Boom & Fang: The Reckless Duo with a Mega Bite

Overview

Boom & Fang arrived in Empires & Puzzles back in October 2023 as part of the mischievous Goblin Village family. This legendary Nature (Green) hero introduced players to the concept of the "White Boar Mega Minion," a beefy summon that essentially acts as a second health bar and a heavy hitter. While he was initially seen as a "Green Baldur" or a tile dumpster by some, his ability to stall and punish passive playstyles earned him a spot in many defenses. Now, over two years later, we look at whether this duo still has enough boom or if they have lost their fang.

Hero Art & Visuals

The artwork features a chaotic pairing of a large, somewhat sleepy-looking boar (presumably the "Boom" or the source thereof) and a manic goblin (Fang) clinging to it. The design captures the "reckless" nature of the Goblin family perfectly. The vibrant greens and the sheer bulk of the boar visually communicate the hero's role: a high-health meat shield that's going to be annoying to remove. It is arguably one of the more character-driven designs, distinct from the high-fantasy elves and knights of yore.

General Info

Hero Stats

When we look at Boom & Fang's stats in the context of late 2025, the power creep is undeniable.

• Base Attack: 891
• Base Defense: 959
• Base HP: 1746

Compared to modern juggernauts like Adelitza (released December 2025) who boasts base stats around 1312 Attack and 2263 HP, Boom & Fang sits significantly lower on the totem pole. His stats, which were robust in 2023, are now considered low. However, because his primary value comes from a Minion that inherits a percentage of these stats, emblems and Limit Breaks are absolutely mandatory to keep him relevant. Without them, his "Mega" minion is just a "Medium" minion by today's standards.

Special Skill: Boar Call

Boom & Fang's special skill is unusual because it doesn't deal direct damage itself. Instead, it outsources all the violence to his pet.

1. The Mega Minion: He summons a White Boar Mega Minion with 65% HP and 250% Attack inherited from the caster. This is the core of his kit. The minion acts as a massive overheal and a sniper that hits at the end of every turn.
2. The Counterattack: As long as the boar is alive, Boom & Fang counterattacks with 100% of received damage. This makes focusing him down painful, especially for AoE hitters who graze him.

Note: In the early days, there was confusion and rebalancing regarding the exact percentages (55% vs 65%), but the current data suggests a very healthy 65% HP inheritance, making the minion incredibly durable.

By the Numbers

Let's break down what this Goblin actually brings to the table mathematically, assuming a fully maxed (Level 80 + Emblems) version.

• Mana Speed: Average. He needs 10 tiles to charge (9 with mana troops/bonuses).
• Minion Health: With roughly 2000 HP (emblemed), the minion spawns with approximately 1,300 HP. That is more health than some older fully leveled 4-star heroes.
• Minion Damage: With roughly 1000 Attack (emblemed), the minion inherits 250% Attack, giving it a functional attack stat of 2,500.
  • This means the minion hits hard. While minion damage calculation differs slightly from special skills, a 250% attack slash every turn is roughly equivalent to a strong slash attack or a weak sniper hit—every single turn, for free, until it dies.
• Passive Impact: The 50% chance to deal 90% damage to all enemies is a nice bonus, softening up the enemy team, but relying on a coin flip for direct damage is risky.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Goblin family is notorious for passive effects that can swing a battle.

Family Bonus

The Goblin family bonus typically interacts with their unique status effects (Wither/Growth), but Boom & Fang relies more on his specific passive and the sheer utility of the Mega Minion mechanics.

Passives

• Damage & Accuracy Debuff: When casting the special, there is a 50% chance to deal 90% damage to all enemies and inflict -25% accuracy.
  • Analysis: This is his only form of immediate board impact. When it triggers, it's excellent—blindness (accuracy debuff) is a potent mitigation tool. When it fails, he effectively does "nothing" that turn except shield himself. This RNG factor makes him less reliable than modern heroes who guarantee their effects.

Aether Power

• Damage Reduction: This is a perfect fit for him. It reduces the damage he takes for the first few turns, helping him survive until he can cast his first Boar Call. Once the boar is out, the minion takes the damage, but the initial survival is critical for an Average speed hero.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Boom & Fang was met with mixed reviews. Some players saw the potential of a "Green Baldur"—a hero who sustains himself and whittles down the enemy. Others felt he lacked the immediate impact of his Goblin peers like Darkfeather or Madhammer. He found a niche as a surprisingly stubborn tank and a flank who could punish bad boards.
• Power Creep Analysis: The game has evolved towards faster speeds and higher damage. A single-target counterattack and a self-only minion are somewhat "selfish" skills in a meta that favors team-wide buffs or devastating AoE. However, the stats of the Mega Minion (specifically the 250% attack inheritance) have aged surprisingly well. The minion still hits hard enough to threaten modern glass cannons.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Boom & Fang is currently a niche hero. He is not a top-tier choice for main raid offense or defense against the newest meta teams. However, he remains excellent in:
  • Bloody Battle Tournaments: Where healing is banned, his minion acts as a massive pseudo-heal.
  • Mid-Tier Wars: He can still anchor a defense effectively against players lacking specific minion counters.
  • PvE/Towers: His self-sustain allows him to survive grueling floors where healers might struggle to keep up.

Costume & Costume Bonus

As of this review, Boom & Fang does not have a costume. This review focuses on the base hero.

Emblem Path Analysis

As a Cleric, Boom & Fang has the Manashield talent, giving him a chance to resist mana-affecting ailments. This is fantastic for a hero who needs to cast to survive.

