Chick Jr.: The "Compact" Warrior With A Big Ego (And A Small Attack Stat)

Overview

Chick Jr. is a 3-star Rare Ice hero from the seasonal Springvale event. Originally released in 2020, he represents the "Squire" archetype—eager to fight but perhaps not quite ready for the big leagues. As a Paladin, he has natural bulk potential, but his role is purely offensive: an Area of Effect (AoE) damage dealer designed to soften up the entire enemy team. This review focuses on the base version of the hero. While he might look like he just hatched, don't let the cuteness fool you; he... well, actually, you probably can let the cuteness fool you, as he's not exactly terrifying by modern standards.

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Hero Art & Visuals

The artwork perfectly captures the essence of a "wannabe" warrior. Chick Jr. is clad in makeshift armor—likely eggshells or scraps of metal—wielding a lance that is clearly too heavy for him. The determination in his eyes is commendable, even if his stance suggests he might tip over at any moment. It is a lighthearted design that fits the whimsical nature of Springvale, standing in stark contrast to the grimdark aesthetic of newer events like the Covenant or Masked Gods.

General Info

Hero Stats

The stat distribution for Chick Jr. is a bit of a mixed bag, especially when viewed through the lens of the current meta.

Stat Analysis:

• Attack (523): This is actually quite respectable for a 3-star hero. It sits in the upper-mid range, allowing his special skill to do noticeable damage.
• Defense (413): This is the danger zone. 413 defense is paper-thin, even for a 3-star. He is extremely fragile and will crumble quickly under tile damage or slash attacks.
• Health (703): Average health helps mitigate the low defense slightly, but not enough to make him durable.

Compared to modern 3-star monsters like Ironvein (Defense 524) or Jax (Defense 568), Chick Jr.'s bulk is severely outdated. He relies heavily on killing the enemy before they can touch him.

Special Skill: Compact Lance

Analysis: "Compact Lance" is a straightforward damage-dealing skill with a nasty drawback. Dealing 180% damage to all enemies at Average speed is decent on paper for a 3-star. It allows him to act as a wave clearer or a finisher in tournaments.

However, the secondary effect is a significant hindrance: The caster gets -20% attack for 3 turns. This is an uncleansable ailment. This means that after Chick Jr. fires, his subsequent tile damage and any second firing of the special (if he lives that long) will be severely weakened. It forces you to treat him as a "one-and-done" missile.

By the Numbers

Let's look at the math behind the chicken.

• Mana Speed: Average. He needs 10 tiles to charge. In a 3-star tournament without mana troops (which aren't allowed), this feels slow compared to the Fast and Very Fast threats dominating the scene.
• Damage Potential: 180% damage to 5 targets is a total output of 900%. This is efficient if all enemies are alive.
• The Drawback: The -20% attack drop reduces his base attack from 523 to roughly 418. This is sub-par and makes his tile contribution negligible for three turns.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Springvale family bonus traditionally offers boosts to attack or healing efficiency when multiple family members are present. While useful, it is rarely worth building a full team of Springvale 3-stars just for this, as the synergy isn't game-breaking.

Passives

Chick Jr. lacks the modern passive skills that define the current era. He has no resistance to ailments, no mana boosting on entry, and no "start battle with" effects. This is a glaring omission when comparing him to heroes from the Construct or Astral families.

Aether Power

Special Boost is a solid Aether Power for him. Since his primary purpose is to deal damage with his special skill, a raw percentage increase to that damage helps keep him relevant. It doesn't solve his fragility, but it sharpens his spear.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release in 2020, Chick Jr. was a welcome addition to the Blue 3-star roster, which lacked good AoE hitters (Gunnar was a tank, Ulmer was slow and squishy). He found a niche in Rush Attack tournaments.
• Power Creep Analysis: The game has moved on. Heroes like Nordri offer elemental defense down, which is infinitely more valuable. Treevil (though Slow) devastates entire teams. Modern event 3-stars have stats that eclipse Chick Jr.'s limit-broken stats in their base form.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Bench. Chick Jr. is largely obsolete. The self-attack down makes him frustrating to use, and his stats are too low to survive in the current 3-star arena. He is primarily a collection filler.

