Nine-Headed Beast, The Avian Abomination: Chaos Reigns

Overview

Nine-Headed Beast is a 5-star Legendary Ice hero from the Journey family, released in mid-2023. This hero is a true oddity, featuring a Slow mana speed but a devastatingly broad toolkit that includes random multi-hits, status duration resets, and massive attack swings. It is designed to be a "board flipper"—when it fires, the entire state of the match changes.

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Hero Art & Visuals

The design is genuinely unsettling and unique—a massive, hydra-like creature with bird heads on long, fleshy necks. It stands out in a game often populated by humanoid warriors and standard fantasy dragons. The art sparked conversation immediately: "Is it a bird? A worm?" It captures the mythical horror aspect of Journey to the West perfectly.

General Info

Hero Stats

In late 2025 terms, the stats are decent but not elite.

• Attack (896): Good, but not great. It relies on the volume of hits rather than the strength of a single hit.
• Defense (951) & Health (1674): Solid bulk. It needs to survive to charge its Slow mana, and these stats (boosted by Emblems/LB) allow it to take a beating.
• Power (939): Respectable, but overshadowed by newer releases.

Special Skill: Wrath of the Nine Beaks

Analysis: This skill is a laundry list of effects:

1. Hit-9 Random: 160% damage to 9 random targets. On a full team of 5, this guarantees everyone gets hit at least once, and almost everyone twice (total 1440% damage spread out). If only one enemy remains, they take all 9 hits (1440% damage to one target!), making it a phenomenal cleaner.
2. Buff Reset (Allies): Resets the duration of buffs on allies. This is huge. If Ludwig's Taunt or a big Attack Up is about to expire, this resets it to full duration.
3. Ailment Reset (Enemies): Resets the duration of ailments on enemies. If they are burning or defense-downed, they stay that way longer.
4. Attack Swing: Allies get +40% Attack, Enemies get -40% Attack. This creates an 80% power differential between the teams.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed Analysis: Slow. Ideally needs 12 tiles. However, the Mana on Buff Received passive can drastically speed this up. If paired with active buffers, it can charge much faster than a standard Slow hero.
• Damage Calculation:
  • Base Attack ~896.
  • 160% per hit = ~1433 raw damage value.
  • x9 hits = ~12,900 total raw damage potential spread across the board.
  • While individual hits are weak (like getting pecked), the cumulative damage softens the entire enemy team significantly.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

Analysis: Extending status effect duration is great for the Attack Down (-40%) it applies.

Passives

Analysis:

• Mana on Buff: This is the secret sauce. Pair it with a hero who casts multiple buffs (e.g., Sif, Ludwig), and it gains mana passively, mitigating the Slow speed.
• Health on Buff: Adds sustain.

Aether Power

Analysis: Regen. Good for survivability, but not game-changing.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Released as a "Rush War Monster" and "Titan Specialist." Players loved the random hits for finishing off titans or singular raid bosses.
• Power Creep Analysis: The 160% multiplier was buffed from its original value, helping it keep up. However, random hits are unreliable in 5v5 PvP compared to deterministic AoE.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Valid. In Rush Attack, it is still top-tier. In Titans, it is excellent for the Attack Up and buff management. In standard PvP, it is too slow and unreliable for the current speed meta.

Costume & Costume Bonus

As of this review, Nine-Headed Beast does not have a costume.

Emblem Path Analysis

Nine-Headed Beast is a Druid.

The Survivor (Defense > Health > Attack)

• Path: Defense/Health.
• Pros: It's Slow; it needs to live.
• Cons: Reduces the damage of the 9 hits.

The Behemoth (Attack > Defense > Health)

• Path: Attack.
• Pros: Each of the 9 hits hits harder. Against a single target (Titan/Last Hero), this damage increase is multiplied by 9.
• Cons: Might die before firing.

Final Recommendation

Attack Path if you use it for Titans or Rush Attack (where it fires easily). Defense Path if you try to use it in standard wars.

Strengths

• Titan Killer: High attack buff, resets defense down durations, hits hard against single targets.
• Rush War: Chaos incarnate. Can wipe a team or neuter them completely.
• Infinite Loops: Can keep allied buffs (like Taunt) active indefinitely by resetting them.

Weaknesses

• Slow Speed: The bane of its existence in normal play.
• Random Targeting: Can waste hits on minions or nearly dead heroes.
• Complexity: Requires careful team building to maximize the "Reset" mechanics.

Best Game Modes

• Mythic Titans: The ability to hit 9 times and reset buffs/ailments is invaluable for high scores.
• Rush Attack: A premier threat.
• Map/Quest: Great for bosses.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

1. The Infinite Wall:
   • Ludwig - Nine-Headed Beast - Healer
   • Concept: Ludwig gives mana/taunt. Beast fires, resetting Ludwig's Taunt duration. Ludwig charges Beast again. Repeat forever.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: Mana Control, Taunt (forces all 9 hits onto one hero—which kills the taunter, but protects the rest).
• Anti-Synergy: None really, works well with almost everyone.

Advice for New Players

A fantastic boss killer. If you struggle with map bosses, this hero will shred them.

Advice for Veterans

A staple for Mythic Titans and Rush Wars. Worth having at least one leveled copy.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• "The Hydra": Players love the design and the sheer damage potential against single targets.
• "Slow but Scary": Universally respected in Rush, ignored elsewhere.

Final Thoughts

Nine-Headed Beast is a specialist. It isn't your everyday raider, but when you need to hit a Titan for 200k or lock down a Rush tournament, it is the monster you call.

Verdict: A B-tier general hero, but an S-tier specialist for specific modes.

• Costume Verdict: N/A

Nine heads are better than one... especially when they're angry.