Costumed Liu Bei: The Warlord Reborn

Overview

If the original Liu Bei was a brilliant strategist let down by his aging army, Costumed Liu Bei is that same strategist leading a legion of super-soldiers. Released to revitalize the War of Three Kingdoms roster, this costume transforms him from a fragile relic into a Monk class juggernaut. With beefed-up stats and minions that actually survive a stiff breeze, he reclaims his spot as a premier defensive and offensive support hero.

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Hero Art & Visuals

The costume trades the regal, courtly robes for hardened battle armor infused with nature's power. Vines wrap around his gear, and his stance is more aggressive. It visually communicates exactly what the stats do: he’s tougher, stronger, and ready for the front lines. The "Forest Command" theme is fitting for a Nature hero who now feels like an immovable object.

General Info

Hero Stats

Stat Analysis: The difference is night and day compared to the base version.

• Attack (1134): A massive jump from the base 815. While not a pure sniper's stat (modern hitters push 1300+), it allows his 350% hit to actually sting.
• Defense (1063) & Health (2057): This is where he shines. Breaking 2000 HP (base) and 2500+ with Limit Breaks puts him in the "Modern Tanky" category. He can take a hit, ensuring he summons his minions.
• Power (1107): He sits comfortably in the modern meta, competitive with recent releases.

Special Skill: Forest Command

Skill Analysis: "Forest Command" is a direct upgrade that fixes the core issues of the original skill.

1. Damage (350% to 3): A slight bump from 340%, but combined with his much higher attack stat, the output is significantly higher. He can finish off weakened foes.
2. Shu Soldier Minions (The Real Buff):
   • 33% HP & Attack: This is huge. Base Liu Bei had 16%. These minions are twice as durable. With his high base HP, these minions can easily have 600-800 HP each.
   • Survivability: Because they have so much HP, they don't die to stray hits.
3. Undispellable Counterattack (55%): While the percentage dropped slightly (from 60%), the uptime is vastly superior. Since the minions live longer, the counterattack stays active longer, dealing far more total damage over the course of a match.

By the Numbers

• Effective Speed: Average. The Kingdom family bonus still applies, accelerating mana gain.
• Minion Health Calculation: With ~2500 HP (LB2), a 33% minion has ~825 HP. That is a substantial meat shield—effectively giving the whole team 825 "overheal".
• Damage Potential: Hitting 3 enemies for 350% with ~1400 Attack (LB2) is a serious threat, not just support damage.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

Analysis: In a Kingdom stack, summoning these minions grants a burst of Mana and Health. Since he summons 5 minions at once, this triggers the bonus 5 times (depending on capping rules, usually capped per skill cast or per minion, but Kingdom bonus is generally per minion summon event). It's a fantastic sustain engine.

Passives

Analysis: Unstoppable Minions. This is a game-changer.

• Resistance against Minion Removal: He laughs at Grimsteel, Eloise, and Ogima (to an extent). While they might deal damage, they often cannot remove the minion easily if this passive blocks the specific removal effect type, or at least he ensures he receives them. (Note: Check specific interactions, usually "Unstoppable" means the minion owner is immune to effects that block minion summoning, and sometimes the minions themselves are harder to remove).

Aether Power

Analysis: Ailment Immunity. For 6 turns, he ignores defense down, silence, and mana block. This guarantees he fires his skill, which is critical for an Average speed hero.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: The base hero fell off due to stat creep. The costume was the lifeline he desperately needed.
• Power Creep Analysis: He stands tall. 33% HP minions are among the beefiest in the game (rivalling M&M and other top summoners). He isn't just "viable"; he is a strong contender.
• Modern Viability: High. He is excellent in Wars (especially Rush and Equalizer), Tournaments, and standard Raiding.

Costume & Costume Bonus

• Base vs. Costume: There is no competition.
  • Base: 16% HP minions that die instantly. 60% counterattack that lasts 1 turn.
  • Costume: 33% HP minions that survive. 55% counterattack that lasts 4-5 turns.
  • Stats: The costume has ~300 more Power.
• Costume Bonus: The massive stat boost from the costume bonus alone makes the base hero slightly better if you use the costume to buff the base, but why would you? The Costume skill is superior in every way.

Emblem Path Analysis

Class: Monk (Costume). This is an upgrade over Druid for survivability (Withstand helps resist ailments).

The Iron Wall (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes his HP, which directly increases Minion HP. A 2500 HP Liu Bei makes 825 HP minions.
• Cons: Sacrifices some direct damage.

Final Recommendation

Go Defense/Health. The value of giving your entire team huge meat shields far outweighs hitting slightly harder.

Strengths

• Beefy Minions: 33% HP is elite tier. They protect against snipers and DoT.
• Persistent Counterattack: The counterattack is tied to the minion. If the minion lives, you reflect damage.
• Ailment Immunity (LB2): Guarantees he gets his minions out.
• Monk Class: Adds another layer of resistance.

Weaknesses

• Minion Bypassers: Rangers or heroes like Erebus who bypass minions can still hurt the hero underneath.
• Lunar Heroes: Heroes that punish minion summoning (passive damage) are still annoying.
• Average Speed: Without Rush, he needs 10 tiles (or 9 with troops). He can be killed before firing if the board is bad.

Best Game Modes

• War Defense: An absolute pain to kill. The minions effectively heal the team repeatedly.
• PvP Attack: Great against AoE heavy defenses.
• Auto-Farming: The minions make your team unkillable.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Wall of Thorns": Costumed Liu Bei + Arco + Queen Guowang. Thousands of HP in minions and gargoyle skin/counterattack.
• Kingdom Family: C. Liu Bei + Sun Quan + Diaochan. Mana generation goes through the roof.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Grimsteel: Still dangerous due to bonus damage to minion owners.
• Top-Tier Minion Removers: While he has passives, pure damage that clears minions (like a 600% hit to all) will still strip them eventually.

Advice for New Players

If you pull this costume, you have won the lottery. He will be your tank, your flank, and your map stage carry. Prioritize him immediately.

Advice for Veterans

He is worth the Tonics and the Alpha Aethers. The 33% minion threshold is a significant breakpoint that allows minions to survive a hit from standard heroes. He makes "No Healer" runs viable because the minions act as a massive overheal buffer.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• "With costume, he is really beast." - Simple, accurate community sentiment.
• "Is he Soil Exchange Fodder?" - A question asked by the unaware. The answer is a resounding "No."
• "I pulled C Liu Bei in W3K today... Happy to have him back in the rotation." - A veteran player realizing the King has returned.

Final Thoughts

Costumed Liu Bei is a masterclass in how to rehabilitate an aging hero. By doubling the minion HP and modernizing the stats, Small Giant has turned a "has-been" into a "must-kill." He offers protection, damage, and tactical punishment in one package. He isn't just good for a "classic" hero; he's good, period.

Verdict: Top-Tier Specialist. A must-level if you enjoy winning through attrition and counter-punishment.