Cedar: The Chain-Swinging Simian Bringing Misses to the Masses

Overview

Cedar is a 3-star Holy Ranger belonging to the Jungle Hunter family, released back in the wild days of mid-2023. Visually reminiscent of a certain legendary Monkey King, Cedar brings a chaotic mix of AoE damage and accuracy manipulation to the 3-star arena. While his raw damage output might feel a bit like a "soft boop" compared to the earth-shattering hits of modern heroes, his utility—specifically forcing enemies to miss their shots—can be the difference between a win and a wipeout. He doesn't have a costume, so what you see is what you get: a frantic monkey with a chain and a plan.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Cedar’s artwork is dynamic and full of motion, capturing him mid-swing with his "Titanbone Chain." The vibrant jungle greens and his determined (if slightly manic) expression give him a distinct personality. He looks like he’s having the time of his life, which is more than we can say for the enemies missing their specials because of him. It’s a solid design that fits perfectly within the "Untold Tales" aesthetic—wild, untamed, and a little bit dangerous.

General Info

Hero Stats

When we look at Cedar's stats through the lens of 2026, the picture is... a bit dusty.

• Attack (535): Once respectable, this is now considered average to low for an attacker. Modern 3-star attackers like Rudolph C1 are pushing 650+ attack.
• Defense (477) & Health (729): These are his weak points. With modern "Glass" family heroes and Constructs boasting nearly 1000 HP and higher defense, Cedar is incredibly fragile. He is effectively a "glass cannon" without the cannon-level firepower. He needs protection or emblems to survive more than a stiff breeze.

Special Skill: Titanbone Chain Slash

Analysis: The Titanbone Chain Slash is a mixed bag of "meh" damage and "wow" utility.

• The Damage: 175% to all enemies is weak. In today's meta, this barely scratches enemies with high defense or boosted health. Do not rely on Cedar as your primary kill-shot.
• The Debuff (The Star of the Show): The accuracy debuff is where Cedar earns his bananas. Starting at -15% and potentially dropping to -35% if the enemies are hit repeatedly is a potent disruption tool. In 3-star tournaments, causing a key sniper or healer to miss can completely swing the match.
• The Stack: The +20% attack stack against the weaker element (Dark) is a nice bonus, especially against the ubiquitous Treevil tanks in Rush tournaments, but it takes time to build up—time Cedar might not have given his fragility.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the math behind the monkey.

• Mana Speed: Average. He requires 10 tiles to charge (without mana troops/bonuses). In a 3-star environment where mana troops are limited, he is strictly average speed unless used in Rush Attack.
• Damage Potential: With 535 Attack, a 175% hit deals roughly 936 damage (unmitigated raw value). After applying typical 3-star enemy defense (approx 500-600), this results in a rather unimpressive ~150-200 damage per target.
• Passive Impact: The Hunter's Mark adds 150 damage over 3 turns (50 per turn). This effectively boosts his total damage output significantly against a single target (randomly chosen), turning his "scratch" into a decent wound over time.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Jungle Hunter family brings some interesting mechanics to the table that help patch up Cedar's weaknesses.

Family Bonus

The Jungle Hunter bonus is generally offensive, but requires multiple family members to really shine. Alone, it doesn't offer Cedar much, but if paired with other Hunters, the synergy can be decent.

Passives

• Hunter's Mark: As mentioned, this adds a DoT component to his special. It's free damage on a random target, which is always welcome.
• Hunter's Vigor: +20% Attack for 3 turns on cast helps his subsequent tile damage or slashes, trying to compensate for his lower base attack stat.

Aether Power

Attack Up is a simple, effective boost. It helps him deal a bit more damage, but given his utility role, a defensive Aether Power might have been more beneficial to keep him alive longer.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Cedar was seen as an interesting utility hero—accuracy down is rare in 3-star rarities. He wasn't a meta-breaker like Treevil, but he was a solid option for depth.
• Power Creep Analysis: The game has moved fast. New 3-star heroes from the "Construct", "Astral", and "Glass" families have stats that eclipse Cedar's. A modern 3-star tank can have stats comparable to old 4-stars. Cedar's 477 Defense makes him a liability against these new powerhouses.
• Modern Viability: Cedar is now a niche utility hero. He is not a starter for a general defense team. His viability is almost entirely restricted to Rush Attack tournaments or specific Bloody Battle scenarios where his accuracy debuff can mitigate incoming damage since there is no healing.

