Juliani: The Owl Tower's Budget Nuke (Batteries Not Included)

Overview

Juliani is a 4-star Epic Dark (Purple) hero from the Owl Tower event. Released in early 2024, he brings the unique "Moonrise" damage mechanic—previously reserved for 5-star heavy hitters—down to the 4-star level. As a Wizard class hero, he has the potential to deal extra damage with Jinx, but his defining characteristic is his Slow mana speed. In a world of fast-paced battles, Juliani is the owl who slept in, woke up late, and decided to bring a Scroll of Spite to the party just to ruin everyone else's mood.

max

lb2

Hero Art & Visuals

Juliani looks like he's seen things—terrible things. With an eyepatch that suggests a past squabble with a particularly aggressive squirrel and a "Scroll of Spite" that probably contains a list of everyone who ever wronged him (it's a long scroll), he fits the "grumpy old wizard" vibe perfectly. The art is detailed, featuring the signature Owl Tower purple and gold aesthetic, but let's be honest: he looks like the kind of owl who yells at owlets to get off his branch.

General Info

Hero Stats

Juliani's stats were respectable upon his release in early 2024, sitting at 677 Attack / 692 Defense / 1289 Health. However, looking at the landscape in 2026, he has been significantly power-crept.

Comparing him to a modern late-2025 4-star like Breca (Attack 794 / Defense 792 / Health 1502), Juliani is lagging behind by over 100 points in attack and defense, and over 200 in health. While his Limit Break 2 stats help close the gap, he is statistically an "old generation" 4-star. He relies heavily on his unique damage mechanics to stay relevant, as he can't win on raw stats alone anymore.

Special Skill: Scroll of Spite

Analysis: The "Moonrise Strike" is the star of the show. Unlike standard damage skills, this doesn't use a fixed percentage. Instead, it deals damage based on the difference between Juliani's Attack and the target's Defense.

• The Cap: It deals up to 860 damage. This is a hard cap. No matter how much you buff him, he won't hit for 2000 damage like his 5-star cousins.
• The Poison-Heal Combo: The secondary effect is arguably more interesting for a 4-star. He deals fixed Poison damage and then heals his team for a percentage of that damage. This makes him a hybrid damage-dealer/healer, which is a rare and valuable role in 4-star tournaments.
• Anti-Holy Nuke: The +30% damage against Holy targets means he can absolutely obliterate yellow heroes, making him a specific counter to heavy yellow defenses in tournaments.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the math behind the Scroll of Spite:

• Mana Speed: Slow. He needs 12 tiles to charge. With his Family Bonus (if you run 2+ Owls) or the right Rush Attack rules, this becomes manageable, but in standard play, it's painful.
• Damage Potential: The "up to 860" damage is roughly equivalent to a 400-500% snipe on three targets in the 4-star arena, if his attack is high enough. If he hits a Holy target, that cap increases significantly.
• Poison & Healing Math:
  • Total DoT: 900 damage over 5 turns = 180 damage per turn.
  • Healing Factor: Absorbs 35% of dealt poison damage.
  • Heal Per Turn: 35% of 180 = 63 HP.
  • Total Heal: If he hits 3 enemies, that's $63 \times 3 = 189$ HP healing per turn for the caster and nearby allies. Over 5 turns, that's a total of 945 HP healed per ally.
  • Note: If an enemy dies, the poison stops, and so does the healing from that enemy.
• Mana Control Passive: The -80% reduction in mana gained from Special Skills for enemies is a hidden gem. It essentially neuters heroes who rely on getting hit or passive mana generation to charge up.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Owl family bonus is weird but potentially powerful. Replacing mana generation ailments (like those from Hel or Proteus) with a Defense buff is niche. It won't come up often in PvE, but in PvP against specific control heroes, it can turn a disadvantage into a tanky advantage.

Passives

Reduce Mana Gain from Special Skills (-80%): This is massive. It prevents enemies from gaining mana when they use special skills (if they have mana-gain effects) or from things like being hit by special skills if they have specific passives. It effectively slows down the enemy team's momentum.

Aether Power

Attack Up: Simple and effective. Since his Moonrise Strike damage scales based on his Attack stat, this Aether Power directly contributes to him reaching his damage cap more easily.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: When released, Juliani was seen as a "mini-Owl" who offered a taste of the new mechanics to F2P and C2P players. He was immediately identified as a Rush Attack specialist.
• Power Creep Analysis: As noted in the Stats section, he has fallen behind. Modern 4-stars have stats that rival older 5-stars. Juliani's low defense makes him squishy for a Slow hero.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Niche / Situational. Juliani is not a general-purpose hero. You will not use him in standard raids or war attacks unless you are desperate. However, in 4-Star Rush Attack Tournaments and Wars, he remains a top-tier threat. His slow speed becomes Very Fast, and his high damage cap + healing makes him a nightmare to deal with when the tiles are flying.

