Cleaver Rework Explained | Hero Wars Alliance

Cleaver Just Got a Major Rework

Cleaver Rework Explained — that’s exactly what every Guardian has been asking about since the patch dropped. Cleaver is one of the most iconic tanks in Hero Wars: Alliance, a hero almost everyone recognizes the instant they see that hook. Yet for a long time, he’s struggled to secure a permanent place among the very best tanks when it comes to the true endgame meta. Now, though, things are finally changing, because Cleaver has just received a major rework.

Several important parts of his kit have been upgraded, his damage profile is shifting dramatically, and perhaps most importantly, this isn’t even the end of his transformation. Later this season, Cleaver is also scheduled to receive his Relics. So we’re not here to claim he’s suddenly the best tank in the game — we haven’t reached that conclusion. Instead, what we really want to understand is more interesting: has this rework built the foundation Cleaver needed, and when the Relics arrive on top of it, could he finally become a serious endgame hero? Let’s look at exactly what changed.

Rusty Hook Leads the Cleaver Rework

We have to begin with one of the most recognizable abilities in the entire game: Rusty Hook. Before the rework, Cleaver threw his hook at a distant opponent, dealt physical damage, and pulled that enemy directly toward himself. It was simple, useful, and incredibly recognizable.

The reworked Rusty Hook, however, takes that concept much further. Cleaver now throws his hook specifically at the farthest enemy, pulls that hero directly toward himself, and instead of physical damage, Rusty Hook now deals pure damage. That distinction matters a lot, because pure damage doesn’t interact with defenses the way physical damage does. As a result, Cleaver is no longer relying on penetrating Armor for this part of his pressure.

But that’s not even the biggest change here. Cleaver’s basic attacks now deal pure damage as well, and this is where we immediately started paying attention. We’re not talking about simply bumping one number on an old ability — instead, his fundamental damage profile is changing. Every basic attack now represents consistent pure-damage pressure.

Think about what Rusty Hook is doing at the same time. Cleaver isn’t simply damaging the enemy backline; he’s grabbing the farthest enemy and dragging them in. Suddenly, a hero who was positioned safely at the back of the enemy formation can find themselves standing directly beside Cleaver. That becomes even more interesting once we look at the rest of his reworked kit.

Putrefaction Punishes Everyone Nearby

Next comes Putrefaction. The original version already had an interesting identity, since Cleaver dealt pure damage to nearby enemies and himself for five seconds. The rework keeps that identity but extends the duration — Putrefaction now deals pure damage to Cleaver and nearby enemies every half-second for seven seconds.

Immediately, you can see the connection. While Rusty Hook pulls the farthest enemy into Cleaver’s territory, Putrefaction punishes enemies standing close to him. That backline hero isn’t safely watching the battle anymore; Cleaver has dragged them into the worst possible place, right beside him, and Putrefaction keeps applying pure damage around that area for seven seconds.

There’s another detail here that shouldn’t be ignored. Putrefaction’s damage depends on Cleaver’s Health, which is fascinating for a tank because you’re already naturally interested in boosting his survivability. In other words, Health isn’t simply helping Cleaver stay alive — it’s also directly tied to the damage of Putrefaction. So the tankier Cleaver becomes, the more offensive potential this ability quietly gains.

Mutilation Keeps the Control Intact

Then we reach his third skill, Mutilation. Previously, Cleaver struck the area in front of himself, dealing physical damage and stunning his opponents. With the rework, the control remains fully intact — Cleaver still strikes nearby enemies in front of him and stuns them for two seconds. Once again, though, the damage has been converted into pure damage.

Now look at the complete sequence starting to form. First, Cleaver identifies the farthest enemy, and Rusty Hook pulls that hero toward him, dropping them inside his immediate area. From there, Putrefaction can pressure nearby targets with repeated pure damage, while Mutilation hits close enemies with even more pure damage and stuns them for two seconds. Meanwhile, his basic attacks are also dealing pure damage between everything else.

This is exactly why we don’t want to look at each change individually. The Hook creates the positioning, that positioning creates opportunities for his nearby attacks, Putrefaction adds sustained pressure, Mutilation layers on control, and his basic attacks keep applying pure damage in between. Together, that’s a much more interesting Cleaver.

Heavyweight and the Strength Boost

Finally, we have Heavyweight. This one is simple but definitely not irrelevant. Before the rework, Heavyweight gave Cleaver 3,220 additional Strength at maximum level; after the upgrade, that becomes 4,800 Strength — a significant increase.

Remember what Strength means for a tank like Cleaver. More Strength translates into more Health and greater survivability, and because Putrefaction scales from his Health, there’s yet another natural connection built into his own kit. Extra Strength helps Cleaver survive, that survivability supports Putrefaction, and the longer he stays alive, the longer he can keep applying pure-damage pressure while disrupting the enemy formation.

Cleaver Before and After the Rework

To make everything easy to digest, this Cleaver Rework Explained comparison lays out how each part of his kit shifted at a glance. Notice how consistently one theme keeps appearing across the whole table.

A Tank With a Clear New Direction

Putting everything together, this doesn’t feel like four random upgrades — there’s a genuine direction here. Cleaver is becoming a tank that doesn’t simply stand at the front and soak up punishment. Rather, he wants to disrupt positioning, kidnap a vulnerable hero out of the backline, force enemies to stand close to him, punish those enemies with repeated pure damage, and carry enough Strength and Health to survive while doing all of it. Honestly, that sounds far more threatening than the Cleaver we’ve been used to.

Is This Cleaver Rework Explained Enough to Make Him Meta?

Now comes the big question: is this enough to make Cleaver meta? Guardians, we’re not going to answer that just yet, because there’s another chapter still missing — Cleaver’s Relics, which are coming later this season. That’s exactly why this rework becomes even more interesting. We’re looking at Cleaver today knowing this isn’t necessarily his final form.

We’ve seen the reworked skills, we understand the direction, and we can already spot some very interesting interactions. Even so, we’re about to add an entirely new progression system on top of this hero. Depending on what those Relics provide, they could be the final piece Cleaver needs — or maybe they won’t be. That’s exactly what we need to discover, because becoming a strong hero is one thing, while becoming an endgame meta hero is something completely different.

At the highest level, Cleaver isn’t competing against average tanks; he’s fighting for a position against some of the strongest defensive and utility options in the entire game. We’re not lowering the standard just because we like the rework, so the bar stays the same. Can he consistently improve top-level teams? Will he survive against the strongest current damage dealers? Does Rusty Hook create meaningful advantages against today’s backlines? And can all this new pure damage actually make a difference against endgame compositions? Finally, when the Relics arrive, do they complete the package? Those are the questions that matter.

The Door Is Open

One thing we can already say for sure: this is a much more interesting Cleaver. The rework gives him a clearer offensive identity, pure damage now appears throughout his kit, his control stays relevant, and his ability to destroy enemy positioning remains genuinely unique. On top of that, his Strength has received a substantial increase, and now we’re simply waiting for the Relics.

So maybe, after all these years, we’re finally approaching the moment where Cleaver isn’t just the legendary hero everyone remembers unlocking, but a hero Guardians actually want inside their strongest endgame teams. The rework has opened the door, and the Relics could push him through it. When they finally arrive, we’ll learn whether the butcher of Dominion is truly ready to return to the meta. Until then, Guardians, don’t write Cleaver off — not yet — because his transformation isn’t finished.

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