Mooncure: The Incense Master of Slow-Burning Sustain

Overview

Mooncure is a 5-star Legendary Ice hero from the Astral Elves family, originally released in August 2024. As a Cleric, his primary role is keeping his team alive, which fits the class perfectly. He operates at Slow mana speed, which immediately puts him in a specific niche in today's fast-paced meta. While many modern heroes are racing to fire in six tiles, Mooncure takes his time, swinging a giant censer and promising that the wait will be worth it. He brings a mix of heavy healing, mana manipulation, and enemy debilitation. He might not be the flashiest elf in the galaxy, but he definitely brings a unique aroma to the battlefield.

Hero Art & Visuals

Mooncure sports a classic high-fantasy elf aesthetic with a celestial twist. He is decked out in deep blues and silvers, fitting his Ice element, and wears a hat that looks suspiciously like a jester's cap mixed with a crescent moon. He holds a large staff topped with a censer, presumably filled with the "Astral Myrrh" his skill is named after. The background features the signature cosmic nebula of the Astral Elves. It is a solid design, though one might wonder if that hat gets in the way of doorframes.

General Info

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Hero Stats

When looking at Mooncure's stats, we have to address the elephant in the room: power creep. Released in mid-2024, his base stats (approx. 1065 Attack / 1170 Defense / 1868 Health) are solid but are starting to look a bit modest compared to the juggernauts of late 2025.

For comparison, a modern 2025 hero like Devyani boasts base stats around 1300 Attack and 2200 Health. Mooncure is effectively a generation behind. However, his defense-heavy distribution (especially with emblems and limit breaks) still allows him to do his job: survive long enough to fire. He isn't made of paper, but he certainly isn't the stat monster he was upon release.

Special Skill: Astral Myrrh

Mooncure's special skill is a mixed bag of potent effects hampered by his slow speed. Let's break it down:

55% Health Recovery: This is a massive heal. In a game where health pools are expanding, percentage-based healing is timeless. It virtually guarantees that any surviving ally will be topped off.
Mana Generation on Enemy Special: This is the most interesting part of his kit. Gaining 10% mana every time an enemy fires for 5 turns creates a "punishment" mechanic. If the enemy team goes on a firing spree, your team charges up in response. It can turn a losing board state into a comeback.
Healing Steal (Caster Only): Mooncure steals 50% of healing applied to enemies. This makes him incredibly annoying to kill if the enemy relies on healers, but it is somewhat selfish as it only heals him, not his allies.
-40% Attack to Enemies: A substantial defensive debuff that softens incoming blows significantly.

The lack of a cleanse or dispel is a glaring omission for a slow healer in this era, often requiring you to bring another support hero to handle status ailments.

By the Numbers

Mana Speed: Slow. Requires 12 tiles to charge. With a Level 29 Magic troop or sufficient mana bonuses, this can be shaved down, but he will rarely outpace Fast or Average heroes.
Healing Output: With a modern health pool of around 2500-3000 HP, a 55% heal restores 1375-1650 HP. That is enough to bring a hero from the brink of death back to a safe range.
Mana Gain Potential: If 3 enemies fire their specials while the buff is active, your entire team gains 30% mana. On a slow hero, that is roughly 3.6 tiles worth of mana; on a fast hero, it's nearly 2.5 tiles. This is significant.
Damage Mitigation: Reducing enemy attack by 40% roughly translates to reducing incoming damage by a similar or slightly higher margin depending on the damage formula curve. This effectively increases your team's effective HP for 5 turns.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Astral Elves family is known for being tricky, and Mooncure benefits from this lineage.

Family Bonus

The chance to dispel buffs from enemies who deal special skill damage is a fantastic disruption tool. It is RNG-dependent (50%/70%), but when it triggers, it can strip crucial buffs like Taunt or Counterattack without you lifting a finger.

Passives

Resist Poison: A situational but welcome immunity, especially against heroes who rely on damage-over-time.
Share Received Damage: This is a double-edged sword. Sharing 20% of received damage with allies reduces the spike damage Mooncure takes, helping him survive snipers. However, it spreads that damage to his teammates. In a healing-heavy team, this is usually a net positive as it prevents one-shots.

Aether Power

Heal Increase is a solid choice for him. Since he shares damage, he will be taking chips of damage constantly. Boosting the healing he receives helps keep him in the fight, ensuring he lives to cast that massive 55% heal.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

Historical Context: Upon release, Mooncure was met with a lukewarm reception. He was seen as a "decent" slow healer but lacked the "wow" factor of his Astral peers. He was often compared unfavorably to faster healers who offered cleansing.
Power Creep Analysis: As stats have ballooned, Mooncure's reliance on raw stats to survive until he fires has become more precarious. His special skill effects are still strong percentage-wise, but they haven't scaled mechanically. The 10% mana gain is timeless, but slow speed is a harder sell now than it was in 2024.
Modern Viability Verdict: Mooncure has largely settled into a niche role. He is not a top-tier defense hero anymore outside of Rush Attack formats. In standard play, he is too slow and lacks the utility (Cleanse/Dispel) to replace modern meta healers. However, for mid-game players or those lacking premium blue healers, he remains a sturdy anchor.

