Pip: The Nervous Messenger Delivering Panic and Bleeds

Overview

Pip, the Nervous Messenger, burst onto the scene in late 2024 as part of the Garrison Guards family. A 5-star Legendary Nature (Green) hero, Pip is defined by his frantic energy and a Special Skill that fits his personality perfectly: fast, dangerous, and a little bit uncoordinated.

As a Rogue, he has the natural survivability of the Evade talent, which pairs well with his "hit-and-run" playstyle. While he was a powerhouse upon release, we're taking a fresh look at him in late 2025 to see if his frantic sword swings still cut it in a world of ever-increasing stats.

Hero Art & Visuals

Pip's artwork is a refreshing departure from the stoic warriors and terrifying beasts of Empires & Puzzles. He looks genuinely stressed, clutching a bundle of swords that seem ready to spill out at any moment. The "Nervous Messenger" title is sold perfectly by his wide-eyed expression and hurried posture. It's a great example of visual storytelling—you can immediately tell his attacks are going to be "reckless" just by looking at him. He essentially embodies the phrase "random BS go!"

General Info

Hero Stats

Stat Analysis & Power Creep: As of December 2025, Pip is showing his age, though he hasn't completely fallen off the map.

• Attack (1445 LB2): Compared to modern heavy hitters like the recently released Lin Chong (1638 Attack) or Ginger C1 (1624 Attack), Pip is trailing by nearly 200 points. This is a significant gap for a damage dealer.
• Defense & Health: His bulk (1351 Def / 2428 HP) is respectable but no longer elite. New tanks and supports are pushing 1600+ Defense and 2700+ Health.

While his stats are no longer "god-tier," they sit firmly in the "usable" category. He won't stat-check a brand new 2025 hero, but his mechanics allow him to punch above his weight class.

Special Skill: Reckless Sword Swings

Analysis: Pip's special skill is a high-risk, high-reward mechanism running at Fast speed.

1. The Primary Hit: He deals 350% damage to your chosen target. This is reliable and allows you to snipe a specific threat.
2. The Random Hits: He then deals an additional 350% damage to 2 random enemies.
   • The Good: This bypasses Taunt (if the Taunter wasn't the primary target) and can snipe enemies hiding in the wings.
   • The Bad: It's unpredictable. You might hit a nearly dead hero (overkill) or wake up a hero you were trying to avoid.
3. The Bleed: The damage over time is significant, but the real gem is the +50% increased damage from Bleed. This is a massive multiplier if you build a team around it.

Total damage potential is 1050% (350% x 3) at Fast speed. Even with slightly outdated stats, that is a tremendous amount of raw output for 8 tiles.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Fast (8 tiles). With a lvl 23 mana troop (or lvl 11/17 + magic/styx), he charges in 7 tiles, making him a rapid-fire threat.
• Damage Potential:
  • At ~1445 Attack (LB2), a 350% hit is substantial.
  • Total output: 1050% across 3 targets.
  • Compared to a standard "Hit-3" hero who might do 450% to three targets (1350% total) at Average speed, Pip delivers slightly less total damage but does it faster.
• Bleed Scaling: The +50% damage intake for Bleed is a unique multiplier. If paired with other heavy bleeders, this effectively turns their DoT into a nuke.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Garrison family often features interaction with Mega Minions or specific buffs. While Pip himself doesn't summon a Mega Minion via his Special Skill, the family synergy often encourages grouping them. (Note: Garrison heroes typically spawn a Mega Minion at the start of battle via passive, which provides a beefy meat shield immediately).

Passives

• Resist Mana Reduction: This is a top-tier passive. It makes Pip a hard counter to mana controllers like Waterpipe, Fergus, or the classic Guanyu. He keeps charging while others stall.
• Guard Rally: Cleansing Wither is incredibly niche but lifesaving against the specific Goblin/Construct metas that rely on permanent stat reduction.

Aether Power

Special Boost is simple and effective. It adds raw power to his special skill damage. Given that his primary role is dealing damage, this is the correct assignment, though it lacks the utility of Ailment Immunity or Dodge.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: When released in late 2024, Pip was seen as a fun, chaotic option—not quite as broken as some of the Goblins or Astral Elves of the time, but dangerous due to his speed.
• Power Creep Analysis: The game has moved toward "Safe" cleansing, massive Overheal, and stats reaching 1600+. Pip's 1400-ish attack means his 350% hits don't sting as much as they used to against modern 1600-defense walls.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Pip has transitioned from a primary offensive threat to a niche synergy hero. He is still excellent in Wars (Cleanup teams) and specific Bloody Battle tournaments. However, he is rarely seen on top-tier Defenses anymore due to the unreliability of his targeting and his stats falling behind the curve.