The Indestructible Boar (Health/Defense)

• Path: Health > Defense > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes the HP of the Mega Minion. Since the minion inherits 65% of the hero's HP, every point of health you add to the hero effectively adds 0.65 health to the minion. This makes the "shield" incredibly difficult to break.
• Cons: The minion's attack will be slightly lower, reducing his offensive pressure.

The Rabid Boar (Attack/Health)

• Path: Attack > Health > Defense
• Pros: Maximizes the minion's damage. With a 250% multiplier, every +10 Attack node adds +25 Attack to the minion. This turns the boar into a legitimate threat that can kill supports on its own.
• Cons: The hero and minion are slightly softer.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Attack/Health path (or a balanced approach prioritizing Attack) is recommended. The survivability provided by the minion is already high due to the percentage base. To make Boom & Fang relevant in 2025, he needs to be a threat that cannot be ignored, and boosting that 250% attack multiplier is the best way to do it.

Strengths

• Massive Meat Shield: The Mega Minion essentially doubles his HP pool, making him extremely tanky without relying on healers.
• Passive Damage: The minion deals high damage every turn without requiring mana or tiles.
• Punishing Counter: The 100% counterattack deters tiles and AoE damage, forcing enemies to bring a dispeller or minion remover.
• Immune to Standard Minion Counters: Mega Minions generally resist effects that destroy "all minions" (taking 50% damage instead), making them stickier than normal minions.

Weaknesses

• Selfish Kit: He protects only himself. If the rest of the team dies, he can be ignored and killed last with tile manipulation.
• Slow Tempo: As an Average speed hero with no immediate team impact (unless the passive triggers), he allows the enemy time to set up.
• RNG Passive: His only AoE damage and blind is a 50/50 coin flip.
• Outdated Stats: Base stats from 2023 require heavy investment to stand up to 2025 damage dealers.

Best Game Modes

• Bloody Battle Tournaments: A+ tier. His minion provides "healing" in a mode where healing is forbidden.
• Buff Booster Tournaments: The counterattack and minion count as positive effects (usually), and the minion itself is a buff of sorts.
• Tower Events: His self-sustain allows him to survive grueling floors where healers might struggle to keep up.
• Map/Quest Farming: The auto-attack from the minion speeds up farming runs.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Boom & Fang works best in "attrition" teams—teams designed to outlast the opponent rather than nuke them in 3 turns.

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Undying" Defense:
  • Team: Goldie (Growth/Heal) - Boom & Fang - Toon Vivica (Cleanse/Heal) - Phorcys (Taunt) - Heavy Hitter
  • Concept: Goldie boosts attack/defense, making Boom & Fang's minion even stronger (minions inherit buffed stats if spawned while buffs are active). Phorcys protects the team while Boom & Fang sets up his personal fortress.
• The Minion Horde (2025 Edition):
  • Team: Water Margin Heroes (Minion synergy) - Boom & Fang - Leadria (HoT/Minions)
  • Concept: Overwhelm the enemy with multiple targets. Boom & Fang acts as the anchor that cannot be sniped.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Minion Removers: Heroes like Grimble (classic), Topaz, or modern anti-minion specialists deal heavy damage to Mega Minions (50% of HP), stripping his protection quickly.
• Lunar New Year Heroes: Heroes like Laohu or Erlang Shen who punish minions or block passive effects can neutralize him.
• Ignore Defense: Rangers or heroes with "Bypass" talents can hit through his counterattack or defense buffs, though they still have to chew through the minion HP.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Boom & Fang early in your journey, he is a fantastic asset. He will serve as a virtually unkillable tank for your alliance wars and map progression. Level him up, put him in the center of your defense, and watch enemies struggle to break through the boar.

Advice for Veterans

For the seasoned player with a roster full of 2025 monsters, Boom & Fang is likely a benchwarmer for wars or specific tournaments. He is not recommended for Alpha Aethers (LB2) unless you really love the Goblin family or lack other Nature projects. His stats hold him back from high-level competitive play, and his "selfish" nature means he doesn't support the crazy synergies of modern teams.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community's reaction to Boom & Fang was a rollercoaster of "meh" to "wait, that hits hard."

• The "Green Baldur" Comparison: Many forum users immediately drew parallels to Baldur, another hero who buffed his own health and hit randomly. User Sternman noted, "Boom & Fang is in essence a green Baldur with single hero riposte instead of all team mana protection."
• The Disappointment: There was vocal disappointment about his lack of team utility compared to his portal-mate Madhammer. As one user put it, "Not impressed if released like that … apart from being a tile dumpster."
• The Crit Discovery: A fascinating discovery by the community was that the Mega Minion's attacks can crit if the hero has a critical chance buff. User vanZille tested this extensively: "With and without hachiko crit, both normal and mega minion do crit... didn’t know that." This opens up interesting synergy with crit-boosting heroes.
• The "Solo" Finisher: Despite the hate, some players found him to be a clutch finisher. "That thing can one v one you and win all the time," remarked one player, highlighting his ability to win duels when everyone else is dead.

Final Thoughts

Boom & Fang is a hero that looks simple on paper but can be deceptively annoying in practice. He is the definition of a "stat check"—if you don't have the damage to break his minion, you lose. While he has been eclipsed by the flashy, screen-clearing skills of 2025, there is still something satisfying about summoning a giant pig to do your dirty work. He may not be the king of the goblins, but he's certainly the heaviest.

Final Verdict: A solid, durable hero for mid-game players and tournament enthusiasts, but likely too slow and selfish for the top-tier meta.