Hunter "Descendant of the Old Ones" Guide: 5 Star 5 Dark Barbarian

Hero Review

Hunter: The Cthulhu Sniper of Insanity

"Is Hunter's 'Merciless Execution' still a top-tier threat or a risky gamble? We break down the Secret Hero who turns enemies against themselves with the dreaded Insanity mechanic."

Read Full ReviewIn-Depth Analysis & Strategy

Special Skill

Merciless Execution

Mana Speed

Fast

This Special Skill never misses its targets.
The target get -25% defense for 3 turns.
Deals 530% damage to the target.
If the target is defeated by the attack, then nearby enemies are inflicted with 100 Insanity.
Casting this Special Skill inflicts 45 Insanity to the caster.

⚡ Tile Breakpoints Guide

8Base Tiles

15% Bonus

7Tiles

Family Bonus

Shadow - Investigator

Bonus for 1 / 2 / 3 Heroes:
+20% / +30% / +40% attack
+20% / +30% / +40% health
The members of this family have additional perks in the Shadows of the Deep event.

Passives

Inherent Abilities

Passive Skills

Marked by the Old Ones
All damage is reduced by 5% per 10 Insanity for this character up to a maximum reduction of 50%.

Aether Power

Attack Up

At the start of each battle, this Hero gets 20% attack for 6 turns

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

Talents

Class Talent

Master Wound

After any normal attack, 30% chance to activate the following effects:

Deal 80% of the damage done by the normal attack over 5 turns. If target already has this ailment, the previous ailment's remaining damage is added to the new ailment as additional damage.

Hero Coach Info

Ascension Support

Hero Coach Date

Available After

Jun 4th, 2026

How it works

By utilizing the Hero Coach, you can reach the Maximum Ascension of a Legendary hero instantly. This bypasses the requirement for rare 4★ Materials (like Alpha Aethers and Damaskus Blades) and ignores the traditional leveling time.

Explore Full Coach Roster

Visiting Outfitter Info

Get this costume

Visiting Outfitter Date

🎭

No Costumes Available

This hero does not currently have any costumes in the game. As a result, they do not appear in the Visiting Outfitter events.

Matching Legendary Troops

status_effect_attack_addition_legendary_troop

Majestic Minotaur

Serene Brute

Enchanted Ent

Furious Monk

These troops provide full Class Synergy bonuses when equipped on Barbarian heroes of the Purple element.

Click here to view the full guide on how to obtain and best utilize these powerful troops!

Mana Optimization Strategy

How it works

By default, Hunter has Fast mana speed, requiring 8 tiles to charge. Equipping troops with a Mana Bonus can reach specific Breakpoints — the exact percentages where your tile count drops — allowing your hero to fire their special skill faster, with less tiles. Additionally, as a Barbarian, this hero can unlock a +2% Mana Bonus through Emblems (Talent Tree). These bonuses can significantly lower the troop level required to reach these breakpoints.

Standard8Tiles

Optimized7Tiles

Wayward Wizards

Magic Troop

Default8 Tiles

Optimized

7Tiles

Required Level

LVL 23

With +2% Emblem Bonus:

LVL 17

Need Bonus:15%

Combined bonuses:+16%

Breakpoint Achieved!

Mystic Mages

Mana Troop

Default8 Tiles

Optimized

7Tiles

Required Level

LVL 29

With +2% Emblem Bonus:

LVL 23

Need Bonus:15%

Combined bonuses:+15%

Breakpoint Achieved!

General Information

Hero Name

Hunter "Descendant of the Old Ones"

Rarity
ElementDark
ClassBarbarian
Mana SpeedFast
Skill Types
Debuffers (DEF)Snipers Negative Effects On Self Or Allies
SourceShadow Summon
FamilyInvestigator Family
Aether PowerAttack Up
CostumeBase
Release DateJun 4, 2024
Availability
Coach:Jun 4, 2026
HA10:Jun 4, 2026

