Keep them or feed them? We’ll help you decide!

We’ve all been there - you amass your hard-earned coins/tokens/keys/gems to do a multi-pull, send a quick prayer to RNGesus before summoning from the portal and… nothing. And by ‘nothing’ we mean you didn’t get any 5-star hero, just a bunch of 3 and 4-star ones! Bummer, right? 

Well, not quite.

While that may be disappointing, don’t be too hasty in thinking that all lower-starred heroes should be treated as feeders. In particular, we’re referring to 4-star Heroes as some of them might just be more useful than they’re given credit for! These are the Top 10 Empires and Puzzles Best 4-Star Heroes, from Seasons 1 - 4.

10. Li Xiu (Mana Controller/Monk)

A dagger to the heart, and you're to blame!

Nothing is more annoying than having your team ready to unleash their Special Skills… except one of them attacks Li Xiu, setting off her Special Skill, and bam! You find all your heroes damaged and with 20% less mana. Ouch! This is why she’s still popular to use in wars, as she can delay the enemies’ release of Special Skills long enough to turn the tide to your favor. 

Being a Holy hero, she’s only weak to the element she’s also strong against - Dark. Li Xiu is also acquirable from the Summons portal or from the Hero Academy, making getting her relatively easy. Build her up defensively, use her as a tank, and troll your enemies into never using their Special Skills. Feels great!    

What Makes Li Xiu Great:

• Ability to considerably reduce mana of all enemies
• Only weak to Dark heroes, which she’s also strong against
• Relatively easy to acquire

9. Boldtusk (Healing Tank/Fighter)

Ready for a new fight!

A healer who can considerably boost attacks? Sign us up. He’s particularly useful in wars and fighting Titans, giving the entire team a fantastic +48% attack for 4 turns. Use him as a tank and he’ll be sure to keep that increased attack rate going while healing the team at the same time! 

Like Li Xiu, Boldtusk is also relatively easy to acquire from the Summons portal or from the Hero Academy. In addition, he’s in the Fighter Class - you know, that one class with heroes who can sometimes revive themselves with 1 HP after a fatal attack? Just when you think he’s finished, Boldtusk will come bouncing back and ready for round two - or more, if you’re lucky!  

What Makes Boldtusk Great:

• Boosts attacks of all allies by 48%
• Relatively easy to acquire
• May revive themselves with 1 HP

8. Rigard [Costume] (Healer/Ranger)

Fancy a fight, gentlemen?

There’s a reason Rigard with Costume is one of the most sought-after healers in the game. He’s got regeneration, attack buff, and he can dispel status ailments from allies. That’s just a stellar hero to include in any lineup! Add him to a team of damage dealers and he’ll make sure their health is topped up and that their attacks hurt more, which is everything we want from this Dapper Gentleman.  

His decent stats also means he won’t be easy to get rid of, particularly as he’s only weak to Holy heroes - except he’s strong against them too. As a bonus, maxing Rigard’s costume increases his regular counterpart’s stats (attack, health, defense, and mana). His utility just means he shouldn’t be fed to anyone any time soon - or ever!  

What Makes Rigard (Costume) Great:

• Can regenerate, buff attacks, and dispel ailments from allies
• Only weak to Holy Heroes, which he’s also strong against
• Permanent stat bonuses acquired from costume

7. Kiril [Costume] (Healing Tank/Sorcerer)

After battle drinks are on him!

On the spectrum opposite healing buffers like Rigard (Costume) and Boldtusk stands our beloved Old Man Kiril, a healing debuffer, in his Master Shredder Costume. He can recover 28% health for all allies while also giving all enemies -34% attack and defense for 3 turns! A useful skill to have on any occasion, as it just makes enemies more vulnerable to attacks while also lessening their ability to hurt your team in return.

As a bonus, maxing Kiril’s costume also increases his regular counterpart’s stats (attack, health, defense, and mana). He’ll be sure to rock your world with his awesome Blessed Solo if you use his costume, though!

What Makes Kiril (Costume) Great:

• Heals all allies 
• Debuffs all enemies with both attack and defense down
• Permanent stat bonuses acquired from costume

6. Zila Lei (Sniper/Rogue)

That dagger sure looks sharp as hell.

Zila Lei’s Special Skill - which only hits enemies on the edges of a formation - may seem odd at first glance. However, as they are often the last ones standing towards the end of battles, having a Fast hero who can target both at the get-go just makes the battle go way faster! In addition, Zila Lei also debuffs these enemies with -34% defense for 3 turns, making it easier to dispose of them - especially if there’s only one enemy left alive, as her damage doubles then! 

As a member of the Rogue class, she’s also one of those heroes who may (and will!) dodge direct damage from offensive Special Skills. Use her during wars and raids, and you’ll be sure to see just how good her Fishbone Blades are.

