Hilda: The "Cutesy" Nightmare of the Sanctuary

Overview

Meet Hilda, the Gargoyle family's attempt at rebranding from "stone-cold killers" to "plushie merchandise." Released back in June 2024 as part of the Return to Sanctuary event, she stands out as a 5-star Holy (Yellow) Fighter who combines heavy hitting with a deceptively supportive kit. Unlike her stony brethren who look like they belong on a gothic cathedral, Hilda looks like she belongs in a toddler's crib. But make no mistake—this furball bites.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Let's address the elephant—or rather, the spotted winged gerbil—in the room. Hilda is adorable. With her bright yellow fur, purple spots, and a little red bow, she is the antithesis of the gritty, dark aesthetic usually found in Empires & Puzzles. It’s a hilarious contrast when you see her terrifying stone skin activate, reminding you that beneath that cuddly exterior lies a monster capable of tanking a nuclear blast.

General Info

Hero Stats

Stat Analysis in 2026: Let's be real—time has not been kind to Hilda's raw numbers. With a base power of 1065, she is significantly behind the modern curve.

• Attack (1097): Compared to modern hitters pushing 1300+, she hits softly on paper.
• Defense (1133) & Health (1707): These were tank-worthy stats in 2024. Today? They are merely "average." New heroes are boasting 2200+ HP out of the box.
• Verdict: She relies entirely on her Softskin passive to survive. Her raw stats alone won't keep her alive against the modern gods of E&P.

Special Skill: Drain Strike

Skill Analysis: "Drain Strike" is a Swiss Army knife of misery for your opponents.

1. The Hit: 435% to three targets is a solid multiplier. Even with her aging attack stat, this can still cripple a flank.
2. The Bleed & Steal: This is her signature move. She doesn't just damage you; she effectively vampirizes the bleed damage for her whole team as boosted health. It turns her into a pseudo-healer who punishes the enemy for existing.
3. The Buff Block: The cherry on top. Preventing new buffs for 4 turns is devastating, especially against taunters or buffers who rely on firing frequently.

By the Numbers

Let's crunch the numbers to see if she still holds up.

• Mana Speed: Average (10 tiles). With a Level 23 Mana Troop or 29 Magic/Styx troop, you can get her to 9 tiles.
• Damage Potential:
  • Direct Damage: 435% x 3 targets = 1305% total damage output. That is still a respectful number for a Hit-3 hero.
  • Bleed Damage: 708 base bleed over 4 turns = 177 per turn, per enemy.
  • Total Bleed: 177 x 3 enemies = 531 damage per turn across the enemy team.
• Healing Potential:
  • The team steals 50% of dealt bleed damage.
  • 50% of 531 = ~265 Boosted Health per turn for every ally.
  • Over 4 turns, that's over 1000 Boosted Health per ally if all three enemies stay alive and bleeding.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Hilda might have old stats, but her passive game is timeless.

Family Bonus

Immunity to Poison and Burn is excellent situational utility, especially against DOT-heavy teams. It's a nice bonus, but not the main event.

Passives

Gargoyle’s Softskin is the reason you play this hero.

• The Effect: Reduces damage to 1 (technically -90%, but often single digits) for the next 4 hits.
• The Kicker: Immunity to status ailments and mana reduction during this time.
• Why it wins games: In a world of crazy snipers and one-shot wonders, Softskin forces the enemy to waste resources "peeling" her skin before they can hurt her. It makes her deceptively tanky despite her lower HP pool.

Aether Power

Dodge fits her perfectly. It adds another layer of survival on top of Softskin and Fighter revive. If they don't miss her, they hit her for 1 damage. If they kill her, she revives. It's infuriating.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Hilda was hailed as a "beast" and a "must-have" for her ability to shut down buffs and sustain the team. She was a staple in War defenses and a terror in Rush wars.
• Power Creep Analysis: The damage creep has been real. Modern heroes hit harder, faster, and have nearly double her effective health pool. Her 435% hit doesn't scare a team with 3500 HP heroes as much as it used to.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Niche but Viable. She is no longer a top-tier main defender. However, she is still a War Machine. Her specific combination of Buff Immunity and Softskin makes her an excellent counter to specific meta threats. In Bloody Battle tournaments, she is arguably S-Tier because she provides "healing" via Boosted Health (which is often allowed or bypasses certain restrictions depending on the specific rule interpretation, though usually Bleed steal counts as healing and is blocked—but the damage and buff block remain elite). Correction: In Bloody Battle, the healing is blocked, but the Buff Immunity and raw damage are king.

