# New Character - Pestilence (First Horsemen) 4\* **URL:** \ **Category:** MPQ General Discussion\ **Tags:** characters, mpq, 4-star-characters\ **Created:** [September 25, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232 "2026-09-25T17:50:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![S0kun](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/s0kun/32/9_2.png) [@S0kun](https://forums.505go.com/u/S0kun)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/1 "2026-09-25T17:50:03Z")
The First Horsemen family grows stronger! Pestilence (First Horsemen) joins MARVEL Puzzle Quest as the latest 4-Star character, reuniting with War and Famine as another of Apocalypse’s ancient children enters the fight. With disease and decay at her command, Pestilence is ready to spread her influence across the battlefield and bring the Four Horsemen one step closer to completion. ![Pestilence4_Bio](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/x505go/original/3X/d/6/d6c3acaced51fb331113b9e5f3a2513acf3d74d7.jpeg) # Health & Match Damage ![Pestilence4_Health](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/x505go/original/3X/0/6/0680d0152f79c7dc1c50a72439fe53100955056f.png) # Feeder Flow ![1_NoFeeder](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/x505go/original/3X/1/8/1807719c03f4ff5e1470903a52ab801bc17c193d.png) # Abilities ![Pestilence4_1_AbilityScreen_Purple](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/x505go/original/3X/9/3/935cb309911f6967bc42b8128cb28d277973e2df.jpeg) ### Ability: Plague of Arrows Color: Purple AP Cost: 7 Let loose a Plague of Arrows on those beneath the Greatness of Apocalypse. Deal **1160** damage to the target enemy. If the enemy is stunned, consume up to **2** turn(s) of their stun and deal **1069** additional damage. (PASSIVE) At the start of the turn, if the same target is in front, increase the base damage dealt by **Plague of Arrows** by **3** % up to a max of **9** %. ![Pestilence4_1_Purple_Stat](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/x505go/original/3X/2/b/2bb3ea73d1d485759a3041f4979c11d54abb4720.png) ![Pestilence4_2_AbilityScreen_Black](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/x505go/original/3X/0/8/085ece39d56f426dc4c4571975a292fbef92b253.jpeg) ### Ability: Culling the Stock Color: Black AP Cost: 7 The herd grows fat and lacking. If no friendly **Pestilence Trap** tile exists, create one and a **63** strength Attack tile. Otherwise, if a **Pestilence Trap** tile already exists, increase the Attack tile’s strength by **48** and deal **730** damage. If the Trap tile is matched, create another **Pestilence Trap** tile and increase the Attack tile strength by **63**. ![Pestilence4_2_Black_Stat](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/x505go/original/3X/e/0/e0f03bbef7d594308b6943e4fecb1978d6ea0f30.png) ### Ability: Child of Apocalypse Color: Blue AP Cost: 0 Rules are made by the winners. (PASSIVE) At the start of the turn, if there are **7** or more of the same type of enemy SAP tile(s), reduce **63** strength from them and gain **272** health. ![Pestilence4_3_Blue_Stat](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/x505go/original/3X/8/e/8e422aa608dadc4a11e5ab9ca8f77ca1f20f7428.png) \*All character abilities are subject to change. ---
**Author:** ![Daiches](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/daiches/32/5515_2.png) [@Daiches](https://forums.505go.com/u/Daiches)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 6:38pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/2 "2026-09-25T18:38:25Z")
Eh. the passive might be ok. ---
**Author:** ![ThisisClemFandango](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/thisisclemfandango/32/4074_2.png) [@ThisisClemFandango](https://forums.505go.com/u/ThisisClemFandango)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/3 "2026-09-25T19:20:08Z")
I see your “Eh” and will raise with a “Meh” ---
**Author:** ![cooperbigdaddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@cooperbigdaddy](https://forums.505go.com/u/cooperbigdaddy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 8:47pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/4 "2026-09-25T20:47:03Z")
Is ~5000 damage worth one less turn of a stun? Feels like that would be a bad trade? Especially if you can do over 5000 damage in a match with a high enough other character on the team? ---
**Author:** ![amigopdude22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amigopdude22](https://forums.505go.com/u/amigopdude22)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 9:19pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/5 "2026-09-25T21:19:26Z")
Between the “Horseman” affiliation and the post from yesterday with Quandry, I think we have our theme for the anniversary this year! ---
**Author:** ![Waddles\_Pines](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/waddles_pines/32/4509_2.png) [@Waddles\_Pines](https://forums.505go.com/u/Waddles_Pines)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 9:24pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/6 "2026-09-25T21:24:58Z")
War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death… Wow that’s a cheerful anniversary 🤣 Come to think of it, last CNY they used Apoc as the celebration character… Maybe devs have a different interpretation of joyful festivities than us 🤷🏻‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![amigopdude22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amigopdude22](https://forums.505go.com/u/amigopdude22)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/7 "2026-09-25T21:29:18Z")
Or they’re hinting at something… ---
**Author:** ![bluewolf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/bluewolf/32/24638_2.png) [@bluewolf](https://forums.505go.com/u/bluewolf)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/8 "2026-09-25T21:40:18Z")
_looks at world_ Acceptable choice. ---
