Introduction
Hero Wars Alliance Cleaver Guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Cleaver!
Cleaver is a tank hero in Hero Wars Alliance who belongs to the Way of Chaos faction and stands in the front line. He is a fearsome, executioner-like hero, often described in intimidating terms. One of Cleaver’s main advantages is his ability to pull heroes from the back line to the front, making them vulnerable.
Obtaining Cleaver is not an easy task, as he is exclusively available through the Heroic Chest. Acquiring him can take a lot of time, and he might also appear during special events. Opening 400 heroic chests guarantees you will get Cleaver. The odds of getting Cleaver from a Heroic Chest are about 0.01%, but the more chests you open, the higher the chances of obtaining him.
When you first acquire Cleaver, he will arrive with an absolute star. Despite his rarity, Cleaver may not be the strongest hero and can be more challenging to use compared to other tanks. Many players may not use him on their main team, particularly if they already have a well-developed tank like Astaroth or Aurora.
In the game, Cleaver is described as follows: “Can you smell decomposition? Can you hear the dying screams of those who suffer? Then meet Cleaver, butcher extraordinaire and master of carcass dressing! Or better, run for your life before you meet him!”
Pros and Cons
Cleaver has several pros that make him a valuable hero in Hero Wars Alliance. He has the highest health among tank heroes in the game, which allows him to absorb significant amounts of damage. One of his key abilities is his back-line disruption, as he can pull enemies from the back line to the front line, making them vulnerable to attacks. Cleaver also deals pure damage, which can be especially effective against enemy tanks and other high-defense heroes.
Additionally, Cleaver has a stun ability, which gives him control over the battlefield by disabling enemies temporarily. He also receives additional Strength, which boosts both his health and physical attack, making him even more formidable. As a versatile team member, Cleaver can fit into almost any team composition as a classic tank who absorbs damage. He synergizes well with heroes like Biscuit, Iris, Ishmael, and Jhu. Moreover, Cleaver is particularly suited for defense in engineers and factories during the Clash of Worlds event.
However, Cleaver has some notable cons that can hinder his effectiveness. First and foremost, he is difficult to obtain, as he is only available from the Heroic Chest, which means it can take a long time to unlock him. To truly unlock his potential, Cleaver also relies heavily on maxed-out stats, making him less useful until he reaches a certain level. Additionally, his hook ability can pull enemy counters like Martha and Dorian to the front line, making him vulnerable to certain opponents.
The hook can also be blocked by Andvari, preventing Cleaver from pulling back-line heroes. Cleaver’s synergy with Peppy (known as “Cripeppy”) may not always offer many beneficial situations. Furthermore, when Cleaver is teamed with Yasmine and/or K’arkh, a self-destruct pattern may emerge, which disables the activation of the first skill among allies. Lastly, Cleaver’s only rear guard protection comes from the armor buff provided by his first artifact, which makes it more challenging to assemble a full team around this aspect compared to other tanks like Astaroth and Aurora.
Skills
Cleaver’s skills include Rusty Hook, Putrefaction, Mutilation, and Heavyweight, along with Ascension Skills called Massive Rusty Hook and Toxic Putrefaction.
Rusty Hook allows Cleaver to throw a hook at a distant opponent, dealing damage and pulling them to himself. This skill draws the furthest enemy to the front. The damage is 87,783 (150% Physical Attack + 14,400), with a maximum of 62,610 damage (100% Physical Attack + Level * 120), and a total of 83,306 damage (100% Physical Attack + Level x 120). The animation delay is 0.43 seconds, the area of effect is 150, and the range is 590.
Putrefaction causes Cleaver to deal pure damage to the nearest opponents and himself for 5 seconds. The skill has the keyword “Sacrifice” and a cooldown of 12 seconds. The animation delay is 0.75 seconds, and the area is 200. The damage is 60,101 (5% Health + 4,800), with a maximum damage of 16,953 (25% Physical Attack + Level * 40), and a total of 22,127 (25% Physical Attack + Level x 40).
Mutilation has Cleaver hit the area in front of him with his cleaver, dealing damage and stunning opponents. This skill has the keywords “Stun” and “Control” and a cooldown of 15 seconds. The animation delay is 0.45 seconds, and the stun lasts for 2 seconds. The area is 47, and the range is 50. The damage is 23,169 (40% Physical Attack + 3,000), with a maximum damage of 13,302 (20% Physical Attack + Level * 30 + 600), and a total of 17,441 (20% Physical Attack + Level x 30 + 600).
Heavyweight is a passive skill where Cleaver receives additional Strength. The animation delay is 0.5 seconds. The Strength gained is 3,220, with an additional 920 Strength per level (Level x 10 + 20). At maximum, this skill adds 36,000 Health and 920 Physical Attack.
