Fergus: The Unflappable Constable, Judge, and Mana Executioner

Overview

Fergus, the "Unflappable Constable," arrived in Empires & Puzzles via the Goblin Summon (Garrison Guards) in late 2024. As a Legendary Ice (Blue) Monk, he quickly established himself as a meta-defining tank, notorious for bringing battles to a grinding halt. His kit is a masterclass in denial: massive mana reduction, mana generation debuffs, and a sturdy Mega Minion to hide behind.

While he is a Slow hero, his impact when he fires is often game-ending for the attacking team. He represents a shift in the "Slow" meta, where a single cast is devastating enough to justify the wait. However, in the fast-evolving landscape of late 2025, he faces stiff competition from faster heroes and specific counters designed to neutralize his mana-cutting antics.

Hero Art & Visuals

Fergus sports a design that perfectly matches his title. He isn't the typical shining knight or mystical sorcerer; he looks like a seasoned, perhaps slightly weary, town guard who has seen it all and is just doing his job—which apparently involves carrying a massive backpack and looking somewhat disheveled. The art style leans into a more grounded, almost caricature-like fantasy aesthetic compared to the high-fantasy gloss of elves or gods. The "Unflappable" moniker is sold by his expression; he looks like he wouldn't blink if a dragon landed in front of him, mostly because he'd just fine it for illegal parking.

General Info

Hero Stats

When we look at Fergus's stats in the context of the December 2025 meta, he sits in the "Solid but Aging" category.

• Attack (1062): Respectable for a tank/support hero, though significantly lower than the 1300+ Attack stats seen on modern hitters like Adelitza or Lin Chong.
• Defense (1178) & Health (2187): These defensive stats are still very high, keeping him relevant as a damage sponge. While newer tanks push Defense over 1300 and Health near 2300, Fergus's survivability is heavily augmented by his Mega Minion, effectively giving him a second health bar.

Compared to the absolute bleeding edge of power creep, he has fallen slightly behind in raw numbers, but his effective durability remains top-tier thanks to his mechanics.

Special Skill: Keep the Peace

Fergus’s special skill, Keep the Peace, is a three-pronged assault on the enemy's momentum:

1. The Big Cut: Reducing the mana of the enemy with the most mana by 70% is a strategic nuke. It specifically targets the hero most likely to fire next, often ruining an attacker's timing just as they are about to cleanse or heal.
2. The Crowd Control: The remaining enemies lose 40% mana. This is effectively a board reset for the attacker. Combined with a -30% mana generation debuff for 6 turns, recovering from a Fergus fire is an uphill struggle.
3. The Bodyguard: He summons a Sword Guard Mega Minion with 35% HP and 300% Attack. With his stats, this minion has roughly 765 HP (base) and hits like a truck. The Bleed damage it inflicts adds significant pressure over time.

Analysis: This skill is what made him a premiere tank. If he fires, the attacker usually loses. The combination of losing current mana and gaining mana slower means the attacker is often helpless while the Mega Minion and Fergus's allies pick them apart.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Slow (12 tiles to charge).
  • With Level 23 Mana Troop: ~11 tiles.
  • With Level 29 Magic/Styx Troop: ~10 tiles is achievable with emblem nodes, making him much more dangerous.
• Mana Cut Potential:
  • Primary Target (assuming full bar ~100%): Reduces to 30%.
  • Secondary Targets: Reduces to 60% (from 100%) or lower.
  • Total Mana Denied: Across a full team, he can wipe out nearly 2.5 full bars worth of mana instantly.
• Mega Minion Durability:
  • Base HP: ~2187.
  • Minion HP (35%): ~765 HP.
  • This effectively boosts his health pool to nearly 3000, forcing enemies to chew through a meat shield before they can even touch his actual health pool.
• Bleed Damage:
  • 414 damage over 3 turns is 138 damage per turn. Since it spreads, if left unchecked, it can rack up over 2000 total damage across the team quickly.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Garrison Guards family brings a unique flavor of utility, and Fergus has a specific passive that sets him apart from his kin.

