Zangief
Uber Super Rare
Description
Zangief is a poor melee unit with 136k HP with 2 KBs, 9900 DPS, and 210 range. He also has Zombie Killer, Omni-strike (210 to -840 range), and a 111s Cooldown. His damage is split across two equal multi-hits over a fast 3s attack frequency. He also has a 20% chance to proc Dodge against Zombie enemies for 2 to 2.4s (depending on CotC treasures), along with Slow and Knockback Immunity.
Zangief's physical stats stand out significantly. He has good DPS, and can tank when needed. Notably - his bulk is useful on Daboo stages (Slow Immunity makes timing easier), and he is helpful against Z-Onel. With fast attack frequency and Omnistrike, he can frequently snipe and Z-Kill Zombie peons as they unburrow, making him good on many Zombie outbreak stages. Thanks to his bulk, he can be used similar to Jamiera Cat in mid-game. His low range is also a bonus for a few stages like False Resurrection or Floor 45.
Sadly, that is where Zangief's usage ends. In a large majority of cases, you can get whatever you want from him with non-Uber units. Because of low range and KB count, he has mediocre survivability; he doesn't survive any longer than other melee Ubers, but has an enormous cooldown compared to them. He can't hit Cadaver Bear, and Zang Roo melts through his HP, so he doesn't carry late-game Zombie stages either. While his Dodge can sometimes save you from a bad situation, it doesn't have a high enough proc rate / duration to be significant or reliable and is only a bonus when it rarely works. And finally, if the first hit of his multi-hit knocks back an enemy, then the second one will miss, making his effective DPS inconsistent.
Zangief has promising physical stats, but doesn't stay long enough on the field to make use of them. Any generalist use that he has is already covered by non-Ubers, and his cooldown is too long for the job. Usually Can Can or Manic Island can work better as melee generalists, and Li'l Flying / Cadaver BearCat as anti-Zombies. As an anti-Zombie, he has some merit; and shines in very niche stages. Don't expect much from him though.
Changes
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XP Cost Curve
| Level | XP | Level | XP | Level | XP | Level | XP | Level | XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 11 | 15,600 XP | 21 | 23,400 XP | 31 | 27,300 XP | 41 | 31,200 XP |
| 2 | 9,800 XP | 12 | 19,600 XP | 22 | 29,400 XP | 32 | 34,300 XP | 42 | 39,200 XP |
| 3 | 14,800 XP | 13 | 29,600 XP | 23 | 44,400 XP | 33 | 51,800 XP | 43 | 59,200 XP |
| 4 | 21,800 XP | 14 | 43,600 XP | 24 | 65,400 XP | 34 | 76,300 XP | 44 | 87,200 XP |
| 5 | 42,500 XP | 15 | 85,000 XP | 25 | 127,500 XP | 35 | 148,750 XP | 45 | 170,000 XP |
| 6 | 64,300 XP | 16 | 128,600 XP | 26 | 192,900 XP | 36 | 225,050 XP | 46 | 257,200 XP |
| 7 | 93,200 XP | 17 | 186,400 XP | 27 | 279,600 XP | 37 | 326,200 XP | 47 | 372,800 XP |
| 8 | 118,000 XP | 18 | 236,000 XP | 28 | 354,000 XP | 38 | 413,000 XP | 48 | 472,000 XP |
| 9 | 197,400 XP | 19 | 394,800 XP | 29 | 592,200 XP | 39 | 690,900 XP | 49 | 789,600 XP |
| 10 | 513,500 XP | 20 | 1,027,000 XP | 30 | 1,540,500 XP | 40 | 1,797,250 XP | 50 | 2,054,000 XP |
| 1 - 10 | 1,075,300 XP | 11 - 20 | 2,166,200 XP | 21 - 30 | 3,249,300 XP | 31 - 40 | 3,790,850 XP | 41 - 50 | 4,332,400 XP |
| 1 - 10 | 1,075,300 XP | 1 - 20 | 3,241,500 XP | 1 - 30 | 6,490,800 XP | 1 - 40 | 10,281,650 XP | 1 - 50 | 14,614,050 XP |