Cleaver’s Ascension Skills include Massive Rusty Hook, which causes the hero pulled by Rusty Hook to push away their allies and take damage of 21,812 (30% Physical Attack + 1,500). The second Ascension Skill, Toxic Putrefaction, causes the hero pulled by Rusty Hook to take 200% more damage from Putrefaction for the duration of 20 seconds.
How to Use Cleaver
Cleaver is a tank that excels at disrupting the enemy team by pulling back-line heroes forward, making them vulnerable to your team’s attacks.
To effectively use Cleaver, focus on disrupting the back line. Cleaver uses his Rusty Hook skill to pull enemies positioned in the back line to the front. This makes them easier targets to eliminate, as they typically lack the defense needed to withstand front-line damage.
For team composition, Cleaver is best used with heroes that focus their attacks on the front line. He works well with strong DPS heroes who attack in front of the enemy with basic attacks and skills, such as K’arkh, Jhu, Ishmael, Qing Mao, and Celeste. It is best to avoid pairing Cleaver with heroes that deal AoE (Area of Effect) damage, such as Keira, Twins, or Orion.
To maximize Cleaver’s performance, enhance his talents, particularly those that improve strength and health gains. The Cleaver Talisman contributes to the optimization of all his abilities. As Cleaver becomes more powerful, both his active and passive abilities benefit, resulting in a more impactful and effective overall performance in combat.
Cleaver has strong synergies with new heroes like Aidan and Kayla, making powerful arena teams. He also has synergy with Biscuit, enabling him to compete with Dante and making him effective against both Dante and Sebastian to a certain degree. Additionally, the skill Putrefaction synergizes well with Peppy’s skill Boldness, as Peppy casts a shield to an ally. This shield will protect Cleaver, allowing him to use it while damaging himself, which increases his damage output to enemies.
However, Cleaver is not ideal when paired with AoE damage dealers.
It’s important to be aware that Cleaver’s hook can pull enemy counters like Martha and Dorian to the front line, and it can be blocked by Andvari.
Investment Priorities
To maximize Cleaver’s effectiveness, prioritize certain investments in glyphs, skins, artifacts, skills, and his talisman.
For glyphs, start with Armor, as this should be your top priority to ensure Cleaver’s survivability. After Armor, focus on Health to improve his tanking abilities. Increasing Strength will further enhance his Putrefaction skill and provide additional physical attack and health. Magic Defense comes next after Armor, Health, and Strength to ensure Cleaver can withstand magic damage. Finally, Physical Attack should be your lowest priority when investing in glyphs.
For skins, begin with the Masquerade Skin (Armor) as your first investment, aiming to get it to Level 40 before working on the next skin. The final level for this skin should be 60. Afterward, focus on maxing out the Default Skin (Strength), followed by the Barbarian Skin (Health) to further enhance his tanking abilities. The Champion Skin (Physical Attack) should be your lowest priority, and you should only level it up after you’ve fully invested in the other skins. The AllClash PRO guide recommends a slightly different leveling order, suggesting that you level the Masquerade Skin to Level 40 first. For full access to all skin priorities, a subscription is required.
In terms of artifacts, prioritize the Book (Defender’s Covenant) first, as it provides armor and magic defense, which are essential for Cleaver’s effectiveness. Next, focus on the Weapon (Executioner’s Hook), but avoid leveling it to the same extent as the Book, as it also provides armor. Lastly, the Ring (Ring of Strength) is not as crucial, and investment in it should be limited to higher spenders, competitive players, or those who use Cleaver frequently. It gives strength, but it should not be prioritized as much as the other two artifacts.
When considering skill priorities, focus on leveling Mutilation first, followed by Putrefaction. Then, invest in Rusty Hook, with Heavyweight being the last priority. Since Cleaver is not a primary damage dealer, his damage-dealing skills are less important than stats like Armor and Health. However, if you have enough gold, you can max out all skill levels.
For the Cleaver Talisman, prioritize Strength with a main stat boost of +2000. For Slot 1, focus on Health +60500, and do the same for Slot 2 and Slot 3 to maximize his tanking potential.
Cleaver Talisman Guide
The Cleaver Talisman in Hero Wars Alliance is a crucial piece for boosting Cleaver’s power, offering significant increases in Strength and Health stats. This strategic addition not only extends Cleaver’s durability on the battlefield but also enhances his offensive impact.
Equipping the Cleaver Talisman results in a notable increase in Strength and Health stats, improving Cleaver’s ability to deal damage and increasing his resistance, which makes him more resilient in the face of enemy attacks. The additional Strength gained from the Talisman synergizes with Cleaver’s violet passive ability. Each additional point of Strength strengthens his physical attacks, and this increase is reflected in a corresponding rise in Health, creating an upward spiral of power for Cleaver. By enhancing strength and health gains with the Cleaver Talisman, all of Cleaver’s abilities are optimized, making his overall performance in combat more impactful and effective.
