William: The Nervous Night Watchman Who Actually Hits Back

Overview

William joined the roster as part of the Garrison Guards family, a group known for their Mega Minions and general goblin slaying aesthetic. He is a Rare (3-star) Nature hero who fits the role of a support attacker. While his artwork suggests a man who would rather be anywhere else but a battlefield, his kit tells a different story. He brings a mix of offense and defense that makes him particularly interesting for 3-star tournaments. Unlike the classic goblins who rely on Wither or Growth, William plays a more traditional buffing game, but with the modern twist of starting the battle with a chunky Mega Minion. He is a base hero with no costume currently available.

Hero Art & Visuals

The artwork for William is delightfully expressive. He looks genuinely concerned, clutching his lantern as if he heard a twig snap in the woods. It is a refreshing departure from the usual stoic warriors or menacing monsters. The lighting from the lantern is a nice touch, highlighting his anxious expression. He looks less like a hero and more like an NPC who is about to give you a side quest to find his missing keys.

General Info

Hero Stats

When looking at William's stats in the context of late 2025, the power creep becomes quite evident, particularly in his Health pool.

• Attack (543): Still respectable. He competes well with modern 3-star damage dealers like Ali (542) and Valen Glass (559).
• Defense (500): Average to slightly low. He is not made of glass, but he is not a tank like the newer Paladins.
• Health (712): This is where he falls short. Modern 3-star heroes like Tyrum Glass (1031 HP) and Jax (908 HP) completely eclipse him.

However, stats do not tell the whole story here. The Garrison Guard family bonus grants him a Mega Minion at the start of the battle. This minion acts as a substantial buffer of "fake health," essentially bringing his effective durability much closer to modern standards. Without that minion, he would be incredibly fragile; with it, he is surprisingly sturdy.

Special Skill: Situational Awareness

William's special skill, "Situational Awareness," is a solid package for an Average speed hero. Dealing 210% damage to three targets is decent chip damage, usually enough to soften up the enemy lines or finish off weakened foes.

The real value lies in the buffs. A +36% defense buff is standard but always welcome in the 3-star arena where burst damage is king. The +36% critical chance buff is the icing on the cake, significantly increasing the tile damage output of him and his neighbors. In a Buff Booster tournament, this skill essentially provides two stacks of buffs for the price of one cast.

By the Numbers

Let's break down what William brings to the table mathematically.

• Mana Speed: Average. He needs 10 tiles to fire, which is standard for 3-star play.
• Damage Potential: With a base attack of 543, a 210% hit deals roughly 1140 raw damage before defense calculations. Hitting three targets, he outputs a total of roughly 3420 raw damage spread across the enemy team. This is not sniper level execution, but it adds up.
• Defensive Value: The 36% defense buff is significant. If an incoming sniper would normally deal 400 damage, this buff could mitigate that down by a noticeable margin, potentially saving a teammate.
• Effective Health: The Mega Minion inherits a percentage of HP. While his base HP is 712, adding the Mega Minion effectively pushes his "damage required to kill" threshold up significantly, often absorbing 1-2 slash attacks or a special skill hit early in the match.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Garrison Guard family is what keeps William relevant despite his aging stat line.

Family Bonus

The key here is the Mega Minion. Unlike standard minions, these are beefy. Getting one for free at the start of the battle is a huge advantage in Rush Attack or Bloody Battle tournaments where early survival is key. It mitigates his low base HP instantly.

Passives

William has excellent passives for the current meta:

1. Resist Mana Reduction: This is a hard counter to heroes like Dawn, who dominates the 3-star scene with her mana-cutting minions. William simply ignores this, ensuring he fires on time.
2. Guard Rally: Removing Wither is niche in the 3-star arena since Wither is less common there than in legendary tiers (outside of Boots), but when it happens, it is a lifesaver.

Aether Power

Defense Up is a practical choice for him. Since his primary role is support and survival to keep those buffs active, anything that keeps him alive longer is a win.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon release, William was met with skepticism due to his low HP stats compared to the "Construct" and "Toon" heroes appearing around the same time. However, players quickly realized the Mega Minion compensated for this.
• Power Creep Analysis: As we head into 2026, raw stats have left William behind. Heroes with 1000+ base HP are becoming the norm for 3-stars. His damage is no longer impressive compared to the newer "Glass" costumes or "Shadow" summon heroes.
• Modern Viability Verdict: William remains a niche but viable hero, primarily for Buff Booster tournaments. His combination of two buffs and innate resistance to mana control makes him a safe pick against the ubiquitous Dawn tanks. He is not a universal answer anymore, but he is far from useless.

