Li: The Slow Burn of the Wu Army

Overview

Li is a 3-star Rare Fire hero from the Three Kingdoms family, released back in early 2022. As a "Wu Footsoldier," he represents the rank-and-file of the Kingdom family, bringing a minion-heavy playstyle to the table. While his kit offers a full-team hit and summon, he has always carried the heavy burden of Slow mana speed, a trait that makes any 3-star hero struggle for relevance outside of very specific niches.

max

lb2

Hero Art & Visuals

Li sports a classic, grounded design typical of the Three Kingdoms aesthetic—practical armor, a curved sickle sword, and a determined, if slightly weary, expression. Unlike the flashy magical effects of newer Astral or Construct heroes, Li looks like a guy who actually has to walk to the battlefield. The red and gold color scheme is sharp, but let's be honest: he looks exactly like what he is—a soldier you send in first to absorb arrows.

General Info

Hero Stats

When Li was released, his 813 HP was impressive, making him one of the bulkier 3-star heroes. Fast forward to 2026, and the landscape has shifted dramatically. Modern 3-star heroes, especially those with Costumes or from newer families like Forsaken or Costume Quest, often push well past 900 or even 1000 HP (just look at Tyrum Glass with over 1000 HP).

Li's stats are now firmly in the "outdated" category. His attack of 481 is particularly low, meaning his direct damage won't leave a mark, and his defense, while decent, isn't enough to make him a true tank by modern standards. He relies entirely on his minions to survive and deal damage.

Special Skill: Sickle of Wu

Sickle of Wu is a hybrid skill that tries to do two things at once: deal AoE damage and set up a minion engine.

1. Direct Damage: 160% to all enemies is... negligible at Slow speed. In Rush Attack tournaments, heroes like Sudri are dealing massive damage to everyone, often ending the fight instantly. Li's hit is more of a "hello" tap.
2. Minions: The core of his value is the Wu Soldier Minion. He summons one for every ally. These minions are reasonably beefy (10% HP) and have a decent attack stat (18%).
3. The Burn: The unique twist is that when these minions hit an enemy, they apply a Burn DoT (156 damage over 3 turns). This stacks up damage over time if the minions stay alive.

The Problem: The setup takes too long. You need to charge a Slow hero, fire the skill, and then wait for the minions to attack to even start the burn. By the time this engine gets going, most modern battles are already decided.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Slow. He needs 12 tiles to charge, which is an eternity in standard play. In Rush, he charges in 6.5 tiles (rounded to 6 with mana troops), which is his only playable window.
• Damage Potential: The 160% hit is weak. A modern 3-star with ~500 attack hitting for 160% deals roughly 150-200 damage per target depending on defense. The real damage comes from the burn: 52 damage per turn per minion hit. If all 5 minions hit different targets, that's spread out; if they focus fire, the burns simply refresh rather than stack (usually), limiting burst potential.
• Minion Health: With roughly 813 base HP, his minions have ~81 HP. This is easily cleared by almost any AoE attack or even incidental slash attacks.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Kingdom family bonus offers a small boost to mana generation and healing when multiple family members are present. While nice, it rarely makes a breakpoint difference for Slow heroes unless you are stacking full Kingdom teams, which is not a recommended strategy for 3-star tournaments.

Passives

Li does not possess any modern passive skills. This is a significant disadvantage compared to newer heroes who come loaded with innate resistances, mana boosts, or damage reduction passives.

Aether Power

Regen is a decent defensive Aether Power, helping him stay alive to fire his skill. However, for a Slow hero, you often prefer Bulwark (Defense) or something that impacts the board immediately. Regen is fine, but it doesn't solve his main problem: not doing enough when he finally fires.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Li was already considered a niche pick. He lived in the shadow of Treevil (the undisputed king of 3-star Rush) and other faster reds.
• Power Creep Analysis: Power creep has been unkind to Li.
  • Direct Competitors: Sudri exists. Sudri is also a Slow Red 3-star, but his damage scales with tiles and is absolutely devastating. There is almost no scenario where you would choose Li over Sudri for damage.
  • Burn Competitors: Toon Jahanjir or even classic Jahanjir with costumes offers faster or more reliable burn damage without relying on fragile minions.
  • Minion Competitors: Buster (Christmas) or Kvasir (Yellow) offer better minion utility at faster speeds.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Li is largely obsolete. He is too slow for standard play and outclassed by Sudri in Rush Attack. His only niche is perhaps a "Bloody Battle" tournament where you desperately need minions to act as meat shields, but even then, there are better options.

