Maud: The Alchemist Who Dodges Responsibilities (And Attacks)

Overview

Maud is a 5-star Dark (Purple) Wizard from the Woodland Faun family, released in early 2025. As a chaotic alchemist with a penchant for throwing dangerous potions, she fits the "mad scientist" trope perfectly—if the scientist had hooves and a tail. She operates as a finisher-style sniper with significant self-sustain, designed to clean up weakened enemies while keeping herself alive through an irritatingly effective dodge mechanic. Unlike her more team-oriented sister Yolanda, Maud is a bit of a lone wolf... or lone faun.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Maud’s design is a vibrant mix of fantasy and punk. With her curved horns, faun ears, and a mischievous grin, she looks like she’s about to ruin someone’s day and enjoy it. She holds a bubbling purple potion in a way that violates several OSHA regulations, and her outfit—complete with satchels and bangles—suggests she’s ready for a rave or a ritual sacrifice. It’s a lively design that captures her erratic personality perfectly.

General Info

Hero Stats

Stat Analysis: At her release, Maud’s stats were cutting edge. Now, in early 2026, her 1223 Attack and 2179 Health are still respectable but have been surpassed by the absolute latest power creep (where we see attack stats pushing 1300+). She is "Classic 2025" strong—solid enough to survive a few hits and deal significant damage, but she relies heavily on her Limit Breaks and Emblems to compete with the newest godly tiers. Her defense is her weakest point, making that Dodge mechanic crucial.

Special Skill: Here! Catch!

Skill Analysis: "Here! Catch!" is a mixed bag of chaos.

• The Executioner's Dilemma: The 500% hit to the enemy with the lowest remaining HP is the most controversial part of her kit. On paper, it ensures a kill. In practice, it often leads to massive overkill on a target that a stiff breeze would have finished off, "stealing" the mana charge that could have been used on a full-health threat.
• The Splash: The 280% damage to all other enemies is the redeeming factor. Even if the primary hit is wasted on a near-dead foe, she still softens up the entire opposing team.
• The Selfish Dodge: Unlike many modern supports, Maud’s Enhanced Dodge is for her alone. It’s a greedy survival tool. However, the +60% dodge chance is high, and the mana gain (10%) upon the effect ending creates a potential loop where she dodges, gains mana, and fires again sooner.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Average. With the Family Bonus (+5% mana on resist), she can functionally run faster against mana-control teams.
• Damage Potential:
  • Primary Target: 500% x 1223 Attack = ~6,115 raw damage value.
  • Secondary Targets: 280% x 1223 Attack = ~3,424 raw damage value per enemy.
  • Total Output: If hitting 5 enemies, she deals approx ~20,000 raw damage total. This is actually very high total output for an Average speed hero, largely carried by the splash damage.
• Passives Impact:
  • Minion Blind: -60% accuracy for enemy minions is a silent MVP stat. It effectively neutralizes minion-heavy teams (like those pesky summoners) without needing an active skill.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Woodland Faun family is loaded with anti-meta tech that keeps them relevant long after their stats fade.

Family Bonus

Analysis: This is one of the best family bonuses for PvP. Resisting mana reductions (Hello, Waterpipe and Fergus!) is game-changing. Gaining mana when you resist them is just adding insult to injury. The extra damage against minions is a nice cherry on top, solidifying her role as a summoner-killer.

Passives

Analysis:

• Minion Blind: As mentioned, this is fantastic passive mitigation.
• Resist Insanity: Essential for Insanity Wars. It allows you to bring a Dark hero who won't lose their mind (literally) when using their skills.
• Resist Attack Reduction: Hard counters the Wither mechanic and Attack Down ailments. Maud’s damage output remains consistent regardless of how much the enemy tries to weaken her.

Aether Power

Analysis:Special Boost gives a flat +30% damage to her special skill for the first 6 turns. Since she is an Average speed nuker, this ensures her first cast—which usually happens within this window—hits like a truck. It synergizes perfectly with her role as a damage dealer.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Maud was overshadowed by her sister Yolanda, who offered team-wide dodge. Players critiqued Maud for being "selfish" and having frustrating targeting.
• Power Creep Analysis: While her raw stats have dipped slightly below the "God Tier," her damage percentages (500% / 280%) remain competitive. The 280% AoE is actually higher than many dedicated AoE hitters from older eras.
• Modern Viability: Viable. She hasn't fallen off the map. In fact, in specific niches like Insanity Wars or against heavy Mana Control/Wither teams, she is superior to many newer heroes who lack her specific immunities. She is a "silver bullet" hero—you draft her to counter specific mechanics.

