An explanation for the Season 3 Talents system in AFK Journey.
Last updated: 16/Jan/2025
Faction Talents
Faction Talents are special buffs replacing Faction Bonuses in certain game modes. They provide stat boosts to all heroes and create Talent Buff Tiles, turning placed heroes into Prime Carriers with additional skills. At least 3 heroes from the same faction are needed to activate the Talent bonus, but Celestial and Hypogeans heroes don't count as they have their own Faction Talent tree - so you're not able to bypass the requirements like with the normal Faction bonuses.
How to upgrade Talents?
As you advance through your Season Resonance Levels and AFK Stages, you earn Talent Orbs and Talent Essences. The first two upgrades of each Faction Talent are free - then Stage 1 and 2 require Talent Orbs, and Stage 3 and 4 need Talent Essences.
To unlock the next Stage, you must accumulatively activate a set number of Talents from all faction groups - this means that you can't just hyper-invest into a single faction and need to split your focus between them.
Are the Talents active everywhere?
No. The new Talent system can be used only in those modes:
Talent Challenge AFK Stages,
Legend Trials,
Supreme Arena,
Dura Trials,
Battle Drill.
So Arena and Dream Realm still use the old talent system, not the new one.
Can I change the Prime Carrier slot tile?
No. The Prime Carrier slot always appears in the same slot (check picture above for a backline placement example).
So only the Prime Carrier benefits from the tree buffs?
All team members benefit from the 'smaller' nodes bonuses that give passive stats like Haste or ASPD, but only the Prime Carrier can make use of the 'big' talent.
Also, at later Stages, you will unlock a secondary Prime Carrier slot, allowing two characters to benefit from the 'big' talent.
Can I reset the tree if I make an mistake?
Yes! You can reset Faction Talents for free every 7 days or use a Talent Reshaper and it will refund all of your spent Talent Orbs and Talent Essences used.
Big Faction Talents - Season 3
Lightbearers
Big Talent: When a battle starts, Hogan descends from the sky and lands in front of the frontmost enemy, dealing damage equal to 170% of his ATK to enemies within 2 tiles and stunning them for 1.5s. Hogan inherits 10% of Team ATK and 100% of Team HP, along with an extra boost equal to 25% of the prime carrier's base ATK and 70% of base max HP.
Upgrades:
Stage 1: Heals Hogan by an amount equal to 90% of the damage dealt by the prime carrier.
Stage 2: Reduces Hogan's damage taken by 40% during battle, and the prime carrier recovers Energy equal to 25% of Hogan's Energy on Hit.
Stage 3: Hogan activates Epic Domination, increasing ATK by 35% for himself and the prime carrier for 12s.
Maulers
Big Talent: 4s into a battle, allows the prime carrier to mark the enemy that has dealt the most cumulative damage as Prey. The prime carrier then teleports next to their Prey, knocking them down while dealing 220% physical damage. This strike also knocks back enemies within tile of the Prey by tile. The prime carrier takes 40% less damage from attacks by their Prey.
Upgrades:
Stage 1: Increases the prime carrier's Life Drain by 8. Increases their Life Drain by an extra 5 for every 10% HP lost.
Stage 2: Deals 50% physical damage to adjacent enemies each time the prime carrier takes cumulative base damage from an enemy, equal to 400% of the enemy's ATK.
Stage 3: Increases all allies' ATK by 15% and their Haste by 30 for 15s whenever a prime carrier's Prey is defeated. This effect is active as long as the prime carrier remains in battle.
Wilders
Big Talent: Allows the prime carrier to enter the Concealed state when a battle starts. While Concealed, the prime carrier becomes Invincible and deals 18% increased damage with non-Ultimate skills, lasting for 8s. Each time a non-summoned ally is defeated, the Concealed state duration is reduced by 3s.
Upgrades:
Stage 1: Allows the prime carrier to enter Concealed state for 3s after assisting or defeating a non-summoned enemy for the first time.
Stage 2: After Concealed state ends, grants the prime carrier a shield equal to 22% of the damage dealt while in Concealed state.
Stage 3: Allows the prime carrier's attacks to trigger special effects while in Concealed state. When triggered, the prime carrier's attack deals an extra 80% true damage and can stun the enemy for 0.5s. This effect can be triggered once every 4s on each prime carrier.
Graveborn
Big Talent: When a battle starts, seizes the soul of the rearmost non-summoned enemy for the prime carrier, instantly causing the enemy to lose 45% HP (up to 800% of the prime carrier's ATK) and stealing 6% of the enemy's ATK. Over the next 15s, the enemy gradually recovers, restoring their lost HP and eventually regaining their stolen ATK.
Upgrades:
Stage 1: Allows the prime carrier to deal 18% more damage to the enemy whose soul they have seized, until the enemy fully reclaims their soul.
Stage 2: If an enemy whose soul was seized is defeated, triggers a soul explosion that deals magic damage to surrounding enemies equal to 280% of the prime carrier.
Stage 3: When seizing the soul of an enemy, grants the prime carrier a shield equal to 100% of the HP lost by that enemy. The shield value gradually decreases over 15s and stops decreasing if that enemy is defeated.
Celestials +
Hypogeans
Big Talent: When a battle starts, grants the prime carrier the oracle's blessing, restoring their Energy by 320. After allies cast a total of 4 Ultimates, grants the prime carrier with divine power, increasing their ATK by 10% and max HP by 20%.
Upgrades:
Stage 1: When a battle starts, restores 100 Energy to all allies who were placed within 1 tile of the prime carrier during battle preparation.
Stage 2: Increases the damage of the prime carrier's first Ultimate by 25%.
Stage 3: Grants the prime carrier chaotic power. When they cast their first Ultimate, triggers a dark explosion in an 2-tile area with the most enemies, dealing 250% magic damage and causing the enemies hit to lose 200 Energy.
Season 3 Talents Reviewed
Lightbearers
Pros
Hogan is a reliable tank for taking damage.
Prime Carrier damage can heal Hogan.
Stun from Hogan’s descent can disrupt frontline.
Cons
Hogan doesn’t deal that much damage.
Hogan doesn’t provide any utility other than his descent and tankiness.
Investing in Lightbearer Faction Talent is worthwhile as Hogan acts as a huge wall for your allies, so you can easily take huge hits from enemies in high deficit AFK Stages and other PVE content. Wilder Faction Talent is also another great pick as you can protect a hero from being targeted or even damaged early while letting them deal damage to enemies. Celestial/Hypogean Faction Talent gets an honorable mention on stages which you want to reduce enemy energy to lock them from using their ultimates.
PVP
The main Faction Talent to go for in the Supreme Arena is the Celestial/Hypogean Faction Talent as having to charge ally energy whilst reducing the enemy’s is very valuable so that you get the advantage of using ultimate skills faster. For F2P/Low Spenders who cannot get hold on these Celestial/Hypogean heroes for Supreme Arena, the Wilder Faction Talent is a great alternative for 1 or 2 heroes in the team that can receive invincibility from enemy attacks early on then it can reset on assist or kill from an enemy.
