Wulfstan, The Eldritch Ammunition Artisan: Stealing Buffs and Losing Minds

Overview

Wulfstan is a 5-star Legendary Holy (Yellow) hero hailing from the Shadow Summon portal, belonging to the Cultist family. Released in early 2025, he fits into the "high-risk, high-reward" archetype that defines many of the Shadow heroes, specifically utilizing the Insanity mechanic. He is an Average speed Ranger designed to punish buff-heavy teams while dealing significant area-of-effect damage. However, his kit comes with a massive drawback that forces players to build their entire strategy around mitigating his self-destructive tendencies. If you enjoy living on the edge or have a very specific set of support heroes, Wulfstan might be your man. If you prefer reliability, he might just drive you mad.

Hero Art & Visuals

Wulfstan’s design is distinct and somewhat unsettling, fitting perfectly within the Lovecraftian horror theme of the Shadow event. He sports a look that blends early 20th-century military aesthetics with occult symbols. The most striking feature is his golden skull mask and the massive, ornate crossbow he wields, which looks like it fires bolts dipped in nightmares rather than steel. The "magazine of bolts" in the handle is a quirky touch that adds to his "Artisan" title. It is a visually aggressive design that screams "I am going to hurt you, and I might hurt myself in the process."

General Info

Hero Stats

When we look at Wulfstan's stats in the context of the late 2025 meta, he falls into the "respectable but fading" category. With an attack stat of 1211 and health breaking 2000, he was a titan upon release. However, compared to the absolute latest monsters hitting the game in December 2025 (who boast attack stats north of 1300 and defense values approaching 1300), Wulfstan is starting to show his age slightly. He is by no means weak his stats are still well above the classic or older event hero baseline but he is no longer the statistical king of the hill. His distribution is fairly balanced, leaning slightly towards offense, which suits his Ranger class.

Special Skill: Eldritch Sign Bolts

Wulfstan's special skill, Eldritch Sign Bolts, is a rollercoaster of emotions.

First, the good: He steals all dispellable buffs from all enemies. This is an incredibly powerful utility. Unlike a simple dispel, stealing buffs means Wulfstan not only strips the enemy of their advantages (defense up, attack up, riposte, etc.) but uses them to fortify himself. Against teams relying on taunt or heavy buff stacking, this can be a game-changer.

Second, the damage: 350% damage to all enemies. At Average speed, this is a solid hit. It is enough to soften up an entire team significantly, especially if he has managed to steal an attack buff beforehand.

Now, the ugly: The Insanity Trade. He inflicts 10 Insanity on all enemies but inflicts a whopping 55 Insanity on himself. This is the mechanic that defines (and limits) him.

• Enemy Impact: 10 Insanity on enemies is negligible. It requires multiple casts or other Insanity heroes to become a real threat. A single heal from the enemy can often wipe this out.
• Self Impact: 55 Insanity puts Wulfstan in immediate danger. Once a hero crosses certain Insanity thresholds, they risk casting their skill on their own team or doing nothing. With over 50 Insanity, Wulfstan becomes a ticking time bomb after his first cast.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the math behind the madness.

• Damage Potential: 350% damage to 5 enemies is a total damage output of 1750%. This is a high total damage ratio for an Average speed hero, competing well with other heavy hitters.
• Insanity Risk: At 55 Insanity, the probability of negative effects triggers significantly. Insanity works on a scale where higher values increase the chance of "Mindless Attack" style backfires or self-harm. Essentially, after firing once, you have a coin flip's chance (or worse) that his next activation will be disastrous unless you have a way to cleanse or reduce that value.
• Buff Swing: If he steals a standard +63% Defense buff from 5 enemies, he doesn't stack them, but he denies the enemy massive survivability. If he steals a Taunt, he effectively becomes the tank. The value of this part of the skill is incalculable as it depends entirely on what the enemy has active.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

Family Bonus

The Cultist family bonus provides a stat boost (Attack/Defense/Health) when deploying multiple unique heroes from the same family. It is a standard "power in numbers" bonus. While nice, it doesn't offer mechanical advantages like mana generation or healing, merely raw stats.

Passives

Note: Depending on the specific version of the game data, Wulfstan has been noted to lack a passive skill compared to his Shadow peers, which is a significant point of contention. Unlike many modern heroes who come with innate resistance to mana cuts, ailment reflection, or self-healing, Wulfstan's lack of a strong passive (or any passive at all in some iterations) leaves him feeling a bit "naked" compared to the feature-creeped heroes of late 2025.

Aether Power

Rage fits him thematically and mechanically. At the start of the battle, he gets a boost to damage. Since you want to fire him as early as possible (before he goes insane), front-loading his damage with Rage helps maximize that first, crucial strike.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

• Historical Context: Upon his release in early 2025, Wulfstan was met with mixed reactions. Players loved the artwork and the buff steal but were baffled by the severity of the self-insanity compared to the minor inconvenience he caused enemies. He was seen as "broken" by many not in the overpowered sense, but in the dysfunctional sense.
• Power Creep Analysis: As we close out 2025, Wulfstan's stats are good but not elite. His skill mechanics are still unique (AOE buff steal is rare), but the penalty for using him remains steep. Modern heroes often do 400%+ damage to all with beneficial passives and no drawbacks.
• Modern Viability Verdict: Wulfstan is Niche. He is not a plug-and-play hero for your defense team, nor is he a reliable everyday raider. He exists for one specific purpose: to crack open buff-heavy defenses (especially Taunt users) in a single, decisive turn. If the battle drags on, he becomes a liability.

