Dubhán, The Thundering Storm: Ramping Up The Pain

Overview

Dubhán is a 5-star Dark (Purple) Paladin from the Plains Hunter family, originally released during the Monster Island event. While he might look like he's dragging a ship's anchor to a sword fight, his primary gimmick is a "chain lightning" style attack that punishes teams for being too healthy. He operates on a unique "reverse-decay" mechanic where his hits get stronger as they bounce, rather than weaker—essentially the anti-Anne. If you like seeing big numbers pop up on the screen in ascending order, this is your guy.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Dubhán sports a rugged, tribal aesthetic consistent with the Plains Hunter theme. He's wielding a massive, chained weapon that looks like a cross between a hook and a halberd, which he presumably uses to fish for whales or very large goblins. The purple war paint and intense expression suggest he takes his job of "hitting things until they stop moving" very seriously. It's a solid design that screams "brute force" rather than "subtle magic."

General Info

Hero Stats

When we look at Dubhán's stats in the harsh light of 2026, he is definitely showing his age. His base power of 1122 sits well below the modern standard of ~1260+.

• Attack: His 1095 base attack is low compared to modern hitters who push 1300+ easily. Even with Limit Breaks, he lags behind the cutting edge.
• Defense & Health: His bulk is his saving grace. A base HP of 2222 is still quite respectable, and as a Paladin, he can take a hit. However, his defense stat is merely average by today's inflated standards.

Verdict on Stats: Outdated. He needs full Limit Breaks and Master Emblems just to keep pace with the survivability of modern base-level heroes.

Special Skill: Thundering Strike

Analysis: This skill is a fascinating gamble. Unlike most chain hitters (like Anne or Finley) who lose power with each bounce, Dubhán gains it.

• The Condition: He targets enemies with >50% HP. This is a double-edged sword. It makes him an excellent opener or cleaner against a fresh team, but a terrible finisher against a team clinging to life.
• The Ramp: The damage increases significantly on each hit. Community testing suggests jumps of roughly 300% -> 450% -> 600% -> 750% -> 900%. If he manages to hit 5 enemies, that last hit is a nuclear event.
• The Sustain: The bleed damage isn't huge (roughly 339-498 total), but the 30% healing absorption is a nice cherry on top. It's not enough to be your primary healer, but it keeps him and his neighbors topped up.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the potential output.

• Mana Speed: Average (10 tiles). With a Lv 29 Magic/Styx troop or Lv 23/29 Mana troop + Class/Costume bonus, you can shave this down to 9 tiles.
• Damage Potential:
  • Hit 1: 300%
  • Hit 2: ~450%
  • Hit 3: ~600%
  • Hit 4: ~750%
  • Hit 5: ~900%
  • Total Theoretical Output: ~3000% distributed damage across 5 targets.
  • Note: This is the "Dream Scenario." In reality, you will rarely hit all 5 enemies because they won't all be above 50% HP. Realistically, expect 2-3 hits.
• Healing:
  • If Bleed deals ~500 damage per enemy over 3 turns.
  • Hitting 3 enemies = 1500 total bleed damage.
  • Heal = 30% of 1500 = 450 HP split between him and neighbors. (It's a trickle, not a flood).

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Plains Hunter family offers some interesting utility, particularly for survivability.

Family Bonus

The Attack bonus (up to +20% for 5 heroes) is nice but hard to capitalize on unless you're running a mono-Hunter team, which is rare. The defense/stat boost during the Monster Island event makes him a god in that specific mode, but irrelevant elsewhere.

Passives

• Special Damage Reduction: A 10% chance to reduce incoming special damage to 1. This is RNG at its finest. You can't plan for it, but when it happens, it feels like winning the lottery.
• Hunter's Mark: Adds a small DoT (150 damage over 3 turns) to a random enemy. It's negligible damage in the grand scheme of things but can help strip "ignore damage below X" buffs or finish off 1 HP enemies.

Aether Power

Special Boost is exactly what he wants. Since his primary role is dealing damage, boosting that output is the only logical choice.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: When Dubhán released, he was a "fun" alternative to the dominant meta heroes. He was never quite the "must-have" that heroes like Jove or Aramis were, but he found a niche as a punisher for heavy-healer defenses.
• Power Creep Analysis: The game has moved towards Faster speeds and heavier hitting "Hit All" heroes. Average speed for a chain hitter is risky in a world where 6-tile rush teams exist. His damage ramp is still potent, but getting him to fire before the enemy decimates you is the challenge.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Niche / High-Risk Viable. He is no longer a top-tier defense hero. In offense, he shines in Rush Wars or against passive, healer-heavy teams where enemies stay above 50% HP for a long time. Against modern aggressive defenses, he is often too slow and his stats too soft.

