Hurricane, The Ape Assassin: A Burning Legacy in a Stat-Crept World

Overview

Hurricane, the "Ape Assassin" from the Jungle Hunter family, was once the definition of "Overpowered." Released in May 2023, he arrived amidst a storm of controversy, boasting damage numbers that made grown gamers cry. He is a Dark (Purple) Average speed hero designed to hit three targets hard, set them on fire, and heal himself while doing it.

Fast forward to today, and while his kit remains mechanically potent, his stats tell the story of a hero from a different era. He is now a classic "glass cannon"—capable of wrecking teams if he fires, but struggling to survive long enough to do so against modern 1300+ Defense monsters.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Hurricane’s design is a striking blend of Planet of the Apes intensity and high-fantasy assassin chic. He features a humanoid simian face with a serious, almost regal expression, adorned with golden jewelry that suggests rank or royalty within his tribe. He wields two massive, glowing red "Firestone Daggers" that look less like daggers and more like small swords. The purple and gold color scheme fits his element perfectly, and the dynamic pose suggests he's mid-pounce. It's a cool, aggressive look that screams "DPS," even if he does look like he's about to ask you where the human village is.

General Info

Hero Stats

Hurricane's stats were jaw-dropping in 2023, but the relentless march of power creep has been unkind.

Stat Analysis:

• Attack (889): By modern standards, this is low. Current top-tier attackers boast base attacks of 1300+. Hurricane relies heavily on his passives and limit breaks to compete.
• Defense (828) & Health (1479): These are his biggest liabilities. With modern snipers hitting for 600-700% damage off 1300 Attack stats, Hurricane is extremely fragile. He is "squishy" by today's definition and absolutely requires Limit Breaking (LB2) and defensive emblems just to survive a stray tile cascade.

Special Skill: Firestone Daggers

Skill Analysis: This skill is a Swiss Army Knife of pain.

1. The Hit: 410% to three targets is a solid multiplier. While his base attack is lower now, 410% is still enough to soften up a defense significantly.
2. The Reset: This is the hidden gem. Resetting the duration of status ailments on the target and nearby enemies is incredible utility. Pair him with a heavy DoT dealer (like his family members or C.Quintus), and you can keep enemies bleeding or burning indefinitely.
3. The Burn & Sustain: 904 Burn damage over 4 turns is massive (approx. 226 per turn). Crucially, he heals for 50% of this. If he hits three targets, that's roughly 340 HP healing per turn for himself. This self-sustain is the only reason he can survive in modern raids.
4. The Stack: Gaining attack against Holy (his weak element) is a nice bonus, making him particularly dangerous against yellow titans or tanks, but in PVP, you likely won't stack it high enough to matter before the match ends.

By the Numbers

• Effective Mana Speed: Average (10 tiles). With a Level 23 Mana Troop, he drops to 9 tiles. His passive grants +20% Attack on special, but no mana speed boost.
• Damage Potential (Estimated):
  • Direct Damage: 410% x 889 Attack = ~3644 raw damage value (before defense). Against modern 1300 Def heroes, this will hit for significantly less than it did in 2023, likely in the 400-600 range per hero.
  • DoT Damage: 904 total over 4 turns. This is fixed damage (mostly) and ignores defense, making it his most reliable output. Hitting 3 targets = 2712 total burn damage distributed.
• Healing: 50% of 904 burn = 452 health recovered per target over 4 turns. Hitting 3 targets = 1356 total self-healing over 4 turns.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Jungle Hunter bonus provides extra HP (up to +20%) if you field multiple family members. Given the family includes other heavy hitters, this is a viable strategy to help patch up his aging health pool.

Passives

• Hunter's Vigor: +20% Attack for 3 turns on Special Cast. This is excellent. It ensures that if he fires once, his tile damage and subsequent DoT become even deadlier.
• Hunter's Mark: Adds another layer of DoT (150 over 3 turns). It's minor chip damage but adds up, especially since it refreshes and increases if triggered again.

