Norman, The Jousting Champion: Unstoppable Charge Through Taunt and Dodge

Overview

Norman is a 5-star Fire (Red) hero from the Champions family, originally released in January 2024. He arrived as a direct answer to the frustration of "Can't Touch This" defenses—specifically targeting the Dodge and Taunt meta that was rampant at the time. With a lance bigger than his horse and a grin that says "I didn't hear no bell," Norman is an Average speed fighter designed to ensure your team's hits actually land. While he doesn't have a costume yet, his base kit is specialized enough to warrant a look even years later. He's the guy you bring when you're tired of seeing "Dodge" pop up fifteen times in a row.

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Hero Art & Visuals

Norman looks exactly like what you'd expect from a "Jousting Champion"—he's a classic medieval knight, but with a slightly exaggerated, almost caricature-like quality. He’s got the full plate armor, the plumed helmet, and a lance that looks like a candy cane made of steel. His expression is one of smug confidence, like he just won the tournament and stole your lunch money. It's a charmingly traditional design in a game filled with eldritch horrors and steampunk constructs.

General Info

Hero Stats

When Norman was released, his stats (1013 Attack / 992 Defense / 1685 HP) were considered solid. However, we are now in an era where new heroes routinely push 1300+ Attack and 2200+ HP out of the box.

• Attack: 1013 is now considered Low. He needs emblems and Limit Breaks to threaten modern health pools.
• Defense: 992 is Below Average. He can be squishy without his LB2 power.
• HP: 1685 is Low. Modern snipers can delete this amount of health very quickly.

Verdict: Norman's stats have aged significantly. To use him effectively in the modern meta, you absolutely must commit to Limit Breaking him (LB2 strongly recommended) to bring his survivability up to par.

Special Skill: Unstoppable Charge

Analysis: The "Unstoppable Charge" is a fascinating mix of selfish power and team support.

1. Ignores Dodge (Self): Norman himself will smack Constance, Sha Wujing, or any Rogue right in the face. He does not care about their evasion tricks.
2. Team-Wide Bypass (The Real Gem): This is the reason you play Norman. He grants all allies a 100% chance to bypass defensive buffs for 4 turns. This includes Defense Up, Elemental Defense Up, and crucially, Counterattack. It turns your glass cannons into safe snipers against riposte teams. Important Note: This buff allows allies to bypass defensive buffs, but it does not allow allies to bypass Taunt or Dodge (unlike Norman himself).
3. Damage: Dealing 320% damage to all enemies at Average speed is decent on paper, but given his older Attack stat, it's more of a "softener" than a team-wiper against modern defenses.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed Analysis:
  • Base: Average (10 tiles).
  • With +24% Passive: If he gets hit with a status ailment (very common), his mana generation jumps. With a Level 29 Magic/Styx troop, he can effectively become Fast or even Very Fast in the right conditions.
  • With Taunt Passive: +10% mana every time an enemy Taunts. Against a Ludwig or Phorcys tank, Norman charges passively just by watching them do their thing.
• Damage Calculation (Estimates):
  • Base Attack (LB1+Emblems ~1180) x 320% = ~3776 raw damage value.
  • Against a modern defense (~1300 def), this will likely hit for around 400-500 damage per hero. It's not a kill shot, but it strips away a chunk of health and sets up the rest of the team to finish the job without worrying about defensive buffs.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Champions family bonus boosts Special Skill damage by +30%/+50%/+70% for 1/2/3 heroes. Even solo, Norman gets a +30% boost. This is significant because it's a separate multiplier, helping his older stats punch a bit above their weight class.

Passives

Norman's passives are arguably better than his active skill in some matchups:

1. Mana Buff on Ailment: This makes him incredibly resilient to mana controllers or DOT heavy teams. Instead of being slowed down, he speeds up.
2. Mana on Taunt: A hard counter to Taunt tanks. They Taunt, he gains mana.
3. Ignore Taunt: Norman's special skill flies right past the Taunting hero to hit everyone else. This is unique and powerful.

Aether Power

Knight's Endurance is a top-tier defensive power. At the start of the battle (and every wave), he has a chance to reduce ANY damage to 1. This gives him a "Black Knight" style survivability that can keep him alive long enough to fire, compensating for his lower base Defense stat.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Norman was seen as a "nice to have" but not "game-breaking" hero. He was the answer to a Dodge meta that was already starting to shift.
• Power Creep Analysis: His stats have fallen behind significantly. The 320% damage hit, while respectable in 2024, tickles modern 2026 tanks.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Niche but Valuable. Norman is no longer a plug-and-play hero for defense or general offense. However, he is a Silver Bullet for attacking specific defensive setups.
  • VS Counterattack: He makes high-level Riposte teams safe to attack.
  • VS Taunt/Dodge: He is one of the few heroes who can reliably hit through everything to finish off a low-HP backline hidding behind a Phorcys or Ludwig.