The attributes of the Decay Talisman include Slot 0 offering Strength +2000, Slot 1, Slot 2, and Slot 3 providing Health +55000 each.
In short, the Cleaver Talisman plays a key role in hero enhancement by offering substantial increases in Strength and Health stats. With its unique ability to reinforce Strength and enhance all of Cleaver’s abilities, this talisman becomes a valuable strategic choice for those seeking to maximize the power of this formidable warrior in the Hero Wars Alliance universe.
Teams
Cleaver is a classic tank who performs the task of absorbing damage, making him a versatile addition to any team. Teams are generally built around the Damage Per Second (DPS) hero, and when building a team around Cleaver, it’s best to pair him with a DPS who attacks the front line with a strong single hit. Cleaver’s first skill draws the furthest enemy, usually a healer, to the front, making it ideal to combine him with heroes who deal strong single-target damage to opponents in the front, such as Jhu, K’arkh, or Celeste. However, Area of Effect (AoE) DPS heroes like Orion, Keira, or Twins are not the best partners for Cleaver.
For offensive teams, some effective combinations include Fafnir, Artemis, Tristan, and Luther, with Cleaver; Fafnir, Artemis, Tristan, and Julius, with Cleaver; Fafnir, Artemis, Tristan, and Galahad, with Cleaver; Fafnir, Artemis, Tristan, and Astaroth, with Cleaver; Jet, Sebastian, Keira, Andvari, and Cleaver; Lilith, Dorian, Xe’Sha, Jorgen, and Cleaver; Fafnir, Dorian, Keira, Andvari, and Cleaver; Aidan, Kayla, Oya, Tristan, and Cleaver; Lilith, Peppy, Dorian, Xe’Sha, and Cleaver; and Fafnir, Artemis, Andvari, Tristan, and Cleaver.
For defensive teams, some solid setups are Fafnir, Artemis, Tristan, and Luther, with Cleaver; Fafnir, Artemis, Tristan, and Julius, with Cleaver; Fafnir, Artemis, Tristan, and Astaroth, with Cleaver; Fafnir, Artemis, Tristan, and Galahad, with Cleaver; Fafnir, Yasmine, Oya, Tristan, and Cleaver; Fafnir, Artemis, Yasmine, Tristan, and Cleaver; Aidan, Kayla, Oya, Tristan, and Cleaver; Fafnir, Kayla, Oya, Tristan, and Cleaver; Lilith, Dorian, Xe’Sha, Jorgen, and Cleaver; and Fafnir, Yasmine, Tristan, and Luther, with Cleaver.
For a crowd control (CC) team, an effective combination would be Lilith, Aidan, Xe’Sha, Jorgen, and Cleaver, as this team excels in crowd control. For a sustain team, Aidan, Dorian, Xe’Sha, Jorgen, and Cleaver focuses on sustaining the team during long battles. A strong AoE team can be formed with Lilith, Peppy, Dorian, Xe’Sha, and Cleaver, ideal for facing teams with multiple enemies. For a tank-focused team, Fafnir, Artemis, Tristan, Luther, and Cleaver creates an extremely resistant setup.
In a combat and resistance team, Jet, Sebastian, Tristan, Andvari, and Cleaver focus on critical damage. A high-speed team can be created with Jet, Sebastian, Keira, Andvari, and Cleaver, which prioritizes speed in attacking opponents. For an ability combo team, Dorian, Shadow Star, Naughty, Elmir, and Cleaver maximize synergies between the heroes’ abilities. For Hydra battles, a good team suggestion is Aidan, Dorian, Xe’Sha, Jorgen, and Cleaver. Other Hydra team suggestions include Martha, Sebastian, Yasmine, Elmir, and Cleaver, or Jet, Daredevil, Sebastian, Keira, and Cleaver.
Cleaver in Battles
Cleaver is a Tank hero with the ability to pull back-line heroes to the front line, making them vulnerable to attacks. One of Cleaver’s advantages is that he is the tank with the highest health in the game.
Cleaver is strong against Phobos, Helios, Lian, Lars, Thea, Jet, and Daredevil. He is effective in double tank setups and in protecting tanks undergoing micro-training. Cleaver is well-suited for defense in engineers and factories in Clash of Worlds. With the right support and strategy, Cleaver can become a formidable force on the battlefield. Nebula’s Equilibrium skill can boost Cleaver’s physical attack, and Albus, as a patronage pet, can enhance Cleaver’s pure damage.