Costume & Costume Bonus

As of this review, Juliani does not have a costume.

Emblem Path Analysis

Juliani is a Wizard.

The "Moonrise Max" Build (Recommended)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: The Moonrise Strike damage calculation depends on the difference between Juliani's Attack and the enemy's Defense. To consistently hit that 860 damage cap (especially against newer, high-def enemies), you need every point of Attack you can get.
• Cons: He remains squishy and might die before firing.

The "Survivalist" Build

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Helps him survive long enough to fire his Slow skill. Maximizes the value of the healing he receives.
• Cons: His damage might plummet against sturdy enemies, failing to reach the cap and hitting like a wet noodle.

Final Recommendation

Go Full Attack. Juliani's only job is to fire once and devastate the enemy team. If he fires and does weak damage, he has failed. Give him the Attack power to ensure that one hit counts.

Strengths

• Massive Damage Potential: "Up to 860" to three targets is a nuke in 4-star rarity.
• Self-Sustaining: The Poison-to-Health conversion provides excellent sustain for him and his neighbors.
• Rush Attack Monster: Becomes terrifying when his speed is mitigated.
• Holy Killer: +30% damage vs Yellows makes him a premier counter to yellow tanks in tournaments.

Weaknesses

• Painfully Slow: Outside of Rush modes, he is often dead before he charges.
• Stat Crept: Lower base stats make him vulnerable to modern 4-star snipers.
• Conditional Damage: If his Attack is debuffed (Wither) or the enemy has high Defense (Growth), his damage suffers more than standard heroes.
• Dispellable/Cleansable: His poison (and thus his healing source) can be cleansed.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack Tournaments (4):* His absolute playground. S-Tier.
• Rush Wars (4 restrictions):* Excellent on both offense and defense (Tank/Flank).
• Buff Booster Tournaments: His passive prevents enemies from gaining mana from buffs, and his raw damage is good.
• PvE / Map Stages: Can be fun for clearing waves if you have mana potions to speed him up.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Toxic Stall" (Rush Defense):
  • Team: Goldie (Reflect) - Juliani - Franz (Damage Amp) - Juliani - Healer
  • Why: Goldie protects the team. Franz amplifies all damage. Two Julianis firing poison creates massive DoT pressure and keeps the team healed.
• The "Owl Synergy" (Experimental):
  • Team: Juliani - Ommodus (5*) - Juliani
  • Why: If you have 5-star Owls, using Juliani with them triggers the family bonus (Def buff instead of mana ailment), making them resilient against mana controllers.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: Rigard (Cleanses the poison, stopping the heal), Li Xiu (Mana controls him before he fires), Proteus (Mana stop - though Owl family helps here).
• Anti-Synergies: Other DoT heroes that might overwrite his poison if it's weaker, though usually, they stack if different names. Don't pair with heroes that block healing if you rely on his absorb.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Juliani early, lock him but wait to level him. Slow heroes are difficult to use in the early game map stages without mana potions. Once you start competing in 4-star Raid Tournaments, level him up specifically for Rush weeks. He will earn you gems.

Advice for Veterans

You likely have faster, stronger options for general play. However, Juliani is a luxury toy for Rush Tournaments. If you care about ranking high in 4-star Rush, he is worth the mats. Do not waste Alpha Aethers (LB2) on him unless you are overflowing with materials and really love the Owl aesthetic; his stats won't catch up to 2026 standards enough to matter outside his niche.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• "He hits like a wet towel."
  • A disappointed player noting his low damage against high-defense enemies when not emblemed for Attack.
• "Basically just 4-star Jett."
  • A common comparison, noting the similarity in mechanics.
• "Functionally fast with the right troop?"
  • A community theory debating if the Owl family bonus + specific mana troops could make him fast. Spoiler: It requires too many specific conditions (3 Owls + enemies casting mana ailments) to be reliable.
• "I only need to read until I hit speed: slow then I can stop caring."
  • The classic reaction to any Slow hero release.

Final Thoughts

Juliani is a specialist, not a generalist. In the 4-star Rush arena, he is a kingpin, dropping devastating moon-hammers and drinking the poison of his enemies like a fine wine. Everywhere else, he's just a slow bird trying to catch a supersonic worm. Keep him for the specific weeks where speed is equalized, and he will serve you well. For daily driving? Leave him in the aviary.

Verdict: Keep for Rush.