Dain, The Dwarven Siegemaster: Frosty Wards & Titan Smashes

Overview

Dain is a 4-star Ice (Blue) hero from the Untold Tales 2 event, belonging to the Myrkheim family. Released in mid-2025, he fits into the support role with a distinct hybrid kit: he protects his allies from special skill damage while simultaneously supercharging their normal attacks. He is a Paladin, which adds to his natural durability. While he might look like he's wearing a soup pot on his head (fashion choices in Myrkheim are questionable), his utility in specific game modes, particularly against Titans and in buff-booster tournaments, is undeniable.

Hero Art & Visuals

Dain's design is heavily armored and distinctly dwarven, featuring a helmet that looks suspiciously like a bucket adorned with ice shards. The blue glowing eyes and the massive sword give him an imposing presence despite his stature. The "Frosty" aesthetic fits perfectly with the Myrkheim theme, and the visuals communicate his role as a sturdy, defensive anchor who commands the power of ice. He looks like he just walked out of a freezer ready to brawl.

General Info

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Hero Stats

When we look at Dain's stats (716 Attack, 743 Defense, 1347 Health) and compare them to the very latest 4-star releases like Breca (released December 2025 with 794 Attack, 792 Defense, 1502 Health), Dain is already showing signs of age. He is roughly 60 Power points behind the current cutting edge of 4-star heroes. While his stats were solid upon release in May 2025, in the current landscape of December 2025, he is average at best. He relies more on his strong special skill mechanics and passives than raw stat dominance to stay relevant.

Special Skill: Iceberg Aura

Dain's special skill, Iceberg Aura, is a fascinating "Fast" speed toolkit that tries to do two very different things at once.

Frostfall Ward: Reducing incoming Special Skill damage by a flat amount (up to -500) is a mechanic we've seen on 5-star heroes, but it's rare and powerful on a 4-star. Against multi-hitters or DoT (Damage over Time) reliance, this can be incredibly effective. However, note that it caps at -500. Against a modern sniper dealing 2000 damage, you're still taking 1500, but against a hero dealing 400 damage to all, you might take zero.
Normal Attack Buff: This is the headline feature. A +120% normal attack buff is massive. For context, typical attack buffers give around +45% to +50%. This makes his tiles hit like trucks. The limitation is that it applies only to the caster and nearby allies (Hit-3), not the whole team. This restricts his utility slightly but balances the sheer power of the buff.

By the Numbers

Mana Speed Analysis: At Fast speed, Dain charges in 8 tiles. With a level 29 mana troop or a combination of emblems (Paladin talent doesn't give mana) and a lower mana troop, he can charge in 7 tiles. His passive also grants 5% mana when he resists Frost damage, potentially speeding him up against Blue enemies.
Damage Mitigation: The Frostfall Ward reduces special skill damage by up to 500. If an enemy hits for 600, they deal only 100. If the enemy is Fire, the reduction is even greater (additional 25%). This is a hard counter to low-damage AoE hitters.
Tile Damage Potential: +120% Normal Attack is huge. If a hero has 1000 Attack, this buff pushes their tile damage basis to 2200. With the cap of +200%, you can stack this with other buffs (like a banner or a general attack buffer) to reach truly absurd tile damage numbers, making him a mini-Miki for 4-star content.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Myrkheim family brings some interesting modern mechanics that add significant value to Dain's kit.

Family Bonus

The Myrkheim family doesn't have a traditional "Family Bonus" like older families (e.g., +Attack for 2 heroes). Instead, their power lies in their Passives, specifically the Core mechanics.

Passives

Arctic Core is excellent. It essentially gives Dain a free attack on the enemy team just for existing and charging up. When he fires his special, he unleashes Corrosive Frost on all enemies. This deals damage and, crucially, lowers their attack by -15% per turn. This Attack Down stacks with his damage reduction Ward, making your team incredibly tanky. Empowered Resist Frost makes him a great counter to Blue heavy teams, as he not only resists the damage/ailments but heals and gains mana from it.

Aether Power

Defense Up is a solid, albeit boring, Aether Power. It helps keep him alive at the start of the match, ensuring he can fire his special at least once. Given his role as a support/tank, it fits, but it's not a game-changer like "Rage" or "Regenerate".

Legacy & Modern Relevance

Historical Context: When released in May 2025, Dain was seen as a versatile 4-star who could bridge the gap for players lacking premium 5-star Titan buffers. He was immediately compared to heroes like Miki (for the normal attack buff) and various damage mitigators.
Power Creep Analysis: As noted in the stats section, 7 months is a long time in Empires & Puzzles. His raw stats have fallen behind the "Beowulf" and "Temple Summon" heroes of late 2025. However, the mechanic of +120% normal attack is somewhat "creep-proof." A buff that large is always useful, regardless of the base stats, provided the hero can stay alive.
Modern Viability Verdict: Dain remains highly relevant in Mythic Titans (for the 4-star roster depth), 4-Star Tournaments (especially Buff Booster and Rush Attack), and for mid-game players as a primary Titan buffer. He is not a top-tier PvP defense hero in 5-star arenas, but he holds his own in 4-star wars.

