Relius: The Hoot-iful Healer or Just a Featherweight?

Overview

Relius, the "Herbalist of Owl Tower," swooped into Empires & Puzzles back in December 2023. As a Nature (Green) 5-star hero from the Owl family, he was designed to be the sustain backbone of a defensive team. Combining resurrection, healing, and a unique damage reduction mechanic, he promised to keep your team alive through the toughest storms. However, in a game where "modern" entails stats that look like phone numbers, this wise old bird is starting to feel his age. He's a classic example of a hero with a fantastic kit attached to a chassis that might need a bit of a tune-up.

max

lb2

Hero Art & Visuals

Relius is arguably one of the most charming designs in the game. Forget the gritty, war-torn visages of the Barbarians or the ethereal glow of the Elves; Relius is a giant, hooded owl carrying a basket of herbs. He looks like he's about to offer you a cup of chamomile tea and some sound life advice rather than smite you. The vibrant greens and the detailed plumage really stand out, making him a "hoot" to look at in your roster. It’s a design that says "I will heal you," right before he pecks your eyes out.

General Info

Hero Stats

Base Stats (No Emblems)

Level	Attack	Defense	Health	💪Power
4/80	947	1038	1695	984
4/85lb1	1021	1118	1827	1051
4/90lb2	1168	1280	2090	1184

▶Calculate with Emblems

Simulation: 0 Emblems

Level				💪
4/80	947	1038	1695	984
4/85lb1	1021	1118	1827	1051
4/90lb2	1168	1280	2090	1184

Here is where we need to have a serious talk. Relius sits at a base power of 984. In the current landscape of late 2025/early 2026, where new heroes are pushing 1260+ base power (and Limit Broken stats soaring over 1500), Relius is significantly behind the curve.

• Attack: 947 is low by modern standards.
• Defense: 1038 was tanky in 2023, but now it's merely average.
• Health: 1695 is dangerously low compared to the 2200+ HP behemoths released recently.

Even with a second Limit Break, his stats struggle to compete with the raw bulk of modern 5-stars. He is fragile, meaning he needs protection to do his job of protecting others.

Special Skill: Mixed Green Herbs

Special Skill

Mixed Green Herbs

Mana Speed

Average

• Recovers 30% health for all allies.
• Each defeated ally has a 40% chance to get revived with 30% HP.
• All allies a get Moonrise Ward for 4 turns, that reduces incoming Special Skill damage by -800. Reduces by additional 30% when attacker is Holy.

⚡ Tile Breakpoints Guide

10Base Tiles

12% Bonus

9Tiles

Analysis: Relius's special skill is a "Swiss Army Knife" of support, but it comes with a few caveats:

1. Revive (40% Chance): A 40% revive chance is respectable. It's better than the original Mother North (10%) but sits in the standard range for dedicated revivers. The 30% HP on revive is decent, preventing revived allies from being sneezed on and dying immediately.
2. Heal (30%): A flat 30% heal for all allies is a solid sustain tool.
3. The Order of Operations Controversy: This has been a major point of contention. Originally, the expectation (and beta testing) suggested he would revive then heal, topping up the resurrected allies. However, in practice, the heal often triggers before the revive (or simply doesn't apply to the revived ally), meaning your freshly raised heroes come back with just their 30% revive HP and miss out on the extra 30% heal. This leaves them incredibly vulnerable to a stray slash attack.
4. Moonrise Ward: This is the jewel in his crown. Reducing incoming Special Skill damage by a flat amount (up to -800) is massive. Against multi-hitters or damage-over-time skills (if they count as hits), this can virtually nullify the damage. It effectively acts like a temporary, team-wide Black Knight/Sif damage reduction but with a fixed value. The extra mitigation against Holy enemies makes him a nightmare for yellow stacks.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Average. He requires 10 tiles to charge, or 9 tiles with a Level 23 Mana Troop (or Level 17 Magic/Styx). This is standard for a reviver/healer but can feel slow against the "Very Fast" rush meta.
• Damage Mitigation: The -800 damage reduction is calculated after the defense formula. If an enemy sniper would hit you for 1200, they now hit for 400. If an AoE hitter would do 600 to everyone, they now do 0 (or 1) damage. This scales incredibly well against heroes who do "many small hits" but is less effective against single-target nukes that deal 2000+ damage.
• Healing: 30% of his base HP (approx 1700) is ~510 HP. If he heals a modern hero with 3000 HP, it's still 30% of their max HP, which is nearly 1000 HP.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

Family Bonus

Tower - Owls

• Bonus for 1/2/3 Unique Heroes:
• All received mana status ailments will be replaced by a +11% / +31% / +39% mana generation buff for 3 turns.

The Owl family bonus is a fascinating defensive mechanic. Instead of just resisting mana ailments (like Mana Slow or Silence), the Owl family replaces them with a mana generation buff (+11%/+31%/+39%).

• Impact: This turns heroes like Hel, Proteus, or anyone applying "Mindless Attack" (if it counts as a mana ailment in the specific version logic) into batteries for your team. It forces the attacker to be very careful with their ailment selection.

Passives

Inherent Abilities

Passive Skills

• 

  Hinder Mana

  Reduces the amount of mana increased by Special Skill, Passive Skills, family bonuses and status effects by -80%. The effect applies to all enemies in the battle.