What Makes Zila Lei Great:

• Fast hero
• Attacks and debuffs enemies on the edges of a formation
• May dodge direct damage from offensive Special Skills

5. Tettukh (Silencer/Monk)

Look at those teeth!

Only a handful of heroes can currently silence enemies in this game, and Tettukh is one of them. Tettukh’s target, when hit with Crippling Grapple, can still gain mana but will not be able to unleash their Special Skill for 4 turns - unless cleansed. They would also suffer the 320% damage and will be poisoned as well - which could spell game over, especially if used against the enemy’s sole healer!

Tettukh’s passive ability is also fantastic -  20% reduction of damage received from the enemies’ Special Skill for 3 turns. This will help ensure that he will be silencing more enemies for as long as the battle rages on!

What Makes Tettukh Great:

• Can silence enemies for 4 turns
• Can do considerable damage to and poison the enemy
• Passive ability reduces damage received from Special Skills for 3 turns

4. Almur (Element Defense Down/Sorcerer)

Those cheekbones can cut through glass, too!

Heroes giving elemental defense down are awesome to have in this game, and Almur is no exception. This ability really shines when you use him against Blue Titans, who are already weak to Nature in the first place. What’s even better is that, as a Fast hero, he can (and will!) keep this debuff on the Titan, enabling your team to really put the hurt on it!

He’s best used with other Nature heroes who can take advantage of the elemental debuff he gives. What’s more, he deals 150% damage to and also lowers his target and nearby enemies’ max HP by 75 - which may not be a lot at first glance. However, this effectively means that the enemies will not be able to regain 100% HP for as long as Almur uses Shadow Sweep on them!   

What Makes Almur Great:

• Gives elemental defense down
• Fast hero
• Deals 150% damage to and lowers target and nearby enemies’ MAX HP by 75

3. Gullinbursti (Tank/Druid)

This little piggy went to a battle.

Heroes with slow mana speed can be a bit off-putting to some, but Gullinbursti’s Special Skill is worth waiting for. Boosting health means healing all allies and making any excess amount as their added HP. Activate it often and Gullinbursti can double the team’s max HP in no time flat, allowing them to shrug off enemy attacks left and right!

Additionally, once activated, his Special Skill grants him a huge attack boost, which increases further every time he or any of his allies get hit during 4 turns. If not dispelled promptly, this skill will allow him to attack all enemies for a maximum of 288% damage each. Ouch!

As a Holy hero, he’s only weak to the element he’s also strong against - Dark. Build him up defensively, use him as a tank, and watch him regularly boost the health of your team - as well as hurt the enemies for daring to attack!

What Makes Gullinbursti Great:

• Boosts health
• Can attack all enemies for considerable damage
• Only weak to Dark heroes, which he’s also strong against

2. Wilbur (Tank/Monk)

A feast after winning? Yes.

Heroes who give enemies defense down are already awesome to use in battles - how about one who also gives all their allies defense up and makes them share damage at the same time? “Share damage” sounds like a weird skill to have, but it renders a potentially lethal attack non-fatal by spreading the damage around the team members - and with that defense up, you can be sure they will just shrug it off anyway. To enemies, however, the reverse will happen - they can be wiped out easily due to that -44% defense! 

Wilbur shines in any battle, particularly in raids and fighting Titans - especially Green ones! - as he can soften even the toughest enemy while bulking up his team. Build him up defensively, and he’ll be sure to keep your team fed and fighting - and your enemies down and dying - with his Wonderful Feast!

What Makes Wilbur Great:

• Ability to grant defense up to allies and defense down to heroes
• Ability to make heroes share damage 
• Awesome to use in any type of battle

1. Proteus (Mana Controller/Wizard)

Face your death, mortal!

What’s better than a mana-decreasing hero? How about one that makes enemies unable to gain mana in the first place? Fantastic to use basically everywhere, Proteus can stop Titans from unleashing their mighty attacks, while in wars and raids he can target three heroes at once and render them unable to set off their Special Skills for 3 turns. He also gives them Poison damage, too. For weakened enemies, being at the receiving end of his Special Skill is basically a death sentence!

Being a Dark Hero, Proteus is only weak to the element he’s strong against - Holy. His abilities are truly what makes this Atlantis hero the Star of the Depths for us.

What Makes Proteus Great:

• Stops enemies from gaining mana for 3 turns
• Poisons enemies over 3 turns
• Only weak to Holy heroes, which he’s also strong against

These 10 may not be 5 star heroes, but they ain’t slouches either. Use your hard-earned ascension materials on these ten heroes and you won’t regret doing it - or pulling them!

You may also be interested in:

• Empires and Puzzles Best 4 Star Heroes
• Empires and Puzzles Best 3 Star Heroes
• Empires and Puzzles Best Tanks
• Empires and Puzzles Best Healers That Are Great