Frank 'Fangs' Brimwell: The Streetwise Sergeant Who Needs a Squad

Overview

Frank 'Fangs' Brimwell, the "Streetwise Sergeant" of the Garrison Guards, marched into Empires & Puzzles back in August 2024 via the Goblin Summon. As a legendary Holy (Yellow) Fighter, his kit revolves around the unique Mega Minion mechanic characteristic of his family. While he was considered a "balanced" option at release, the rapid pace of power creep over the last year has put him in a peculiar spot. He isn't a flashy, game-breaking damage dealer on his own; instead, he serves as a team player who desperately needs his fellow guards to truly shine. Think of him less as a lone wolf and more as the guy who brings the donuts to the precinct—everyone likes him better when the whole squad is there.

Hero Art & Visuals

Frank’s design is a delightful blend of stoic duty and canine charm. He stands tall in his armor, helmet in hand (literally, he’s holding it like a tea cup), with a faithful, slightly grumpy-looking dog resting beneath him. The artwork screams "loyal public servant" rather than "world-ending deity," which fits his skill set perfectly. It’s refreshing to see a hero who looks like he’s just trying to keep the neighborhood safe rather than blow up a galaxy. Plus, any hero that brings a pet to the battlefield gets bonus points for style, even if that pet is a Mega Minion that doesn't do tricks.

General Info

Hero Stats

When we look at Frank's stats through the lens of late 2025, the "Streetwise Sergeant" is starting to look a bit like he's due for retirement.

• Power: At ~1336 (LB2), he is trailing significantly behind modern heavy hitters like Adelitza and Lin Chong, who are pushing the 1520+ power threshold.
• Attack: His limit-broken attack of 1440 is decent but no longer impressive when newer attackers boast 1600+ base attack.
• Bulk: With defense and health sitting around 1361 and 2334 respectively (LB2), he is noticeably squishier than the current tank standard of 1600 defense and 2700+ health.

In short, his stats are now firmly in the "average" tier. He can still survive a hit or two, but he won't be intimidating anyone with raw numbers alone.

Special Skill: Esprit de Corps

Frank’s special skill, Esprit de Corps, is a conditional ability that rewards proper team building.

1. The Damage: At Average speed, he deals 350% damage to the target and nearby enemies (Hit-3). However, if any ally (including Frank himself) possesses a Mega Minion before he casts, this upgrades to 365% damage to ALL enemies.
2. The Mega Minion: He summons a Recruit Guard Mega Minion for himself. This minion inherits 20% HP and 100% Attack.
3. The Scaling: The Mega Minion's stats improve based on the number of unique Garrison Guard heroes on your team, capping at 30% HP and 140% Attack.

Analysis: The damage condition is the pivot point of his viability. A 350% Hit-3 at Average speed is frankly (pun intended) outdated. A 365% Hit-All is respectable, but requiring a specific board state to achieve it makes him inconsistent without the right teammates. His Mega Minion, the "Recruit Guard," is vanilla compared to his family members; it has no secondary effects—no mana cut, no healing, just a meat shield that hits back.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the Sergeant's performance:

• Mana Speed: Average. He requires 10 tiles to charge (9 with mana troops/bonuses). This is a significant drawback in a meta dominated by Fast and Very Fast heroes.
• Damage Potential (LB2 stats):
  • Base Hit-3: 1440 Attack × 350% ≈ 5,040 raw damage (split among 3).
  • Condition Met Hit-All: 1440 Attack × 365% ≈ 5,256 raw damage (to everyone).
  • Comparison: Modern Hit-All heroes like Ginger C1 or Lin Chong (Hit-3) often output significantly higher percentages or have stats that make their "lower" percentages hit harder. Frank's damage is merely "okay" for an Average speed hero.
• Mega Minion Value: A 2334 HP Frank summons a minion with ~466 HP (20%). If you have a full Garrison team, this bumps to ~700 HP (30%). While 700 HP is a nice buffer, it lacks the utility of other Mega Minions that cleanse or buff.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Garrison Guard family identity is built entirely around Mega Minions. Frank's specific integration is that his Mega Minion gets stronger (beefier and hits harder) the more Garrison friends he has. This forces you to run him in a "theme team" to get maximum value, limiting his versatility in rainbow or mixed squads.

Passives

• Resist Mana Reduction: A top-tier passive. Being immune to mana cuts (like from Xandrella or Rudolph) ensures he fires when he's supposed to.
• Guard Rally: Every 4 turns, he removes all Wither effects from allies. This is a niche but valuable counter to the Goblin family and other Wither-heavy heroes, preventing your team's stats from being permanently eroded.

Aether Power

Attack Up is a simple, effective boost. It helps his special skill hit harder and increases the inherited attack stat of his Mega Minion. It’s not as game-changing as Dodge or Ailment Immunity, but it suits his role as a damage dealer.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Frank was seen as a "balanced" hero—not overpowered, but solid in a Garrison stack. He was often compared unfavorably to Shimmerscale or Gwynn, who offered more utility or speed.
• Power Creep Analysis: The last 16 months have been cruel. With the introduction of the Titan Hunter, Outlaw, and Mimic families, stats have skyrocketed. Frank's damage cap and Average speed make him feel slow and soft compared to the blistering pace of late 2025.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Frank has largely fallen out of the top-tier competitive meta. He is no longer a threat on defense and is a niche pick on offense. He finds his home primarily in Family/Theme teams for fun, or in mid-tier wars where his Mega Minion can still provide a notable survival advantage. He is effectively a luxury support-attacker for players who already have a deep Garrison roster.

