Intro:
This is PART 3 of the complete guide to all the Tank Heroes in the game. As the “Tank” category would suggest, these characters specialize in absorbing large amounts of damage, protecting the team so that everyone continues to survive. They generally have high Tenacity growth, which helps them deal with disables and keep on going. Each of them has a place in the game, so this guide will provide insight to each Tank hero’s value.
Disclaimer: This Guide will always be under construction, either through updating information or adding more content as more new heroes are released in the game. I will be doing updates accordingly for as long as I continue to play the game.
Hades
Overview
Strengths:
+High HP growth
+Rising power levels
+Second chance revive
+Useful friendship disks
Weaknesses:
-Doesn’t directly protect allies
-Power resets after revival
-Prone to taking too much damage
-Below average defenses
Gameplay:
Hades is perhaps arguably the most unorthodox Tank design yet. So far, he is uniquely the only midline Tank available, and his method of damage mitigation is very unconventional. Hades redirects 15% of all damage done on his teammates to himself, effectively reducing damage done towards them so that they may survive hits that they otherwise can’t. It is as risky as it sounds, but this is somewhat compensated by his high HP, revive, and midline position. This works well for him though, as the less HP he has, the more damage he can do in retaliation. The damage boost proportionally increases by 1.5% for every 1% HP he is missing, and the intensity of his flames somewhat reflects this as a visual indicator. Still, because he accounts for 15% of damage done on everyone, he’ll most likely go down at least once pretty quickly. The strength of his revive is impressive though, unfailingly restoring him back to full HP. This does unfortunately reset his damage levels. And also, his damage levels fluctuate depending on the healers actively trying to restore his HP. His high-risk style is much more suited for PvP, but is quite difficult to manage in City Watch and Invasion.
Almighty Flame:
Hades’ Red Skill improves his lasting power by leaps and bounds! The stat bonuses he gains include a slight boost to his HP, and significant boosts to his Skill Power and the initial damage he can do with Burning Rage. Upon unlocking this skill, Hades immediately gains the ability to become invincible in the most dire situations. When he reaches 1 HP, Hades becomes invincible and gains even more Skill Power for 8 seconds. This happens the first time he reaches 1 HP, and then once again when he reaches 1 HP a second time after activating Lord of the Dead. This guarantees 16 seconds to Hades’ longevity no matter what! While Hades becomes invincible, he becomes capable of redirecting 50% of damage done to his teammates onto himself instead of the usual 15%. Assuming this Skill is fully maxed, the 50% damage redirection is a huge boon to the team’s survivability! Unfortunately, this damage reduction may fail should this skill remain under-leveled. Although, even if he can’t stop 50% of the damage coming at him, he’s still at least stopping 15% of it anyways. The invincibility alone makes this skill worth investing in. This is absolutely a top priority if Hades is one of your main heroes!
Friendship Disks:
Both of Hades’ disks are useful in most situations, but it does tend to affect which heroes he should be teamed up with. His disk with Jack Sparrow gives him even more HP while also improving the HP for his fellow tanks, so it nicely contributes to the overall survival of the team. On the other hand, Meg’s disk improves Hades’ Skill Power and the strength of the team’s skills that do damage over time, including his, of course. Both are useful, but these disks are at their best when Hades is working with the right heroes.
Team Options:
Hades should not be considered a main Tank, so fellow tanks with great survivability like Goofy and Hercules are ideal partners. Hades generally works optimally in a multi-tank comp, with Herc(Ma) providing moments of invincibility. However, Hades also works remarkably well with DoT specialists like Jack Skellington(Sa), Sally(Ti), Anger(Ha), and Jack-Jack. As long as he has Meg’s disk equipped, he will greatly benefit from having at least one of these heroes for a partner. Hades himself lacks any means of controlling his enemies, so fellow villains like Scar, Maleficent, Ursula, Jafar, and The Queen of Hearts are all great team candidates. Yes, you can almost get away with a full villain team. If you really insist on using Hades in City Watch or Invasion, then his best partner is easily Meg. Her link can perpetually keep him at 1 HP, taking full advantage of his damage boost!
Counters:
Even with his high HP, his average defenses make him a vulnerable target to burst damage. Ducky & Bunny and Jafar(Sc) can force him to use up his revive very early in battle, leaving him very little time to use his increased power. Similarly, Alice, Merida, Jack Sparrow, Anger, and Duke Caboom will give him plenty of trouble if they aren’t taken care of right away. Heroes that can attack past the frontline like Simba & Nala, Elsa, and Finnick are also troublesome to deal with.
Hercules
Overview
Strengths:
+Rising endurance levels
+Marvelous utilities
+Expert crowd control
+Amazing synergy
+Extremely survivable
Weaknesses:
+Key skills have slow startup
+Relatively weak without invincibility
+Somewhat exploitable with push backs
Gameplay:
Hercules has been one of the dominant heroes of the game since his introduction. His stellar performance mostly lies in his godly might, which is better reflected by his endurance rather than his strength. “True Hero” not only heals him, it also artificially increases his base HP because of “Wonder Boy”. His Green and Blue skills are otherwise dedicated to crowd control, being capable of both stunning and pushing back. This great combination of endurance and disruption makes him a model Tank hero. His invincibility particularly makes him extremely difficult to take down, and, unlike other heroes that have invincibility, Herc also becomes impervious to disables. It should be noted that he is not too big of a threat without his invincibility, as he is still exploitable with hostile CC that can make it difficult to get his heal off. Herc’s utilities are always welcome in any game mode, capable of doing well under any circumstance.