Emblem Path Analysis

As a Ranger, Wulfstan has the Pierce talent, which is excellent for bypassing defensive buffs (though he steals them, Pierce helps if he doesn't steal or if there are other mitigation effects like stoneskin).

The Glass Cannon (Attack Path)

• Path: Attack > Defense > Health
• Pros: Maximizes the damage of his 350% hit. Since he might only fire once safely, you want that one hit to be devastating.
• Cons: He becomes squishier, and dead heroes don't steal buffs.
• Recommendation: This is the preferred route. You are bringing him to nuke and strip buffs. Make the nuke count.

The Survivor (Defense Path)

• Path: Defense > Health > Attack
• Pros: Keeps him alive longer to potentially fire a second time if you can manage his insanity.
• Cons: His primary value is the big hit. Reducing that impact lessens his threat level.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Attack Path is recommended. Wulfstan is not built for a long, drawn-out fight where he trades blows. He is a shock trooper. Load him up with attack nodes to ensure his Eldritch Bolts leave a mark.

Strengths

• Total Buff Theft: Stealing all dispellable buffs from all enemies is a rare and powerful counter to meta defenses that rely on layering buffs.
• High AOE Damage: 350% to all enemies is a significant chunk of damage, capable of wiping weakened teams.
• Ranger Class: The Pierce talent allows him to bypass defensive buffs that he might not have stolen yet (or undispellable ones that mitigate damage).

Weaknesses

• Self-Sabotage: Inflicting 55 Insanity on himself makes him unreliable after the first cast. He effectively silences himself or risks killing his own team.
• Low Enemy Disruption: 10 Insanity to enemies is barely a nuisance and is easily healed away.
• Lack of Passive: The absence of a strong modern passive skill makes him feel outdated compared to his contemporaries.

Best Game Modes

• Rush Wars/Tournaments: In Very Fast modes, he can fire immediately, strip the enemy of their opening buffs, and deal massive damage. The battle might end before his Insanity becomes a problem.
• Buff Booster Tournaments: He is a hard counter here. He takes the enemy's boosted buffs and adds them to his own arsenal.
• Specific Raids: Use him specifically against heavy Taunt or Riposte teams (e.g., against Phorcys, Ludwig, or Elena).

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

To make Wulfstan work, you cannot just throw him into a rainbow team. You need to manage his psychosis.

The "Softskin" Safety Net

The single best way to use Wulfstan is to pair him with a hero that provides Softskin (like Garten or Pophit).

• Strategy: Fire the Softskin hero first. Softskin prevents the hero from receiving new status ailments. Since Insanity counts as a status ailment/negative stack in this context, Wulfstan will deal the damage and steal the buffs without applying the 55 Insanity to himself.
• Result: You get a 350% hitting buff stealer with no drawback.

The Sanity Clinic

Pair him with heavy healers who can reduce Insanity.

• Partners: Heroes like Hathor or Aino (who resist or cleanse) or simply raw healers. Note that Heal Over Time does not reduce Insanity; only direct HP recovery does. You need burst healers to keep his mind intact.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

• Counters: He is his own worst enemy, but ailment blockers (Monks, Clerics) can resist his Insanity application (on enemies).
• Anti-Synergies: Do not pair him with other self-harming heroes unless you have a robust plan to keep them all alive. Avoid using him in long, attrition-based battles (like against heavy healer teams) where he will inevitably go insane.

Advice for New Players

If Wulfstan is your first 5-star hero, congratulations on the firepower, but be careful. Do not rely on him as your main "carry" in map stages or difficult quests. He will likely kill himself or your team during a boss fight. Use him in Raids to counter specific buff-heavy teams. Fire him once, and then treat any subsequent fires as a gamble.

Advice for Veterans

Wulfstan is a situational tool. If you have Garten or another reliable source of Softskin/Ailment Immunity that works on Insanity, he becomes a top-tier nuker. Without that synergy, he is likely not worth the Ascension Mats compared to safer, more consistent Holy heroes. He is essentially a "luxury counter" for specific war attacks.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The community reaction to Wulfstan was largely one of confusion and disappointment regarding his kit balance.

• "Broken" Mechanics: Many players felt the trade-off of 10 Insanity to enemies vs. 55 to self was nonsensical. One user noted, "10 insanity to all and he inflicts 55 to himself? That seems like a poor trade-off."
• The Missing Passive: There was significant outcry about him missing the passive skill present on other Shadow heroes. Players speculated it was a bug or a harsh balancing decision. "They forgot add passive to him," was a common sentiment.
• Beta Changes: History suggests he had a Defense Down ailment in Beta, which was removed for the live version. Players lamented this loss, feeling it gutted his utility: "Without the defense down, this seems awful."
• Visuals: On a lighter note, his appearance drew comparisons to historical caricatures, with one player asking, "Is the white scarf there for surrendering once the insanity builds?"

Final Thoughts

Wulfstan is a hero with an identity crisis. He has the weapon of a mass murderer but the mental fortitude of a glass vase. In a vacuum, he is arguably one of the worst-designed "premium" heroes due to the punishing nature of his drawback compared to the benefit. However, in the right hands—specifically hands holding a Softskin buff—he transforms into a devastating weapon. He is not a hero for everyone, but for the puzzle solver who loves a good combo, he offers a unique, albeit maddening, way to win.

Verdict: A niche tactical nuke that requires a safety harness to use effectively. Keep him on the bench unless you have the specific support to keep him sane.