Aether Power

Attack Up: At the start of battle, his attack is boosted by 20% for 6 turns. This is crucial for keeping his damage relevant in the modern era. It helps bridge the gap between his base stats and current heroes.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Hurricane was a "must-have." Players called for nerfs immediately, citing his high damage and self-sustain as game-breaking. He was a staple in top-tier defenses.
• Power Creep Analysis: The "Big Balance Update" and subsequent power leaps (Constructs, Goblins, Astrals) have left Hurricane behind stat-wise. A base power of 875 is now considered "Classic" territory compared to the 1260+ power of late 2025 heroes.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Hurricane has transitioned from a "Meta God" to a "Niche Attacker." He is no longer viable on defense in top-tier wars; he dies too easily. However, on offense, his ailment reset and massive burn still make him a potent weapon against teams that lack cleanse, or for PvE content like Towers and Titans.

Emblem Path Analysis

The Survivalist (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Desperately needs bulk to survive long enough to fire his Average speed skill. The longer he lives, the more he heals from his burn.
• Cons: Sacrifices some of that raw DoT and direct damage potential.

The Glass Cannon

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes his DoT (which scales with attack) and direct hit.
• Cons: He might die to 3 slashes from a modern fast hero before gaining mana.

Final Recommendation

For most players today, the Survivalist (Defense/Health) path is mandatory. His base attack is high enough to do its job via DoT, but his base defense is a liability. You need him to survive to fire.

Strengths

• Massive DoT: The burn damage is significant and ignores high defense stats.
• Self-Sustain: If he fires, he becomes very hard to kill thanks to the burn-heal mechanic.
• Ailment Reset: Unique utility that pairs beautifully with other DoT heroes or debuffers.
• Rogue Class: The dodge chance is a lifesaver for a squishy hero.

Weaknesses

• Outdated Stats: Low defense and HP make him an easy target for modern snipers.
• Average Speed: In a Very Fast meta, 10 tiles can feel like an eternity.
• Cleansers: A simple cleanse (Rigard, Vivica) completely neuters his damage and healing potential.
• Selfish: He offers no support to the team other than killing enemies.

Best Game Modes

• Bloody Battle Tournaments: He is S-Tier here. His self-heal relies on burn damage, which might bypass the "no healing" rule (depending on current patch mechanics, usually "steal" or "absorb" health works where direct heal doesn't, but check current rules). Regardless, his damage is massive.
• Titans: High attack stat + Attack Stack vs Holy + Ailment Reset (keeping Defense Down active) makes him a Titan specialist.
• Rush Wars: Average speed becomes Very Fast. He is devastating here.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Never-Ending Pain" Team:
  • Partners: C.Quintus (or any heavy DoT) + Hurricane + Narcisa.
  • Strategy: Fire the other DoT heroes first. Fire Hurricane to reset the duration of those DoT effects, keeping the enemy team melting indefinitely.
• The Titan Crusher:
  • Partners: Sergei (EDD), Shar'Khai (Attack Up), Hurricane.
  • Strategy: Use Hurricane to reset the duration of Sergei's Elemental Defense Down, ensuring 100% uptime on the Titan.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters:
  • Cleansers: Ariel, Vivica, and Toon costumed classic heroes make Hurricane cry.
  • Ailment Blockers: Hathor, Aramis, or Garnet prevent his burn, stopping his healing.
  • Reflectors: Heroes like Constance or anyone with Elemental Reflect can make him kill himself instantly.

Advice for New Players

If you pull Hurricane early, he will carry you through the entire map and lower-tier raids. His self-heal makes him incredibly durable for PvE. Max him immediately.

Advice for Veterans

Hurricane is a luxury toy now. He's fun for war depth or specific tournaments, but do not prioritize him over modern 1200+ power heroes. He is not worth Alpha Aethers unless you use him daily for Titans.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

When Hurricane was released, the community was in an uproar.

• One player famously said: "I had to scratch my eyes reading this card... 410% to 3, at average, plus 904 burn... How broken is this?"
• Another noted the irony of his release during a "balance" update: "SG: 'We want to cap damage.' Also SG: 'Hey look at this shiny new hero... Go summon!'"
• However, by late 2024, the sentiment shifted to reality: "He dies too quickly. I barely use him." and "Signs of him falling behind... Hurricane is seeing less use these days."

Final Thoughts

Hurricane is a perfect example of how quickly the mighty fall in Empires & Puzzles. Once the "King of OP," he is now a specialized tool for Titans and specific raid scenarios. He still hits like a truck, but he's a truck made of glass. If you can keep him alive, he'll burn the world for you. If not, he's just a fancy rug for the enemy to step on.

Verdict: Still a Titan King and Tournament Beast, but retired from top-tier War Defense.