Shaal: The Golden Construct – Divine Repairs & Dark Protection

Overview

Shaal, the 5-star Holy hero from the Construct family, arrived in late 2023 as a "do-it-all" answer to the stagnant formations of the time. Part damage dealer, part healer, and full-time cleaner, he was designed to be the Swiss Army Knife of yellow heroes. While he doesn't have a costume yet, his base form still brings a unique mechanic to the table that can completely neutralize Dark teams.

If Marvel's Celestials and a clockwork robot had a baby, it would look like Shaal.

max

lb2

Hero Art & Visuals

Shaal is a visual standout. He looks like a divine entity trapped in a golden exoskeleton, radiating "do not touch me" energy. The design screams "Construct," but with a holy, celestial twist that separates him from his grimy, industrial cousins like Brimstone. It's majestic, slightly intimidating, and very shiny.

General Info

Hero Stats

Stat Analysis & Power Creep: Let's be real: Shaal's stats are showing their age. With 906 Attack and 1783 Health, he sits significantly behind the modern "Titan Hunter" or "Astral" heroes who boast 1300+ Attack and 2200+ Health out of the box.

• Attack: Average. He won't wipe teams with tile damage alone.
• Defense: His 1027 Defense is still respectable, especially when paired with his Aether Power (Defense Up), allowing him to serve as a sturdy flank or tank in lower diamond arenas.
• HP: Low by 2026 standards. He needs Limit Breaks to survive the one-shot snipers of today.

Special Skill: Reversed Lifeforce

Analysis: "Reversed Lifeforce" is a fascinating hybrid skill.

1. The Hit: 340% to all enemies is a solid multiplier for Average speed. It's not a nuclear nuke, but it softens the entire enemy team significantly.
2. The Heal: Healing allies for 20% of the damage dealt is the chef's kiss. If he hits 5 enemies for roughly 500 damage each (2500 total), he heals everyone for 500 HP. It rewards you for buffering his attack or hitting defense-down enemies.
3. The Protection: "All Holy allies receive all strong damage as regular damage." This is his signature move. It means Purple tiles and specials lose their elemental bonus against Shaal and his yellow friends. It essentially turns a mono-Purple attacker's strength into a neutral hit.
4. The Cleanse: Cleansing all status ailments is the cherry on top. It ensures that even if he doesn't kill anyone, he resets the board state in your favor.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the math for a maxed Shaal (non-LB2) hitting a standard team:

• Damage Potential: ~340% x 5 enemies.
• Healing Potential: If total damage is ~3000, healing is 600 HP per ally.
• Core Boost: +25% Max HP (Boosted Health) when the Core is fully charged.
• Total Swing: A massive HP swing. He takes HP from them and gives it to you, plus boosted health from the passive.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Construct family bonus isn't the main draw here, but it's nice if you run him with Brimstone or Desmond.

Passives

• Repair Core: This is huge. It charges up as he takes damage. When he fires, he can boost everyone's health by up to 25%. This transforms him from a "healer" to a "tanky overhealer."
• Resist Special Skill Blocking: He cannot be Mindless Attacked or Silenced by special skills (mostly). This makes him very reliable against controllers like Miki, Peters, or the myriad of Silencers. Note: He can still be stopped by mana reduction.

Aether Power

Defense Up: At the start of battle, he gets +20% defense for 6 turns. This is arguably the best Aether power for a tank/flank, ensuring he survives the opening tile cascade to fire his skill.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Shaal was considered "broken" by many. The combination of high AoE damage, healing, and cleansing at Average speed felt like too much utility in one card. He was a staple in War Defenses.
• Power Creep: Today, he is no longer the terrifying monster he was. Newer heroes hit harder and faster. However, his utility remains top-tier. A Cleanse + Heal combo on a hitter is rare and valuable.
• Modern Verdict: Highly Viable. He is excellent in Rush Wars and still very strong in standard PvP offense. He has transitioned from a "Must-Have Tank" to a "Luxury Support/Attacker."

Emblem Path Analysis

The Paladin-Lite (Survivalist)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes his survivability, ensuring he lives to fire his cleanse and heal. Best for Defense teams.
• Cons: Lowers the healing output from his special skill (since it scales off damage dealt).

The Battle Medic (Recommended)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Higher Attack stat = More Damage Dealt = More Healing. This path synergizes perfectly with his special skill mechanics.
• Cons: Slightly squishier, but his Aether Power and stats usually compensate.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Battle Medic (Attack) path is recommended because it maximizes the unique "damage-to-heal" conversion, making him a more impactful swing hero.

Strengths

• Role Compression: He Hits, Heals, Cleanses, and Boosts Health. He frees up a slot on your team.
• Dark Neutralizer: Removes the elemental weakness of Holy heroes, making him a nightmare for mono-Purple attackers.
• Reliability: Resist Special Skill Blocking ensures he rarely gets shut down completely.
• Rush War Beast: At Very Fast speed, his kit is oppressive.

Weaknesses

• Scaling Healing: If he hits minions, dodges, or has Attack Down, his healing output drops significantly.
• Average Speed: In a world of Fast/Very Fast threats, Average can sometimes be too slow without mana troops.
• Stats: Base stats are falling behind the newest 2025/2026 releases.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack & Defense: He is a superstar here.
• War Defense (Tank/Flank): Still holds his own in many tiers.
• PvP Offense: Great against ailment-heavy teams (like those with dot damage or defense down).
• Auto-Farming: His sustain keeps the team alive while clearing waves quickly.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Synergy: The "Divine Wall"

Pair Shaal with other Constructs or Gargoyles to maximize durability.

• Sample Team: Shaal - Brimstone - Fortuna - Ukkonen - Hathor.
• Why: You have overhealing, cleansing, and damage reduction everywhere.

Synergy: The "Hit & Heal" Offense

Pair him with Defense Down heroes to spike his healing.

• Sample Team: White Rabbit (Costume) - Shaal - Rhys.
• Why: White Rabbit drops defense -> Shaal hits harder -> Shaal heals more.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counter: Taunt Heroes (Ludwig, Krampus). If Shaal only hits one target (the taunter), his total damage output is low, meaning his healing is tiny.
• Counter: Dodge Heroes (Costume Kadilen). Missed hits = Zero healing.
• Anti-Synergy: Don't rely on him as your only healer against heavy sniper teams, as his heal is conditional.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Shaal, celebrate! He is an account-changing hero. Prioritize leveling him immediately. He can function as your main tank and your main healer for map stages. Emblem him for Attack to get the most out of his fun mechanics.

Advice for Veterans

Shaal is still worth the ascension mats, but think twice about the Alpha Aethers (LB2) if you have the latest "Astral" or "Slime" gods. He performs 90% of his job at LB1. Use him in your 2nd or 3rd War team or specifically to counter heavy ailment defenses.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

• "This bot which looks like Celestial from MCU is nasty." - A common sentiment upon his release regarding his art and power.
• "From 200% to 340% damage to all… at average… This is becoming ridiculous." - Early forum reactions to his buff before release.
• "He’s the GOAT and revive the Holy Tank Meta??!" - YouTube titles were very optimistic about his tanking potential.

Final Thoughts

Shaal is the golden standard for "utility damage dealers." He might not hit the hardest anymore, and his paint might be chipping compared to the shiny new toys, but his ability to flip a losing board (cleansing everything and healing everyone) is timeless. He is a Construct built to last.

Verdict: A divine addition to any roster, even years later.