Rocket: The Demolitions Expert Who Punishes Healers

Overview

Rocket is a 5-star Legendary Fire hero belonging to the Goblin family. Released during the Goblin Summon event in early 2024, he brings a chaotic mix of Wither effects and a unique fiend mechanic designed to punish enemies for trying to heal. As a Ranger class hero running at Fast mana speed, Rocket was designed to be a disruptor. While he initially faced criticism for not feeling "Goblin enough," the addition of Wither to his kit solidified his place in the family. However, in the landscape of late 2025, we must ask if his explosives still pack enough punch.

Hero Art & Visuals

Let's address the elephant in the room, or rather, the Mogwai. Rocket's design bears a striking, almost litigious resemblance to a certain antagonistic Gremlin from 80s cinema. With his mohawk, goggles, and manic grin, he captures the essence of a chaotic tinkerer perfectly. The art is vibrant and distinct from the other more "fantasy standard" Goblins, leaning heavily into a steampunk or scrap-tech aesthetic. It is certainly one of the more memorable character designs, even if it feels like he walked off a movie set.

General Info

Hero Stats

When we look at Rocket's stats in the context of December 2025, the power creep becomes evident. With a base power of 1020, he sits significantly behind modern juggernauts who are pushing past the 1260 power mark. His attack stat of 1073 (before limit breaks) was impressive upon release but is now considered merely average for an attacker. His defense and health are respectable but no longer elite. To keep him competitive against modern stats, heavy investment in emblems and Limit Breaks is non-negotiable.

Special Skill: Goblin Explosives

Rocket's special skill is a multi-layered trap. First, he applies Wither to the target, permanently reducing their defense by a flat amount (up to the cap). This is excellent for softening up key targets for subsequent hits.

The core of his kit, however, is the Goblin Explosive Fiend. He summons these for the target and nearby enemies (Hit-3). These fiends are aggressive, dealing 195% damage every turn. This is a very high percentage for a fiend, making them dangerous to ignore.

The "trap" activates when the enemy tries to get rid of them. If the fiend is removed by absorbing healing, it detonates, dealing a massive 1269 Burn damage over 3 turns to the owner. This creates a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario for the opponent. If they don't heal, the fiend eats away at them. If they do heal, they take massive burn damage.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Fast. This allows him to fire relatively early in the match, potentially before the enemy has their defenses or heavy heals ready.
• Fiend Damage: At 195% attack per turn, these are some of the hardest-hitting fiends in the game. If Rocket has ~1300 Attack (LB2), the fiend is hitting for roughly 2500+ value before defense calculation every turn.
• Burn Damage: 1269 damage over 3 turns averages to 423 damage per turn. This is a significant DoT, especially since it bypasses defense.
• Wither: -330 Defense is a substantial drop, equivalent to a major defense down ailment, but permanent until the soft cap is reached.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Goblin family bonus (if applicable based on team composition) generally supports survivability or mana, but Rocket's main strength lies in his individual kit and the Goblin passive.

Passives

Rocket's passive is a 40% chance on casting his special to deal 90% damage to all enemies and inflict -25% accuracy. This is a fantastic "free" extra. When it triggers, it adds a layer of survivability to your team by making enemies miss, and chips away at everyone's health. It adds to the chaos he brings to the board.

Aether Power

Fiend Resist is his Aether Power. This is somewhat ironic given he is a fiend summoner. It helps him in mirror matches against other fiend-heavy teams, preventing him from being bogged down by enemy parasites.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Rocket was seen as a strong offensive option, though overshadowed by his more overpowered Goblin brethren like Pepperflame or Darkfeather. He was the "offensive punisher" rather than a support god.
• Power Creep Analysis: While his raw stats have fallen behind, the mechanic of his special remains potent. Flat defense reduction (Wither) is timelessly useful. High percentage fiend damage scales well with his attack stat if you invest in him.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Rocket remains a viable offensive hero, particularly in wars and raids against healer-heavy teams. He forces opponents to play carefully. However, he has fallen out of favor on defense because the AI cannot strategize the "healing trap," and newer heroes simply hit harder and faster with less setup. He is a niche tool for veteran rosters but a solid main attacker for mid-level players.

Costume & Costume Bonus

Rocket currently does not have a costume. This review focuses on his base form.

Emblem Path Analysis

Rocket is a Ranger, which gives him a chance to bypass defensive buffs. This synergizes well with his role as a damage dealer.

