To beat Thaffer-led defense teams in the Equalizer War format of Empires & Puzzles: Match-3 RPG, bring Fast or Very Fast heroes with direct burst damage and instant healing, then fire your offensive Special Skills immediately after an Equalizer wipe resets the battlefield.
How Equalizer War Mechanics Affect Combat
The Equalizer War rule periodically removes every active buff and debuff from all heroes on both sides of the board. This recurring wipe fundamentally changes how combat plays out compared to standard Raids or regular Wars.
- Status Effects Are Temporary: Buffs like damage reduction, defensive shields, and health recovery over time get wiped automatically when the Equalizer triggers.
- Debuffs Do Not Persist: Status ailments such as defense-down or attack-down will not last across an Equalizer cycle.
- Timing Is Essential: Activating a long-duration buff or debuff right before an Equalizer wave clears the board wastes your hero's Special Skill.
Because long-term utility is routinely stripped away, your objective is to maximize immediate value in the short window between board resets.
Roster Selection Against Thaffer Teams
Defenses built around Thaffer generate heavy burst damage that can quickly dismantle an unprepared offense. To counter this pressure, structure your attack roster around rapid recovery and immediate target removal.
| Hero Role | Preferred Type | Strategy in Equalizer War |
|---|---|---|
| Healer | Instant Heal | Restores health immediately, ensuring health is gained before the next wipe removes status effects. |
| Attacker | Fast / Very Fast Sniper | Charges quickly to eliminate high-threat targets like Thaffer before they fire repeatedly. |
| Support | Direct Board / Mana Control | Manipulates tiles or mana directly rather than relying on multi-turn stat buffs. |
Avoid relying on heal-over-time heroes or prolonged defensive buffers. If a healer applies health restoration over multiple turns, the Equalizer rule is likely to remove the effect before it provides significant healing.
Board Control and Execution Sequence
Tile management requires strict discipline when fighting Thaffer teams under Equalizer rules.
- Stack Strong Colors Against the Tank: Form your attack team with tiles that deal elemental strong-damage against the enemy tank to open up the board quickly.
- Hold Special Skills Until After the Reset: Wait for the Equalizer wipe to trigger before launching your main offensive sequence.
- Sequence Debuffs Before Direct Attacks: If using a defense-down hero, fire their Special Skill first, then immediately follow up with your direct-damage snipers in the same turn.
- Prioritize Single-Target Burst: Focus your damage on Thaffer or key enemy hitters to remove them from the battle early.
By coordinating your tile matches to charge Fast mana heroes and unleashing your attacks immediately following an Equalizer reset, you can neutralize Thaffer teams before their defensive setup takes over the fight.
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Player Comments
111 players commented on this guide.
Good guide for Empires & Puzzles: Match-3 RPG players. The strategy part was useful.
The tips are practical and easy to follow.
This saved me time in the early game.
Nice guide. I am checking the other Empires & Puzzles: Match-3 RPG articles next.