Costumed Griffex: The Glow-Up We Didn't Know We Needed

Overview

When Griffex was first released, he was the butt of many jokes. "Too slow," they said. "No damage," they laughed. Well, who's laughing now? Costumed Griffex (released August 2025) has stormed onto the scene with a vengeance. He retains his unique "Mana Manipulator" identity but backs it up with modern 2025 stats and a class change that makes him significantly more annoying to deal with. This review focuses on his Costumed version, the only version you should be using if you want to win.

Hero Art & Visuals

The costume art is a direct upgrade. The purple is more vibrant, the beard is even more majestic (if that was possible), and he now wields a strange, futuristic-looking camera device alongside his magical aura. Is he taking a picture of your defeat? Possibly. The "Modifier of Obscura" title fits perfectly with his new, darker, and more mysterious vibe. It’s a great evolution that keeps the core theme but makes it feel fresh and powerful.

General Info

Hero Stats

This is where the magic happens.

• Power (1230): This puts him right in the mix with current top-tier heroes.
• Health (2441): This is massive. With Limit Break 2, he pushes over 3000 HP. He is a tanky beast who can survive the initial onslaught of Fast snipers, ensuring he lives long enough to fire his skill.
• Defense (1241): Solid and reliable. Combined with his HP, he is a wall.

Compared to his base version (which had ~1697 HP), this is a completely different hero. He is no longer a liability on your team; he is an anchor.

Special Skill: Memory Manipulation

Analysis: The skill remains functionally similar to the base but with key improvements:

1. The Anti-Holy Nuke: Still reduces Holy enemies' mana by 100%. This remains one of the strongest counters to Yellow heroes in the game.
2. Improved General Drain: The drain on non-Holy enemies is bumped to 55% (from 50%). While 5% seems small, every bit counts when trying to prevent a enemy special.
3. The Mana Battery: Still grants +30% mana to Dark allies and +15% to others.
4. The Loophole Closed: Note the specific text: (This has no effect on other Griffex characters.) This prevents the cheese strategy of running multiple Griffexes to infinitely loop mana. Fair play, SG.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Slow (12 tiles).
  • Costume Bonus (5% Mana): This is huge. It makes it much easier to drop his tile count. With a Level 29 Magic troop and the 5% costume bonus, he is much more responsive.
• Damage: Still Zero. He is pure utility.
• Survivability: With 3000+ HP (LB2) and Monk withstand chance (30%), his effective health is arguably one of the highest in the game for a support hero.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Super Elemental family bonus shines even brighter with modern stats.

Family Bonus

Analysis: Generating Power Gems is great, but now that Griffex can actually survive, he will generate more of them over the course of a battle. A surviving Griffex means a board full of ticking time bombs for the enemy.

Passives

Analysis:

• Troop Mastery (Upgraded): The costume boosts the extra elemental damage to +150% (up from 100%). This is insane. His tile damage against Holy enemies is catastrophic. He can practically kill a yellow tank with 3 tiles.
• Damage Reduction: He now receives -25% damage from Holy troops/skills (up from -10%). This makes him incredibly tanky against yellow stacks. He is the ultimate anti-yellow shield.

Aether Power

Analysis: Damage Reduction further cements his role as a tank/support. Combined with his passive resistance to Holy, he becomes extremely difficult to kill with tile damage alone.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Base Griffex was a joke. Costumed Griffex is the punchline—and he's punching back.
• Power Creep Analysis: The costume stats effectively "de-creep" him, bringing him right up to the level of late 2025 heroes. While his skill is still Slow, his durability ensures he is relevant.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Solid A-Tier (S-Tier in Rush). He is a staple for Rush Attack wars and a very strong pick for attacking yellow-heavy defenses. He is no longer just a niche pick; he is a viable main-deck hero for many players.

Costume & Costume Bonus

The Difference is Night and Day.