Reduce Mana Gain from Special Skills (-80%): This is a massive global aura that hinders enemy mana gain mechanics (Credit to Reddit user Beginning_Layer_7833 for emphasizing its importance). It reduces the amount of mana enemies gain from Special Skills by -80%. This hard-counters heroes like Xnolphod, Nautica, or Ludwig who rely on feeding mana to their allies. With Relius on the field, their mana generation effects are practically nullified.

Aether Power

Aether Power

Regen

At the start of each battle, this Hero regenerates 420 health over 6 turns.

In battles with multiple waves, the effect is refreshed at the beginning of each wave.

Regen: A standard sustain Aether power. It gives him a bit of healing over time at the start of the battle, helping him survive until he can fire his first heal. It's useful, but not game-changing like "Revive" or "Taunt."

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: When released, Relius was seen as a strong, annoying defensive tank/flank. His Moonrise Ward made teams incredibly tanky, often resulting in 0 damage hits from enemies.
• Power Creep Analysis: The stat gap is his biggest enemy. His skills—specifically the flat -800 damage reduction—are actually "future-proof" to an extent because -800 is always -800. However, as enemy HP pools grow, his 30% heal is good, but his own survivability is the weak link. He dies too easily to modern snipers before he can cast his Ward.
• Modern Viability:
  • Top 100 Alliances: Bench. He is too squishy.
  • Mid-Game: Highly Viable. He is an excellent tank or flank for players not facing the absolute latest whaled-out teams.
  • Rush Wars: Still very useful. The Moonrise Ward at Very Fast speed is oppressive.

Emblem Path Analysis

Relius is a Druid, which gives him access to the Companion talent (summoning a Thorn Minion). This adds a tiny layer of meat shield.

The Survivor (Defensive)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes his low stat pool to keep him alive long enough to fire. His special skill does not deal damage, so Attack stats are wasted on him.
• Cons: None, really.

Final Recommendation

For virtually every player, the Defense/Health path is the only logical choice. You want him to survive to revive others. Ignore the attack nodes completely unless unavoidable.

Strengths

• Damage Nullification: The Moonrise Ward can completely negate AoE damage from older or mid-tier heroes.
• Mana Ailment Counter: Turns enemy mana control heroes into mana boosters for himself.
• Revive + Heal: A strong dual-threat support kit.
• Global Mana Hinder: His passive slows down enemy mana ramps significantly.

Weaknesses

• Outdated Stats: He melts under focus fire from modern snipers.
• Order of Operations: The "Revive then no Heal" issue leaves resurrected allies vulnerable.
• Passive Playstyle: He doesn't help you win faster; he just helps you not lose. In a timed war, this can lead to timeouts (which is good for defense, bad for offense).
• Vulnerable to Dispels: His Moonrise Ward is dispellable. A simple Sabina or Melendor can wipe away his primary defensive contribution.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack/Defense: His best home. Being able to fire that damage reduction repeatedly makes your team unkillable.
• Map/Quest PvE: The damage reduction is fantastic against bosses who spam AoE attacks.
• War Defense (Mid-Tier): A solid tank or flank who punishes bad boards.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

1. The "Never Die" Rush Defense:
   • Formation: Mn - Relius - Ludwig - Alfrike - Kalø
   • Why: Ludwig charges everyone. Relius keeps them alive and reduces incoming damage. Alfrike and Kalø end the game.
2. The "Owl Pellet" (Owl Family Stack):
   • Formation: Relius - Fulvia - Timius - ...
   • Why: Stacking Owls increases the mana generation buff from the family bonus. If you have multiple Owls, facing mana controllers becomes a joy.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: Dispellers (E.g., C. Sabina, Hippo) are his nemesis. They remove the Moonrise Ward instantly. Blockers (e.g., Malosi) can stop him from casting his buffs.
• Anti-Synergy: Taunt Heroes (like Ludwig/Krampus) are actually good with him, but be careful not to overwrite buffs if you have too many active.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Relius, rejoice! He is a game-changer for completing hard map stages and quests. That damage reduction will let your 4-star heroes survive hits from 5-star bosses. Level him immediately and put him on your defense team.

Advice for Veterans

Unless you are specifically lacking a Green Reviver for War depth or Rush wars, Relius is likely a luxury project. He doesn't replace Mother North (Costume) or Alberich (Toon) in terms of pure stats and revive reliability. However, his passive mechanics (Owl family) make him a fun niche counter-pick against mana-control heavy teams.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community has had a love-hate relationship with the Owls.

• Transcript Take: "I would love to have an average speed reviver... and this seems to protect your hero pretty pretty well." - 3Ko Games.
• Forum Drama: There was significant outcry regarding his skill description. Players noted, "Text says revived with 30% health. I see a revive with 30% health and no heal on revived hero." This discrepancy led to many calling him "bugged" or demanding a fix, as the lack of a secondary heal makes the revive much weaker than advertised.
• The "Ward" Fan Club: Despite the revive issues, players realized the power of the Moonrise Ward: "Relius is the greatest defensive hero I’ve ever had. He reduces damage for AOE heroes to 1, often."

Final Thoughts

Relius is a beautiful, thematic hero with a skill set that is theoretically S-tier. In practice, he is held back by stats that have aged poorly and a revive mechanic that can feel a bit "buggy" regarding the follow-up heal. If you can keep him alive, his Moonrise Ward will make your team feel invincible. But in the age of 1600+ Attack stats, keeping this bird from becoming a feather duster is easier said than done.

Verdict: A solid B+ in the modern era. Incredible utility, but needs a stat boost or a body guard.