Frond: The Mantis That Feasts on Boosted Health

Overview

Frond is a Fast mana Nature (Green) sniper from the Construct family, originally released in the Covenant Summon portal in late 2023. While he might look like a robotic praying mantis who got lost on the way to a gardening convention, his kit is hyper-specialized for one thing: punishing enemies who dare to exceed their maximum HP.

In an era dominated by overhealers like Hathor, Arco, and the endless parade of boosted health supports, Frond isn't just a damage dealer; he's a hard counter. If you see a grey health bar, Frond sees a free meal.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Frond boasts one of the more unique designs in the game—a sleek, technological interpretation of a forest guardian. He resembles a biomechanical mantis or an elven construct, with glowing green energy coursing through a wooden and metallic frame. It’s a refreshing departure from the usual "angry guy with axe" aesthetic. The community has affectionately dubbed him "The Mantis," "The Green Bug," or occasionally "Rudolph's Cousin" due to the vaguely antler-like structures on his head. He definitely looks like he’s judging your lack of recycling.

General Info

Hero Stats

Stat Analysis: Let's address the elephant (or mantis) in the room. With a base Power of 980, Frond's stats are showing their age in 2026.

• Attack (984): Still respectable, but modern hitters are pushing 1300+ raw attack.
• Defense (959) & Health (1736): This is where the gap is most felt. Compared to the 1300 Def / 2200 HP behemoths released recently, Frond is significantly squishier.
• Verdict: He is a "Glass Cannon" by modern standards. He hits hard, but he cannot take a punch like the newer Construct or Astral heroes. You must protect him or kill the enemy before they touch him.

Special Skill: Fury of the Ancient Forest

Analysis: Frond has received significant buffs since his release, and his current numbers are terrifying if the conditions are met.

• 375% to 3 at Fast: This is a solid baseline. Even without the bonus, 375% to three targets at Fast speed is competitive with many modern snipers.
• The 900 Damage Nuke: This is the headline act. If the target has any boosted health, they take an additional 900 fixed damage. Note that this applies to each target hit. If you hit three enemies with boosted health, that's an extra 2700 damage across the board, on top of the 375% hit. This virtually guarantees a kill on overhealed targets.
• The +85% Damage Buff: This secondary effect is often overlooked but is incredibly potent against teams that constantly regenerate boosted health (looking at you, Toon Vivica and Hathor). It turns your entire team into tank-busters for 3 turns.

By the Numbers

Let's crunch the math to see why this bug bites so hard.

• Mana Speed: Fast. He needs 8 tiles to charge. With a Level 29 Magic/Styx troop or a Level 23 Mana troop + 20th emblem node (which gives +2% mana for Rangers), he drops to 7 tiles. This 7-tile breakpoint is critical for 3-stack attacks.
• Damage Calculation (Standard):
  • 375% x 984 Attack ≈ 3,690 (Raw damage value before defense).
• Damage Calculation (Boosted):
  • The 900 extra damage is fixed. It doesn't care about the enemy's defense.
  • Against a boosted target, he deals the standard hit + 900.
  • If the standard hit does ~800 damage to a high defense enemy, the extra 900 pushes it to ~1700. That is a "delete button" for nearly any non-tank hero.
• Destructive Core: Don't forget the passive. A fully charged core adds 180% damage to ALL enemies.
  • 180% x 984 Attack ≈ 1,771 raw AoE damage.
  • Combined with his special, he can wipe an entire team if the core aligns with his firing.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Construct family is known for its "Core" mechanic, which rewards you for taking damage—a risky but rewarding playstyle for a squishy hero.

Family Bonus

The family bonus isn't the main draw here, but pairing him with another Construct (like Brimstone or Sparklight) can provide small stat bumps.

Passives

• Destructive Core: This charges up as Frond takes damage. When he fires his special, the core detonates.
  • Strategic Note: Sometimes it's worth letting Frond take a stray tile or slash attack to charge this core up before firing, turning him from a Hit-3 to a Hit-All nuker.
• Resist Special Blocking: This is huge. He is immune to Mindless Attack, Silence, and Mana Block. He counters heroes like Miki, Peters, or the annoying silence from newer masked gods. He will always fire if he has the mana.

Aether Power

Regen is... okay. It helps him survive a bit longer given his lower defensive stats, but for a sniper, we usually prefer Attack Up or Special Boost. It’s a defensive safety net for a glass cannon.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Frond was a "nice to have" but not meta-breaking because boosted health wasn't on every single defense team.
• Power Creep Analysis: While his stats have fallen behind the 1300+ Attack/Defense curve of late 2025, his skill multipliers were buffed to keep him relevant. 375% is higher than many modern Fast Hit-3s.
• Modern Viability Verdict: High Niche Viability. He is no longer a universal defense hero due to his squishiness. However, on Offense, he is a top-tier specialist. As long as the meta favors healers who boost HP (which it almost always does), Frond remains a premier counter. He is a "silver bullet" hero—you bring him to kill specific threats, not to brawl generally.

