Omen: The High-Risk, High-Reward Herald of Madness

Overview

Omen is a 5-star Legendary Fire hero hailing from the mysterious and somewhat unsettling Cultist family, originally released via the Shadow Summon in April 2024. As a Sorcerer, he brings a chaotic mix of heavy sniping damage and a unique, spreading corruption mechanic in the form of his Ominous Tentacle Fiends. He represents a departure from straightforward damage dealers, introducing the high-stakes "Insanity" status effect which can turn the tide of battle or spectacularly backfire if not managed correctly. He is the guy you bring when you want to watch the world burn, but you are not entirely sure if you will be the one holding the match.

Hero Art & Visuals

The artwork for Omen is undeniably struck from the Lovecraftian mold. With tentacled appendages flailing in the background and a glowing, ominous energy radiating from his hands, he looks like he just walked out of a nightmare in R'lyeh. The color palette is a deep, brooding mix of crimson reds and shadowy blacks, perfectly fitting his Fire element and "Shadow" origins. Community members have even drawn comparisons to Keith Flint from The Prodigy, likely due to the intense stare and chaotic energy he exudes. It is a visually distinct design that screams "forbidden knowledge" and "probably shouldn't touch that."

General Info

Hero Stats

When we look at Omen's stats in the context of late 2025, the passage of time is becoming apparent. With a base power of 1127, he sits significantly below the modern titans of the game who are pushing 1260+ power. His attack stat of 1176 is still respectable but no longer elite compared to the 1300+ attack stats seen on newer snipers like Adelitza. His defense (1110) and health (2004) are serviceable but leave him somewhat squishier than the current tanky meta demands. He is solidly in the "average" tier for 5-star stats today, relying more on his unique mechanics than raw numbers to compete.

Special Skill: Ritual of the Deep

Ritual of the Deep is a Fast mana speed skill that does two main things: it hits one target very hard (500%) and summons a replicating fiend. The "Ominous Tentacle Fiend" is the real star here. Unlike standard fiends that just absorb healing and deal damage, this one is a biological weapon. It clones itself to nearby enemies every turn and inflicts Insanity on its owner.

The catch? Omen inflicts 50 Insanity on himself immediately upon casting. This is the core tension of the hero. Insanity introduces a percentage chance (equal to the Insanity value) that a hero will target their own team with their special skill. So, after one cast, Omen has a 50% chance to turn his next snipe onto his own allies unless cleansed or healed. It is a powerful disruption tool against enemies, but a logistical puzzle for the user.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Fast. With a level 23 mana troop or appropriate family/talent bonuses, he can charge in 7 tiles, making him a quick threat.
• Damage Calculation: At 1176 Attack dealing 500%, he deals roughly 5880 raw damage points before defense reduction. Against a modern hero with ~1300 Defense, this is a significant snipe, likely dealing around 1000-1200 actual damage.
• Fiend Impact: The fiend absorbs healing equal to 15% of the target's max HP. On a tank with 2500 HP, that is 375 HP to clear.
• Passive Mitigation: His passive reduces damage by 5% per 10 Insanity. At 50 Insanity (post-cast), he gains 25% damage reduction. This effectively boosts his survivability significantly after he fires, compensating for his average defense stat.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Cultist family and Omen's specific kit are designed to synergize with the concept of madness.

Family Bonus

The Cultist family bonus provides a stat boost to Defense and Health for having multiple unique heroes. While strong (up to +40% Defense/HP), running multiple Cultists is risky due to the shared Insanity mechanics. You generally won't see full Cultist teams, but even a 2-hero bonus helps Omen survive longer to let his fiends spread.

Passives

Marked by the Old Ones: This is his survival mechanism. Damage reduction scales with Insanity. If Omen reaches 100 Insanity (at which point he automatically casts when full), he enjoys a massive 50% damage reduction. This turns him into a surprisingly durable tanky presence, provided you are okay with him potentially sniping your own healer.

Aether Power

Counterattack: At Level 90, Omen gains a chance to counterattack. This is a decent defensive layer, but perhaps not the most synergistic with his role as a sniper/disruptor. Attack Up or Special Boost might have been more aggressive, but Counterattack helps punish enemies who try to take him down while he is sitting there insane.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Omen was viewed as a "broken" secret hero by some, capable of causing teams to self-destruct via Insanity. He was part of the wave of heroes introducing complex status effects that couldn't simply be dispelled.
• Power Creep Analysis: Mechanically, the replicating fiend remains unique and annoying. However, the stat gap is widening. 500% damage is standard for snipers now, and many newer heroes do it with higher base stats and additional utility without the drawback of self-sabotage.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Omen has transitioned from a terrifying threat to a niche technical hero. He is still viable in PvP offense where you can control the board and bring healers to manage his Insanity. On defense, he is a liability; smart players can exploit his AI to make him kill his own team. He is a fun toy for established players but no longer a "must-have" meta definer.

Costume & Costume Bonus

As of this writing, Omen does not possess a costume. He relies entirely on his base form's capabilities.

