Rian, The Steadfast Slayer: Priority Cleanse and the Long Game

Overview

Rian is a Legendary Ice hero from the Slayers of Fell Shadows event (Challenge Festival II). Introduced back in 2021, he represents a unique era of design where heroes were built to ramp up power over long battles. As a Slayer, he starts Slow but has the potential to become a Fast mana machine if he survives long enough.

While his damage output has fallen behind the power creep curve, Rian holds a very specific and rare ace up his sleeve: a Priority Cleanse. Unlike most heroes who cleanse after dealing damage (and potentially missing due to blindness) or after other effects, Rian cleanses first. This mechanical quirk keeps him relevant in specific niches even years after his release.

max

lb2

Hero Art & Visuals

Let's address the elephant in the room: Rian looks like he walked straight out of a Warhammer 40,000 convention. With his heavy power armor, massive hammer, and "inquisitor" vibe, he stands out distinctly from the usual high-fantasy elves and knights of Empires & Puzzles. The "Black Templar" aesthetic is strong here, and frankly, it works. He looks like a tank, which is fitting given his role is often just to survive until he can scrub your team clean.

General Info

Hero Stats

Base Stats (No Emblems)

Level	Attack	Defense	Health	💪Power
4/80	725	817	1439	808
4/85lb1	781	881	1551	862
4/90lb2	894	1008	1775	968

▶Calculate with Emblems

Simulation: 0 Emblems

Level				💪
4/80	725	817	1439	808
4/85lb1	781	881	1551	862
4/90lb2	894	1008	1775	968

To be blunt: Rian's stats are showing their age.

• Base Power (808): Modern heroes are launching with 1260+ Power.
• Stats: His LB2 stats (approx. 894 Attack / 1008 Defense / 1775 Health) are barely comparable to the base stats of modern 5-star heroes, who often start with 1300+ in primary stats.
• The Verdict: He is squishy by modern standards. If you plan to use him, you are relying entirely on his utility, not his raw numbers. Limit breaking is almost mandatory just to keep him alive against modern snipers.

Special Skill: Cleansing Determination

Special Skill

Cleansing Determination

Mana Speed

Slayer

• Cleanses status ailments from all allies.
• Deals 210% damage to all enemies.
• Deals additional 25% damage per removed status effect, up to 410% damage in total.
• Stack (Max: 10): The caster gets +5% mana generation
• Stack +2 (Max: 10): The caster recovers 20 HP each turn.

⚡ Tile Breakpoints Guide

11Base Tiles

10% Bonus

10Tiles

Analysis: The skill name "Cleansing Determination" is apt. The order of operations here is critical and is Rian's defining feature:

1. Cleanse ALL Allies: This happens before damage. This means if Rian is blinded, he cleanses the blind then hits. If he has an attack down ailment, he cleanses it then hits with full force.
2. Damage: 180% to all enemies is... negligible in the current meta. Even at the maximum cap (340%), it's barely scratching modern overhealed health bars. Do not bring Rian for damage.
3. The Stacks: This is the Slayer engine. Every fire grants him Mana Generation (+5% up to +50%) and Health Regen (+20 up to +200 per turn).

The "Priority Cleanse" Value: There are very few heroes who cleanse before they act. This makes Rian an excellent counter to ailment-heavy teams, specifically those relying on Blind or Attack Down to mitigate incoming damage.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the "Slayer Ramp-Up":

• Mana Speed: Slow (12 tiles).
• With Max Stacks (+50% Mana Gen):
  • 12 tiles / 1.5 = 8 tiles.
  • Result: Rian becomes effectively Fast speed once fully stacked.
• Damage Potential:
  • Base hit: 180%.
  • With 3 ailments removed: 180% + (20% * 3) = 240%.
  • Max damage: 340% (Requires removing 8 ailments).
  • Reality Check: A 340% hit from ~900 Attack (LB2) is roughly equivalent to a "scratch" against modern 1300+ Defense heroes.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Slayer family is built for attrition. They want the battle to go long.

Family Bonus

Family Bonus

Challenge Festival II - Slayers

• Bonus for 1/2/3 Heroes:
• * 50%/75%/100% chance to receive the following stacks at the end of each turn:
• * Stack (Max: 10): The caster recovers 15 HP each turn.
• * Stack (Max: 10): The caster gets +6% mana generation.
• The members of this family have additional perks in the Challenge Festival events.

Analysis: The family bonus tries to automate the stacking process. If you run 2 or 3 Slayers, you have a decent chance (75% or 100%) to gain a stack every turn without firing a special. This is the only way to make Rian "fast" before he actually fires. In a solo setup (50% chance), it's too unreliable to count on for early game speed.

Passives

Inherent Abilities

Passive Skills

• 

  Resist Damage from Status Effects

  This character is immune to incoming damage from status effects and stacks.

