Guffa, The Stoic Gargoyle: The Red Wall of Silence

Overview

Guffa is a Legendary Fire hero from the Gargoyle family, released back in mid-2024. He represents the classic "immovable object" archetype—a massive, slow Paladin designed to absorb punishment while his team prepares to strike. His kit is a complex mix of Taunt, Softskin, and a delayed but massive heal, making him a specialized tool rather than a general-purpose warrior. While he may feel a bit sluggish in standard play, he has found a permanent home in the Rush Attack niche. Just don't expect him to win any sprints.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Guffa is arguably the "fluffiest" of the Gargoyles, sporting a vibrant red coat and a massive axe that looks like it weighs more than most 3-star heroes. The art leans into the "gentle giant" trope until you realize that giant is a demon holding a weapon of mass destruction. He stands out from the greyer, stonier aesthetic of his Gargoyle brethren with a fiery, almost playful color palette that belies his defensive nature.

General Info

Hero Stats

When Guffa was released in 2024, his 1080 power was impressive. However, in the current meta of late 2025/early 2026, where new Legendary heroes regularly push past 1250+ power, Guffa's base stats show his age. His defense and health are still respectable enough to let him do his job as a tank, especially with the Paladin class, but he lacks the sheer stat-stick dominance of modern releases. He relies heavily on his damage reduction mechanics to survive, rather than raw numbers.

Special Skill: Reflecting Stance

This skill is a defensive masterpiece with a major catch: Speed. At Slow speed, getting Guffa to fire the first time is the main challenge. Once he does, he transforms the battlefield.

1. Taunt: He draws all fire, protecting your squishier heroes.
2. Mana Gen: The +40% mana generation is huge, helping him recharge much faster for a second cast.
3. Softskin for Allies: This is unique. Most Stoneskin/Softskin users keep it for themselves. Guffa shares it with his team (except himself), reducing incoming damage by 90% and granting ailment immunity. This is incredible for surviving AOE wipes.
4. The Delayed Heal: 1400 HP is a massive amount—essentially a full heal for many heroes. The "or instantly if cast again" clause is the key. If you can loop his special (thanks to that mana buff), he becomes a rapid-fire healing engine.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Slow (12 tiles).
  • With the +40% Mana Gen buff active, he drops to effectively 8.5 tiles (High Average/Fast territory), making his second cast much easier to reach.
• Healing Potential: 1400 HP flat heal.
  • On a team of 5, that is 7,000 total HP restored. This scales incredibly well with high defense troops, as raw HP is harder to remove.
• Softskin Mitigation: -90% Damage.
  • If an enemy sniper would deal 1000 damage, they now deal 100. This effectively nullifies an entire round of enemy specials.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Gargoyle family is famous for its Stoneskin passive, and Guffa is no exception.

Family Bonus

Immunity to Poison, Burn, and Water damage adds another layer of survivability, especially against common DOT-heavy defenses.

Passives

Gargoyle's Stoneskin is his personal safety net. Even if his Taunt is dispelled, he personally takes -90% damage for the first few hits after firing. This makes him incredibly annoying to finish off.

Aether Power

Damage Reduction fits his kit perfectly. Since he is a Taunter, he will be taking a lot of hits. Reducing that incoming damage by a flat percentage (usually 5-10% depending on level) stacks well with his high defense.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Guffa was seen as a "Rush War specialist." Players debated if his slow speed made him "trash" or "OP." Time has proven that in Rush formats, he is a monster.
• Power Creep Analysis: His stats have fallen behind. A 1080 Power hero is now comparable to a highly emblemmed 4-star in terms of raw stats, but his skills (90% reduction, flat 1400 heal) are percentage/fixed value based and do not age as poorly as direct damage dealers.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Guffa is Niche but Viable. Do not bring him to a standard speed raid against modern speed demons; he will die before firing. However, in Rush Attack Wars and Tournaments, he remains a top-tier tank or flank because his slow speed is negated, and his skill effects are still game-breakingly strong.