Emblem Path Analysis

For Omen, survival is often more important than raw damage because you want his fiends to persist and spread, and you want him to survive the turns where he is sitting with high Insanity.

The Survivor (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes the value of his damage reduction passive. Keeps him alive longer to let the fiends do their work.
• Cons: Lowers his snipe damage, potentially failing to secure a kill on the first hit.

The Mad Sniper

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Ensures the 500% hit is as lethal as possible.
• Cons: Makes him significantly squishier, risking death before the insanity mechanics can ramp up.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Survivor path (Defense/Health) is recommended. Omen's value lies in chaos and disruption over time; a dead Omen spreads no madness.

Strengths

• Replicating Chaos: The Ominous Tentacle Fiend is one of the few status effects that can multiply itself, potentially overwhelming an enemy team that lacks burst healing.
• High Survivability Post-Cast: With 50 Insanity, he effectively gains a permanent shield wall against damage thanks to his passive.
• Fast Speed: He can impact the board quickly, potentially shutting down a key enemy before they fire.
• Anti-Toon Potential: His Insanity mechanic ignores many immunities (like Toon passives) because it is often treated differently than standard ailments in the code.

Weaknesses

• Self-Sabotage: The 50 Insanity on self is a massive drawback. Without a plan (healers), he becomes a 50/50 liability to your own team.
• Healer Dependency: You must bring direct healers to lower his Insanity if you want to use him safely more than once.
• Fiend Fragility: 15% HP is a low threshold; a single strong healer can wipe out the fiends, removing the Insanity source and the spreading threat.
• RNG Factor: Insanity is probability-based. You might lose a match simply because the 5% chance triggered at the worst possible moment.

Best Game Modes

• PvP Offense: His best role. You can time his special and bring the necessary support to manage the Insanity.
• Bloody Battle Tournaments: Since healing is disabled, the fiends become permanent, and the Insanity cannot be cleansed easily (though his own self-insanity becomes permanent too, which is risky).
• Rush Attack: Being Fast, he gains less from Rush than Slow heroes, but the chaos he causes is amplified when everyone is firing constantly.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

The key to using Omen is "Insanity Management." You need to treat his Insanity bar as a resource to be managed, not just a penalty.

Sample Team Ideas

• The Sanatorium: Omen - Hathor - Arco - - .
  • Why: You need heavy healing. Arco is excellent because he replaces fiends or provides beefy minions, and heavy healing reduces Insanity. Hathor provides ailment immunity (though check specific interactions with Insanity updates) and consistent health.
• The Suicide Squad: Omen - Chang'e - - - .
  • Why: Pair him with heroes who want to end the fight in 9 tiles. Fire Omen, cripple a key target, and hope the match ends before he needs to fire again.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: Arco (fiend removal), Esme (fiend immunity/removal), Garnet/Vanda (ailment block, though Insanity pierces some blocks). Any strong burst healer like Hathor or Ariel can clear the fiends easily.
• Anti-Synergy: Ludwig (Taunt). While Taunt can sometimes protect teammates from an insane Omen, Omen might just hit the Taunter. Furthermore, Omen needs healers, not just mana boosters. A team with Omen and no direct healer is a team waiting to kill itself.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Omen early, congratulations, you have a very weird hero. Do not rely on him as your primary sniper. Use him when you have a healer like Rigard, Sabina, or Melendor ready to fire after Omen to wash away some of that Insanity. Do not put him on your defense team; he will lose you raids.

Advice for Veterans

Omen is a "luxury" hero. He is not essential for wars or titans. He is a fun counter-pick against annoying passive teams or Toons where standard ailments fail. Do not prioritize Alpha Aethers on him unless you simply love the chaotic playstyle; there are more reliable heroes for the mats.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reaction to Omen was a mix of awe and confusion.

• "Another broken secret hero..." was a common initial reaction, fearing the Insanity mechanic would ruin the game.
• However, reality set in quickly. Players realized that "if you don't have 2 healers ready, it's lights out" applies to using him as much as fighting him.
• A funny observation from the transcripts: "I've seen it stated... that using a taunter with Omen ends up giving the enemy 50 insanity." Players found weird interactions where Taunt would cause the Insanity logic to glitch or behave unexpectedly, essentially saving Omen from hitting himself.
• The general consensus shifted from "OP" to "Unreliable." As one player put it, "The only team getting punished was my own team... my heroes with only 5 insanity always hit my own team."

Final Thoughts

Omen is the Empires & Puzzles equivalent of running with scissors. It is exhilarating, dangerous, and your mom (or alliance leader) probably told you not to do it. While his stats have aged slightly, his ability to turn an enemy team into a confused, self-harming mess is unique. Just remember: when you gaze into the abyss (or the enemy team), the abyss might just turn around and snipe your healer.

Verdict: A niche, fun, offensive tool for players who like to gamble. Not a defensive staple. Keep him for the chaos, but bring a doctor.