Costume & Costume Bonus

Currently, Cedar does not have a costume. This puts him at a further disadvantage regarding stats compared to the many "Toon" and "Costume 3" versions of classic heroes running around with massive stat bonuses.

Emblem Path Analysis

Cedar is squishy. Very squishy. You have two main schools of thought here, but for him to do his job (debuffing), he needs to stay alive.

The Survivalist (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Keeps him alive long enough to cast his special at least once. Maximizes the value of his accuracy debuff by keeping him on the field.
• Cons: His damage remains underwhelming.

The Gambler

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Tries to make his 175% hit sting a little bit more and boosts his DoT/Stack potential.
• Cons: He will likely die to a stiff breeze or a single slash from a modern sniper before charging.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Defense/Health path is recommended. Cedar is a support hero disguised as a ranger; his value is in the miss chance, not the kill count.

Strengths

• Accuracy Manipulation: Causing enemies to miss is a powerful form of mitigation that doesn't rely on defense stats.
• Anti-Dark Synergy: The stack bonus against Dark enemies makes him a specific counter-pick against heavy Dark teams (looking at you, Rush Tournament Treevil tanks).
• Passive DoT: Free damage is free damage.

Weaknesses

• Outdated Stats: His bulk is dangerously low for the current meta.
• Low Damage Multiplier: 175% is simply not threatening to modern rosters.
• Randomness: The accuracy debuff is great when it works, but it's not a hard control like Mana Stop or Silence.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack Tournaments: His average speed becomes Very Fast, allowing him to fire early and start stacking the accuracy debuff before the enemy nukes go off.
• Bloody Battle: Accuracy down is a form of "healing" (preventing damage) that isn't banned in Bloody Battle.
• PvE / Events: Useful for bosses that hit hard; making them miss can save your team items and frustration.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Can't Touch This" Rush Team:
  • Kvasir - Cedar - Treevil - Pixie - Sally
  • Why: Mixes minion protection (Kvasir), mana control (Pixie), and Cedar's accuracy down to create layers of mitigation while Treevil and Sally do the heavy lifting.
• The Yellow Stack (vs Dark Titan/Boss):
  • Bertulf - Cedar - Poppy - Agnes - Bane
  • Why: Cedar adds the "Stack" bonus vs Dark and protects the team with accuracy down while the snipers/tile damage do the work.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: Cleansers (like Faiez or Helo) completely negate his primary utility. Monks (with withstand) can resist the accuracy ailment.
• Anti-Synergy: Do not pair him with other heroes who overwrite accuracy debuffs with weaker versions (rare, but possible).

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Cedar early, he is a solid 3-star to level. He will help you survive tougher map stages by making bosses miss. Emblem him for defense so he doesn't die on you.

Advice for Veterans

Cedar is likely a depth piece for you. He’s worth keeping for Rush Wars or Tournaments if you lack other strong Yellow options, but don't prioritize Limit Breaking him over modern meta heroes like the Toons or Constructs unless you really enjoy his playstyle. He is not a priority for Alpha Aethers.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reception to Cedar was mixed but generally positive about his utility.

• "His hit of 175% (even if it’s to all) is quite low and weak. But his accuracy reduction is worth gold." - Forum User
• "Baby Justice looks so cute." - A common sentiment comparing him to the 5-star Justice.
• Many players noted that while his damage is lackluster, "the +20% against dark is fun to take down Treevil / Greel combinations."

Final Thoughts

Cedar is a fun, chaotic hero who brings a unique flavor of disruption to the 3-star tier. He isn't a powerhouse who will wipe teams alone, but he is the banana peel on the floor that makes the enemy slip up just when they thought they had won. While his stats are showing their age, his ability to force misses keeps him relevant in specific niches.

Verdict: A solid B-tier hero for tournaments, mostly kept around for his ability to make opponents look foolish.