What Are Mana Troops in Empires & Puzzles?
Mana troops are one of two standard Epic (4★) troop types in Empires and Puzzles. They are universally considered the most important troops to level in the game because they directly affect how quickly your heroes charge their special skills. Every mana troop boosts attack, defense, health, and — most critically — mana generation speed.
Unlike crit troops, which focus on critical hit chance and defense, mana troops are attack-oriented and prioritize getting your heroes' specials charged faster. This makes them the preferred choice for offense, raids, wars, and tournament attacks. A well-leveled mana troop can reduce the number of tiles needed to charge a hero by one or even two full matches — a game-changing advantage.
Mana troops are obtained from the Epic Troop Summon portal (200 gems or an Epic Troop Token) with a 10% chance. They can also be trained in Hero Academy Level 9. There is one mana troop per element (fire, ice, nature, dark, holy), and they can be leveled up to level 30 in the Barracks.
Mana Troop Breakpoints — The Most Important Levels
The single most important aspect of mana troops is their mana generation breakpoints. Mana troops start at +5% mana generation and gain an additional +2% at specific levels. These breakpoints determine exactly how many tiles you need to charge heroes of each mana speed:
| Level | Mana Bonus | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | +5% | Base mana bonus — no tile reduction yet |
| 5 | +7% | Very Slow drops from 13.5 → 13 tiles |
| 11 | +9% | ★ Very Fast drops to 6 tiles (saves a turn!) |
| 17 | +11% | Slow drops from 12 → 11 tiles |
| 23 | +13% | ★ Average drops from 10 → 9 tiles (saves a turn!) |
| 29 | +15% | Fast drops from 8 → 7 tiles |
Levels 11 and 23 are the most impactful breakpoints because they reduce tile requirements by a full match-3 turn. Level 11 is the first major milestone every player should target. Level 23 is the ultimate breakpoint that makes Average-speed heroes charge in just 3 matches of 3 tiles — a massive strategic advantage in raids and wars.
Note that other factors also affect mana generation: costume bonus (+5%), talent grid mana node (+2% or +4%), and mana-boosting hero specials. When combined, you may reach critical breakpoints at lower troop levels than shown above.
Mana Troops vs Crit Troops — Which Should You Level?
This is the most common question in E&P troop strategy. The short answer: level mana troops first, always. The mana generation bonus is simply too powerful to pass up. Getting your heroes' specials off one turn earlier often decides the outcome of a battle.
Crit troops do offer higher defense and critical hit chance, making them better for defense teams and titans (where critical hits multiply tile damage). However, the mana speed advantage of mana troops is universally applicable. Most veteran players recommend leveling at least one mana troop per element to level 23 before investing in crit troops.
If you have magic troops or ninja troops, those may replace mana troops for specific use cases, but standard mana troops remain the most accessible and versatile option for all players.