Costumed Jequn: All That Glitters Is Actually Gold?

Overview

Jequn, the once-feared speedster of the Super Elemental family, has returned with a "Gilded" costume that aims to fix his biggest flaw: obsolescence. Released in mid-2025, Costumed Jequn transforms from a fragile glass cannon into a sturdy, evasive disruptive force. With a massive health pool and the Rogue class, he’s no longer just a "Very Fast" suicide bomber—he’s a "Very Fast" problem that refuses to go away.

Note: This review focuses on the Costumed version of Jequn.

Hero Art & Visuals

The "Gilded Enigma" lives up to the name. Jequn has traded his mystic blue vibes for a pristine white and gold ensemble. The art features sharper lines and a more aggressive stance, holding a geometric artifact that looks like a high-end perfume bottle or a deadly weapon—knowing Empires & Puzzles, it's definitely the latter. The shift from the calm Monk aesthetic to the flashy Rogue look signals his new role: he's here to dodge your attacks and look expensive doing it.

General Info

Hero Stats

The costume provides the stat modernization Jequn desperately needed.

• Health (2535): This is a spectacular number. Base Jequn had ~1900 HP; the costume pushes him well over 2500, making him a meat shield that can actually take a hit.
• Attack (1213): A respectable increase. While not hitting the 1350+ heights of the absolute newest snipers, 1213 is solid for a Very Fast AoE hero.
• Defense (1104): Still his weakest stat, but the massive HP pool compensates for it. He’s no longer "glassy," more like "reinforced plexiglass."

Special Skill: Golden Sacred Symbol

The Golden Sacred Symbol is a polished version of the original, with numbers tweaked for the modern era.

• Damage (210%): A slight bump from the original 200%. At Very Fast speed, this is reliable chip damage. You aren't wiping teams with this, but you are softening them up for your slower, harder hitters.
• Enhanced Debuffs (-39%): All elemental debuffs have been increased from -34% to -39%.
  • -39% Accuracy (Dark): Nearly a 40% miss rate is significant. It disrupts the enemy's ability to retaliate effectively.
  • -39% Defense (Ice): This is a huge defense down. If you catch a Blue hero with this, they are effectively dead to any follow-up tile match.
  • -39% Mana Gen (Nature): Crippling for slow Green heroes.
  • -39% Attack (Fire): Neutralizes Red nukers.

By the Numbers

• Effective Speed: Very Fast (6.5 tiles).
  • With Level 29 Mana Troop: 6 tiles.
  • With Costume Bonus (5%) + Emblem Node: Extremely easy to reach the 6-tile breakpoint (3 ghosted tiles).
• Survival Check:
  • With 2535 HP and the Rogue Dodge chance (20%), his effective survivability is much higher than his stats suggest. If he dodges a sniper shot (e.g., 1500 damage), that's effectively infinite HP for that turn.
• Damage Output:
  • Attack 1213 * 2.1 (210%) = ~2547 Raw Power.
  • Comparison: He hits roughly 15-20% harder than his base version, but the real value is doing it safely thanks to his bulk.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Super Elemental family bonus (Power Gems) remains a nice perk for stacking yellows. It adds unavoidable damage that accumulates over time—perfect for a hero who is designed to fire multiple times in a match.

Passives

Troop Mastery is unchanged but remains excellent.

• +150% Elemental Damage (Costume Buff!): The costume increases this passive from +100% to +150%. This is insane for Titans. His tiles against Purple enemies are nuclear.

Aether Power

Ailment Immunity (for 6 turns).

• Analysis: This is a massive upgrade over the Base version's Counterattack. For a Very Fast hero, the biggest enemy is getting silenced or mana-stopped before you can fire. Ailment Immunity guarantees he gets his first (and likely second) special off without interruption.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Power Creep Analysis: Costumed Jequn is a successful modernization. He doesn't set a new benchmark for damage, but he brings a beloved mechanic (Very Fast disruption) up to par with 2025 survival standards.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Viable. He is excellent in Rush Wars and Tournaments, and a strong choice for War Attack teams where you need speed to counter a bad board. He is no longer a "must-have" defense hero, but he is a "happy-to-have" utility knife.