**Author:** ![Scorpion201](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Scorpion201](https://forums.505go.com/u/Scorpion201)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 10:46pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/9 "2026-09-25T22:46:52Z")
This game is literally on autopilot at this point, this character weak as hell. D.O.A and the anniversary is not going make this game any better. Less incentive to spend on this game, when they make the characters useable on release .. should of kept the development of game in states Instead of over seas, time difference is still a big factor. ---
**Author:** ![Blackstone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/blackstone/32/26171_2.png) [@Blackstone](https://forums.505go.com/u/Blackstone)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/10 "2026-09-25T23:05:21Z")
I know there are several options, but I’m going to go with… \*Have ---
**Author:** ![jdpastor666](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/jdpastor666/32/9232_2.png) [@jdpastor666](https://forums.505go.com/u/jdpastor666)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/11 "2026-09-25T23:28:28Z")
I’m all for passive abilities, but consuming stun turns…is interesting, not in a good way. ---
**Author:** ![WhiteBomber](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/whitebomber/32/26034_2.png) [@WhiteBomber](https://forums.505go.com/u/WhiteBomber)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 2:52am UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/12 "2026-09-26T02:52:09Z")
Raise your hand if you’ll be spending 7 black on a single trap tile that must be matched away, to slightly increase the damage of a tile that everyone wishes was removed from the game. Im having a hard time thinking of s worse ability. However, I very much look forward to the 5 star numbers, especially on that passive. Reducing a stun for no gain on a character who can’t stun though, that’s weird. Maybe death will be a stunning machine. Is there lore as to why none of them have synergy? ---
**Author:** ![Hellblazer666](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/hellblazer666/32/2449_2.png) [@Hellblazer666](https://forums.505go.com/u/Hellblazer666)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 3:14am UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/13 "2026-09-26T03:14:42Z")
Why do these horsemen characters suck so bad. You guys aren’t even trying ---
**Author:** ![Bustapup](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/bustapup/32/23501_2.png) [@Bustapup](https://forums.505go.com/u/Bustapup)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 9:08am UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/14 "2026-09-26T09:08:18Z")
Sigh The complete lack of synergy among the Horsemen—especially around Waris soooooo disappointing. The hydra guys flow together naturally, but the developers now seem to have completely overlooked basic cross-kit interactions here. \* Non-existent stun setup: Consuming stuns to execute lower health enemies works in theory, though wars stun has a 50/50 chance and is only for (pretty much) one turn even though it says it’s two and famine doesn’t stun at all \* Zero 5-star cohesion: Neither of the 4-star Horsemen synergises with War. Pestilence’s black ability could be decent, but it needs an “on destroy” trigger so it can at least combo with War’s green. \* War’s self-sabotage: Beyond team issues, War’s kit suffers from anti-synergy within itself, making her frustrating to play anyway. Her green destroys her own stuff The actual design is not so bad I like the abilities they’re just too weak unless they start ACTUALLY nerfing OP characters and synergies Even more frustrating is that if you ask even AI to help synergise the horsemen they come up with great suggestions. Google Geminis take: Resolving the overlapping AP costs and counterproductive tile destruction between the new 4★ Pestilence, 4★ Famine (First Horsemen), and 5★ War (First Horseman) is the primary obstacle to making them a top-tier synergistic team. Optimizing this Horseman lineup requires ensuring their mechanics feed into each other rather than competing for board space. 1. Resolve the Purple AP Color Clash War and Famine currently contest the Purple AP pool, creating a severe bottleneck in the team’s rotation. \* The Conflict: Famine’s Ravenous Hunger requires a heavy 8 Purple AP to deploy a Repeater tile, directly competing with War’s cheap 3 Purple AP Cup of Blightswill Trap tiles. \* The Fix: Shift Famine’s Ravenous Hunger to Black or Yellow. This allows War to maintain exclusive control over Purple for consistent stunning and AP generation, while Famine utilizes an uncontested color to sustain the team’s health. 2. Rework Famine’s Tile Destruction Famine’s Repeater tile actively starves War of the AP needed to cast her high-cost abilities. \* The Conflict: Ravenous Hunger destroys surrounding tiles without generating AP. This random destruction starves War of the 7 Red and 8 Green AP she needs, and it risks wiping out War’s Green Strike tiles or Red Sword Countdowns. \* The Fix: Update Famine’s ability so that destroyed tiles do generate AP, explicitly fueling War’s offensive powers. Add a mechanical caveat: “Friendly Strike, Trap, and Countdown tiles destroyed by this effect are fortified or relocated rather than removed.” 