Emblem Path Analysis

As a Paladin, Dubhán has natural bulk. However, his job is to KILL.

The Punisher (Recommended)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes the damage of his ramping chain. If that 4th or 5th hit lands, you want it to delete the enemy, not just tickle them. Also boosts his Bleed damage.
• Cons: Slightly less survivability, but his Paladin class helps mitigate this.

The Tank

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Makes him a meat shield. Good if you are using him solely for the Bleed/Heal utility or as a tank (not recommended anymore).
• Cons: Wastes his potential. A 300% hit on the first target with defensive stats is pathetic.

Final Recommendation

Go full Attack. Dubhán is a damage dealer first and foremost. If he isn't killing things, he isn't doing his job.

Strengths

• Punishes High HP: Excellent against teams that rely on overhealing or constant healing.
• Infinite Scaling (Sort of): The damage ramp-up is one of the highest in the game for chain attacks. Hitting the 4th or 5th enemy is devastating.
• Paladin Class: High defense potential and natural tankiness.
• Bleed Heal: Provides a small layer of sustain for your team.

Weaknesses

• Conditional Chain: If enemies are below 50% HP, the chain breaks. This makes him awkward to use mid-game or as a finisher.
• Average Speed: In a Fast/Very Fast meta, Average speed is a liability.
• RNG Passive: You cannot rely on his damage reduction passive for strategy.
• Outdated Stats: Low base attack means his multipliers have to work harder to impress.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack (Wars/Tournaments): This is his playground. At Very Fast speed, he can fire early while enemies are still at full health, maximizing his chain potential.
• Monster Island Event: The stat boost makes him a premier choice here.
• PvE / Map Stages: Great for clearing waves of mobs that spawn with full health.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Softener" Combo: Pair him with a defense down hero who DOESN'T deal massive damage (or fires after him). Actually, you want him to fire first or after a non-damaging defense down (like Costume Tiburtus or Sergei).
  • Team: Sergei (EDD) -> Dubhán -> Finisher.
• The Rush Squad: In Rush wars, pair him with other Average/Slow heavy hitters.
  • Team: Ludwig (Tank) -> Dubhán (Flank). Ludwig charges him, he wipes the team.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Minions/Overheal: Actually, he likes Overheal because it keeps enemies above 50% HP, ensuring his chain continues.
• Taunt: A Taunt hero stops his chain dead on the first hit.
• Dodge: If he misses a link in the chain, the chain stops.
• Anti-Synergy: Don't pair him with heroes who deal "some" damage to everyone (like a weak AoE) just before him. You might drop enemies below 50% HP and break his chain condition.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Dubhán early, he is a solid carry. His Paladin stats will keep him alive, and his chain attack can wipe entire teams in lower-level raids. Focus on keeping him alive and firing him at the start of the battle.

Advice for Veterans

He is a luxury toy. Unless you are desperate for a Rush War purple hero or want to optimize your Monster Island score, he is probably not worth the Alpha Aethers. There are simply better, faster, and harder-hitting purples available (like Gestalt, Deadboot, or even Costume Killhare). Keep him at 3/70 or 4/80 for niche use unless you love his mechanic.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reaction to Dubhán was a mix of confusion and pleasant surprise regarding his damage mechanic.

• The "Reverse Anne": One player noted, "It’s like the opposite of Anne, but better... I had to read it three times before realizing damage increases each hit lol."
• The Math Whiz: Users calculated his hits to be roughly "300, 400, 500, 600 and probably 700," confirming that he is indeed a beast if the stars align.
• The "Wait, he heals?": Many players overlooked the heal-on-bleed mechanic, which, while small, "keeps him and his neighbors topped up."

Final Thoughts

Dubhán is a hero who lives for the highlight reel. When his chain connects on 5 heroes and that last number pops up huge, you feel like a genius. The rest of the time, you're cursing him for hitting one guy and stopping because an enemy was at 49% HP. He is a fun, chaotic, and unique hero that has sadly been power-crept by stats, but his mechanic remains one of the most satisfying in the game.

Final Verdict: A situational star. Amazing in Rush and PvE, but too inconsistent for the main stage of competitive play.