Emblem Path Analysis

If you insist on using Li (perhaps for the aesthetics or family bonus missions), you need him to survive long enough to fire.

The Tanky General

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes his survivability and, crucially, increases the HP of his minions (since they inherit % of his max HP).
• Cons: His attack stat becomes even more pitiful, making his 160% hit meaningless.

The Aggressive Recruit

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Makes his initial hit slightly less embarrassing and increases the attack stat of the minions.
• Cons: He dies before he fires.

Final Recommendation

The Tanky General path is the only logical choice. His damage comes from the fixed DoT of the minions (indirectly) and their survival. Boosting his HP boosts the minions' HP, giving them a better chance to land a hit and apply the burn.

Strengths

• Team-Wide Minions: Summoning 5 minions at once provides a nice layer of "meat shield" HP for the whole team.
• Passive Damage: The burn effect from minions can bypass high defense stats if the minions survive.
• Bulk: respectable base stats for his era.

Weaknesses

• Slow Speed: The kiss of death for most 3-stars without game-breaking skills.
• Low Impact: 160% damage is too low for a Slow skill.
• Fragile Minions: Minions die easily to modern AoE hitters.
• Overshadowed: Completely replaced by Sudri in his specific role (Slow Red AoE).

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack Tournaments (3-Star): This is the only place he is playable. If you don't have Sudri, Li can fill a spot to provide minion cover and some chip damage.
• Bloody Battle (Niche): Minions provide "healing" by adding HP barriers.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Li should essentially be treated as a support hero who happens to do a little damage.

Sample Team Ideas

• The "I Don't Have Sudri" Rush Team: Treevil - Li - Faiez - Buster - Tyrum. The goal here is to stall with Faiez/Buster and let Li/Treevil chip away.
• The Minion Wall: Kvasir - Li - Frosty. Stack minions to make the team annoying to kill in Bloody Battle.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Minion Counters: Heroes like C-Gormek or Gobbler (though 4-star) destroy minions instantly. At the 3-star level, anyone with good AoE (like Zarel) clears his minions easily.
• Fiends: He has no way to cleanse them, and his minions can't displace fiends effectively if the fiends are already there.

Advice for New Players

If you pull Li early, he can serve as a decent tank for your 3-star team due to his high base defense. However, do not prioritize him over fast snipers or healers. Once you get Sudri, Buster, or even Jahanjir, Li should be retired.

Advice for Veterans

Li is a Collector's Item. There is virtually no competitive reason to level or emblem him in the current meta. Save your feeders and ascension mats for the Toon costumes or the latest event heroes.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community has generally been lukewarm on Li since day one.

• The Sudri Problem: As one player noted, "I think Sudri is better... even if you're thinking Rush." Sudri's variable damage based on tiles simply offers a higher ceiling.
• Comparison to Classics: Even back in 2022, players compared him unfavorably to Jahanjir, noting that Jahanjir's costume bonus and direct DoT offered more consistent pressure.
• The Verdict: "I don't really see a lot of use for Li." This sentiment has only solidified over time.

Final Thoughts

Li is a hero out of time. Even at his release, he was a "Slow" hero in a fast world, and the introduction of powerhouse 3-stars like Sudri has effectively sealed his fate. He brings a cool concept—minions that burn—but the execution is too sluggish for the brutal efficiency required in modern Empires & Puzzles. Keep him if you love the Three Kingdoms lore; otherwise, he is fodder for your next level-up project.

Final Verdict: Bench. (Unless you are playing a specific "No Sudri Allowed" tournament... which doesn't exist.)