Bertulf, The Culinary Crusader: Serving Up Massive Titan Scores

Overview

Bertulf is a Rare (3-star) Holy hero from the Clash of Knights alliance event, affectionately known as the "Chef of the Castle." Released back in late 2021, he quickly established himself as a staple in the rosters of both new players and veterans. Why? Because he brings a mechanic typically reserved for premium 5-star heroes like Miki or Tarlak—massive normal attack boosting without a miss chance—down to the 3-star level. While he lacks a costume, his base form is potent enough to make him a "Mini-Miki" that punches well above his weight class.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Bertulf’s design is a delightful break from the usual armored knights and sorcerers. He is a burly, bearded chef, proudly presenting a "Magnificent Meal"—a massive roast chicken that looks like it provides a substantial HP boost just by looking at it. His apron is stained, his knives are at the ready, and he exudes the confidence of a man who knows that an army marches on its stomach. There was a long-standing community joke about his eyes (or lack thereof) in the original artwork, giving him a slightly ominous, "blind chef" vibe, but he's mostly just focused on the feast.

General Info

Hero Stats

Base Stats (No Emblems)

Level	Attack	Defense	Health	💪Power
3/50	491	460	820	480
3/55lb1	557	522	929	536
3/60lb2	688	645	1148	647

▶Calculate with Emblems

Simulation: 0 Emblems

Level				💪
3/50	491	460	820	480
3/55lb1	557	522	929	536
3/60lb2	688	645	1148	647

At his release, Bertulf's stats were quite tanky for a 3-star, boasting high health (820) which allowed him to survive hits that would crumble other support heroes. In the modern meta, 491 Attack and 460 Defense are decent but average compared to the power-crept monsters from the Goblin or Construct families. However, his massive HP pool keeps him relevant, allowing him to survive a hit or two from higher-level Titans, especially when Limit Broken. He is not a glass cannon; he is a sturdy support pillar.

Special Skill: Magnificent Meal

Special Skill

Magnificent Meal

Mana Speed

Average

• All allies get +100% normal attack for 4 turns. This effect can be active in addition to effectst hat alter attack in general. Normal attacks can have a total maximum of +160% increased power while this effect is active.

⚡ Tile Breakpoints Guide

10Base Tiles

12% Bonus

9Tiles

This skill is the bread and butter (pun intended) of Bertulf's kit.

• Effect: All allies get +100% normal attack for 4 turns.
• Stacking: This effect stacks with general attack buffs (like Boldtusk's banner or standard attack up) up to a maximum of +160%.

Analysis: This is a game-changer. Unlike Wu Kong or Ranvir, who offer higher attack buffs but come with a debilitating chance to miss, Bertulf offers consistency. A 100% boost to tile damage means your tiles hit twice as hard, every single time. While the ceiling is lower than Wu Kong's theoretical max, the floor is significantly higher because you never whiff a crucial stun or damage spike. It is important to note that this only applies to normal attacks (tiles), not special skills, which is standard for this type of buff.

By the Numbers

Let's break down why "The Chef" is mathematically delicious.

• Mana Speed: Average. He requires 10 tiles to charge (9 with a level 17+ mana troop or other mana bonuses). In Rush tournaments, he becomes Very Fast (6.5 tiles), making him devastating.
• Damage Potential:
  • Base Tile Damage: X
  • With Bertulf (+100%): 2X
  • With Bertulf + Banner (+160% Cap): 2.6X
  • Comparison: Wu Kong averages higher numbers if he hits, but Bertulf guarantees 200% output on tiles. In a 3-match of tiles that would normally deal 1000 damage total, Bertulf ensures they deal 2000. Wu Kong might make them deal 2850, or 0. The consistency is key for breaking Titan weak spots.
• Survival: With 820 Base HP + ~100 from emblems + ~100 from LB1, he easily breaks 1000 HP, allowing him to survive splash damage from 9-10* Titans.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Being part of the Wolf Family, Bertulf benefits from one of the more annoying defensive bonuses in the game, though it's less relevant for his primary role in Titan attacks.

Family Bonus

Family Bonus

Alliance - Wolves

• Bonus for 1/2/3 Heroes:
• 20%/35%/50% chance to make a cast buff undispellable.
• The members of this family have additional perks in the Clash of Knights event.

The Wolf Family bonus gives a chance (35%/50% for 2/3 heroes) to make a buff undispellable. This is excellent in Bloody Battle tournaments or against dispel-heavy teams, ensuring his attack buff sticks around.

Passives

Bertulf generally does not have innate passives outside of the family bonus in his base form.

Aether Power

Aether Power

Counterattack

At the start of each battle, this Hero counterattacks with 60% of the damage received for 6 turns.

In battles with multiple waves, the effect is refreshed at the beginning of each wave.

Counterattack: When Limit Broken, he gains a chance to counterattack. While not his primary function, any chip damage helps in a close tournament match.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Bertulf was hailed as the "Poor Man's Tarlak." He democratized high-level Titan scoring for free-to-play players who couldn't pull premium 5-star buffers.
• Power Creep Analysis: While his stats have fallen behind the latest Toon and Construct heroes, his utility has not been power-crept. A +100% attack buff with no downside is still rare in the 3-star rarity.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Highly Viable. He remains the gold standard for Rare Alliance Quests, Challenge Events, and 3-Star Tournaments. For many players, he is still a go-to hero for Titans up to 10-12 stars if they lack Miki, Tarlak, or Oceanus. He is not just a collector's item; he is a working tool.