3. Position Pestilence as the Rainbow Anchor To bridge the gap between War’s aggressive board flooding and Famine’s attrition, 4★ Pestilence must cover the remaining color voids (Blue/Black/Yellow) and capitalize on their teammates’ tile generation. \* Passive Affliction (Blue): Pestilence should have a passive that triggers off ally mechanics. For example: “Whenever War’s Red Countdown or Famine’s Repeater activates, Pestilence deals X damage and creates a Disease tile that reduces enemy match damage by 15%.” \* Tile Consumption (Yellow/Black): Since War’s Cleansing Fire floods the board with 12 Green Strike tiles, Pestilence should have an active ability that consumes a small number of friendly Strike tiles to apply a team-wide burst heal or target debuff, acting as an offensive support pivot. 4. Introduce an “Apocalypse’s Vanguard” Affiliation Bonus Adding a shared passive for deploying multiple First Horsemen would elevate their competitive viability and lock down the board state. \* The Fix: Grant a built-in passive where fielding three “First Horseman” characters automatically fortifies the first 3 friendly special tiles created each turn. This directly protects Famine’s Repeaters, War’s Traps, and Pestilence’s Disease tiles from incidental enemy cascades, guaranteeing their attrition damage over longer battles. ---
**Author:** ![Gymp28](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/gymp28/32/5318_2.png) [@Gymp28](https://forums.505go.com/u/Gymp28)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/15 "2026-09-26T14:04:41Z")
> [@WhiteBomber](#): > > Im having a hard time thinking of s worse ability. Completely agree. 1 trap tile that must be matched to do anything is going to be terrible. Just look at black cat and her 2 black trap tiles. So incredibly challenging to activate! And let’s not forget those are created passively, for free each turn. This costs AP!! ---
**Author:** ![ViralCore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/919ad9/32.png) [@ViralCore](https://forums.505go.com/u/ViralCore)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/16 "2026-09-26T16:08:08Z")
did anyone happen to tell the designers that the four horseman are supposed to be strong? They feel more more like my little pony characters ---
**Author:** ![bluewolf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/bluewolf/32/24638_2.png) [@bluewolf](https://forums.505go.com/u/bluewolf)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 4:50pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/17 "2026-09-26T16:50:26Z")
I just wanted to note that even if I’m not currently seeing a lot to get excited about, I do really appreciate the character details being given early. That’s much better than many prior releases when the post went up just before or after they go live. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![DAZ0273](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/daz0273/32/8390_2.png) [@DAZ0273](https://forums.505go.com/u/DAZ0273)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/18 "2026-09-26T18:53:21Z")
Don’t you diss Twilight Sparkle!!! ---
**Author:** ![Seph1roth5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@Seph1roth5](https://forums.505go.com/u/Seph1roth5)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/19 "2026-09-27T19:03:48Z")
Like most of the recent (and not so recent) characters, this looks pretty unimpressive. Purple - Like mentioned, reducing stunned for more damage isn’t something we really want…not unless the extra damage is a LOT more. Looks to be doing about 1/6 so…no thanks? Also, I get you guys got super scared after the old 3-4 May, but can we get some damage boosts that don’t completely suck? 10% per turn up to 30% is soooooo low, ridiculously low. At least the math adds up. Other powers were like..increases by 38% up to a max of 53% or something. It also doesn’t seem plaguey at all. Nothing really spreading or reducing stats or anything. Suggestions - Bump up the extra damage if you’re going to be sucking away stuns, a lot. That’s a huge drawback to the ability. I’d prefer if the power just did other stuff honestly, something more plague-related lol. Instead of reducing stun turns, just add extra permanent (real #s) damage to the team if you target a stunned enemy Black - Weird, and still weak. One very vulnerable attack tile? Maybe if this power costs 3…for 7 it’s just meh. Suggestions - Have it make a new trap every turn passively at the very least. Then your attack tile can get higher and higher. Also maybe change it to a % increase instead of flat. Or both! If it’s matched, flat, if you use the power or it’s destroyed, %. Blue - Similar to Kraven’s but upside down. Kraven gets scary when you’re using SAP because he hits you back. In pve (cn?) that can get very nasty. Here, Pestilence reduces the strength and…heals. Once per turn heal isn’t very good, at all. Unless it turns into some giant 40k heal I guess. And it has to have the SAME type of tile too. Suggestions - I’d just scrap the whole power, it doesn’t really make any sense. Just a “I’m a horseman!” power that does stuff. If all the horsemen had a similar passive, like hydra, that’d make sense. If you want to keep the theme of sorts, have it reduce ALL SAP tiles, maybe by a % like 50%. Maybe a sort of reverse Polaris. When you match an enemy SAP, reduce all enemy ones by 50%. Or maybe something like 30% and add all that to your attack tile? That can be like…the main plague thing the character does. ---
**Author:** ![SaltnPeppa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forums.505go.com/saltnpeppa/32/23481_2.png) [@SaltnPeppa](https://forums.505go.com/u/SaltnPeppa)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 2:02pm UTC](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232/20 "2026-09-28T14:02:54Z")
My guess was in a different thread. But here is the cover again that I prefer for her. ![large-2865201](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/x505go/original/3X/d/c/dcac7383e2301321dfe0d19710f99e461b6ff322.jpeg) [Next page](https://forums.505go.com/t/new-character-pestilence-first-horsemen-4/149232.md?page=2)