Emblem Path Analysis

Hilda is a Fighter, and her role is to deal damage to generate big bleeds.

The Aggressive Gargoyle (Attack > Defense)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes the initial hit (435% is a high multiplier) and increases the Bleed damage (which scales with stats). More bleed means more healing.
• Cons: Lowers her HP pool, making her more reliant on Softskin.

The Stone Wall (Defense > Health)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Increases survivability significantly. Since she has Softskin, she effectively has "more" HP than the numbers show.
• Cons: Her bleed damage softens, reducing the team's passive healing.

Final Recommendation

Go Attack > Defense. Hilda needs to hurt people to be relevant. Her Softskin and Fighter revive are her survival mechanisms; she doesn't need to be a meat shield.

Strengths

• Survivability: Softskin is one of the best defensive passives in the game.
• Utility: Buff Immunity for 4 turns is a long time in E&P.
• Passive Sustain: Turning enemy pain (bleed) into ally gain (boosted health).
• Class: Fighter is the best class for defense. Revive + Softskin = Rage quit.

Weaknesses

• Stats: Her stats are undeniably dated compared to late-2025/2026 heroes.
• Dispel/Cleanse: She has no cleanse or dispel herself.
• Speed: Average speed is "slow" in the current Very Fast meta.
• Bleed Counters: Heroes immune to bleed (like other Gargoyles or Construct heroes) negate her healing mechanic.

Best Game Modes

• War Attack: Excellent for dismantling teams that rely on buffs.
• Rush Attack/Defense: At Very Fast speed, she is a nightmare. Keeping Softskin up 100% of the time makes her nearly invincible.
• Buff Booster Tournament: She shuts down the enemy's ability to get buffs.
• Towers/Events: Softskin allows her to cheese through hard hitting bosses.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Synergy: The "Death by a Thousand Cuts"

Pair her with other Bleed or DOT heroes. While DOTs overwrite each other if they are the same type (Bleed overwrites Bleed), pairing her with Burn or Poison heroes creates overwhelming pressure.

• Note: Be careful not to overwrite her Bleed with a weaker Bleed! Her bleed heals the team; standard bleeds do not.

Synergy: The "Can't Touch This"

• Team: Hilda + Taunter (e.g., Ludwig/Phorcys) + Dodger.
• Why: Protect Hilda while she charges. Once she fires, she protects herself with Softskin and protects the team by healing them.

Counters

• Cleanse: A simple cleanser removes her Bleed and Buff Immunity. (e.g., Rigard, or newer meta cleansers).
• Ailment Immunity/Reflection: Heroes who block ailments (like newer Construct or Astral heroes) make her useless.
• Gargoyles: Enemy Gargoyles are immune to Poison/Burn, but not Bleed. However, many modern families have innate resistances.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Hilda from the portal or Soul Exchange: Max her immediately. Even with "older" stats, her mechanics are god-tier for a developing roster. She will carry you through map stages (Softskin tanks bosses) and win you raids you shouldn't win.

Advice for Veterans

She is a luxury tool. Do not prioritize her over the latest 1300+ Power powerhouse unless you specifically need a Yellow Buff Blocker for War depth. She is worthy of emblems, but think twice before giving her your precious Alpha Aethers unless you use her daily.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• The "Cute" Debate: On release, the forum was split between "OMG Adorable" and "Why is this Pokemon in my dark fantasy game?" One user noted, "She looks like she belongs in a toddler's crib, not a battlefield."
• The Power Creep Realization: Even back in 2024, players noted the gap. "Her release this month really highlights just how far behind the current HOTM have fallen," one player lamented, comparing her to Aviana.
• The 6-Star Theory: Her kit was so loaded that players jokingly (or seriously) suggested she should be classified as a "6-star" compared to the weaker heroes of her time.

Final Thoughts

Hilda is the classic example of "Mechanics over Stats." While her numbers may look dusty in 2026, the ability to take 1 damage from a sniper shot and prevent the enemy from buffing for 4 turns is timeless. She is a wolf in sheep's clothing—or rather, a stone monster in a plushie's clothing. If you have her, use her. She might not be the queen of the arena anymore, but she’s certainly the princess of annoyance.

Final Verdict: Still a solid A- tier hero for War depth and Rush formats, but keep her away from the absolute top-tier defenses.