Costume & Costume Bonus

Verdict: The Costume is strictly superior.

• Base (Monk) vs Costume (Rogue): Rogue Dodge is generally better for survival than Monk withstand, especially given his Aether Power already gives him Ailment Immunity for the first 6 turns (making the Monk class redundant early on).
• Stats: The costume has significantly better stats.
• Passive: The costume boosts the Troop Mastery passive to 150%, making him the superior Titan choice as well.
• There is almost no scenario where you would run the Base version over the Costume.

Emblem Path Analysis

The Dodger (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes his high HP and patches his defense. Keeps him alive to keep dodging.
• Cons: Sacrifices some of that sweet +150% tile damage potential.

The Titan Slayer

• Path: Attack > Health > Defense
• Pros: Goes all-in on the Attack stat to maximize the +150% elemental damage passive against Titans.
• Cons: Makes him squishier in raids, relying entirely on the Rogue dodge to survive.

Final Recommendation

Attack Path if you prioritize Titans (he is a god there). Defense Path if you use him primarily for Wars/Raids.

Strengths

• Speed: Very Fast is always relevant.
• Titan Damage: The +150% Elemental Damage passive on the costume is top-tier for Purple Titans.
• Aether Synergy: Ailment Immunity covers his biggest weakness (Control) during the opening turns.
• Rogue Class: The chance to Dodge damage and status effects adds a layer of RNG frustration for the enemy.
• Versatile Debuffs: -39% to key stats (Accuracy, Defense, Mana) can shut down specific threats efficiently.

Weaknesses

• Low Defense Stat: Even with the costume boost, 1104 Defense is on the lower side for a 5-star in 2025. He relies on HP and Dodge.
• Conditional Debuffs: You can't choose which debuff you apply; the enemy element dictates it.
• Low Damage Multiplier: 210% is still support-level damage. He cannot be your primary killer.

Best Game Modes

• Titans (Purple): Absolute S-Tier thanks to the boosted passive.
• Rush Attack: Very Fast heroes are usually wasted in Rush, but his specific debuffs and Ailment Immunity make him very strong here regardless.
• War Attack: A safety valve hero. If the board is bad, 3 ghosted tiles can get him firing to blind or def-down enemies.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Speed Kills" Defense:
  • Costumed Jequn - Slot 2 - Tank - Slot 4 - Slot 5
  • Why: Placing him on the Wing or Flank allows him to annoy attackers with Dodge while peppering them with debuffs.
• The Purple Titan Nuke:
  • Costumed Jequn - Guardian Jackal - C. Leonidas - Ranvir - Vivica
  • Why: Jequn's tile damage will likely be the highest on the team due to his passive.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Sure Hit Heroes: Heroes that bypass Dodge (like Russula or Costume Uraeus) ignore his Rogue talent.
• Cleanse: As with the base version, a cleanser removes his debuffs. However, at Very Fast speed, he can often re-apply them before the cleanser charges again.

Advice for New Players

This is a jackpot pull. A hero that works on Titans, Farms fast, and dominates early raids? Max him immediately.

Advice for Veterans

Costumed Jequn is a Titan Specialist and a War Depth hero. You might not put him on your primary defense anymore, but you will use him every single Purple Titan and likely in every War. The +150% passive is the real reason to invest here.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reaction to the costume was generally positive, noting the stat fix.

• "The stats are very good... At least he gives defense down to blues so you can stack against such a team." - Forum User on release.
• Many players noted that while the skill didn't change drastically, the stat bump was the real "buff" he needed to stay relevant.

Final Thoughts

Costumed Jequn proves that sometimes, all you need is a fresh coat of paint (and about 600 extra Health points) to stay in the game. He isn't the terrifying monster he was in 2022, but the Gilded Costume has successfully transitioned him into a high-utility specialist. Whether he's dodging snipers in wars or crushing Purple Titans with enhanced tiles, he’s a puzzle piece that still fits in many teams.

Verdict: A fantastic update. Essential for Titans, solid for PvP.