Emblem Path Analysis

The Cutthroat Messenger (Attack Path)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes the impact of his 350% hits and increases the potency of his Bleed damage (which scales off Attack).
• Cons: Makes him squishier, relying heavily on his Rogue evade to survive.
• Why: Pip is there to kill things quickly. Making him tanky doesn't help his cause; if the fight drags on, better heroes will out-sustain him.

Final Recommendation

For almost all players, the Attack Path is the only way to go. Pip's utility is tied strictly to his damage output.

Strengths

• Speed: Fast mana allows him to fire early and often.
• Total Damage Output: 1050% total damage at Fast speed is still mathematically impressive.
• Bleed Amplification: Unique debuff that makes other Bleed heroes (like Shimmerscale or Tyr) significantly deadlier.
• Mana Protection: Innate resistance to mana cuts ensures he fires even against controllers.

Weaknesses

• RNG Targeting: You cannot control 2 of his 3 hits. In a clutch situation where you need to kill a specific healer on the wing, Pip might decide to hit the tank instead.
• Aging Stats: His attack stat struggles to penetrate the defense of the newest 2025 tanks.
• No Utility: Aside from damage and Bleed, he offers no dispels, cleanses (active), or buffs to the team.

Best Game Modes

• War Attack (Cleanups): When facing a team with holes (missing heroes), Pip's random targeting becomes an asset, as there are fewer "bad" targets to hit.
• Buff Booster Tournaments: His Fast speed and high damage can overwhelm teams before they get set up.
• Titans: The Bleed damage increase can actually rack up significant extra damage if you are using a Bleed-heavy team against Nature-weak Titans.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

The "Hemophilia" Team (Bleed Synergy)

• Composition: Pip + Shimmerscale + Tyr (or Maat with Bleed).
• Strategy: Pip fires first to apply the "+50% Bleed Damage" debuff. Shimmerscale follows up. The resulting Bleed ticks become massive, melting enemies even if they have high defense.

The "Chaos" Rush

• Composition: Pip + Bubbles + Gestalt.
• Strategy: Overwhelm the enemy with Fast/Very Fast mindless damage and shifting targets. It forces the opponent to play reactively rather than proactively.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Ailment Immunity/Blockers: Heroes like Hathor, Aramis, or Garnet block his Bleed, neutering a large part of his kit.
• Taunt: While his random hits can bypass Taunt, his primary hit cannot. If he is forced to target a Taunter, his potential is stifled.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Pip early, congratulations! He is a fantastic carry for map stages and early raiding. His random hits usually mean he kills someone when he fires. Focus on building his Attack stats and pairing him with attack buffers to help him secure kills.

Advice for Veterans

Pip is likely a "depth" hero for you now. He sits on your 4th or 5th War team, likely paired with leftovers. Do not prioritize Alpha Aethers (LB2) on him unless you are a huge fan of the Garrison family or lack modern Green snipers. There are better recipients for those resources in the current meta (like Lin Chong or Adelitza).

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community's reaction to Pip has always been a mix of amusement and respect for his damage.

• "Wasn’t Pip one of hobbits in LOTR btw?" - A common joke regarding his name and small stature.
• Players noted early on that his random targeting is a double-edged sword: *"2 random targets can also be a great advantage in many cases instead of normal hit 3... Vs taunters, that means 2 extra hits."
• The comparison to Spiff (another Green hero) often comes up, with veteran players noting: "I think Spiff and Pip are relatively close in value... but Pip probably has the worst special among my top greens."
• However, his farming utility is praised due to the Garrison passive: *"I use Pip in my farming team... because the mega minion helps move things more quickly."

Final Thoughts

Pip is the embodiment of "Controlled Chaos." He isn't the most reliable hero in Empires & Puzzles, and his stats are starting to gather a bit of dust, but he remains a potent offensive tool. His ability to amplify Bleed damage gives him a unique niche that might keep him relevant longer than generic snipers.

If you like living dangerously and don't mind your hero occasionally hitting the wrong target, Pip delivers. Just maybe give him a sedative before the battle starts.

Verdict: A solid B+ hero in the current era. Great for roster depth, but no longer a main event star.