The Aggressive Grenadier

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes the damage of his fiends (which scale off attack) and his tile damage. The higher the attack, the more dangerous the fiend tick is.
• Cons: Makes him squishier, though his stats are decent enough to survive a few hits.

The Survivalist

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Keeps him alive longer to fire multiple times, stacking more Wither and refreshing fiends.
• Cons: Reduces the threat level of his fiends significantly.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Attack path is recommended. Rocket's primary purpose is to apply pressure through damage. If his fiends aren't hitting hard, the enemy can afford to ignore them longer. Maximize that Attack stat to make the "heal or die" choice more difficult for your opponent.

Strengths

• Anti-Healer Mechanic: Punishes enemies for healing, which is a core part of almost every defense team.
• Permanent Defense Down: Wither is an excellent way to degrade enemy durability over a long fight.
• High Fiend Damage: 195% is a very high multiplier for a passive damage source.
• Fast Speed: Can exert pressure early in the match.

Weaknesses

• Conditional Burn: The massive burn damage only triggers if the fiend is removed by healing. If the fiend is overwritten by minions or cleansed by a specific "remove fiend" skill (like Arco or Esme) without healing effectively, the burn might not trigger or can be cleansed immediately after.
• Hit-3 Limitation: He doesn't affect the whole board with his main skill, leaving the wings safe.
• Cleansable Burn: Even if the burn triggers, it is a status ailment that can be cleansed. A smart player can heal (triggering burn) and then cleanse immediately if they have the right hero order.
• Stat Decay: His base stats are becoming a liability against the newest 5-star heroes.

Best Game Modes

• Raids & Wars (Offense): This is his home. You can target the core of the enemy team (Tank/Flank) and put them in a difficult position.
• Bloody Battle Tournaments: Surprisingly effective. Even though enemies can't heal (so the burn won't trigger from healing), the Fiends themselves deal massive damage and cannot be healed away, acting as a permanent DoT. Wither also helps.
• Titans: Fast defense down (Wither) and high tile damage (if emblemed) make him a decent choice, though there are better specialized titan killers.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Synergies

• Anti-Cleanse Heroes: Pair him with heroes who prevent status ailment cleansing (like some magical or construct heroes) to ensure the burn damage sticks if it triggers.
• Minion/Fiend Teams: Combining him with other fiend summoners can overwhelm the enemy's ability to heal or clear them.
• Wither Stackers: Pairing him with other Wither Goblins can quickly reduce an enemy team's defense to the minimum cap, making them paper-thin.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Arco/Esme/Wang Yuanji: Heroes that replace fiends with minions or specifically remove fiends often bypass the "healing absorption" trigger condition or handle it so efficiently that the damage is mitigated.
• Cleansers: A healer who heals then cleanses (like Ariel) is a soft counter. The heal triggers the burn, but the cleanse immediately wipes it away.
• Garrison Guards: Modern heroes with immunities or specialized anti-minion/fiend tech can neutralize him.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Rocket, you have a fantastic offensive weapon. Focus on leveling him up and learning which healers on defense teams struggle against him. He will serve you well as a primary red attacker.

Advice for Veterans

Rocket is likely a depth hero for you now. He is excellent for War depth, specifically for taking down teams that rely on pure healing (like Vivica or other passive healers) to survive. I would hesitate to use Alpha Aethers on him unless you simply love the Goblin family or lack modern Red options.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reaction to Rocket was a rollercoaster. Initially, players were confused by his lack of Wither/Growth in beta, with users remarking, "he just doesn't look like a goblin hero tbh." Many felt he was "ungoblinlike." Post-release, the addition of Wither calmed some nerves, but the art became a major talking point. As one user hilariously pointed out with side-by-side comparisons, "Yooooooo, thats just a Gremlin from the movie Gremlins right? ... This feels less like an homage and more like plagiarism." There was also debate about his burn mechanic. Users noted that "heroes like Arco seems an adequate answer," highlighting that dedicated fiend removers spoil Rocket's fun.

Final Thoughts

Rocket is a chaotic, fun, and aggressive hero who brings a unique flavor to the Goblin family. While he may look like he snuck in from a movie set, his explosives are very real. He isn't the meta-defining monster he could have been, but he remains a solid fast-mana punish hero. If you can catch an enemy team without a cleanser, he will burn them to the ground.

Final Verdict: A solid, fast offensive specialist who has aged decently thanks to his mechanics, even if his stats need a tune-up. Keep him for war depth and the occasional Gremlin-themed party.