along that you can only buy with gems. And yeah as mentioned I’ve just had really bad luck with the RNG, did 2x 10 pulls from epic summons and the only good ones to come out of those were Rigard, Scarlett, and Boldtusk, all the rest were just duplicates of 3*. Did a 10 pull from Atlantis and didn’t even get a single 4*.

In contrast, a 10 pull ice elemental landed me Grimm, Sonya x2, and Boril in one go, and a 10 pull nature elemental gave me Caed, Kash, and SkittleSkull x2. Shoulda just done a 10 pull from each element since the cost would’ve been the same, but a least I’ll have a much better selection for a rainbow team. Oh well hindsight is always 20/20.

You’re right about being spread too thin, I just have this aversion to feeding off-color heroes, and I had a huge pile of green feeders clogging up my deck, and Melendor was the only one worth leveling at the time (this was before the elemental 10 pull), so they all went to Mel.

I think what bothered me about PvP is the gulf between new players and veterans is simply MASSIVE. I understand that’s of course to beexpected, but it’s no fun when 9/10 matches pit you against someone with TP 500 above yours, and re-rolling gets pricey real quick. I started noticing this in silver, and after just squeezing myself into gold today, I can tell I’m clearly way out of my league, since my bench is extremely limited. Well gotta learn to walk before I can run right?

[Sarah2]

Hang in there. We were all new to this game once upon a time. Stacking strong colour heros against the tank I’ve found lots of success with teams 500+TP. GL

[diesdas]

You need a lot of patience for sure. I was lucky pulling a few 5* when i was new to the game. Took me more than half a year to get all the asc mats i needed for them. Have done at least 80-100 atlantis pulls over the time, mot likely even more and not a Single atlantis 5* yet. Dont put too much pressure on yourself, you will get stronger by time. And once your tp is 3,5k or even 4k it will soon feel so long ago that you still had to struggle with your weak tp. Also stick with color leveling till you as long as you have heroes worth leveling in each color and dont have 6 maxed teams for wars yet. So for about a year i would say. If you have enough heroes in every color, you can start to level up a certain hero off color to get him maxed asap.

[diesdas]

Also, dont waste too much items on finishing s1 or s2. Rather replay old levels for farming when you get to a point where your team is not strong enough to beat the stages… You wont waste so much we this way also. And dont buy the chests for gems in the shop, that give you chances to get 3* or 4* mat. Just look at the percntages, its too much of a gamble. There is almost no buy-for-gems offer i could recommens. Gems are best used for hero summons, raid tournaments and skipping chests (but imo not even that much if you are less than platinum ranked). And last: dont level your 3* troops, wait for 4* troops. Which might take a while. Took me more than 1 year to get a green 4*, while in all other colors i already had dupes. But i also never spent gems on summoning troops

[Olmor]

Thank you. Nicely done.

[rho]

Thanks yeah I made a bee line to 1-15 just so I could unlock Atlantis for Atlantis Rising and never bothered progressing in S1. The WE cost just isn’t worth it for the incremental gains for farming. I mainly stick to 8-7 for farming, or 12-9 if I’m short on food/want more XP. I’m farming Atlantis rising like crazy right now and plan on using all the WE flasks I’ve gathered for this. It’s so much more profitable than farming any S1 province by far. Too bad the devs nerfed it and it only lasts 2.5 days now.

@diesdas

And dont buy the chests for gems in the shop, that give you chances to get 3* or 4* mat. Just look at the percntages, its too much of a gamble. There is almost no buy-for-gems offer i could recommens.

Haha no worries I’ve read enough horror stories on here to know better than waste any gems on those “contains at least X of these” offers. The offer I was referring to was this:

Not sure how often these come around or if everybody gets it, but 500 gems for TWO unfarmable ascension items? Yes please. Trainer hero is just gravy, but largely useless for me at this point and just clogging up my roster. (ok yes I know the rare quests grant these ascension items, but to me personally it’s worth the 500 gems just to have more of these)

@diesdas

Gems are best used for hero summons, raid tournaments and skipping chests (but imo not even that much if you are less than platinum ranked). And last: dont level your 3* troops, wait for 4* troops. Which might take a while. Took me more than 1 year to get a green 4*, while in all other colors i already had dupes. But i also never spent gems on summoning troops

As far as gem summons go, I guess the RNG took pity on me with troop summons. One 10 pull got me 3x 4* star troops in the green, yellow, and blue variety (all crit, no mana). Then another 10 tokens later and I now have a rainbow set of 4* troops (all crit except purple mana, still can’t complain). I think I’ll level troops last, the food cost is astronomical just to level one 4* troop a few levels, and only for a 1% gain to each stat lol.

[nevarmaor]

I don’t know if you’ve seen this yet but there is a wealth of information linked here.

Master List of E&P Links & Player Guides

A list of E&P links to help players new and old. (Caught up thru post #136) Forum Forum Rules Foreign Languages Forum Tutorial (@Discobot) Help with Forum Issues Game Rules/Help Zynga Terms of Service (TOS) E&P Support (Ingame: Menu > Options > Support > Support > Scroll thru menu) New! Q&A - Spring 2021 Edition (v36) Season 4 Gameplay and more Hero Plan (GDI Bass) BETA Content! Search String: Search results for '#beta-beat order:latest_topic' - Empires & Puzzles Community Fo…

As for hero advice, @bobiscool makes some good points there even if you don’t plan on spending any more. You need to learn what each of the heroes you have can do so that you can team them up effectively. I think this is especially important for the non-spenders (like me) as we have a much more limited pool of heroes to work with, and every one can be useful somewhere.

Accept the advice given on hero positioning but try to understand why that advice is given as it is.