Jequn: The Cosmic Enigma or Just an Old Puzzle?

Overview

Jequn, the "Cosmic Enigma," arrived in Empires & Puzzles back in October 2022 as part of the Super Elemental family. At the time, a Very Fast hero who hit all enemies was a terrifying concept—a speed demon designed to soften up entire teams before they could blink. Fast forward to late 2025, and the game landscape has shifted tectonically. While his mechanics remain interesting, Jequn now faces the harsh reality of aging stats in a world of power creep.

Note: This review focuses on the base version of Jequn. If you are looking for the review of his Gilded costume, check our separate guide.

Hero Art & Visuals

Jequn’s design screams "cosmic serenity meets devastating power." Floating in a meditative pose with glowing golden gauntlets and a crown that looks like it receives 5G signals from another galaxy, he definitely stands out. The art perfectly captures his "Monk" class—calm, composed, and ready to withstand status ailments. Compared to his flashy "Gilded" costume, the original art feels more grounded in the mystic lore of the Super Elementals, emphasizing his role as a manipulator of elements rather than just a shiny golden warrior. It’s a classic look that has aged better than his defense stat.

General Info

Hero Stats

Let’s be brutally honest: by modern standards (late 2025), Jequn’s base stats are dusty.

• Attack (951): This was impressive in 2022. Today, with modern attackers boasting 1300+ attack, Jequn hits like a wet noodle without significant boosts.
• Defense (846) & Health (1946): These survivability stats are his biggest liability. Modern snipers can often one-shot heroes with less than 1200 defense. Jequn is incredibly fragile in the current meta, meaning he often dies before utilizing his "Very Fast" speed more than once.

Special Skill: Archaic Sacred Symbol

The Archaic Sacred Symbol is a toolbox of debuffs wrapped in a modest damage package.

• Damage: 200% to all enemies is simply not enough to threaten modern teams. Against modern defenses with 1500+ defense, this will barely scratch the paint.
• The Debuffs: This is where his value lies.
  • Vs Dark (-34% Accuracy): A decent blind, but niche since you rarely bring Yellows against Dark defenses in raids (due to color reflect risks or just standard weak color mechanics, though neutral in raids).
  • Vs Ice (-34% Defense): Excellent for Titan teams or attacking Blue tanks.
  • Vs Nature (-34% Mana Gen): A strong slow-down effect for Green heroes.
  • Vs Fire (-34% Attack): Helps mitigation against Red damage dealers.

The problem is the conditionality. You don't get all these effects; you only get the one matching the enemy's element. This makes him a "jack of all trades, master of none" in rainbow raids, though highly effective in specific counter-picking scenarios.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the math behind the Enigma:

• Mana Speed: Very Fast. He charges in 6.5 tiles. With a Level 11 Mana Troop (or equivalent bonuses), he charges in 6 tiles. This is his saving grace—he will fire.
• Damage Potential:
  • Base Attack: ~951
  • Skill Modifier: 200%
  • Rough Damage Estimate: 951 * 2 = 1902 raw damage power.
  • Reality Check: Against a modern enemy with 1300 Defense, the actual damage formula (roughly (Attack / Defense)^1.35 * Skill%) means he deals very little actual HP damage. Expect numbers in the low 200s per hero.
• Passive Value:
  • Troop Mastery: +100% Elemental Damage vs Dark. This is huge for tile damage. If a tile normally hits for 100, it hits for 200.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Super Elemental family brings unique mechanics that define Jequn's utility.

Family Bonus

The Power Gem mechanic is excellent for mono-yellow or heavy-yellow teams. Every few turns (or based on matches), regular shields turn into Power Gems that deal damage (20 per gem) to enemies each turn. It’s free chip damage that ignores defense. While 20 damage sounds low, 5 gems over 5 turns is 500 free damage distributed across the enemy team.

Passives

Troop Mastery is the standout here.

• Offense: His troops deal +100% extra damage to Dark enemies. This makes him a tile-damage monster against Purple Titans or Tanks.
• Defense: He takes -10% damage from Dark troops. A small survival boost, but given his low base defense, it barely helps.

Aether Power

Counterattack: At the start of the battle, he gets a counterattack buff for 6 turns.

• Analysis: This is actually counter-intuitive for him. He has low health and defense; you don't want him taking hits to reflect damage, because he'll just die. A defensive buff or Dodge (like his costume has) would have been much better.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: When Jequn released, he was a top-tier flank. His speed disrupted the slower meta, and his stats were competitive. He was a staple in many defenses.
• Power Creep Analysis: The game has left him behind. Heroes like Ogima, Costume Drake Fong, or newer Construct heroes do what he does but with 400-500% damage or better utility.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Bench / Niche. Base Jequn is no longer viable in top-tier Diamond Arena raids or Wars as a primary damage dealer. He serves a niche role in Rush Attacks (ironically, despite being Very Fast, the debuffs help) or as a Titan Specialist for the defense down vs Blue Titans (if you lack other options) or tile damage vs Purple Titans.

