What Are Crit Troops in Empires & Puzzles?
Crit troops (also called critical troops) are one of two standard Epic (4★) troop types in Empires and Puzzles. Their defining feature is the critical hit chance bonus, which increases the probability that your tile matches will deal double damage. They also provide strong defense boosts, making them the more defensive-oriented of the two standard epic troop types.
Crit troops boost four stats: attack, defense, health, and critical chance. At max level 30, they offer approximately +20% attack, +25% defense, and a significant critical hit percentage. Unlike mana troops, they do not boost mana generation speed — instead, they trade that for higher defense stats and the critical chance mechanic.
Crit troops are obtained from the Epic Troop Summon portal with a 10% chance (the same portal as mana troops — you'll randomly get one or the other). They are also trainable in Hero Academy Level 9. One crit troop exists per element, and they max out at level 30.
Crit Troop Critical Chance Breakpoints
Crit troops gain +1% critical hit chance at specific level milestones. While they don't affect mana speed, these levels are important for maximizing your tile damage potential:
| Level | Crit Chance | Increment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5% | Base critical chance |
| 3 | 6% | +1% increase |
| 7 | 7% | +1% increase |
| 10 | 8% | +1% increase |
| 14 | 9% | +1% increase |
| 18 | 10% | +1% increase |
| 21 | 11% | +1% increase |
| 25 | 12% | +1% increase |
| 30 | 13% | ★ Max Level Chance |
How Critical Hits Work in Empires & Puzzles
In E&P, every tile match has a chance to trigger a critical hit, which doubles the tile damage dealt. The base critical chance is very low, but crit troops significantly increase this probability. At max level, crit troops push the critical chance up considerably — making them the king of raw tile damage output.
This makes crit troops particularly valuable for Titan battles, where tile damage is the primary source of your score, and for defense teams, where the higher defense stat helps your heroes survive longer. They also shine in Challenge Events where maximizing tile damage on bosses is key to achieving top scores.
Crit Troops vs Mana Troops — When to Use Each
The golden rule is: mana troops for offense, crit troops for defense and titans. In raids and wars where you control the board, getting specials off faster (mana troops) wins games. On defense and against titans where raw stats matter more, crit troops pull ahead.
Most experienced players recommend leveling mana troops first because the mana generation advantage is more universally impactful. Once you have mana troops at level 23+ in all colors, investing in crit troops for your titan and defense teams becomes worthwhile.
With the introduction of Legendary troops in Version 63, many players now convert one of their max-level epic troops (crit or mana) into a legendary troop. Having both types leveled gives you more flexibility for this conversion.