Costume & Costume Bonus

Note: This review focuses on the base hero. While a costume exists for Chick Jr., the base version discussed here suffers significantly without the stat boosts and skill updates provided by the costume.

Emblem Path Analysis

If you insist on using Chick Jr., you need to commit fully to his one strength: hitting everyone at once.

The Glass Cannon (Recommended)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes the damage of "Compact Lance." Since he hits all enemies, every point of attack stat is multiplied five times in total value.
• Cons: He remains extremely squishy.

The Survivalist

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Might survive one extra slash attack.
• Cons: Reduces the impact of his special skill, making him a wet noodle who buffs his own attack down.

Final Recommendation

Go Attack/Defense. If you are bringing Chick Jr., you are bringing him to kill things. Make sure he hits as hard as possible before he inevitably faints.

Strengths

• AoE Damage: Hits all enemies, which is always useful for finishing off weakened teams.
• Class: Paladin class gives a chance for a defense boost when taking damage, which might save him occasionally.

Weaknesses

• Self-Nerf: The -20% attack debuff is a terrible downside for an attacker.
• Fragility: Extremely low base defense makes him an easy target.
• Speed: Average speed is too slow for the damage payoff in the modern meta.
• No Utility: He offers zero utility—no dispels, no cleanses, no defense down. Just damage.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack Tournaments (3-Star): This is his only real home. When mana speed is set to Very Fast, he can fire quickly. Hitting all enemies rapidly can put pressure on the opponent, especially if paired with an attack buffer (like cHawkmoon) to offset his self-debuff.
• Farming: Good for clearing waves in early map stages efficiently.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The Blue Rush: Nordri + Chick Jr. + Gato. Nordri applies elemental defense down, Chick Jr. softens them up, and Gato snipes the survivor.
• The Buffer Duo: c.Hawkmoon + Chick Jr. Use an attack buffer after Chick Jr. fires to overwrite his attack down (if the buffer's effect is stronger and cleansable, though Chick Jr.'s is uncleansable, an external buff helps mitigate the net loss). Correction: Chick Jr.'s ailment is uncleansable, so standard cleanses won't work, but high attack buffs can mathematically offset the penalty for tile damage.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counter: Ribbit (Springvale passive) or any hero that resists water damage.
• Anti-Synergy: Do not pair him with heroes who rely on his tile damage to finish enemies, as he will be hitting softly for three turns.

Advice for New Players

If you pull Chick Jr. early, he is a fine placeholder. He will help you clear map stages because hitting 5 enemies is efficient. Level him, but do not prioritize him over utility heroes like Nordri, Helo, or even Valen.

Advice for Veterans

He is food. Unless you are collecting every hero or have a nostalgic attachment to the Springvale family, there is no competitive reason to use base Chick Jr. over the myriad of powerful 3-star heroes released in the last two years. Save your feeders for the costume version or a Construct hero.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community has always had a soft spot for the "Chick" designs but a hard stance on their viability.

• "He's just so squishy. A stiff breeze knocks him over."
• "The attack down on self is insulting. It's like the game punishes you for using him."
• Many players kept him solely for the "Easter theme" defense teams used to drop cups (trophies) during the holiday.

Final Thoughts

Chick Jr. is the epitome of "early game design." He has a simple skill with a thematic drawback that felt balanced in 2020 but feels punitive in 2026. While he wins the award for "Hero Most Likely to Be Mistaken for a Pet," he fails to make the cut for any serious combat roster. Keep him warm in your roster if you must, but don't expect him to lead the charge.

Verdict: A cute novelty that has been thoroughly outclassed by the march of time.