General Yin, The Tiger Tactician: Priority Dispel for the Masses

Overview

General Yin is a 3-star Rare Nature hero from the Journey family, released in early 2023. As an anthropomorphic tiger wielding a giant axe, he brings a unique utility to the 3-star arena: Priority Dispel. This means he removes enemy buffs before dealing damage, a mechanic usually reserved for higher-rarity heroes. However, this power comes at a cost: Slow mana speed.

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Hero Art & Visuals

General Yin boasts some of the most detailed artwork for a 3-star hero. He is a fierce, muscular tiger in ornate general's armor, evoking the style of classic Chinese literature. The "Enchanted Axe" he wields is massive and glowing, hinting at the magical nature of his strikes. Compared to older 3-star designs (looking at you, Friar Tuck), General Yin looks like he belongs in a 5-star lineup.

General Info

Hero Stats

In the modern 3-star landscape (late 2025), General Yin's stats are solid but not game-breaking.

• Attack (519): Respectable for a 3-star, allowing his hit-all special to deal meaningful damage.
• Defense (507) & Health (700): These stats are average. He isn't a tank, but he isn't made of glass either. He needs these stats to survive long enough to charge his slow mana.
• Power (486): Standard for his release era, trailing behind the newest Toon costumes or Construct 3-stars.

Special Skill: Enchanted Axe Swing

Analysis: "Enchanted Axe Swing" is a tactical nuke.

1. Priority Dispel: "Dispels buffs from all enemies." This happens FIRST. This is crucial. It removes Defense Up, Counterattack, and Damage Share (like Gunner's) before the damage is calculated. This ensures his hit lands with full force and without triggering ripostes.
2. AoE Damage: 180% damage to all enemies. For a Slow hero, 180% is a bit low on paper (compared to Treevil's massive hit), but...
3. Bonus Damage: Deals +8% damage per removed status effect (up to 276% total). This is his punish mechanic. If the enemy team is fully buffed (e.g., Faiez, Gunner, Kai), General Yin hits them significantly harder.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed Analysis: Slow. 12 tiles. This is his biggest weakness. In standard play, the match is often decided before he fires. In Rush Attack, he becomes Very Fast (6.5 tiles), turning him into a monster.
• Damage Calculation:
  • Base hit: 180%.
  • Max hit (with many buffs removed): 276%.
  • This makes him a hard counter to buff-heavy teams in Rush.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

Analysis: The chance to increase status effect duration is irrelevant for General Yin because he casts no status effects. He only deals damage and dispels. This is a confusing design choice that effectively leaves him without a functional family bonus unless paired with other Journey heroes for the stat boost (Morale Boost) in War of Three Kingdoms.

Aether Power

Analysis: Regen. This helps his survivability, keeping him alive while he slowly charges his mana. It's a useful, if passive, sustain tool.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, he was compared favorably to Joukahainen (Blue dispeller) but criticized for his Slow speed. He found an immediate niche in 3-star Rush Tournaments.
• Power Creep Analysis: The mechanic of "Dispel First" remains premium. While newer 3-stars hit harder or have faster mana, few offer this specific utility. He remains unique in Green.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Niche Specialist. He is virtually unplayable in standard raid/war formats due to his speed. However, he is a top-tier pick for Rush Attack Tournaments and specific Challenge Event stages where enemies have annoying buffs (like Counterattack).

Costume & Costume Bonus

As of this review, General Yin does not have a costume.

Emblem Path Analysis

General Yin is a Barbarian. This class applies Bleed damage on basic attacks.

The Survivor (Defense > Health > Attack)

• Path: Prioritize Defense/Health.
• Pros: He is Slow; he needs to survive to fire.
• Cons: Lowers his damage ceiling.

The Executioner (Attack > Defense > Health)

• Path: Prioritize Attack.
• Pros: Maximizes the AoE damage, especially the bonus damage against buffed teams.
• Cons: He might die before charging.

Final Recommendation

Attack Path is generally preferred for 3-star play. In Rush tournaments (his main home), he charges fast enough that survivability is less of an issue than impact. You want him to wipe the board after dispelling.

Strengths

• Priority Dispel: Removes defensive buffs before dealing damage. Best counter to Gunner, Faiez (def up), and counter-attackers.
• Rush Synergy: In Rush modes, he is a dispelling nuke.
• Punishes Buffers: The more the enemy buffs, the harder he hits.

Weaknesses

• Slow Speed: agonizingly slow for normal play.
• No Status Effects: He applies no ailments (def down, poison, etc.), making him purely a utility/damage hero.
• Useless Family Bonus: His family bonus does nothing for him personally.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack Tournaments: This is where he shines. A fast Dispel-All + Hit-All is devastating.
• Buff Booster Tournaments: Paradoxically good. Enemies rely on buffs; he removes them and hits harder because of them.
• Challenge Events: Useful for clearing waves of enemies that cast Counterattack (like the Knights event).

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

1. The Rush Wrecking Ball:
   • Faiez - Treevil - General Yin - Buster - Joukahainen
   • Concept: Faiez protects, Treevil debuffs, Yin dispels and hits. A nightmare defense.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: Mana Control (Li Xiu, etc.) stops him from ever firing. Taunt (Shrubbear) forces him to dispel only the taunter (though he removes the taunt, the rest of the team keeps their buffs until he fires again... wait, AoE dispel usually hits all unless Taunt prevents targeting? Actually, Dispel All usually bypasses Taunt's targeting restriction if it affects "All", but Taunt often forces skills to only hit the taunter. In Yin's case, he dispels the Taunter first, then hits. The interaction can be tricky depending on exact wording and game version).
• Anti-Synergy: Other Dispellers. If you have too many dispellers, his bonus damage potential drops because there are no buffs left to remove.

Advice for New Players

Keep him! A 3-star dispeller is rare and valuable. Even if he is slow, he solves problems that other 3-stars can't (like dealing with a fully buffed enemy team).

Advice for Veterans

Limit Break him for your Rush Tournament depth. He is a green option for when Blue (Joukahainen) or Red (Tyrum) aren't allowed or aren't ideal.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• "The Green Joukahainen": Players immediately drew parallels to the Kalevala hero, debating who was better. The consensus: Joukahainen is faster (Average) and blocks buffs, making him generally superior, but Yin hits harder in the right conditions.
• "Why no Family Synergy?": Frequent complaints about his family bonus being useless for him. "It's like Carol all over again!"

Final Thoughts

General Yin is a tool hero. You don't bring him for his DPS; you bring him because the enemy has Gunner, Kai, or Faiez, and you need those buffs gone right now. His damage is just the icing on the cake. In the niche of 3-star Rush, he is a general worthy of his rank.

Verdict: A valuable bench warmer who becomes MVP for one week every month (Rush Tournament).

• Costume Verdict: N/A

The tiger doesn't just roar; he strips you of your defenses.