Thunderclap: The Enraged Gorilla Who Forgot to Bring an Umbrella

Overview

Thunderclap entered the arena as part of the Jungle Hunter family (often confused with the Monster Island crew due to the vibe), bringing a massive physique and a skill set that promised to shake the ground. A Holy (Yellow) 5-star hero with Slow mana, he fits the classic archetype of the "big, beefy tank" who wants to absorb punishment and throw it back tenfold. Unfortunately, in the fast-paced world of Empires & Puzzles, being big and slow often just makes you a larger target.

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lb2

Hero Art & Visuals

Let's give credit where it's due: the art team absolutely nailed this one. Thunderclap is a terrifying, primal force of nature. He looks like he could bench-press a Titan and eat a goblin for a snack. The "Enraged Gorilla" fancy name is truth in advertising. It is genuinely disappointing that his in-game performance rarely matches the sheer intimidation factor of his portrait. If intimidation won wars, he'd be top tier.

General Info

Hero Stats

Base Stats (No Emblems)

Level	Attack	Defense	Health	💪Power
4/80	861	873	1610	896
4/85lb1	927	941	1736	955
4/90lb2	1061	1076	1986	1075

▶Calculate with Emblems

Simulation: 0 Emblems

Level				💪
4/80	861	873	1610	896
4/85lb1	927	941	1736	955
4/90lb2	1061	1076	1986	1075

Stat Analysis & Power Creep: Here is the hard truth. When Thunderclap was released, his stats were respectable. Today? They are relics.

• Thunderclap LB2 Power: ~1075
• Modern Hero Base Power: ~1260+

His fully limit-broken stats are significantly lower than the base stats of modern heroes like Jwala or Telonius. With a defense stat sitting around 873 (base), he simply lacks the raw bulk to perform his primary job—Taunting—effectively against modern hitters who dish out 600%+ damage. He melts faster than a popsicle in a volcano.

Special Skill: Warcry of the Jungle

Special Skill

Warcry of the Jungle

Mana Speed

Slow

• The caster gets Taunt that prevents enemies from using Special Skill on the caster's allies for 5 turns.
• The caster regenerates 1250 boosted health over 5 turns. Boosted health can exceed max HP.
• Deals 500-1000 damage to all enemies after 5 turns, based on the damage the caster had taken while this effect was active. Maximum effect is achieved upon taking 50% of max health in damage.
• Stack (Max: 10): The caster gets +25% attack against the weaker element.

⚡ Tile Breakpoints Guide

12Base Tiles

10% Bonus

11Tiles

Skill Analysis: On paper, this skill reads like a Raid Boss ability. In practice, it’s a logistical nightmare.

1. Taunt (5 Turns): A 5-turn Taunt is incredibly long, which is great. However, unlike Black Knight (Damage Drop) or Krampus (Defense Up), Thunderclap offers himself zero defensive mitigation. He just stands there, shirtless, asking to be hit.
2. Boosted Regen: 1250 Health over 5 turns is 250 per turn. This is his only survival mechanism. It is often not enough to outpace the focused fire he draws from the Taunt.
3. The Fatal Flaw (Delayed Damage): The delayed 500-1000 damage is the carrot on the stick. But here is the problem: It is dispellable. If Thunderclap is dispelled, the effect vanishes, and zero damage is dealt. Unlike Gullinbursti, who punishes you for dispelling him, Thunderclap just quietly goes home. This makes him incredibly easy to counter with any dispeller (Sabina, Melendor, Caedmon).
4. The Stack: The attack stack vs. weaker element (Dark) is a neat bonus for Titans, but largely irrelevant in PvP where he likely won't survive long enough to cast multiple times.

By the Numbers

• Mana Speed: Slow (12 tiles). With the Jungle Hunter passive (+20% mana on cast), he doesn't speed up his first cast, only subsequent ones—if he lives.
• Healing: 250 HP/turn. In a meta where single slashes deal 1500+ damage, recovering 250 is like putting a band-aid on a severed limb.
• Damage Potential: Max 1000% to all. This is huge if it goes off. But the condition (taking 50% max HP damage) combined with the vulnerability to dispel means the "Expected Damage" is often 0.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

Family Bonus

Monster Island - Jungle Hunters

• Bonus for 2/3/4/5 Heroes:
• +5%/+10%/+15%/+20% HP.
• Event Bonus: Heroes belonging to the Jungle Hunter family receive the following perks on Monster Island:
• * +40% attack, +40% defense, +40% health

The Jungle Hunter family bonus provides a chance to mark enemies, dealing damage over time. It's fine, but since you rarely stack Jungle Hunters due to their varying utility, it's a minor perk at best.