Emblem Path Analysis

Dain is a Paladin, which naturally leans towards defense. However, his usage dictates his path.

The Titan Slayer (Recommended for PvE)

Path: Attack > Defense > Health
Pros: Maximizes his tile damage. Since his main draw for Titans is boosting normal attacks, having a higher base attack on him contributes to the total damage output.
Cons: Makes him squishier for PvP/War defense.

The Iron Wall (Recommended for PvP)

Path: Defense > Health > Attack
Pros: Capitalizes on his Paladin class and damage reduction capabilities. Makes him a tough nut to crack in 4-star tournaments.
Cons: Lowers his tile damage contribution.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Titan Slayer (Attack) path is recommended if you plan to use him primarily for Titans and Events. If he is your main tank for 4-star tournaments, go with Defense. Given his unique attack buff, leaning into Attack allows you to get the most out of his niche.

Strengths

Massive Normal Attack Buff: +120% is one of the highest modifiers in the game for 4-star heroes, perfect for high scores.
Damage Mitigation: The fixed damage reduction (-500) is incredibly potent against 4-star enemies who often lack the raw power to punch through it.
Passive Utility: The Arctic Core provides free AoE damage and Attack Down without needing a separate special skill cast.
Fast Speed: He gets his buffs up quickly, which is crucial for survival and damage spikes.

Weaknesses

Positional Requirement: The buffs only apply to "nearby" allies. This forces you to bunch your best attackers around him and leaves the wings vulnerable.
Stat Creep: His base stats are becoming outdated compared to late-2025 heroes.
Vulnerability to Dispel: His defensive Ward and Attack buff are dispelable. A well-timed dispel (like Sabina or Melendor) leaves him naked.
Weak Ward vs. Snipers: While -500 is great, a sniper hitting for 1500+ will still hurt.

Best Game Modes

Titans: His bread and butter. Place him next to your strongest tile hitters (like Jott or Pengi) for massive damage.
4-Star Tournaments:
- Buff Booster: He provides two buffs (Ward + Attack) and benefits greatly from the rule.
- Rush Attack: He is already Fast, but V.Fast makes him even more oppressive.
- Bloody Battle: His Ward reduces damage, which is essentially "pre-healing," very valuable when healing is disabled.
Challenge Events: Great for boosting score through faster tile kills on bosses.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

The Blue Titan Stack: Kiril (C) - Frida/Arthur (EDD) - Dain - Jott - Miki/Tarlak.
- Why: Dain boosts Jott and the EDD hero. Jott boosts tiles. The damage numbers get silly. Note: Be careful of buff caps, but Dain's specific "Normal Attack" buff stacks with general attack buffs.
The 4-Star Tournament Defense: Caedmon - Dain (Tank) - Li Xiu - Cyprian - Sonya.
- Why: Dain in the center protects the flanks. The Attack Down from his passive + the Ward makes the team very hard to kill with specials.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

Dispellers: Heroes like Caedmon, Sonya, or Sabina remove his buffs instantly.
Buff Blockers: Mist or Franz can prevent him from applying his buffs.
Minion Summoners: While his passive deals extra damage to them, minion users can often absorb the Corrosive Frost damage easily.

Advice for New Players

If you pull Dain early, he is a fantastic tank. His damage reduction will make your team survive much longer than they should. Focus on leveling him to 4/70 immediately. He can serve as your main Titan buffer for a long time until you find a 5-star equivalent like Miki or Oceanus.

Advice for Veterans

Dain is a tool for depth. You likely have 5-star heroes who do what he does better (e.g., Miki, Rhys for buffs). However, for Mythic Titans where you need deep rosters, or for dominating 4-Star Tournaments, he is worth the mats. Do not LB2 (Alpha Aether) him unless you are extremely competitive in 4-star tournaments; his stats won't let him compete in 5-star wars anymore.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reaction to Dain was generally positive but mixed regarding his specific role.

One user called him a "Blue Wilbur," highlighting his defensive utility, although he lacks the shared damage mechanic.
Another player noted, "It’s a shame he’s only warding adjacent heroes, but he runs on fast." This positional limitation was a common complaint.
"Strange combination of skills... but that damage boost is real nice," summed up the general sentiment—a bit clunky, but effective.
Many players confirmed his viability on Titans: "Titans, couples with Alexandrine... a basic 3 shield swipe was a couple thousand."

Final Thoughts

Dain is a specialized tool masquerading as a generalist. On the surface, he's a sturdy tank, but his true calling is making tiles hit like meteors. While his stats are starting to show their age in late 2025, his unique +120% Normal Attack buff ensures he will remain useful in PvE and tournament niches for a long time. He's not a "must-have" for 5-star warfare, but he's a "glad-I-have" for everything else.

Verdict: A solid B+ hero that punches above his weight class in specific scenarios. Keep him for Titans and Tournaments.