Buddy: The Elf Who Peaked in 2018

Overview

Buddy, the cheerful yet slightly unsettling "Santa's Little Helper," is an Epic (4-star) Nature hero from the classic Winter Family (Santa's Challenge). Released back when 4-star heroes could legitimately hold their own on 5-star defense teams, Buddy was once the king of 4-star tanks. This review focuses on his base version, but we will inevitably look at his flashy new costume to see if the original elf has any reason to leave the shelf. Spoiler alert: He’s mostly here for the nostalgia.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Buddy’s design is... iconic. He looks like he’s had a bit too much eggnog and is perhaps too excited to hand you that gift. The manic grin, the rosy cheeks, and the slightly manic energy give him a distinct "creepy elf" vibe that the community has lovingly embraced (and memed). Compared to his costume, which turns him into a distinguished "Bookkeeper" with glasses, the base version is pure, chaotic holiday spirit.

General Info

Hero Stats

Let's be real: Buddy's base stats are from a bygone era.

• Attack (531): This is abysmal by modern standards. For context, modern 4-stars like Hotspin are pushing 800+ Attack. Buddy hits like a wet noodle.
• Defense (690) & Health (1323): These were his selling points years ago. Today? They are merely "average" for a 4-star.
• Power (649): He is sitting about 150 points lower than the latest crop of 4-star heroes.

Without emblems and limit breaks, base Buddy is incredibly fragile compared to the modern power creep curve.

Special Skill: Gift Sack

Analysis: The "Gift Sack" is a utility-heavy skill that tries to do a little bit of everything:

1. Damage: 205% to three targets is negligible with his low attack stat. It's mostly there to trigger the debuffs.
2. Minions: 10% HP/Attack minions for himself and neighbors. These are "meat shields" but with his low base stats, they pop very easily.
3. Debuffs: The -24% Attack and -34% Defense down are the meat of the skill. Defense down is always valuable, and hitting three targets is great for Titans and raids. However, -34% is now considered a "standard" or even low amount compared to the -44% or higher seen on newer heroes.

Comparison to Costume: The costume (Santa's Bookkeeper) is a strict upgrade. It deals more damage (220%), applies a stronger defense down (-38%), and has vastly superior stats. The only thing the base version does "better" is the attack down (-24% vs -18% on costume), but that trade-off is rarely worth the massive drop in survivability.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Average. He needs 10 tiles to fire.
• Damage Potential: With ~531 Attack, a 205% hit deals ~1088 damage total (before defense mitigation). This is very low.
• Minion Health: 10% of 1323 HP is ~132 HP. A single slash attack from a modern 5-star will wipe this out instantly.
• Defense Break: -34% is decent, effectively increasing your team's damage by roughly 40-50% against those targets.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Winter family bonus boosts minion stats. It's nice if you run a full Christmas team (e.g., Mother North, Krampus), but on his own, it does nothing.

Passives

Base Buddy has no passives. This is a glaring weakness compared to his costume, which gets the "Frost on Minion Hit" passive, dealing extra DOT damage.

Aether Power

Attack Up: At the start of battle, he gets +20% attack for 6 turns. This tries to patch his terrible attack stat, but 20% of "very low" is still "low." It doesn't fix his fundamental issues.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Buddy was a legend. He was the only accessible Green defense down hero for a long time (before Almur). He was a staple on Blue Titans and a terror in 4-star tournaments.
• Power Creep Analysis: He has been power-crept into oblivion. His stats are too low to survive, his minions are paper-thin, and his damage is non-existent.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Bench. There is almost no reason to use the base version of Buddy if you have the costume. Even if you don't have the costume, there are better 4-star options for defense down (like Marcel or Almur). He is now primarily a collector's item or a nostalgia trip.

Costume & Costume Bonus

If you are lucky enough to pull his costume, never look back.

• Stats: The costume bonus and the costume's base stats push him to ~800+ Defense and ~1600+ HP, making him tanky again.
• Skill: The costume's defense down is better (-38%).
• Passive: The costume gets Frost damage.
• Recommendation: Always run the Costume version. If you need the slightly higher Attack Down (-24% vs -18%), you are likely in a situation where you are already losing.

Emblem Path Analysis

If you insist on using base Buddy (perhaps for a specific restriction or pure stubbornness), you need to keep him alive.

The Survivor (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes his only real asset: being a meat shield for the tank position (in 4-star tournaments). Increases minion HP slightly.
• Cons: His attack remains pitiful.

Final Recommendation

Go Defense/Health. He is a support hero. His damage is irrelevant; his job is to apply Defense Down and survive.

Strengths

• Defense Down: -34% to 3 targets is still a useful mechanic for tile damage.
• Minion Meat Shield: Provides a small buffer of HP for himself and neighbors.
• Nostalgia: He reminds us of simpler times.

Weaknesses

• Atrocious Stats: He simply cannot take a hit from modern heroes.
• Low Damage: He hits like a pillow.
• Average Speed: Too slow for the impact he provides.
• Outclassed: His costume and other modern 4-stars do everything he does, but better.

Best Game Modes

• 4-Star Rush Tournaments: His average speed becomes Very Fast, allowing him to fire his minions and defense down quickly.
• Blue Titans (Early Game): If you lack other Green Defense Down heroes.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

• Titan Team (Budget): Buddy + Wu Kong + Caedmon + Melendor + Hansel. Buddy provides the defense down to boost tile damage.
• Minion Synergy: Pair with other minion makers (like Frosty or Rudolph) to leverage the Family Bonus, though this is a weak strategy today.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Minion Destroyers: Heroes like Grimble, Topaz, or even Captain of Diamonds eat him for breakfast.
• Grimm/Tiburtus: Standard ramming pulverizers hit harder and offer similar utility.

Advice for New Players

If you pull Buddy early, he is a great asset. A green defense down hero is rare and essential for Titans. Level him up, but prioritize his costume if you get it.

Advice for Veterans

He is food. Or a museum piece. Unless you have the costume, base Buddy has no place in a veteran's roster. Do not limit break him. Do not give him 20 emblems unless you have a surplus of Ranger emblems and a deep love for Christmas.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• "I love this creepster! And I so look forward to trying for a second one!" - A fan from 2019, clearly charmed by the smile.
• "He is literally a great buddy when fighting blue titans... Bye-bye, blue titans." - An early endorsement of his Titan utility.
• "The nerf to Buddy makes so little sense..." - Community outrage when the Christmas family minions were nerfed in 2022, catching Buddy in the crossfire meant for Krampus.

Final Thoughts

Buddy is like that old Christmas sweater you keep in the back of the closet. It’s a bit itchy, outdated, and looks funny, but you can’t bring yourself to throw it away because of the memories. In the game, use the Costume. If you don't have the costume, use him for Titans until you find something better, then let him retire to the North Pole.

Final Verdict: Use the Costume. Base Buddy is retired.