Emblem Path Analysis

Maud is a Wizard, which gives her the Jinx talent (+25% chance to deal extra damage). This pairs beautifully with her multi-hit nature.

The Alchemist's Wrath (Attack Path)

• Path: Attack > Health > Defense
• Pros: Maximizes her 500% snipe and the 280% AoE. Makes the most of her Jinx class talent.
• Cons: She remains somewhat squishy until her Dodge activates.

The Survivalist (Defense Path)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Keeps her alive longer to get that first Dodge up.
• Cons: Sacrifices the kill pressure of her primary nuke.

Final Recommendation

Go full Attack. Maud’s job is to kill things. Her survival relies on dodging, not tanking hits with her face. If the Dodge fails, extra defense rarely saves a squishy Wizard anyway. Rely on the RNG and maximize the damage.

Strengths

• Anti-Meta Resistances: Immune to Insanity, Wither/Attack Down, and highly resistant to Mana Cuts.
• Self-Sustain Loop: Dodge + Mana Gain creates a frustrating cycle for enemies.
• Minion Counter: Passive minion blind + bonus damage vs minions makes her a summoner's nightmare.
• High Total Damage: The combination of a heavy snipe and strong AoE adds up to a lot of pain.

Weaknesses

• "Lowest HP" Targeting: Often results in massive overkill on a target with 1 HP, wasting the 500% hit.
• Selfish: Offers zero support to her team (no buffs, no team dodge, no heals).
• RNG Dependent: If she doesn't dodge, she dies quickly.
• Average Speed: In a Rush/Fast meta, she can be too slow without mana troops.

Best Game Modes

• Insanity Wars: Her best home. She ignores the war mechanic completely.
• Minion Wars / Anti-Summoner: Great against teams relying on meat shields.
• Bloody Battle: Her raw damage and dodge (which prevents damage without needing healing) excel here.
• PvP Offense: Where you can manually target around her "Lowest HP" restriction (or accept it).

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Since Maud is selfish, she needs a team that supports her or capitalizes on the chaos she creates.

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Can't Touch This" Team:
  • Maud + Constance + Bastet
  • Pair her with other Dodgers. Even though her dodge is self-only, layering dodges frustrates the enemy.
• The Soften & Execute:
  • Morel/Frigg (Defense Down) + Maud
  • Fire a Defense Down hero first. Maud’s 280% AoE will then hit hard enough to potentially wipe the team, rendering her "lowest HP" targeting irrelevant because everyone dies.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: Sure Hit heroes (e.g., Astral Elves) bypass her Dodge completely, turning her into a squishy target. Hypnos or buff dispellers can strip her dodge.
• Anti-Synergy: Finishers with similar targeting. Don't pair her with another "Lowest HP" hitter, or you'll both overkill the same 10 HP enemy.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Maud early, congratulations! She is a powerhouse carry. Focus on keeping her alive. Don't worry too much about the "Lowest HP" downside; at lower levels, 500% damage deletes anything, and the AoE will wipe the rest of the team.

Advice for Veterans

Maud is a niche tool for your war bench. Don't use her as a primary defense hero—she's too easy to exploit. Use her in Insanity Wars or to bust Wither-heavy defenses. She is likely not worth a second Alpha Aether if you have newer "God Tier" Dark heroes, but she is definitely worth maxing and embleming.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community was... divided.

• McNoli was not a fan: "I really think that she is a trashy hero... She's wasting it on the enemy with the lowest remaining HP."
• Forum User: "A bunch of Mauds would be tough to face as the weakest heroes are likely to be taken off the battlefield each time she fires."
• Empuzzled Take: We agree she's frustrating. She's the hero you hate to use because she hits the wrong target, but hate to face because she dodges your sniper 5 times in a row.

Final Thoughts

Maud is the definition of "Chaotic Neutral." She doesn't care about your team, she doesn't care about the enemy's minions, and she definitely doesn't care about mana reductions. She is there to throw potions, dodge consequences, and occasionally overkill a 5 HP enemy with 6000 damage just to send a message. While not the most tactical hero, her sheer resilience and specific immunities ensure she’ll have a spot in war rotations for a long time.

Verdict: A strong, specialized sniper/AoE hybrid who thrives where others go mad.