Passives

Inherent Abilities

Passive Skills

• 

  Hunter's Vigor

  When this character casts their Special Skill, they get +20% attack for 3 turns. This effect can be active in addition to other effects that alter attack.
• 

  Damage over Time on Special

  When this character casts their Special Skill, they give a Hunter's Mark on a random enemy. The target receives 150 damage over 3 turns. If a target already has this effect, the duration will be refreshed and the damage will be increased by 150, up to 1500 damage in total.

• Hunter's Mark: Adds a bit of DoT (150 over 3 turns). It's negligible damage in the current meta.
• Hunter's Vigor: +20% Attack on cast. This helps his tile damage slightly but does not affect the fixed damage of his special skill.

Aether Power

Aether Power

Taunt

At the start of each battle, this Hero gets Taunt that prevents enemies from using Special Skills on the Hero's allies for 3 turns.

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

Taunt. This is actually his saving grace for Rush wars. Starting the battle with Taunt active protects his team from turn-1 fast snipers or mana controllers. However, without defensive buffs, he might just die turn 1 to a lucky board.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, Thunderclap was already viewed with skepticism. Players recognized the "Dispel = No Damage" flaw immediately. He was considered a "Poor Man's Ludwig" or a worse version of generic taunters because he offered no team utility (buffs) beyond the cover.
• Power Creep: The game has left him in the dust. Modern heroes have double his effective health and skills that do three things instantly rather than waiting 5 turns.
• Verdict: Bench. He is largely obsolete. There are 4-star heroes (like Costume Caedmon or Goldie) that offer more consistent utility. His only remaining niche is specifically in Rush Attack wars if you lack other Taunt options.

Costume & Costume Bonus

As of this review, Thunderclap does not have a costume. If he ever gets one, it needs to add "Undispellable" to his effects or "Deals damage upon dispel" to make him viable.

Emblem Path Analysis

If you insist on using him (perhaps you love gorillas), survival is the only metric that matters.

The Meat Shield (Defense/Health)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes the chance he survives the 5 turns of Taunt. Synergy with his Fighter revive talent.
• Cons: His attack stat becomes very low, though his special damage is fixed/hp-based anyway.

Final Recommendation

Go full Defense/Health. He is a tank; do not try to make him a damage dealer. His job is to die slowly.

Strengths

• Taunt Duration: 5 turns is an eternity if unchecked.
• Boosted Health: Overheal is always useful for countering max-HP reduction.
• Art: Looks incredibly cool in your roster.

Weaknesses

• Dispel Vulnerability: One dispel ruins his entire kit (Taunt removed + Zero damage dealt).
• Slow Speed: Hard to charge before the battle is already decided.
• No Mitigation: Takes full damage while Taunting (unlike Queen of Hearts, Krampus, BK).
• Outdated Stats: Severely under-statted for 2026.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Attack: His Slow speed becomes Very Fast. The Aether Power (Taunt at start) is valuable here.
• Tower Events: The boosted health can help sustain a team in early floors.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Do not build a team around him. Use him as a plug.

Sample Team Ideas

• The "Please Keep Me Alive" Rush Defense:
  • Thunderclap (Tank) - flanked by heavy healers/revivers like Mother North or Alberich. You need to keep him alive while he sponges hits.
• The Titan Stack:
  • Thunderclap + Miki/Tarlak + Def Down. Use him solely for the Attack Stack vs Dark Titans and tile damage, though he is suboptimal compared to modern Titan specialists.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Dispellers: Sabina, Melendor, Devana, any hero that removes buffs makes Thunderclap useless.
• Buff Blockers: Mist or Franz prevent his Taunt and Regen from landing.
• Modern Hitters: Heroes like Jwala or Telonius will likely one-shot him through his Taunt.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled him early, congrats on a 5-star! He will serve you well as a tank in Gold/Platinum arena simply because new players often lack dispellers. Level him to 3/70, but think twice before giving him Darts.

Advice for Veterans

He is Soul Exchange fodder. Do not Limit Break him. Do not emblem him unless you have infinite resources. He occupies a roster slot that could be better used by a duplicate Shrubbear for 3-star tournaments.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community has never been kind to the big ape.

• "Alucard eats him for breakfast." — Common sentiment regarding minion/fiend/buff interactions, though Thunderclap doesn't summon minions, he is often compared unfavorably to other defensive heroes.
• "He is a sitting duck for 5 turns." — Players realized that without damage mitigation, Taunt is a death sentence.
• "If he functioned like Gullinbursti (damage on dispel), he would be top tier." — The most common suggestion for a buff that never came.

Final Thoughts

Thunderclap is a tragedy of game design. He has a magnificent model and a cool concept (absorbing hits to power up a retaliation), but the execution is fatally flawed by the vulnerability to dispel and the lack of self-defense. In the modern era of Empires & Puzzles, he is less of a "Thunderclap" and more of a "Polite Cough."

Verdict: Keep one for the collection, but leave the heavy lifting to the modern heroes.