On the flip side, Cleaver has several weaknesses and counters. He is vulnerable to heroes like Andvari, Martha, and Dorian. Andvari protects allies from displacement, preventing Cleaver from pulling them to the front line with his axe. Additionally, Cleaver’s hook can pull enemy counters like Martha and Dorian to the front line, but this hook can be blocked by Andvari. Cleaver isn’t a great hero against hydras, but as a strong and resilient tank, he can still help your team in the absence of a meta hydra team. Furthermore, his toughness relies on high stats, limiting his usability until he is raised to a certain level.
How to Counter Cleaver
Cleaver’s ability to pull back-line heroes to the front can be disruptive, but several heroes can counter his effectiveness.
Dorian increases the vampirism of nearby allies. When pulled to the front line by Cleaver’s Rusty Hook, Dorian can increase the vampirism of front-line heroes, making them harder to defeat.
Andvari’s Living Earth skill protects allies from displacement and knock-up effects, blocking Cleaver’s ability to pull back-line heroes to the front line. Andvari prevents his allies from being thrown into the air, stopping Kai from launching them upward. Additionally, Andvari protects allies from knock-up effects, which are the core of K’arkh’s abilities, nullifying his ultimate.
Peppy casts a shield over Aurora that deals damage to nearby allies. Aurora’s Rainbow Halo skill absorbs part of the magic damage she takes and explodes at the end, damaging nearby enemies with the absorbed damage, which can eliminate Cleaver almost immediately.
Lian can block Cleaver’s Rusty Hook whenever he tries to pull her to the front line. Cleaver will also be charmed, slowing down his other skill activation. Every time Ginger hits Lian, especially with her area damage abilities, Lian will be charmed and stop dealing damage. Lian’s charming skills can control Iris throughout the fight.
Martha can resist front-line damage and prolong her team’s life if she’s pulled to the front line by Cleaver’s Rusty Hook. Cleaver can pull Martha to the front, exposing her to heavy damage from your team’s frontliners.
Jorgen can use his first skill and target the front line, where Cleaver is positioned, and block Cleaver’s energy gains for 9 seconds.
Amira can convert the critical damage from Jet’s allies into critical failures, causing only non-critical damage.
When Luther leaps into the middle of Cascade’s team, she uses her Tsunami ability to charge toward the enemy team, dealing damage and pushing Luther back to his own team.
How to Get Cleaver
Cleaver is one of the most difficult heroes to obtain in Hero Wars Alliance. He is primarily available through the Heroic Chest.
Cleaver is essentially only available in the Heroic Chest, with a 0.01% chance of getting him from a Heroic Chest. The more chests you open, the more likely you are to win Cleaver. Some people argue that each time you pull a Heroic Chest, your drop rate increases by 0.01%. After opening 400 heroic chests, a reward will be delivered, with Cleaver being the first reward.
It is also possible to win Cleaver from a free chest, which can be opened once a day.
Cleaver may be available through special events, such as the Winter Festival’s Winter Claus drawing. You can also win Cleaver in big events like the New Year’s Event. Non-game events like the official YouTube live stream (where you can get Cleaver, Absolute Stars Super Titans, Totem, etc.), or events like the Halloween Cosplay Competition and the Drawing Heroes Competition also offer opportunities to win Cleaver. However, it’s very difficult to get Cleaver from these out-of-game events. For example, in a live stream on YouTube, the odds of winning Cleaver are roughly 3 in 25,000.
Cleaver is an Absolute star hero from the moment you draw him. If you already have a useful tank and have grown it quite well, there’s no need to switch over. If you draw a second Cleaver, you will receive 50,000 Soul Coins. Even if you’re a F2P (free-to-play) player, you can still obtain Cleaver.
Conclusion
In essence, Cleaver epitomizes strength, resilience, and strategic prowess in the Hero Wars Alliance universe. While his acquisition may be arduous, the rewards of mastering this formidable warrior are unparalleled. By leveraging Cleaver’s abilities and synergies, along with the strategic use of the Cleaver Talisman, players can unlock his full potential and lead their team to victory.
Mastery requires practice, adaptation, and a deep understanding of Cleaver’s strengths and weaknesses. With perseverance and strategic acumen, Cleaver will undoubtedly emerge as a cornerstone of your team, propelling you towards triumph in the ever-competitive landscape of Hero Wars Alliance.
Cleaver, who is often overlooked, can deal massive amounts of damage with the proper support. Every hero in Hero Wars, with the right support, can truly shine.
Remember that Cleaver is the tank with the highest health in the game and can pull heroes from the back line to the front line.
Equip yourself with knowledge, hone your skills, and embrace the challenge of mastering Cleaver. Victory awaits those who dare to wield the power of this indomitable hero.