Friendship Disks:
Both of Herc’s disks are very useful, but it does depend on what team comp he’s trying to fit in to. Meg’s disk greatly improves his HP, Skill Power, and the strength of “What Goes Around”. This disk is ideal for having Herc as a solo Tank, and is especially good for allowing him to drive the enemy team into a corner all by himself. Maui’s disk on the other hand is a lot more team-based. It boosts HP for everyone in the team, but most importantly, it also grants his fellow Tanks moments of invincibility upon activating True Hero. This disk is absolutely necessary should he partner up with at least one more Tank.
Team Options:
Herc’s skillset and Friendship Disks allow him to abuse certain team comps that are only possible with his participation. Maui’s disk, especially when fully maxed, allows Herc to almost get away with crazy multi-tank lineups. While any Tank would do fine, superstars like Goofy and Bo Peep are particularly fond of the invincibility being granted. Maui is also a fine partner. Both heroes can very quickly drive the enemy team in a corner, and both are generally complimentary to each other. Maui can help Herc gain his invincibility much sooner, while Maui appreciates the extra protection he gets from Herc. If Herc finds himself solo-tanking with Meg’s disk, he can help amplify the strength of stun-heavy comps with Gaston and Maleficent behind his back. Similarly, Herc helps the Skellington-Wazowski scare core by providing even more stuns while also balancing out the damage distribution with his impressive Normal damage. Of course, Meg is one of his best partners in general. Her link makes him stronger in general, and Herc’s invincibility greatly mitigates the amount of damage that Meg is redirecting.
Counters:
As with most frontline heroes in general, Herc can be exploited with knock backs. Generally speaking, Herc will not attack or even use “What Goes Around” until he is within melee range of the nearest target. While not as popular as she used to be, Tia is a problematic hero for him to deal with. Her curse reduces his healing, she can even push him back to limit his attack range, and her silence is annoying to deal with. Rex also has push back skills and can silence Herc, although Rex cannot overcome Herc by himself especially when Herc manages to become invincible. His rising HP makes him more aggro as well, so watch out for Robin Hood and Maleficent who will start prioritizing him as a target. And of course, Ursula is an absolute menace to him. She can push him back and can also completely deny him from using his healing and invincibility. Lastly, Kevin can be considered a soft-counter as well. He is unaffected by Herc’s stuns and can also cleanse his team from stuns, allowing them to recover quickly enough to undo at least some of Herc’s momentum.
Maui
Overview
Strengths:
+Strong early game
+Supportive energy and defense boosts
+Very good spatial control
+Multiple self-defense modifiers
+Has coveted True damage
Weaknesses:
-Naturally below average stats
-Vulnerable without Psych Up
-Only temporary protection and support
-Limited utilities after using up Courage
Gameplay:
Maui is a very interesting Tank, whose playstyle evolves as the battle unfolds. At the beginning of battles, Maui starts by bestowing Courage to the entire team at the earliest possible chance he gets. “Psych Up” and “Hooked” combine to give Courage an offensive and defensive enhancement, greatly increasing Energy gain, Armor, and Reality for everyone! Every stack of Courage applied and still active also gives Maui passive healing. Assuming he successfully manages to bestow Courage, Maui moves on to Basic Attacks and using “Take Flight” to try building up his own energy to full. Once he gets full Energy, Maui gains an additional 25% damage reduction and he keeps this bonus until “Shark Bite” is available to use. Along with the Armor and Reality boost, the self-healing, and the 25% damage reduction, Maui has a LOT of defense modifiers that help him survive the onslaught of damage coming at him. After all, he is the “Front-most” hero out of anyone in the roster. However, this kind of strength and protection is only temporary, and Maui loses a lot of steam once Courage is all used up. Even still, Maui’s very specific flow is all to help his team put lots of pressure on the enemy team. Before using his Shark Bite, he even attempts to push back frontline enemies so that he can bring himself within range of frailer backline targets that he can more easily use his devastating Bite on. Due to the nature of his skillset, Maui is not particularly good at handling Bots during Invasion. However, he is a good choice everywhere else and is often best played on Auto so he can use his Bite as soon as possible.
Friendship Disks:
Maui’s disks focus on either his team’s protection or his offensive potential. Moana’s disk gives more HP to all his allies, especially Tank allies. While this may seem neat, it does pale in comparison to Genie’s disk. “World Stage” gives Maui a boost in his own HP and a significant boost in his Skill Power. This is incredibly important because more Skill Power means bigger Shark Bites, stronger winds, and better healing. Increasing the damage threshold of his Shark Bite is absolutely pivotal to Maui’s success to fulfilling his role. Work on getting all stars as soon as possible because this disk also allows Maui to steal energy off of targets he bit, helping him get another Shark Bite sooner and also his damage reduction from max energy.