Family Bonus

The Garrison family bonus (typically boosting stats or providing resistance) reinforces his role as a sturdy defender. The exact bonuses vary by the number of family members, but even solo, the innate stat boosts of this family are significant.

Passives

Fergus has a suite of passives that make him incredibly annoying:

1. Mana on Status Ailment: Gaining 5% mana when receiving an ailment punishes attackers for trying to control him with DoT or defense down. It often pushes him over the edge to fire just when you think you're safe.
2. Resist Mana Reduction: You can't use mana controllers (like Proteus, Hel, or other mana cutters) to stop him effectively. He laughs at your attempts to delay the inevitable.
3. Unique Passive - Growth Removal: Unlike most Garrison Guards who remove Wither effects, Fergus removes Growth effects (Attack/Defense/HP boosts from Goblin families) from enemies every 4 turns. This makes him a specific counter to the Goblin "Growth" meta, stripping away the accumulated power of enemies like Pepperflame or Deadboot.

Note: There is sometimes confusion in game text regarding whether he removes Wither or Growth due to template descriptions, but community testing confirms he is the Growth remover of the family.

Aether Power

Defense Up is the perfect Aether Power for a tank. It simply makes him harder to kill, buying him more time to reach that critical special skill cast.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

Historical Context

Upon release in late 2024, Fergus was a terror. He dominated the Top 100 Global Leaderboard, sitting comfortably in the tank position. The combination of high stats (at the time) and the "death sentence" of his mana cut meant that boards without good tiles resulted in an automatic loss. He was the definition of a "board check" hero.

Power Creep Analysis

Fast forward to late 2025:

• Stats: He has been surpassed. Heroes like Adelitza and Xandrella C1 boast higher offensive and defensive baselines.
• Mechanics: While mana cut is timeless, the introduction of more heroes with "Resistance to Mana Reduction" (e.g., Toons, Astral Elves) and passive mana generation (e.g., Owls, Fauns) has eroded his dominance. The Toon passive, which resists ailments 75% of the time, is particularly brutal for Fergus, as his mana cut is often resisted.

Modern Viability Verdict

Verdict: Still Dangerous, but Counterable. Fergus is no longer the invincible god-tank he was. He has moved from "Unbeatable" to "Highly Effective." In Rush Wars and Tournaments, he remains Top Tier. In standard raid defense, he is still viable up to the highest levels but is now a liability against rosters deep with Toons or specific counters like the Fauns. He is definitely still worth leveling and using, but veteran players will find him easier to dismantle than before.

Costume & Costume Bonus

At the time of writing, Fergus does not have a costume. This review focuses on his base form.

Emblem Path Analysis

Fergus is a Monk, which grants him a chance to resist status ailments. This is excellent for a tank, adding another layer of defense against defense-down or silence.

The Stalwart Wall (Defense/Health)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes his survivability as a tank. Increases the HP of his Mega Minion (since it inherits % HP). Makes him incredibly hard to take down with tile damage.
• Cons: His Mega Minion's attack (and his tile damage) will be slightly lower.

The Heavy Hand (Attack/Health)

• Path: Attack > Health > Defense
• Pros: Significantly boosts the Attack stat of the Mega Minion (300% of caster's attack is a huge multiplier). Increases bleed damage and tile damage.
• Cons: Makes him squishier as a tank, potentially dying before firing.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Stalwart Wall (Defense > Health) path is recommended. Fergus's primary job is to survive long enough to fire once. If he fires, he has likely done his job. The extra durability ensures he reaches that point. The Mega Minion will be annoying enough even without the extra attack nodes.

Strengths

• Unrivaled Mana Control: A 70%/40% mana cut is arguably the strongest single-turn mana denial in the game.
• Mega Minion Utility: Provides a massive HP buffer and constant damage source that ignores defense buffs (Bleed).
• Passive Synergy: Gaining mana from ailments makes him punishing to debuff, and resisting mana reduction limits counter-play.
• Growth Removal: A niche but powerful counter to Goblin-heavy teams.

