Costumed Director Zuri: The Clown You Can't Laugh At

Overview

If you thought the original Director Zuri was good, the Costumed Director Zuri ("Master of Clowns") is here to show you what a true 5-star hero looks like in the modern era. Released significantly later than the base version, this costume completely revitalizes the hero, swapping her elegant top hat for a colorful, chaotic clown aesthetic—and bringing stats that are absolutely terrifying. She retains her role as a premiere healer but adds tank-level durability and a passive that punishes enemies for trying to debuff her team.

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Hero Art & Visuals

The costume transforms Zuri from a stern ringmaster into a whimsical, slightly unsettling clown. The vibrant colors—yellows, reds, and blues—pop off the card, and the "Clown's Blessing" theme fits perfectly with her minion-summoning mechanic. While some might prefer the dignified look of the original, there's no denying the "Master of Clowns" looks like she's having way more fun ruining your opponent's day.

General Info

Hero Stats

This is the main event. The stat jump from base Zuri to Costumed Zuri is astronomical.

• Attack: 1127 (Up from 766) - She hits hard with tiles now.
• Defense: 1384 (Up from 772) - She is nearly twice as durable.
• Health: 2262 (Up from 1421) - Massive HP pool.
• Power: 1223 (Up from 808).

Modern Comparison: These stats are fully competitive with the latest heroes. 1384 Defense and 2262 Health make her one of the sturdiest healers in the game. She can easily serve as a Tank or Flank in top-tier wars, surviving hits that would have vaporized her base form.

Special Skill: Clown's Blessing

The "Clown's Blessing" takes everything good about the original skill and turns the volume up:

1. Enhanced Triage: 65% heal for the lowest HP ally remains, but the secondary heal is bumped to 45% (from 42%). This ensures the whole team tops up faster.
2. Beefier Minions: The minions now inherit 20% HP and 30% Attack (up from 15%/22%). With her massively increased base stats, these minions are huge. A 20% HP minion from a 2262 HP Zuri has roughly 450 HP. That's almost a small hero!
3. Same Great Cleanse: Still cleanses all status ailments, which pairs perfectly with her new passive (see below).

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Average.
• Healing Output:
  • Lowest HP Ally (assuming 2500 HP): 1625 HP Healed.
  • Others: 1125 HP Healed.
  • Minion Buffer: ~450 HP shield per hero.
• Total Health Swing: A single cast creates a massive health differential. If she heals 3 allies and summons 5 minions, that's thousands of effective HP added to the board.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

This is where the costume gets really nasty.

Family Bonus

She retains the Starfall Circus family bonus (self-cleanse at end of turn), which is excellent for shaking off silences.

Passives

The Game Changer: Copy Ailment on Cleanse. When she cleanses an ailment from herself (via her Special or Family Bonus) or her team, she reflects a copy of that ailment to a random enemy.

• Scenario: The enemy hits your team with Defense Down. Zuri fires. She cleanses the Defense Down from your team AND throws a Defense Down back at a random enemy. It turns the enemy's best weapons against them.

Aether Power

Defense Up: At the start of battle, she gets a defense boost. This makes her even harder to kill in the opening turns, solidifying her role as a viable Tank.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Power Creep Analysis: Costumed Zuri is the definition of "Anti-Power Creep." She takes an old hero and catapults them right back to the top of the meta. Her stats are modern, her passives are disruptive, and her healing is unmatched.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Top Tier. She is one of the best Yellow healers in the game. She is viable in every single game mode: War Defense (Tank/Flank), Offense, Titans (high tile damage), and Events.

Costume & Costume Bonus

• Comparison: There is absolutely no reason to use the base version if you have the costume, unless you specifically need the Sorcerer class talent (Delay) over the Cleric talent (Manashield). However, the Manashield (Chance to resist mana effects) is generally considered superior for a healer anyway.
• Conclusion: The Costume is an upgrade in every measurable way: Stats, Class, Skill percentages, and Passive utility.

Emblem Path Analysis

With her massive stats, you have flexibility, but Defense/Health is still king for healers.

The Immortal Object (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Makes her nearly unkillable. Her minions get huge HP.
• Cons: Tile damage is slightly lower.

The Battle Cleric

• Path: Health > Attack > Defense
• Pros: Increases Minion Attack and Tile Damage.
• Cons: Slightly less tanky.

Final Recommendation

Go Defense/Health. She is a healer. Her job is to survive and keep everyone else alive.

Strengths

• Huge Stats: Competitive with the newest releases.
• Passive Reflection: Punishes ailment-heavy teams.
• Cleric Class: Manashield protects her from Mana Control (like Hansel or Hel), ensuring she can fire.
• Massive Minions: 20% HP minions from her high health pool are incredibly annoying to chew through.

Weaknesses

• Average Speed: In a "Very Fast" rush meta, she can sometimes be too slow if you don't have the right troops.
• Minion Counters: Still vulnerable to Grimble/Topaz/Goretooth, though her minions are harder to kill now.
• Passive Randomness: The reflected ailment hits a random enemy, so you can't aim it.

Best Game Modes

• War Defense: An excellent Tank or Flank. The passive reflection can disrupt attacking teams unexpectedly.
• Rush Attack: In Rush wars, she charges in 6 tiles and becomes an absolute nightmare to deal with.
• Auto-Farming: Her minions ensure your team finishes stages with full HP.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

1. The "Reflection" Defense:
   • Costumed Zuri (Tank) - surrounded by heavy hitters.
   • Why: Attackers often bring Defense Down to kill the tank. Zuri cleanses it and throws it back, potentially ruining their combo.
2. The Sustain Engine:
   • Costumed Zuri - Ludwig - Costumed Mother North
   • Why: Good luck killing anything. Zuri heals, Ludwig taunts/manas, MN revives.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Buff Stealers: Heroes who steal minions or buffs can be annoying.
• Passive Silencers: Heroes who block passives prevent her reflection mechanic.

Advice for New Players

If you get this costume, max it immediately. She will be your main healer for years. She effectively functions as two heroes: a healer and a minion summoner.

Advice for Veterans

Costumed Zuri is worth the tonics and the Limit Break mats (even Alphas). Her stats ensure she won't be obsolete anytime soon, and her passive mechanic is unique enough to always have a niche. She pairs exceptionally well with modern "Construct" or "Goblin" heroes who care about stats and survivability.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• Poll Results: Post-release polls showed an overwhelming "Yes" for "Is she worth summoning?" and "Is she OP?".
• Player Sentiment: "She’s actually really strong... Cleanse is so important at the moment due to all the DoT floating around." - Anonymous Forum User.
• The Glow Up: The community universally agrees this is one of the best "Glow Ups" for a hero. Going from 800 power to 1200+ power is exactly what older heroes need.

Final Thoughts

Costumed Director Zuri is not just a fresh coat of paint; she's a complete renovation. She takes a beloved classic hero and outfits her with a nuclear-powered engine. Whether you hate clowns or love them, you'll want this one on your side. She heals, she shields, she reflects, and she laughs while doing it.

Verdict: The new Queen of Yellow Healers. A must-have, must-level, must-limit-break hero.