Team Options:
Maui works well with heroes that greatly benefit from gaining their White Skills sooner than later. So most Support heroes are ideal teammates. In particular, Judy(Fe) and especially Timon & Pumbaa(St) are amazing partners that further emphasizes that early-game strength. Timon & Pumbaa(St) are especially wonderful because they give him early healing and even more Skill Power. Similarly, Miguel can also grant Maui more Skill Power with his Sharp Notes while also keeping him healthy with his healing. Meg is arguably his best Support though. Not only does she keep him in the fight, but she also grants him Skill Power too, and he actually gets to keep it for as long as Meg is still active. Maui works well with most Tanks. Hercules(Ma) is particularly complimentary to him as both heroes can help protect each other. You can try a fun team that focuses on True Damage by teaming him up Stitch(MH) and The Queen of Hearts(Re).
Counters:
Maui’s current biggest struggle is trying to survive instances of extreme burst damage in the beginning of battle. Duck & Bunny and Jafar(Sc) are extreme threats that cause Maui to flinch before he can cast Courage, leaving him very open to more damage and with his defense stats remaining low and exploitable. Baymax(Ol) is also a problematic hero who can freeze Maui so that he delays casting Courage. Speaking of Baymax, shields in general are difficult for Maui to deal with, so also watch out for Violet and Goofy(Mi). Shields can mess up Maui’s usage of his Shark Bite, and can sometimes even save a target from being KO’d at the very last moment. Armor shredders like Bo Peep(Wo), Merida, and Simba & Nala are also difficult to deal with as they can devalue the protection of Courage.
Mr. Incredible
Overview
Strengths:
+Impressive HP growth
+Great offensive pressure
+Good spatial control
+Backline threat
+Comeback factor
Weaknesses:
-No direct team protection
-High risk diver
-Poor Reality growth
Gameplay:
Mr. Incredible was the original off-tank whose main playstyle centered around hyper-aggression. With his high HP, Mr. Incredible can tank many hits while dishing out damage. His “Grand Slam” can be considered as an aggressive initiating skill, designed to push back the enemy team to a corner, bringing himself within range to attack frailer backline targets. However, this does put him at great risk as he’ll end up directing all their attention towards himself. This is where Mr. Incredible’s key element kicks in. “Super Duper” is a skill that activates when his HP dips below 50%, turning him into a terrifying physical threat. This “comeback factor” can make or break his chance at succeeding in his job. With the right team, he can pull it off… but the volatile nature of battle, especially in PvP, can easily throw him off. He’s a good hero in terms of raw physical strength, but his lack of utility leaves him competing for a team slot in many game modes.
Friendship Disks:
Mr. Incredible’s friendship disks puts a further emphasis on his core attributes: his HP, and his offensive pressure. Dash’s disk is specifically designed to help Mr. Incredible endure more hits. Not only will it directly increase his HP, it also reduces damage he takes the more allies he has that are below half health. It is overall overshadowed by Elastigirl’s disk. With Elastigirl’s disk, Mr. Incredible gets a boost in his Basic Attack while also giving him Armor shredding capabilities. Overall, Elastigirl’s disk is much more suited to Mr. Incredible’s inherently aggressive nature as a Tank. It also enables certain comp styles that focuses on Armor shredding and excessive Normal damage.
Team Options:
It should come as absolutely no surprise that Mr. Incredible works well with his very family (any combination of them, really). Elastigirl helps him push enemies into a corner, Violet protects him and also helps with pushing, Dash takes full advantage of his Armor shredding, Jack-Jack benefits greatly from attacking grouped enemies, and Frozone provides solid control. Of course, some of them are more consistent than others, so be mindful of picking and choosing. One of his most consistent teammates is Merida. She is already a reliable Normal damage dealer and together they deal a lot of damage very quickly with all that Armor shredding. This also means that Mr. Incredible works well with other Armor shredders like Miguel (who can keep him healthy), Mad Hatter, Simba & Nala, and Timon & Pumbaa. Similarly, Mr. Incredible also works well with any hero that specializes in Normal Damage, as they benefit greatly from his aggressive approach.
Counters:
Unfortunately, some of the most popular Heroes at the moment excel in Fantastic damage, meaning Ducky & Bunny and Jafar(Sc) completely exploit his weak Reality stat. Other Fantastic specialists like Jack Skellington, Mike, Elsa, Elastigirl, and Anger are also difficult enemies. Blind is a particularly bothersome disable for him because he is almost exclusively dependent on using Basic Attacks to do most of his damage. Goofy is very difficult in general, while Chief Bogo effortlessly absorbs his attacks until he can jump over them. Also, watch out for anyone who can push back to peel him off the backline. Judy has an exceptionally powerful push that reliably forces him out of his effective range.
More in Part 4 (CLICK HERE)
They aren’t tanks but they can suffice at a pinch.