Costume & Costume Bonus

William currently does not have a costume. If one is released, it would ideally need to address his low base Health or bump his speed to Fast to keep up with the blistering pace of modern 3-star battles.

Emblem Path Analysis

William is a Fighter, which gives him the chance to Revive. This is arguably the best talent for a defensive support hero.

The Survivor (Recommended)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Maximizes the value of his buffs and his fighter revive talent. Keeps him alive to cast multiple times.
• Cons: His hit becomes negligible, serving only to apply buffs rather than kill.

The Striker

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Makes his 210% hit sting a bit more and increases tile damage for the critical hits.
• Cons: He becomes incredibly squishy once the Mega Minion is popped.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Survivor path (Defense/Health) is recommended. William's job is to buff your hitters, not to be the main damage source. Keeping him alive is priority number one.

Strengths

• Dawn Counter: Innate resistance to mana reduction is invaluable in 3-star tournaments where Dawn is prevalent.
• Buff Efficiency: Provides two useful buffs (Defense and Crit) in one skill, excellent for Buff Booster.
• Free Meat Shield: Starts with a Mega Minion, effectively boosting his low HP pool immediately.
• Fighter Class: The revive talent can steal wins.

Weaknesses

• Low Base HP: Without his minion, he is very fragile compared to modern heroes.
• Average Speed: In a world of Very Fast and Fast 3-star heroes, Average can feel sluggish.
• Dependent on Minion: If an enemy has minion removal (like a Grimsteel or a Lunar hero), William loses a huge chunk of his survivability instantly.

Best Game Modes

• Raid Tournaments (Buff Booster): His absolute best environment. The buffs count towards the attack boost rule.
• Raid Tournaments (Bloody Battle): The Mega Minion acts as pseudo-healing/extra HP which is premium currency in this mode.
• Events: The critical chance boost helps speed up mob waves with tile damage.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

William works best as a flank, protecting a tank or supporting a wing sniper. He needs to fire to be useful, so keeping him somewhat central helps him gain mana from tiles.

Sample Team Ideas

• The Anti-Mana Control Team: William - Dawn - Noril. William protects against mana cuts, Dawn controls the enemy, and Noril provides the raw damage.
• The Green Crit Machine: Faiez - William - Whacker. Faiez overheals, William boosts defense and crit, and Whacker utilizes the buffs to hit harder.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Minion Destroyers: Heroes that specialize in destroying minions (e.g., Kvasir, or newer anti-minion rangers) strip William of his main defense.
• Buff Dispellers: Tyrum (and his costumes) or Mnesseus can wipe William's buffs immediately, leaving him exposed.
• Bleed/Burn: Since his base HP is low, Damage over Time effects are particularly dangerous to him once the minion is bypassed.

Advice for New Players

If you pull William early, he is a great asset. His Mega Minion mechanic will help you survive difficult map stages where your healers might not keep up. Prioritize keeping him alive so he can buff your team.

Advice for Veterans

William is a "luxury" 3-star. He is not essential like a Treevil or a Buster, but he adds depth to your roster for specific tournament modifiers. If you have spare fighter emblems and green aethers, he is worth leveling for depth, but do not prioritize him over top-tier costumes or newer event heroes.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reaction to William was a rollercoaster.

• Initial Disappointment: Users initially called him "Bang average" and pointed out his stats made him "look kinda too fragile in comparison to other 3s."
• The Defense: However, supporters argued that "This dude is a stud 3*, an absolute STUD. He is gonna wreck Buff Boosters."
• The Dawn Factor: A major talking point was his interaction with Dawn. One user noted, "The only downfall is that he won’t receive Dawn’s mana sucking minion when his mega minion is in play," which is actually a benefit as it blocks the mana cut, though it prevents the minion block.
• The Verdict: Over time, players realized that while his stats were low, the Mega Minion mechanics offered a "free meat shield to start the battle," making him better than the paper stats suggested.

Final Thoughts

William is the perfect example of why you should read the fine print (or in this case, the Family Bonus) before judging a hero. His base stats suggest a hero well past his prime, but his Mega Minion and passives keep him in the game. He is a nervous guardian who brings a lantern to a sword fight, but surprisingly, it works.

If you enjoy 3-star tournaments, William is a solid tool to have in your box, specifically for Buff Booster weeks. He is not going to redefine the meta, but he will certainly help you survive it.

Verdict: Keep and level for Tournament depth, but treat him gently—he scares easily.