Costume & Costume Bonus

Norman does not currently have a costume.

Emblem Path Analysis

Norman is a Fighter, and fighters revive. This synergizes perfectly with his role as a persistent threat.

The Punisher (Attack Path)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes his AoE damage and makes the most of his family bonus damage boost. He needs every point of Attack he can get to remain relevant.
• Cons: Slightly squishier, relying heavily on his Revive and Aether Power to survive.

The Defender (Shield Path)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Keeps him alive longer to keep the "Bypass Defensive Buffs" active for your team.
• Cons: His damage becomes negligible, turning him into a pure support hero.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Attack Path is recommended. Norman's utility is unique, but if he hits like a wet noodle, he becomes a dead slot. You need him to contribute to the kill pressure.

Strengths

• Universal Bypass: Ignores Dodge and Taunt himself.
• Team Utility: Grants the entire team the ability to ignore Defense buffs and Counterattacks.
• Mana Engine: Punishes enemies for using Ailments or Taunt by gaining mana.
• Survival: Fighter revive + Knight's Endurance makes him surprisingly sticky.

Weaknesses

• Outdated Stats: Low base HP and Defense compared to modern heroes.
• Average Speed: Without his passives triggering, he can feel too slow against the current "Very Fast" rush meta.
• Partial Support: He helps the team bypass defensive buffs, but doesn't help them bypass Dodge or Taunt. You still need a dispeller or another counter for those mechanics for the rest of your squad.

Best Game Modes

• War Attack: Specifically against teams relying on heavy buffs (Counterattack, Defense Up) or Taunt tanks.
• Buff Booster Tournament: His damage is decent, and his passives punish opponents who try to debuff him.
• PvE: Great for stages with annoying bosses who spam defense buffs.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "No Hiding" Red Stack:
  • Composition: Norman - Gestalt - Phenexa
  • Why: Norman strips the safety of defensive buffs/counterattack. Phenexa resets the duration or boosts damage. Gestalt capitalizes on the open season to nuke targets.
• The Anti-Riposte:
  • Composition: Sobek - Norman - El Naddaha
  • Why: If facing a heavy counterattack team (like Cyprian/Obakan tanks in tournaments), Norman allows your heavy hitters (Sobek/El Naddaha) to fire their AoEs without killing themselves on the reflect.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Wither/Growth: Norman hates heroes who reduce his stats (Wither) because his base stats are already lower.
• Mana Steal: His passive resists mana generation ailments, but direct mana steal (like from some Goblins or Waterpipe minions) still hurts him.

Advice for New Players

If you pull Norman as an early game player, he is fantastic. His Fighter class will keep him alive in difficult map stages, and his ability to ignore annoying boss buffs will save you many headaches. Level him up and put him on your defense team; he will serve you well for a long time.

Advice for Veterans

Norman is a tool for your toolbox, not a daily driver. Do not put him on defense; he is too easy to play around. Keep him for War attacks against specific annoying setups (Obakan/Bastet combos). He is worthy of emblems, but think twice before spending Alpha Aethers unless you desperately need a counter to Riposte wars.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• The "Bypass" Confusion: When released, there was significant confusion in the community. Players asked, "Does he let my team bypass Taunt?" The answer is NO. Only he bypasses Taunt. The team only bypasses defensive buffs.
• The Buff: Originally, his damage was lower (around 285%). It was buffed to 320% shortly after release/beta adjustments, which helped him feel less like a "wet noodle."
• Community Sentiment: Many players compared him to Sobek but noted that Norman's ability to ignore Taunt and Dodge personally made him a more reliable initiator, even if his raw damage ceiling was lower.

Final Thoughts

Norman is the quintessential "solution" hero. You won't use him every raid, but when you see a team hiding behind three layers of defensive buffs, Dodge, and Taunt, Norman is the key that unlocks the door. He’s aging like a classic car—style and specific performance are still there, even if he can't beat the new models in a drag race.

Costume thoughts: A costume that updates his stats to 2026 standards would instantly propel him back to top-tier status, as his mechanic is timeless.

Recommendation: Worth leveling for depth, but strictly an offensive counter-pick in the modern era.