Costume & Costume Bonus

Mooncure currently does not have a costume. This review focuses entirely on his base form. Without the stat boost and mechanic update that a costume usually provides, he relies solely on his original design and any Limit Breaks you invest in.

Emblem Path Analysis

As a Cleric whose main job is to survive and heal, there is really only one viable path for Mooncure.

The Sturdy Healer

Path: Defense > Health > Attack
Pros: Maximizes his survivability, ensuring he lives long enough to charge his slow mana. Synergizes with his damage-sharing passive.
Cons: His tile damage will be negligible, but that is not why you brought him.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Defense/Health path is recommended because a dead healer heals no one. Prioritize keeping him upright at all costs.

Strengths

Massive Healing: 55% instant health recovery is top-tier raw healing.
Mana Acceleration: The mana gain when enemies fire is a unique way to punish the opponent for playing the game.
Rush War Beast: At Very Fast speed, his kit becomes oppressive, constantly healing and debuffing.
Survival: Between the Attack Down debuff and Damage Share passive, he is surprisingly hard to take down with a single hit.

Weaknesses

Slow Speed: His biggest Achilles' heel. In many raids, the battle is decided before he charges.
No Cleanse or Dispel: He offers zero protection against status ailments or enemy buffs, forcing you to use another slot for a cleanser.
Selfish Passive: Stealing healing only for himself is great for him, but doesn't help his dying teammates.
Passive Liability: Damage share can sometimes jeopardize low-health allies if Mooncure takes a massive hit.

Best Game Modes

Rush Attack Tournaments & Wars: This is his playground. At Very Fast speed, he is a tier-A tank or flank.
Map Stages / Towers: His high sustain and attack debuff make him excellent for long, drawn-out PvE battles where speed is less critical.
Wo3K (War of Three Kingdoms): His sustain is valuable in the attrition wars of 100v100 where deep rosters are tested.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Mooncure needs a team that can buy him time or benefit from his specific buffs.

Sample Team Ideas

The "Blue Wall" (Rush): Krampus - Mooncure - Pengi. Krampus protects, Mooncure heals and fuels mana, Pengi blasts. The mana gain from Mooncure helps Pengi fire repeatedly.
The Turtle Shell: Hathor - Mooncure - Ludwig. Ludwig forces mana onto Mooncure, ensuring he fires. Hathor provides the ailment protection Mooncure lacks. This team is designed to simply outlast the opponent.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

Mana Controllers: Heroes like Hel, Proteus, or Silence users completely shut him down. He is slow; if you stop his mana, he is a statue.
Buff Blockers: Mist or Kageburado can prevent his mana gen buff and attack debuff mechanics from taking hold or stripping them away.
Anti-Healers: Perseus (Costume) or anyone who blocks healing makes his primary function useless.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Mooncure early, cherish him. A 55% healer will carry you through almost all map stages and early raid tiers. Do not worry too much about his speed; in lower-level play, battles last longer, giving him plenty of time to shine. Prioritize his defensive stats.

Advice for Veterans

Unless you are building depth for Rush Wars or have a specific synergy in mind (like an Astral Elf family team), Mooncure is likely a luxury project. He does not replace the likes of Thalassa, Ariel, or even a 2LB Kiril in terms of general utility. Save your Alpha Aethers for heroes with more universal application unless you really need that war depth.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reaction to Mooncure was largely "meh."

One player noted, "I have a feeling it will either be buffed to average speed or get a heavy buff," highlighting the dissatisfaction with his speed upon release.
Another user pointed out the flaw in his design: "My only problem is that he doesn't clean, that's why he is not in my main team."
However, he has his defenders for specific niches: "He is the most underrated elf... genuine way more devastating than Moonbell."

Final Thoughts

Mooncure is a hero who suffers from being "balanced" in an unbalanced world. His kit is cohesive and powerful on paper, but the Slow mana speed tag is a heavy anchor to drag around. He excels in Rush formats and PvE, where he can be the difference between a wipe and a win. He is the incense that burns slowly but fills the room eventually. If you can keep him alive and get him firing, he provides a safety net that is hard to break. Just don't expect him to win a sprint.

Verdict: A solid, durable healer who shines brightest when the clock is ticking fast (Rush Wars) but fades into the background in standard play.