Ascension Requirements

Tier

Food

Materials

Tier 2Ascension Cost

273K

★★★

★★★

★★

Tier 3Ascension Cost

442K

★★★

★★★

★★★

Tier 4Ascension Cost

708K

★★★★

★★★★

★★★★

★★★

Limit Break Requirements

Tier

Materials

Limit Break 1Unlock Cost

★★★★★

★★★★

★★★

LB 1 LevelsTotal Cost

★★★

Limit Break 2Unlock Cost

★★★★★

★★★★

★★★

LB 2 LevelsTotal Cost

★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★

★★★

Stats & Emblems

Simulation: 0 Emblems

Level				💪
4/80	1184	1128	1998	1134
4/85lb1	1276	1216	2153	1213
4/90lb2	1460	1391	2463	1370

Strategy

Mana Node

Talent Level

Calculated Bonuses

Attack

+240 & +3%

Defense

+54 & +3%

Health

+172 & +4%

Crit

+2%

Resource Costs

Emblems

1,740

Master

Food

6,041,800

Iron

6,041,800

+15

+36

+15

+18

+3%

+18

+2%

+15

+18

+36

+15

+3%

+4%

+50

Community Feedback

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Overall Grade

Overall performance in the current meta

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Strong

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Average

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Weak

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Terrible

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Summon Value

Is this hero worth your gems and tokens?

Yes, Absolutely

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Only if you’re Pay-to-Win

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Yes, but only when featured

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Not Really

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Not at all

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Copies to Keep

How many copies are worth keeping and leveling?

None

0v0%

1 Copy

0v0%

2 Copies

0v0%

3+ Copies

0v0%

Limit Break Priority

Priority for applying Limit Breaks

LB2 (Alpha)

0v0%

LB1

0v0%

None

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Emblem Path

General emblem path preference

Sword path (Attack when possible)

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Shield path (HP and Def when possible)

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Node Strategy

Specific node priority strategy

Atk > Def > HP

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Atk > HP > Def

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Def > Atk > HP

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Def > HP > Atk

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HP > Atk > Def

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HP > Def > Atk

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Best Def Position

Best placement in a defense formation

Tank

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Flank

0v0%

Wing

0v0%

None

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Primary Use (Max 3)

Top scenarios where this hero excels

Raids/War

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Defense

0v0%

Titans

0v0%

Tournaments

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Events

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Farming

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Visual Design

What do you think of the visual design?

Amazing

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Refreshingly new

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It’s ok

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It could be better

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Very bad

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Discussion

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Hunter

What element and rarity is Hunter in Empires & Puzzles? +

Hunter is a 5 star Dark hero (Purple) with legendary rarity.

What is Hunter's special skill? +

Hunter's special skill is called "Merciless Execution". This Special Skill never misses its targets. The target get -25% defense for 3 turns. Deals 530% damage to the target. If the target is defeated by the attack, then nearby enemies are inflicted with 100 Insanity. Casting this Special Skill inflicts 45 Insanity to the caster.

When was Hunter released? +

Hunter was released on Jun 4, 2024.

Which family does Hunter belong to? +

Hunter belongs to the Investigator Family. Bonus for 1 / 2 / 3 Heroes:. +20% / +30% / +40% attack. +20% / +30% / +40% health. The members of this family have additional perks in the Shadows of the Deep event.

What are Hunter's passive skills? +

Marked by the Old Ones: All damage is reduced by 5% per 10 Insanity for this character up to a maximum reduction of 50%.

What is the mana speed of Hunter? +

Hunter has Fast mana speed.

Hero Review

Hunter: The Cthulhu Sniper of Insanity

Special Skill

Merciless Execution

Family Bonus

Shadow - Investigator

Passives

Passive Skills

Aether Power

Attack Up

Talents

Master Wound

Hero Coach Info

Hero Coach Date

How it works

Visiting Outfitter Info

Visiting Outfitter Date

No Costumes Available

Matching Legendary Troops

Mana Optimization Strategy

How it works

Wayward Wizards

Mystic Mages

General Information

Hunter "Descendant of the Old Ones"

Ascension Requirements

Limit Break Requirements

Stats & Emblems

Simulation: 0 Emblems

Community Feedback

Overall Grade

Summon Value

Copies to Keep

Limit Break Priority

Emblem Path

Node Strategy

Best Def Position

Primary Use (Max 3)

Visual Design

Discussion

Join the Hero Discussion

Council Login Required

❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Hunter