Analysis:

• Status Effect Damage Reduction (-50%): This is excellent. It effectively halves the damage from burns, poisons, and bleeds. In a meta rife with DoT (Damage over Time), this passive helps compensate for his lower defense stats.

Aether Power

Aether Power

Defense Up

At the start of each battle, this Hero gets 20% defense for 6 turns.

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

Analysis: Defense Up. Given that Rian's main job is to survive long enough to cleanse, this is a functional, if boring, choice. It helps patch up his aging defense stat at the start of the battle.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Rian was considered "okay but slow." Players appreciated the cleanse but lamented the low initial impact. He lived in the shadow of faster, harder-hitting blues.
• Power Creep Analysis: Power creep has been unkind to the Slayers. The concept of "ramping up" is difficult in a meta where battles are often decided in 3-4 turns by fast, devastating heroes. Rian simply takes too long to get going in standard Raid or War formats.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Niche / Bench.
  • He is Viable in Rush Attack wars/tournaments where his speed is fixed to Very Fast, allowing him to cleanse and stack immediately.
  • He is Viable as a deep roster cleanser for War cleanups against heavy DoT teams.
  • He is mostly Benched for standard high-level PvP.

Emblem Path Analysis

Rian is a Cleric, which gives him a chance to resist mana-blocking ailments—a nice bonus for a cleanser.

The Survivor (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Keeps him alive. His damage is negligible regardless of emblems, so investing in Attack is a waste of resources. His value is entirely in casting his cleanse.
• Cons: His tile damage will be very low.

Final Recommendation

Go full Defense/Health. You want Rian to survive the initial onslaught of fast specials so he can fire his cleanse. If he dies with a full mana bar, he's useless.

Strengths

• Priority Cleanse: Removes ailments (Blind, Attack Down) before dealing damage or applying other effects.
• DoT Resistance: Takes 50% less damage from burns/poisons/bleeds.
• Self-Sustain: Once stacked, the HP regen provides decent passive healing.
• Rush Attack King: Becomes a powerhouse when speed is set to Very Fast.

Weaknesses

• Outdated Stats: Severely low base stats compared to modern heroes make him fragile.
• Slow Speed: Takes too long to charge initially without Rush rules.
• Low Impact Damage: His hit is often negligible; he is a support hero disguised as an attacker.
• RNG Family Bonus: Solo Rian relies on a coin flip to gain stacks passively.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack Wars/Tournaments: This is his best home. The speed penalty is removed, and his cleanse is invaluable against the barrage of ailments in Rush.
• PvE / Map Stages: The ramping mechanic works well in long boss fights or tower events where you have time to build 10 stacks.
• War Cleanup: Good for tackling teams that rely heavily on status effects (like DoT teams) where his passive helps him survive.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Slow & Steady" Rush Team:
  • Rian - Alfrike - Heimdall - Khufu - Kalø
  • In Rush, speed doesn't matter. Rian keeps the team clean of defense down/mana block so the heavy hitters (Alfrike/Khufu) can end the game.
• The Slayer Family Stack:
  • Rian - Senan - Caitlin
  • Running 3 Slayers ensures a 100% chance to gain a stack every turn. This allows them to naturally speed up to Fast speed after a few turns without firing.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Mana Controllers: Heroes like Hel or Proteus stop him from charging, and since he relies on stacks to speed up, blocking him early is fatal.
• Buff Dispellers: While they can't remove his stacks, they can strip his Aether Defense buff.
• Heavy Snipers: Modern snipers can likely one-shot Rian before he ever gets to fire.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Rian early in your career, he is a great asset. A 5-star cleanser is always valuable, and his passive durability against DoT will help you survive difficult map stages. Level him, but don't prioritize him over modern fast heroes if you have them.

Advice for Veterans

Rian is a luxury tool for Rush Wars only. Unless you are desperate for a blue cleanser, he is likely not worth the Limit Break materials (Aethers) given his stats. There are 4-star heroes (like costumed Kiril or Rigard) who can do the cleansing job more efficiently in standard speed modes.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• The "Inquisitor" Look: Players immediately loved his art, noting he looks like a "Black Templar" or "Space Marine" from Warhammer 40k. "The artwork for this event is sick," one user noted.
• The Priority Cleanse Discovery: Early on, players debated his role until they realized the value of his order of operations. "He is one of the only heroes that cleanses BEFORE he fires... Blinds and attack downs would not affect him."
• The Slow Disappointment: Many players struggled to fit him in. "I mean: slow heavy hitter that rely on cleansing to do better damage? Worst scenario, he hits like Kadilen without costume."

Final Thoughts

Rian is a hero out of time. His mechanics—designed for long, drawn-out slugfests—clash with the lightning-fast lethality of modern Empires & Puzzles. However, he remains a "break glass in case of emergency" hero for Rush Attack tournaments and specific wars. He won't win you the match with his hammer, but he might just keep your team alive long enough for someone else to do it.

Verdict: Keep him for Rush, but don't expect him to be a daily driver.