Chao Gai: The Pagoda-Shifting Heavenly King Who Hits and Quits

Overview

Chao Gai is a 5-star Legendary Dark hero from the Outlaws of Liangshan family, released in mid-2025. He operates as a Very Fast sniper who employs a unique, albeit controversial, mechanic: after striking his target, he cleanses himself of everything (good and bad) and vanishes into Ghost form for two turns. While his speed and family bonuses are top-tier, his playstyle requires a specific taste—mostly the taste for 4v5 battles while he takes a short vacation in the spirit realm.

Hero Art & Visuals

Chao Gai cuts an imposing figure, wielding a weapon that has been affectionately described by the community as a "giant toilet brush," though it is clearly a heavy polearm meant for sweeping enemies (or cobwebs) aside. He holds a golden pagoda in his other hand, symbolizing his title. The purple and gold color scheme fits the Dark element and the royal outlaw theme perfectly. It is a solid design, commanding respect, even if the weapon choice raises a few eyebrows regarding its practical aerodynamics.

General Info

Hero Stats

With 1242 Attack and Defense and over 2200 Health, Chao Gai possesses stats that were impressive upon his release in June 2025. However, looking at the absolute latest heroes from December 2025 (like the Titan Hunters or recent Costume Gods pushing 1300+ Attack and Defense), he sits just slightly behind the bleeding edge of the power curve. He is by no means weak—these are still elite stats that allow him to survive and hit hard—but he is no longer the statistical king of the hill. His defense-heavy distribution helps him survive until he can fire his Very Fast skill.

Special Skill: Advice from Beyond

Chao Gai's special skill, Advice from Beyond, is a mixed bag of high-speed violence and tactical withdrawal.

1. The Hit: At Very Fast speed, 420% damage is substantial. When paired with the Outlaw family bonus (which grants massive Crit chance) and the skill's inherent ability to deal 50% more damage on crits, this "snipe" can often one-shot or severely maim softer targets.
2. The Removal: He casts "Full Removal" on himself. This is a double-edged sword. It clears ailments like mindless attack or defense down, which is great. However, it also wipes his own buffs. If you just gave him an attack boost or taunt protection, consider it gone.
3. The Ghost Form: This is the contentious part. For 2 turns, he is immune to damage but also cannot gain mana or contribute to the board. He effectively creates a ghost lane for the enemy to dump tiles into.
4. The Return Gift: When he returns, he grants a +40% Critical Chance buff to allies. While undispellable, a 2-turn duration is incredibly short, often expiring before you can make meaningful use of it unless your timing is impeccable.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the math behind the Outlaw leader.

• Mana Speed: Very Fast. He requires only 6.5 tiles to charge. With a level 29 mana troop or the right emblem nodes, he can charge in 6 tiles. This allows him to fire early and often—or at least, often enough considering his 2-turn self-banishment.
• Damage Potential:
  • Base hit: 420%.
  • If it Crits (which is likely given the 50%+ family bonus): The skill deals 50% more damage.
  • Rough Estimate: A critical hit effectively turns that 420% into a massive 630% strike at Very Fast speed. This is his primary value proposition.
• Support: The +40% Crit chance for allies is nice, but statistically, over 2 turns, it might result in only a few extra critical tiles or slash attacks unless you have other Very Fast heroes ready to fire immediately upon his return.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Outlaw family is defined by their critical hit mechanics, and Chao Gai is no exception.

Family Bonus

This is arguably the strongest part of his kit. Even alone, he gets a +50% Critical Chance. This applies to tiles and, crucially for Outlaws, his special skill calculation. This transforms him from a standard sniper into a lottery cannon that wins the jackpot more often than not.

Passives

• Cleanse on Critical: Since he has a high crit chance, he will often cleanse the latest ailment from all allies when he fires. This turns him into a pseudo-cleanser at Very Fast speed, which is incredibly valuable against ailment-heavy defenses.
• Righteous Rebellion: Gaining 20% boosted health when hitting a healthier target is excellent for a sniper who often targets full-health threats. The mana gain when hit is less useful since he spends half his time in Ghost form where he can't be hit anyway.

Aether Power

Defense Up is a safe, standard choice. It keeps him alive in the turns he is visible on the board. While not as flashy as "Special Boost" or "Mohawk," it ensures he survives to enter his Ghost form.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Released during the third wave of War of Three Kingdoms heroes, Chao Gai was immediately compared to his peers like Lin Chong and Song Jiang. While they were praised for their utility and raw power, Chao Gai was seen as the "dud" of the batch due to the Ghost mechanic slowing down his momentum.
• Power Creep Analysis: His raw damage is still respectful thanks to the Crit multiplier. However, the game has moved towards heroes who do more—multi-target hits, massive overheals, or permanent stat reduction. A single target sniper who goes AFK for two turns feels a bit dated mechanically, reminiscent of older heroes like Ameonna but with 5-star stats.
• Modern Viability Verdict: He is a niche hero. He is not a top-tier defense hero because the AI handles Ghost form poorly, often opening lanes for the attacker. On offense, he is a tactical nuke—used to delete one key threat early and then hide. He remains relevant in specific setups (like Mono Dark teams needing a cleanser/sniper hybrid) but is rarely the first pick for a primary war team in the top 100 alliances.