Costume & Costume Bonus

Currently, Bertulf does not have a costume. He relies entirely on his base form, which has proven resilient enough to withstand the test of time without one. If a costume were to be released, one would hope for a stat boost to keep him tanky enough for 14-star Titans or perhaps a shift to Fast mana speed.

Emblem Path Analysis

As a support hero whose main job is to survive long enough to cast his buff, defensive stats are paramount.

The Survivor (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes survivability against Titans and in Rush wars. Keeps the "Chef" in the kitchen longer.
• Cons: Lowers his individual tile damage contribution slightly.

The Aggressive Chef

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Adds a bit more punch to his tile damage and slash attacks.
• Cons: Makes him significantly squishier; a dead buffer deals zero damage.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Survivor (Def/HP) path is recommended because Bertulf's value is entirely in his special skill. If he dies before firing, your Titan score plummets.

Strengths

• Consistency: Provides a massive attack boost without the risk of missing (unlike Wu Kong).
• Accessibility: As a 3-star hero, he is much easier to obtain and max than 5-star alternatives.
• Versatility: Useful in Titans, Events, Mythic Titans, and Tournaments.
• Tankiness: Naturally high HP for a 3-star hero.

Summary: Bertulf is the definition of "reliable." He fixes the biggest frustration of Titan fights—missing the stun due to RNG—while boosting your damage output significantly.

Weaknesses

• Average Speed: Can be too slow for some PvP raids or bad boards in events without mana potions.
• Stat Ceiling: As a 3-star, his defense is low for fighting 12-14* Titans without heavy Limit Breaking and emblem investment.
• Buff Cap: His buff stacks, but only up to 160%. You cannot stack him with Tarlak or Miki effectively; they overwrite or conflict rather than adding up infinitely.

Summary: His main weakness is simply being a 3-star hero in a game of 5-star giants. He requires protection (Limit Break, Emblems) to survive in high-level content.

Best Game Modes

• Titans: His primary home. Essential for consistent high scores on 14* Titans (with items) or 8-10* Titans (without).
• Challenge Events (Rare Tier): A staple for getting high scores by boosting tile damage to blast through waves.
• Mythic Titans: Excellent for the "first hit" or subsequent teams where you need depth in buffers.
• Rush Tournaments: At Very Fast speed, his attack buff is oppressive.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Bertulf shines when he is the pivot point of a tile-damage-heavy team.

Sample Team Ideas

1. The Titan Slayer (Budget):
   • Bertulf (Attack Buff) + C. Brienne (Def Down) + Nordri (Elemental Def Down) + Whacker (High Damage) + Poppy (Multi-hit).
   • Why: This stack maximizes damage modifiers: Attack Up + Def Down + Elemental Def Down = Huge Numbers.
2. The Rush Tournament Wall:
   • Treevil + Bertulf + Faiez + Waqas + Kvasir.
   • Why: Treevil slows them down, Faiez blocks ailments, and Bertulf ensures your slash attacks and tiles destroy the enemy while they struggle to gain mana.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: Dis-pellers (like Sabina or Tyrum) can wipe his buff instantly. Attack Down ailments (like from Skittleskull) can counteract his buff if applied after.
• Anti-Synergy: Wu Kong / Ranvir. Do not use them together. Their buffs often overwrite or conflict in counter-intuitive ways, and you lose the consistency Bertulf provides.

Advice for New Players

Level him immediately. Bertulf is one of the few 3-star heroes who will remain useful even when you have a full team of 5-stars. He is your ticket to better Titan loot, which accelerates your entire account's growth. Prioritize him over "pure damage" snipers.

Advice for Veterans

If you have Miki, Tarlak, or Oceanus, Bertulf is relegated to Rare Events and Mythic Titan depth. However, he is absolutely worth the Limit Break (LB1) and even LB2 if you care about competitive Alliance Quest or Challenge Event scores. His animation is faster than some 5-stars, saving precious seconds in competitive play.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community has long debated "Bertulf vs. Wu Kong."

• One player noted, "I hated Wu Kong’s miss, so Bertulf is a godsend... I actually put Wu Kong on the bench after maxing this dude out."
• Another pointed out his surprising durability: "I take him with me on 10-11* Titans. With 20 emblems and LB he can survive 1-2 hits."*
• A funny historical note: When first released, players noticed he seemingly had no eyes in his artwork, leading to jokes about him cooking by smell alone. This was later "fixed" (or just clarified) in high-res versions, but the legend of the Blind Chef remains.

Final Thoughts

Bertulf is a working-class hero. He doesn't have the flashy animations of the Goblins or the sheer stats of the Toons, but he shows up, cooks a magnificent meal, and helps your team hit like a truck. If you are tired of Wu Kong missing that crucial tile that would have stunned the Titan, it's time to let the Chef into your kitchen.

Final Recommendation: A mandatory hero for every roster. Level him, Emblem him, Limit Break him. Bon Appétit!