Weaknesses

• Slow Speed: Without Rush Attack rules or mana troops, he can be killed before firing on a bad board.
• Resistances: Modern meta heroes (Toons, Astral Elves, Fauns) often resist his mana cut entirely, turning his fearsome special into a wet firecracker.
• Passive Triggers: Ironically, his mana cut can trigger enemy passives that activate "on mana reduction" (like the Fauns or Beowulf family), actually giving them mana or buffs.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Wars/Tournaments: He is an absolute monster here. At Very Fast speed, he is arguably the best tank in the game.
• War Defense: Still a very strong tank for standard wars, forcing opponents to bring specific counters.
• PvE/Bosses: Excellent for controlling map bosses and tower levels by denying them their special skills.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "No Mana For You" Defense:
  • Heroes: Xandrella C1 (Flank) - Fergus (Tank) - Ulius (Flank).
  • Concept: Combine Fergus's mana cut with Xandrella's mana control or Ulius's fiends/minions. If Fergus fires, the flanks buy time to finish the job.
• The "Garrison Wall":
  • Heroes: Dima - Fergus - Aviana.
  • Concept: Utilizing the Garrison family bonus for maximum stats. Fergus removes enemy Growth, while others remove Wither or boost defense.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Strong Counters:
  • Toons: Their 75% resist chance often negates his mana cut and generation debuff.
  • Fauns (e.g., Phorcys, Bramble): Their passive grants them mana when someone tries to reduce it. Fergus firing can actually charge a team of Fauns.
  • Lunar Heroes: Can block minion effects.
  • Grimsteel/Buster: Heroes that destroy or punish minions.
• Anti-Synergy:
  • Avoid pairing him with other slow heroes without a mana booster (like Ludwig or Xnolphod), or your team might never fire.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Fergus, congratulations! You have secured a premium tank. Even at 3/70, his mana cut is useful in PvE. Prioritize leveling him fully. He will be the anchor of your defense team for a long time. Don't worry too much about the "meta counters" discussed here; in lower and mid-tier play, players rarely have the specific rosters to counter him easily.

Advice for Veterans

Fergus is a tool for specific jobs now. He is your go-to for Rush Attack and a solid option for War depth. However, be wary of placing him on defense in top 100 raids where every attacker has a full team of Toons or Fauns. He is worthy of Limit Break 1, but think twice about Alpha Aethers (LB2) unless you prioritize Rush Wars heavily, as newer heroes offer more consistent value in the current speed meta.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community has had a love-hate relationship with Fergus since day one.

• Initial Reaction: "This guy does a lot of mana reduction... I am reminded of Alasie or Ruby." Players immediately recognized the threat.
• The Peak: "He’s clearly one of the strongest heroes in the game just now. Incredibly frustrating to fight against as a tank." For months, he was the face of frustration in raids.
• The Downfall: As counters emerged, sentiment shifted. "Fergus (and other mana cutters) have been effectively neutralized... He was pretty much been wiped from the top meta."
• The "Hate": Perhaps the biggest badge of honor is the sheer vitriol he inspires: "I hate him, I hate him, I hate him." Even his owners admit, "I’m not usually one to complain about a hero, but something needs to be done about this guy."

Final Thoughts

Fergus is the ultimate "fun police." He arrives on the battlefield not to do flashy flips, but to file paperwork that ensures your heroes aren't allowed to have fun (or mana). While the meta has evolved to include lawyers (Toons) who can argue their way out of his penalties, he remains a potent force. If you need a hero to lock down a battle and buy your team time, Fergus is still one of the best in the business. Just watch out for those pesky Fauns—they seem to enjoy the paperwork a little too much.

Recommendation: A must-max for Rush formats and a strong defensive option for anyone lacking the absolute newest god-tier tanks.