Costume & Costume Bonus

This hero does not currently have a costume.

Emblem Path Analysis

As a Paladin whose sole job is to survive and protect, there is only one logical path.

The Iron Wall (Defense/Health)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes the effectiveness of his Taunt and Stoneskin. Every point of HP is worth more when damage is reduced by 90%.
• Cons: His tile damage will be negligible.

Final Recommendation

Go full Defense and Health. Do not waste a single node on Attack. You want him to stand there and look pretty while the enemy breaks their weapons on him.

Strengths

• Softskin for the Team: Granting -90% damage reduction to allies is a rare and powerful support effect.
• Massive Heal: 1400 HP is one of the largest single heals in the game.
• Self-Sustain: Between Stoneskin, Taunt, and Mana Gen, he becomes self-sufficient once he gets going.
• Undispellable Effects: The Softskin on allies and the Delayed Heal cannot be dispelled, guaranteeing value even if the enemy brings a dispeller.

Weaknesses

• Speed: Slow mana is a death sentence in many modern match-ups.
• Vulnerable to Dispel (Taunt): While the Softskin/Heal are undispellable, his Taunt usually is not (unless he gets an update or specific buff, standard Taunt is dispellable). If he loses Taunt, his allies are safe (Softskin), but he stops protecting them from direct target effects.
• Passive Playstyle: He doesn't kill the enemy; he just stops you from dying. If your attackers die, he can't win the match alone.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack Wars/Tournaments: His absolute best playground. He fires in 6 tiles and makes your team nearly invincible.
• PvE / Map Stages: Great for hard bosses where you need to survive massive hits.
• Buff Booster Tournaments: He provides multiple buffs (Taunt, Mana Gen, Softskin) to boost attack.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

1. The Rush Wall: Guffa (Tank) + 2 Revivers (Mother North/Alberich) + 2 Heavy Hitters.
   • Why: In Rush, Guffa fires, protects the revivers. If anyone dies, they come back. The enemy can't punch through the Softskin.
2. The Mana Train: Xnolphod + Guffa + Ludwig.
   • Why: While overkill, chaining mana boosters ensures Guffa keeps his +40% mana gen active and triggers the "instant heal" clause repeatedly.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Silence/Mana Control: Heroes like Hel or Proteus who stop him from gaining mana shut him down completely.
• Buff Blockers: Mist or Franz can prevent his Taunt and Mana Gen buff (though Softskin/Heal often bypass buff block if they are status effects? No, they are buffs/status effects, so Buff Block is deadly).
• Malosi: Can block him from casting his status effects.

Advice for New Players

If you pull Guffa early, he will carry you through difficult map stages and quests. His survivability is unmatched for a new roster. However, do not prioritize him over a versatile fast sniper for Raids. Level him when you need a tank for Rush wars.

Advice for Veterans

Guffa is a luxury tool for your Rush War depth. He doesn't need Alpha Aethers to do his job (Taunt is Taunt), but the extra stats help. If you have modern taunters like Phorcys or reliable fast tanks, Guffa might ride the bench. However, his "Softskin for Allies" is unique enough to warrant keeping him for specific counter-play.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• "Rush tournaments... oh my." - A prophetic forum user predicting his dominance in fast mana modes.
• "Slow mana but... stats allow to survive." - This was true in 2024, but in 2026, those stats are less reliable without Limit Breaks.
• Community consensus generally settled on him being "Broken in Rush, Average elsewhere."

Final Thoughts

Guffa is a relic of a slightly different era—one where Slow heroes were allowed to be impactful without destroying the entire board in one move. He is a specialized tool, a safety valve that you open when the game rules (Rush Attack) favor the heavyweights. While he won't be your everyday hero, on those specific weeks, you'll be glad you have the big red gargoyle on your side.

No costume? No problem. He's already wearing enough stone.

Verdict: Keep and max for Rush Attack. Bench for standard play.