Top 10 Rare Champions for the Demon Lord Clan Boss!
As part of the Free to Play Challenge 2025, Deadwood Jedi and YST teamed up to share their personal top 10 rare champions for tackling the Demon Lord Clan Boss. While most rares won’t carry a team into Ultra Nightmare, they can still play a valuable role in filling gaps within a squad. However, there are some exceptions – champions such as Heiress and Painkeeper are great in Unkillable teams, and some rares can push you into higher difficulties & perform surprisingly well in the right setup.
With the addition of blessings in Raid: Shadow Legends, some, like Nature’s Bounty, can significantly enhance a champion’s effectiveness by upgrading weaker debuffs into stronger versions. This means certain rares may be more valuable than ever, especially with a high star soul. In this article, YST and Deadwood’s selections are based on champions they believe could make a real impact during the free to play series, including those they would consider maxing within the three months to take their team to the next level.
Coffin Smasher
YST made a big mistake early in the series by feeding this champion in his rush to get his first six star. Since then, he hasn’t pulled another champion with a solid Decrease Attack and regrets the decision! Having a rare champion who can apply the stronger version of Decrease Attack with a triple hitting skill at a 30% chance is valuable, especially when combined with HP Burn as a damage source. On top of that, this champion reduces incoming damage from AOE attacks by 5%, the same value provided by the Blastproof mastery.
Apothecary
Deadwood chose Apothecary as his first pick, an epic level champion disguised as a rare! His three turn cooldown Increase Speed and Turn Meter fill allow allies to cycle turns faster, whether in general progression or fine tuned for a 2:1 ratio in Clan Boss. He also brings a strong single target heal and a triple hitting A1, making him great for Giant Slayer procs. Even if he gets replaced in your Clan Boss team later on, he remains a valuable champion worth maxing for other areas of the game.
Denid The Tusk Knight
Next on the list is the Tusk Knight, a rare with an ability that even among epics is extremely rare. He can place a 25% Strengthen buff on all allies on a 3 turn cooldown, the same skill Morag provides with her A2. Strengthen is one of the strongest buffs in the game, reducing incoming damage by 15% or 25%, depending on the version applied. This alone makes Denid a standout rare, but he also brings utility with an A1 Provoke, which can be useful in encounters like Magma Dragon or the Head of Decay during progression.
Bulwark
No top rares list would be complete without the Clan Boss legend, Bulwark. He starts with a 17% Defence Aura in all battles, making him a solid choice for the leader position in Clan Boss. His A2 applies HP Burn for damage ticks, while his A1 places a 15% Weaken debuff to boost your team’s damage output. If you’re lucky enough to pull a high star soul, Nature’s Bounty could upgrade his Weaken to the stronger version. His passive also gives him a chance to extend the duration of debuffs on attackers when hit, helping to keep debuffs active for longer.
Petrifya Rockroot
Frozen Banshee is always a top choice for a dedicated Poisoner, though both Deadwood and YST started with Kael to fill that role in this series. However, Deadwood has his eye on Petrifya Rockroot, who could reach another level with Nature’s Bounty. This blessing could upgrade her AOE 25% Decrease Attack to the stronger version, and she also applies Poison Sensitivity, Poisons & Decrease Defence, making her a well rounded option for debuffing. Even if she isn’t the primary Decrease Attack champion, she serves as a strong backup, ensuring coverage when the debuff drops off, such as if Coffin Smasher fails to place his.
Marked
If you’re looking for a champion who provides both Increase Defence and Block Debuffs, Marked is a solid choice. With rare skill tomes, she can keep these buffs on a three turn cooldown, helping sustain your team while blocking effects like Decrease Speed, or buff extended to cover the Stun phase. And once again, if you’re lucky enough to pull a high star soul for Nature’s Bounty, she has an 80% chance to place a 30% Decrease Defence, with the blessing potentially upgrading it to the stronger version. A simple yet effective option to fill a key gap in your team!
Reliquary Tender
Although Reliquary is often used for encounters like the Nether Spider to cleanse poisons, she can also be a good progression option for Clan Boss. Her 3 turn cooldown full team cleanse is perfect for removing effects like Stun and Decrease Speed while also placing Continuous Heals for added support. Her A1 has a chance to apply a 25% Decrease Attack, helping to reduce incoming damage, and if paired with the Nature’s Bounty blessing, this can potentially be upgraded to the stronger version. Additionally, her revive can be valuable for progression, bringing an ally back to land some last second damage before the fight ends.
Cagebound
When this champion was released, Deadwood built a team using only rares only to 3 key the Nightmare Clan Boss, and Cagebound was part of that squad. While he doesn’t have the stronger version of Ally Protection, he does provide the 25% version along with Continuous Heal on allies. As a protector, survivability is key, and with rare level stats, even if he had the 50% version, he might struggle to withstand the absorbed damage. He also brings an AOE 25% Decrease Attack to help reduce incoming damage and gains a self shield on his A1 for added durability.
Mycolus
Similar to Cagebound, this rare earns a spot as a budget Ally Protector. He provides the 25% version of Ally Protection while also shielding himself for extra sustain and healing allies by 10% in the same ability. Self healing and damage mitigation are key for protectors, helping them avoid being instantly wiped out. Mycolus further enhances his survivability by healing himself for 30% of the damage he deals with his A1, while also healing the lowest HP ally. Additionally, he reduces the damage allies take by 5%, absorbing that damage himself.
Doomscreech
Rounding out their Top 10 is Doomscreech, a rare who fits into both Unkillable and traditional Clan Boss teams. His A2 applies a 60% Increase Defence buff to all allies while boosting their Turn Meter by 30%, allowing the team to cycle turns faster while increasing survivability. He is used in some Unkillable teams for Ultra Nightmare but is also a strong choice for progression. Outside of his A2, he brings additional utility with a self shield and Decrease Accuracy on a target enemy. Beyond Clan Boss, he can also be valuable in various PVE and PVP encounters as a Turn Meter and Defence booster.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
As mentioned at the start of the article, both YST and Deadwood chose Kael as their starter to fill the role of their poisoner. Since this challenge series only lasts three months, champions like Frozen Banshee didn’t make the list, as they are focusing on upgrading a variety of champions to cover different roles. That said, here are a few honourable mentions they discussed that could have easily made the list under different circumstances!
Frozen Banshee
- A top tier poisoner with the ability to apply Poison Sensitivity, synergizing well with Gravechill Killer for additional Poisons and Decrease Defence.
Pain Keeper
- Used for decreasing ally skill cooldowns in Unkillable teams with champions like Maneater, Demytha, and Emic, while also helping with progression by enabling faster rotations of active skills & heals.
Heiress
- A farmable rare that provides Increase Speed and removes a random debuff from allies, which is valuable for enabling 2:1 Clan Boss teams and clearing affinity debuffs like Decrease Speed. While fragile in most non Unkillable setups, Heiress remains the top choice when paired with Demytha!
Seducer
- Similar to Marked, he provides Block Debuffs but with a 30% Increase Defence, both lasting for two turns. He also applies a 25% Decrease Attack to reduce incoming damage and has an Aura that can easily replace your starter’s. When paired with Temptress, he gains a partner skill that places Ally Protection on allies and Block Damage on himself.
Selinia Nightcloak
- A slightly unconventional pick for applying HP Burn, she boosts her own Accuracy to improve placement in progression. She can also extend the duration of the burn and sustain herself with self healing on her A1.