Costume & Costume Bonus

As of this review, Frond does not have a costume.

Emblem Path Analysis

Frond is a Ranger. His primary job is to deal damage. Do not overthink this.

The Glass Assassin (Recommended)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes the 375% multiplier. With his high base attack, every point of emblem attack scales significantly.
• Cons: He remains fragile.
• Node 20: Take the mana node (+2%). This is essential to hit the 7-tile breakpoint with a wider variety of troops.

The Survivalist

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Keeps him alive longer to charge his Core.
• Cons: Sacrifices his main asset—kill pressure. Not recommended unless you use him on defense (which you shouldn't).

Final Recommendation

Go Full Attack. Frond's defense will never be "good" by 2026 standards. Your best defense is removing three enemies from the board instantly.

Strengths

• Boosted Health Destroyer: 900 extra fixed damage is unmitigated by defense. It shreds tanks and squishies alike.
• Innate Immunities: Immune to Silence and Mindless Attack ensures he fires when you need him.
• Fast Speed: 7-tile potential allows him to outpace the healers he hunts.
• Core Mechanic: The potential for a 180% AoE kicker makes his ceiling incredibly high.

Weaknesses

• Aging Stats: He is fragile compared to modern heroes.
• Conditional Damage: If the enemy doesn't have boosted health, he's just a "good" hitter, not a "great" one.
• Damage Distribution: Hit-3 is great, but requires careful targeting to maximize impact on wings.

Best Game Modes

• Raids & Wars (Offense): His kingdom. See a Hathor? Bring Frond. See an Arco? Bring Frond.
• Bloody Battle: Paradoxically good. While there is no healing, the fast speed and raw damage output make him a solid sniper. (Note: The boosted health bonus won't trigger here, so he loses his main gimmick).
• Events: The Core mechanic (180% to all) can be useful for wave clearing if timed right.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

The "Green Blur" (7-Tile Core)

• Composition: Frond - Evelyn/Almur (EDD) - Silvaria/Hammertusk (Def Down)
• Strategy: Fire your Elemental Defense Down first, then regular Defense Down, then Frond. Even without boosted health, this combo will vaporize any three heroes it touches.

The Anti-Meta Injection

• Composition: Frond - Healer - Dispeller
• Strategy: Use Frond specifically to target the enemy overhealer. Wait for them to fire (giving their team boosted HP), then punish them immediately. It sounds counter-intuitive to let them heal, but Frond needs them to have that grey HP bar to trigger his massive 900 damage bonus.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: Heroes who prevent buffs (since his +85% damage is a buff) can annoy him, but his main counters are just heavy hitters who kill him before he fires.
• Synergy: He loves Mana Boosters (Xnolphod, Ludwig) to ensure he fires repeatedly.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Frond, rejoice! You have a solution to some of the most annoying teams in the game. Prioritize his Attack stats. Don't worry about his "low" defense; just hide him behind a taunter or pair him with a revive hero if you can. He will carry you through difficult raids against overhealers.

Advice for Veterans

Frond is worth the tonic, but think twice about the Limit Break 2 (Alpha Aether). His Aether power (Regen) is weak, and his stats, even when 2LB, barely catch up to non-LB modern heroes. Use him as a surgical tool in wars. He doesn't need to be your strongest hero; he just needs to be strong enough to kill Hathor.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community has had a rollercoaster relationship with Frond.

• The "Rudolph" Era: Initially mocked for his appearance ("I think he’s Rudolph’s cousin and they put him in the wrong portal").
• The Damage Realization: Once players saw the math, the tone shifted. "The damage he does is insane... especially if enemies only have ‘low extra health’."
• The Buff Appreciation: Players noted the massive improvements over time: "Ever since Frond got the buff... 2.9k to 3.1k damage each. Instant kill."
• The "Glass" Reality: As one player put it, "He’s an upgraded version of Elkanen... If Elkanen actually did damage."

Final Thoughts

Frond is a relic of 2023 design—high utility, specific niche, but stats that require careful handling. He is not a "set and forget" defense hero. He is a scalpel. When you are facing a wall of boosted health that feels impossible to break, Frond is the one hero who turns that strength into a fatal weakness. He remains the premier "Boosted Health Assassin" in Empires & Puzzles.

Verdict: Keep him, level him, but maybe buy him a helmet. He's fragile.