Character Kit Reveal - The Black Beast

“It is said that their lords were men of Númenor who had fallen into dark wickedness; to them the Enemy had given rings of power, and he had devoured them: living ghosts they were become, terrible and evil… Nine Lords there were, and after the return of their Master, which they aided and prepared in secret, they grew strong again. Then the Nine Riders issued forth from the gates of horror, and we could not withstand them. Do not approach their citadel. You will be espied. It is a place of sleepless malice, full of lidless eyes. Do not go that way!” - The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers.

Character Name: The Black Beast
Alignment: Shadow
Faction: Dol Guldur
Categories: Shadow, Leader, Tank, Dol Guldur, Nazgûl, One-handed Heavy
Weapon Type: 1-Handed Heavy
Description: Once a proud king, the Black Beast was twisted into an unstoppable shadow—a hulking evil bound to the Lidless Eye. Only death awaits his foes.

Abilities:

Basic: Crippling Shadow

Ability Description at unlock: Attack the target enemy for 80% damage and 50% chance to inflict Weaken for 1 turn(s).

Ability Description at max upgrade: Attack the target enemy for 170% damage and inflict Weaken for 1 turn(s).

Special Ability 1: Black Tide

Ability stamina cost: 4

Ability stamina at battle start: 4

Note: Ability stamina cost and at battle start reduces to 3 at Rank 6.

Ability Description at unlock: Gain 2 stack(s) of Counterattack and inflict Heal Block for 1 turn(s) on the most wounded enemy.

Ability Description at max upgrade: Gain 4 stack(s) of Counterattack and inflict Heal Block for 2 turn(s) on the 2 most wounded enemies.

Gain 1 stack(s) of Feast.

Special Ability 2: Onslaught

Ability stamina cost: 5

Ability stamina at battle start: 3

Ability Description at unlock: Attack all enemies 3 times for 40% damage per hit. This attack has +10% Life Steal.

Ability Description at max upgrade: Attack all enemies 3 times for 85% damage per hit. This attack has +35% Life Steal.

Passive Ability: Eternal Hunger

Ability Description at unlock: On ally or enemy Death, or when a Dol Guldur ally gains Binding, 50% chance to gain 1 stack(s) of Feast.

Ability Description at max upgrade: On ally or enemy Death, or when a Dol Guldur ally gains Binding. Gain 1 stack(s) of Feast. Reduce all enemies’ Turn Meter by 10%.

Leader Ability: Dark Conscription

Ability Description at unlock: While The Black Beast is alive, when a Dol Guldur ally receives a Fatal Blow, they survive with 1 Health, have all Boons and Banes removed, and gain Binding for 1 turn(s). When Binding expires, they heal for 60% of their Max Health. When The Black Beast dies, any allies affected by Binding die along with him.

Ability Description at max upgrade: While The Black Beast is alive, when a Dol Guldur ally receives a Fatal Blow, they survive with 1 Health, have all Boons and Banes removed, and gain Binding for 1 turn(s). When Binding expires, they heal for 60% of their Max Health. When The Black Beast dies, any allies affected by Binding die along with him. 

On The Black Beast’s Turn, drain Health from all Shadow allies not in Binding equal to 10% of their Max Health. This will not occur if The Black Beast is Stunned.

Shadow squad members gain +15% Focus.

New Unique Character Boons:

Feast - Damage is increased by 12% per stack. Armor is increased by 5% per stack. A maximum of 20 stacks can be held at once. Lasts until the end of the encounter.

Binding - Skip next turn.  Cannot gain Boons or Banes, be Damaged or Healed. Speed is reduced.  When attacked, gain 25% Turn Meter.  

Key Attributes: The Black Beast is one of the most brutal of the Nazgûl dolling out damage with his grotesque war mace and holding off any futile attempts to harm him with his shield, or those under his command. Though the Nazgûl horde is altogether imposing, The Black Beast stands out and lives up to their namesake both in spirit and in battle.

Inspiration: Nazgûl were former mortal Men who were corrupted by the Nine Rings of power gifted to Men by Sauron. Wise and powerful leaders in their time, this same power was their undoing and downfall. They fell under control of The One Ring and became horrible, shadowy beings, the most terrible and powerful of all of Sauron’s servants. Merciless, dreadful, striking fear and terror into all.

Strategy Tips:

• The Black Beast’s power will ramp over the course of battle as he gains stacks of Feast. Make sure that The Black Beast is not focused down early on in the fight.
• The Black Beast will drain health from his allies to keep himself alive. Bring squad members that can help balance this health siphoning with their own means of healing.
• The Heal Block inflicted by Black Tide can really drastically shape the outcome of a battle. Use it right before an enemy can use a big heal on wounded targets.

The Black Beast’s Adventure - A Monolith of Darkness - is coming to your game soon!

Starts: 8am, November 8, 2023 (Pacific Time)

Ends: 8am, November 15, 2023 (Pacific Time)

The Nazgûl advance their forces across Middle-earth as The Black Beast pushes further on into the most sinister areas of Mirkwood. Armed with terrible dark powers and a gruesome war mace, he leads the Orcs as a cruel commander to retrieve his most devoted followers, the fierce people of Dol Guldur.

Players will need to be at least level 30 to participate in this event and unlock The Black Beast at 3 stars. Players can earn additional rewards from the final two tiers by leveling/gearing their newly unlocked The Black Beast. The final tier requires a 5 star The Black Beast, but provides some of the best rewards. Get these now as you won’t get another opportunity to do the final tier.

Rewards:

• Tier 1 - 20 The Black Beast Shards 
• Tier 2 - 20 The Black Beast Shards
• Tier 3 - 20 The Black Beast Shards
• Tier 4 - 20 The Black Beast Shards
• Tier 5 - 20 The Black Beast Shards
• Tier 6 - 10x Shadow Crystals, 50,000x Gold, 15,000 Character XP
• Tier 7 - 10x Epic Ability Materials, 500,000x Gold, 250,000 Character XP

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Includes in-game purchases (including random items). Abilities may require certain gear tiers to be reached.  Please see in-game for more details.

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