• Base vs. Costume: There is no contest. The Costume has ~800 more HP, ~300 more Defense, and significantly better passives.
• Class Change: Monk is a massive upgrade over Druid for him. The chance to resist status ailments (like Mana Stop, Silence, or Mindless Attack) is critical for a Slow hero. If he resists a silence and fires, he flips the entire battle.
• Verdict: Never use the base version if you have the costume. The costume is the hero.

Emblem Path Analysis

The Immortal Monk (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: He needs to live. His job is to cast Memory Manipulation. With 3000+ HP, boosting his defense makes that HP pool worth even more.
• Cons: You sacrifice some of that sweet +150% tile damage potential.

The Tile Buster (Offense Only)

• Path: Attack > Health > Defense
• Pros: Leans into his +150% elemental damage passive. A 3-match of purple tiles into a yellow hero effectively deletes them.
• Cons: Slightly less bulk, but Monk class helps him survive ailments.

Final Recommendation

Go Defense/Health. His value comes from firing his special, not just tile damage.

Strengths

• Extreme Durability: Between the massive stat boost, Damage Reduction passive (-25%), and Aether Power, he is very hard to kill.
• Anti-Yellow Specialist: -100% Mana to Holy and +150% Damage against them. He is the hard counter to the Holy meta.
• Monk Class: The 30% resist chance can win games by shrugging off control effects.
• Mana Battery: Fueling your other Dark heroes is invaluable.

Weaknesses

• Still Slow: Even with the costume bonus, he is slow. Fast snipers can still potentially pick him off or control him before he fires.
• Zero Damage: If he is the last man standing, he cannot win the match (unless by tile damage).
• Requires Team Synergy: He needs heavy hitters alongside him to capitalize on the mana swing.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack: He is a god here. Absolute S-Tier.
• War Offense: Specifically against Yellow tanks or heavy Yellow teams.
• PvP Defense: He can work as a Tank or Flank in Rush wars, or as a punishing Flank in standard wars against yellow stacks.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Mana Starvation" Team:
  • Composition: Costumed Griffex - Bubble - Ukkonen - -
  • Why: Combine Griffex's massive drain with other mana controllers to ensure the enemy never fires a single special.
• The Dark Monolith (Defense):
  • Composition: Pophit - Costumed Griffex (Tank) - Darkfeather - ...
  • Why: In Rush, C. Griffex at tank is a nightmare. If he fires, the attacker is reset to zero, and your flanks charge up.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters:
  • Passive cleansers/resisters: Toon heroes are annoying as they resist the mana cut.
  • Taunt: A taunt hero can absorb the drain (though Holy taunters still get drained 100%).
• Anti-Synergy:
  • Other Slow Heroes (in Standard Speed): Running a full team of Slow heroes is risky. Pair him with Average/Fast heroes to bridge the gap until he fires.

Advice for New Players

If you get this costume, level it immediately. The stats alone make him a carry for map stages and early raids. Put him in your center position and watch him soak up damage.

Advice for Veterans

You might have benched the original Griffex, but it's time to dust him off. The Costumed version is a legitimate contender. He is worth the Limit Breaks, especially for Rush wars and as a counter to the prevalent Holy tanks. The Monk class alone makes him infinitely more playable than the Druid version.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• The Skepticism: Even with the costume, some were wary: "I expect his second skill to be changed... SG generally doesn’t like any combo that allows you to loop specials." (And they were right, the loop was removed).
• The Realization: "This is an awkward reply... On an attack team against a Gooric tank... a mana drain for enemies and mana boost for slow... could make sense." - A player realizing his potential on offense.
• The Hype: "He is a beast on attack in VF tournys. Don’t underestimate him."

Final Thoughts

Costumed Griffex is the ultimate redemption arc. He went from zero to hero (literally). He is a specialized tool, yes, but he is the best tool for his specific job: shutting down Holy heroes and fueling the Dark engine. If you enjoy controlling the board and denying your opponent the satisfaction of using their skills, Costumed Griffex is your new best friend.

Verdict: A must-have for Rush Attack and a top-tier counter-pick for War Offense. The beard is finally feared.

Value of Costume: 10/10. It resurrects a dead hero.