Costume & Costume Bonus

As of this review, Chao Gai does not have a costume. This analysis focuses solely on his base form.

Emblem Path Analysis

As a Cleric, Chao Gai has access to the Manashield talent, which is excellent for resisting mana control effects (which would stop him from firing and entering his safety Ghost form).

The Nuclear Option (Attack Focus)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes the damage of his Very Fast snipe. Since his main utility is killing someone instantly with a crit, you want that damage number as high as possible.
• Cons: He becomes squishier when not in Ghost form.

The Survivor (Defense Focus)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Ensures he survives the opening turns to fire his skill.
• Cons: Wastes his potential as a sniper. If he hits for 400 damage instead of 1400, the Ghost form feels even more punishing to your own team.

Final Recommendation

Go full Attack. Chao Gai's job is to kill something immediately. If he fails to secure a kill, his subsequent Ghost form puts your team at a disadvantage. Make the hit count.

Strengths

• Speed Kills: Very Fast mana allows him to dictate the pace of the match early.
• Critical Damage: The synergy between the Outlaw family bonus and his special skill means he hits significantly harder than his 420% multiplier suggests.
• Survivalist: Ghost form makes him immune to everything. You can use him to tank a hit (if timed right) or simply save him from a board wipe.
• Utility Cleanser: The passive cleanse on critical hit is a subtle but powerful way to remove annoying ailments like burn or silence from your team.

Weaknesses

• Self-Sabotage: Ghost form prevents mana gain. After he fires, he is dead weight for two turns. He effectively becomes a "Very Fast... then Very Slow" hero.
• Buff Wiper: "Full Removal" removes your own buffs. You cannot buff his attack before he fires to make him hit harder, as he will wipe it (though the damage calculation happens before the wipe, the wipe prevents him from carrying buffs into the Ghost phase).
• Ghost Lane: On defense, he disappears, allowing the attacker to ghost tiles through his empty spot to charge their heroes. This is a fatal flaw for a tank or flank.
• Underwhelming Return: The buff he gives after returning (+40% Crit) is too short and often inconsequential compared to the damage lost by him being absent.

Best Game Modes

• War Attack: Excellent for picking off a reviver or heavy hitter early in the match. His self-cleanse is useful here.
• Bloody Battle Tournaments: His self-healing passive works here (Boosted Health), and his speed is king.
• Titans: Actually decent due to the high Crit chance he brings (if you have other family members) and his high tile damage, though the Ghost form wastes time where he could be stunning the Titan.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Chao Gai works best when he is not the only threat. He should be the opening act, not the finale.

Sample Team Ideas

1. The Outlaw Gang: Pair him with Song Jiang and Lin Chong. The family bonus scales up to 70% Crit Chance. This turns every tile into a potential bomb. Chao Gai fires first to snipe and cleanse, while the others charge up.
2. The Purple Stack: Pair with Goretooth or Kageburado. Multiple Very Fast snipers can dismantle a defense team one by one before the enemy healer charges.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Countered By: Dodge heroes (like Constance or roughian) can make him miss his one big shot.
• Bad Synergy: Do not pair him with buffers that rely on him maintaining the buff (e.g., Taunt heroes who need him to stay present to share damage).
• Anti-Synergy: He hates Growth or Wither on himself because he cleanses it all. If you bring a hero that gives permanent Growth to allies, Chao Gai will wash it off like dirt.

Advice for New Players

If Chao Gai is your first 5-star, congratulations on the speed! Use him to delete the most dangerous enemy hero (usually the healer or the tank). Don't worry too much about the Ghost form; at lower levels, the immunity will save him more often than the mana pause will hurt you.

Advice for Veterans

He is a luxury toy. If you have the full Outlaw family, level him to maximize the bonus for your war team. If he is a standalone, he likely won't displace your top-tier Darks like Gestalt or other modern monsters. He is not worth Alpha Aethers unless you are specifically building a Critical Hit meme team.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reaction to Chao Gai was... lukewarm.

• The Beta Nerf: Many players lamented that in Beta, his return from Ghost form dealt damage (around 800) to all enemies. This was removed for the live version, leading to complaints that he was "nerfed into the ground" before arrival.
• The "Toilet Brush": His weapon has been relentlessly mocked as looking like a giant bathroom cleaning implement.
• The Consensus: "A Very Fast sniper who contributes absolutely nothing after he hits." Most players agree that he needs a buff, specifically suggesting that the Crit buff should last longer or that he should do something upon returning from the dead.

Final Thoughts

Chao Gai is a hero who tries to be mysterious and tactical but ends up being a bit awkward. He rushes in, smacks someone with a pagoda, cleans himself off, and then hides in the corner for two turns while his team does the heavy lifting. While his damage is excellent and the Outlaw family bonus is superb, the self-imposed mana freeze makes him difficult to love in a meta that demands constant pressure. He is a fun, quirky sniper, but perhaps not the "Heavenly King" your roster desperately needs.

Verdict: Level him if you have other Outlaws. Otherwise, he might just ghost you when you need him most.