Costume & Costume Bonus

The comparison between Base Jequn and his Gilded Costume is a study in necessary modernization.

• Stats: The Costume adds massive stats (Attack ~1213 vs 951). This alone makes the costume superior.
• Class: Base is Monk (Resist Ailments), Costume is Rogue (Dodge). Rogue is generally preferred for squishy fast heroes to help them survive sniper shots.
• Skill: The costume bumps damage to 210% (marginal) but increases the debuff percentages to -39%.
• Recommendation: There is almost zero reason to use the Base version if you have the Costume, unless you desperately need the Monk class to resist a specific ailment (like mindless attack) and don't have the Rogue dodge luck. The Costume's stats are simply required to survive 2025 damage outputs.

Emblem Path Analysis

If you are stuck using Base Jequn, you must protect him.

The Survivor (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Attempts to patch his paper-thin defense. Might survive one hit from a sniper.
• Cons: Lowers his tile damage and special skill impact even further.

The Glass Cannon

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes the "Troop Mastery" passive for tile damage against Titans.
• Cons: He will die to a stiff breeze in raids.

Final Recommendation

Go Full Defense/Health. His damage is negligible regardless of emblems; his utility comes from firing his special to apply debuffs. He needs to live long enough to get 6 tiles.

Strengths

• Very Fast Speed: Charges in 6 tiles (3 ghosted). Can often fire before the enemy creates a strong board.
• Tile Damage: The passive +100% elemental damage makes him a strong tile hitter against Dark enemies.
• Specific Counters: -34% Defense against Ice makes him a decent tech choice against heavy Blue teams if you lack better Green options.
• Monk Class: Chance to resist mana stops or silence is always valuable.

Weaknesses

• Outdated Stats: His defense and HP are critically low for the modern era.
• Low Damage: 200% hit-all is often shrugged off by modern healers and minions.
• Conditional Utility: If you bring him against a Holy or Dark team, his specific elemental debuffs (Defense/Attack down) might not trigger on the targets you care about.
• Aether Power Mismatch: Counterattack on a squishy hero is a poor synergy.

Best Game Modes

• Titans (Purple): For the tile damage passive.
• Titans (Blue): For the Defense Down (if you don't have a better Blue-Def-Down hero).
• Buff Booster Tournaments: His Very Fast speed allows him to fire often, though he doesn't provide buffs himself, his speed is an asset.
• Farming: Very Fast AoE is always good for clearing waves quickly.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Yellow Tile" Titan Team:
  • Mielikki - Jequn - Guardian Jackal - Vivica - Ranvir
  • Why: Jequn maximizes tile damage against Purple Titans.
• The "Anti-Blue" Raid Stack:
  • Allasie - Jequn - Evelyn
  • Why: Use Jequn to apply Defense Down to blue enemies before hitting them with your main snipers. (Though usually, you'd want Green heroes for this, Jequn can flex if you are short on roster depth).

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Taunt Heroes (Ludwig, Krampus): Jequn hits everyone, but if a Taunt is up, he hits only the tank. 200% damage on a Taunt hero is laughable.
• Cleansers: Any healer that cleanses (Rigard, Vivica) wipes out Jequn's main contribution (the debuffs) instantly.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Jequn early, congratulations! He will be a campaign clearing machine. His Very Fast speed teaches you the value of ghosting tiles (matching 3 into an empty lane generates double mana). Prioritize leveling him as your main farmer and raid attacker until you reach Platinum arena.

Advice for Veterans

Jequn is likely a bench warmer for you unless you have his costume. Base Jequn serves only one purpose for a veteran: Mythic Titan or Tower events where you need deep rosters. Do not Limit Break (LB1 or LB2) the base version unless you have the costume and are boosting stats for that.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

Back in 2022, the community was divided. Some called him "Over Powered" due to the Very Fast speed.

• "200% to all with one ghosted match... Just when you think heroes can’t get more OP." - Forum User (Oct 2022).
• Contrast that with today: "Needs buff. deals no damage anymore." - Recent YouTube Comment. The shift from "OP" to "Needs Buff" perfectly encapsulates the speed of power creep in Empires & Puzzles.

Final Thoughts

Jequn is a hero who lived fast and aged fast. In his prime, he was a cosmic force; now, he's more of a cosmic background radiation—present, but faint. Without his costume, he struggles to make an impact in competitive play due to fragile stats and low damage output. However, his Troop Mastery passive keeps him employed on Titan teams, ensuring he hasn't completely faded into the void.

Verdict: A retired star. Keep him for Titans, but look for the Costume if you want to bring him back to the battlefield.