Emblem Path Analysis

As a Fighter, Frank has the chance to Revive with 1 HP. This is excellent for keeping his Mega Minion generation going.

The Heavy Hitter

• Path: Attack > Health > Defense
• Pros: Maximizes the damage of his special skill (especially the Hit-All version) and increases the attack stat of his Mega Minion.
• Cons: Leaves him slightly more vulnerable to being one-shot by modern snipers.

The Stalwart Sergeant

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Keeps him alive longer to cleanse Wither and summon more minions.
• Cons: His special skill damage becomes negligible against high-defense teams.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Heavy Hitter path is recommended. If you are using Frank, you are using him to deal damage and summon a minion that hits back. Capitalize on his Attack stat to make sure his conditional AoE actually leaves a dent.

Strengths

• Conditional AoE: Hitting all enemies for 365% is strong if you can trigger it consistently.
• Mega Minion Shield: Mega Minions provide a substantial HP buffer that immune to standard minion removal (mostly).
• Wither Cleanse: Automatic cleansing of Wither effects is a great passive counter to specific meta threats.
• Mana Protection: Innate resistance to mana reduction makes him reliable.

Weaknesses

• Dependencies: He is mediocre on his own. He needs other Mega Minions (preferably Garrison ones) to reach his full potential.
• Average Speed: Too slow for the impact he provides in the current fast-paced meta.
• Vanilla Minion: His Recruit Guard Mega Minion lacks the special effects (mana cut, ailment cleanse) that make other Mega Minions dangerous.
• Outdated Stats: He simply lacks the raw stats to compete with the newest releases.

Best Game Modes

• PvE / Farming: Mega Minions persist between waves and hit hard. A team of Garrison Guards can auto-farm hard stages very quickly.
• Rush Attack Wars: Average speed becomes Very Fast. His ability to hit all enemies and summon a meat shield becomes much more oppressive here.
• War Equalizer: His reliance on buffs/minions is less hindered here than ailment-dependent heroes, though minion removal is still a threat.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Frank should almost exclusively be played in a team that can generate Mega Minions quickly or starts with them.

Sample Team Ideas

• The Garrison Phalanx: Vanya - Frank - Shimmerscale - Greg -
  • Why: Vanya and Greg provide other Garrison bodies to max out Frank's minion stats. If they cast first, Frank triggers his AoE.
• The Minion Horde: Sparklight - Frank - - -
  • Why: Any Mega Minion triggers his AoE condition. Pairing him with faster MM summoners ensures he always hits everyone.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Minion Destroyers: Heroes that destroy minions (e.g., Grimsteel, Ogima) are his worst nightmare, stripping his protection and damage potential.
• Buff Blockers: If he can't summon his minion, he loses half his kit.
• Anti-Synergy: Do not pair him with heroes that replace minions with weaker ones or heroes that rely on the enemy having minions (unless you are using him to bait).

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Frank early in your journey, congrats! He is a solid 5-star hero who will carry you through map stages and early raids. His Mega Minion acts like a second health bar, making your team very durable. Focus on leveling him, but don't prioritize Limit Breaking him over more versatile modern heroes.

Advice for Veterans

Frank is likely a benchwarmer for you unless you are a Garrison enthusiast. He is not worth Alpha Aethers or Gold Emblems in the current economy. Use him for fun in War setups or Tower events where his Wither cleanse passive saves you items, but don't expect him to anchor your main defense.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community was whelmed, to say the least, upon his release.

• One player noted, "This hero seems…quite normal… Even when you have another mega Minion, the damage is barely better than Humbert or Gwynn."
• Another pointed out the harsh reality of his design: "Not worth the trouble to build this hero up unless you have full sets of garrison guard heroes."
• There was confusion about his minion type initially, with players realizing, "He only gets a replacement Recruit Guard... if he isn’t paired with other Garrison Guard heroes it is only 20%/100%."
• However, some defenders exist: "I saw the synergy with my Shimmerscale: 365% to all at average is brutal... on attack is really useful."

History shows he was a hero designed for a specific synergy that never quite dominated the meta enough to make him a must-have.

Final Thoughts

Frank 'Fangs' Brimwell is a good soldier who arrived at the wrong war. His kit is functional and cohesive within a Garrison team, but on his own, he lacks the firepower and utility to stand out against the monsters released in late 2025. He is a "combo hero" through and through. If you have the squad to back him up, he'll serve you with honor. If not, he’s just a dog walker with a shiny helmet.

Verdict: A solid B-tier hero who excels in specific family teams but struggles in the open meta. Keep him for the collection or niche wars, but save your best resources for the generals, not the sergeants.