Quick answer (14 November 2026, Patch 2.2.23, Season 42 "Starward Decade"): our pick for the best Popol and Kupa build after the revamp is an attack-effect build: Swift Boots, Demon Hunter Sword, Corrosion Scythe, Golden Staff, Malefic Gun and Wind of Nature (10,980 gold). Run the Marksman emblem with Thrill, Weapon Master and Quantum Charge, the most common setup in the six post-revamp builds tracked by mlbb.io. Take Ice Retribution in the jungle (3 of those 6 builds) or Flicker in the Gold Lane (2 of 6). The revamp went live on the Original Server on 11 November 2026, and the numbers are still moving: their all-rank win rate dropped from 53.67% over 30 days to 48.25% on the latest day, while their ban rate jumped from 0.65% to 4.39%. Players are banning a hero they're still losing on.
Popol and Kupa are the only revamped hero in Patch 2.2.23, and the old guides don't fit them anymore. Popol can now ride Kupa, Kupa copies his item effects, and the ultimate turns Kupa into an Alpha Wolf that knocks enemies airborne. As of today, mlbbhub's curated build page is still stamped "Updated Aug 15, 2026", so it predates all of this. A thread on r/MobileLegendsGame this week, "Few things ive learned about new popol", shows players are relearning the hero from scratch.
This guide covers the new kit, the builds that use it, the emblem and spell, combos, and the matchups. Every stat below is from 14 November 2026.
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What changed in the Popol and Kupa revamp?
Moonton's designer note in the Patch 2.2.23 notes (mlbbhub's mirror of the in-game notes) gives the reasons in plain terms:
"Popol and Kupa previously lacked mobility and had limited skill combo potential. To address this, we've enhanced their coordinated attacks and enabled Popol to ride Kupa to pursue enemies or retreat. Previously, Popol had to fight without his companion for too long after Kupa was defeated. To address this, we've enhanced Kupa's scaling and HP Regen."
Here's the new kit, skill by skill, from Moonton's notes:
| Skill | What it does now |
|---|---|
| Passive: We Are Friends | Kupa's HP scales with Popol's level, and Kupa inherits Popol's other attributes and equipment effects. Kupa recovers HP out of combat, deals extra True Damage to creeps, and Popol can pray to bring a fallen Kupa back. |
| Skill 1: Bite 'em, Kupa! | Popol throws a spear at the target, and Kupa lunges and bites it, greatly slowing it. In Alpha Wolf Form, Kupa strikes the area instead, knocking nearby enemies airborne for increased damage. |
| Skill 2: Kupa, Help! | Popol calls Kupa back and gains a shield, then rides Kupa to move fast while Kupa recovers HP. In Alpha Wolf Form, the shield is stronger and Kupa heals to full while mounted. |
| Skill 3: Popol's Surprise | A trap that briefly immobilizes the enemy who steps on it, then explodes into a frost zone that slows enemies inside. |
| Ultimate: We Are Angry! | A 9-second Enraged state. Kupa heals to full, turns into Alpha Wolf Form, gains extra Max HP and enhances his other skills. |
Moonton published effects, not the new damage numbers. Some fan sites and tracker pages still show the pre-revamp skill numbers, including a 12-second ultimate. The live ultimate lasts 9 seconds. If a guide quotes old cooldowns or damage numbers, treat them as out of date. For the full list of changes in this update, see our MLBB patch notes for 2.2.23.
Is Popol and Kupa good after the revamp?
They're popular and contested, but not winning yet. Our working explanation is the first-week learning curve on the mount and the new combo timing, but the stats alone can't prove the cause. Here's how the numbers moved on mlbb.io, all ranks, data updated 14 November 2026:
| Window | Win rate | Pick rate | Ban rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past 30 days | 53.67% | 0.47% | 0.65% |
| Past 15 days | 52.83% | 0.51% | 0.98% |
| Past 7 days | 51.30% | 0.58% | 1.69% |
| Past 3 days | 48.89% | 0.77% | 3.52% |
| Past 1 day | 48.25% | 0.77% | 4.39% |
The longer windows still mix in pre-revamp games. The 1-day and 3-day rows are the closest view of the new kit. mlbb.io moved the duo from B to A tier and tags them "Contested". mlbbhub still lists them as B tier at 51.3%, which matches mlbb.io's 7-day window.
The drop is steepest at the top. In Mythical Glory+, the 1-day win rate is 46.19% against 51.05% over 30 days, with a 5.37% ban rate. In Epic it's 51.70% on the latest day. One possible reason is that higher-ranked opponents punish unfamiliar Popol players harder. Our guess, not a measurement: the win rate should recover as players learn the kit. Re-check the 1-day number before you lock in a prediction. Check the Season 42 tier list before you take them into high-rank solo queue this week.
What is the best Popol and Kupa build?
The passive is what makes the build. Kupa inherits Popol's other attributes and his equipment effects, so Physical Attack, Attack Speed and on-hit item effects all carry over to Kupa. That's why attack-effect items are our pick: Golden Staff repeats those effects, and the duo already wants the attack speed that Golden Staff, Corrosion Scythe and the Marksman emblem stack. We skip crit because Golden Staff converts Crit Chance into Attack Speed, so a crit item's Crit Chance would only become Attack Speed you could buy more directly.
Here are three builds for Patch 2.2.23. All item prices and stats are from mlbbhub's item database, checked 14 November 2026.
| Build | Items | Emblem and spell | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attack-Effect (our pick) | Swift Boots, Demon Hunter Sword, Corrosion Scythe, Golden Staff, Malefic Gun, Wind of Nature | Marksman: Thrill, Weapon Master, Quantum Charge. Flicker | 10,980 g |
| Jungle | Swift Boots (Ice Retribution), Demon Hunter Sword, Corrosion Scythe, Golden Staff, Malefic Gun, Wind of Nature | Marksman: Thrill, Weapon Master, Quantum Charge. Retribution | varies |
| Burst Pickoff (pre-revamp reference) | Swift Boots, Blade of Despair, Demon Hunter Sword, Great Dragon Spear, Malefic Gun, Wind of Nature | Marksman: Swift, Weapon Master, Quantum Charge. Flicker | 12,080 g |
The Burst Pickoff row is mlbbhub's curated "Gold Lane Pickoff" build, dated 15 August 2026. That's before the revamp. Its raw Physical Attack still carries over to Kupa, so it still works, but it wasn't built around the new kit, so we list it as a reference, not as the pick.
Why each item in the Attack-Effect build
- Swift Boots (720 g): +15% Attack Speed, +40 Movement Speed. Attack speed is worth more on this hero than on almost any other marksman.
- Demon Hunter Sword (2,180 g): +35 Physical Attack, +20% Attack Speed. Engulf makes basic attacks deal 8% of the target's current HP as extra physical damage. If Kupa also gets the effect, that's two sources of %HP damage on a tank. Buy it first against a tanky draft.
- Corrosion Scythe (2,050 g): +30 Physical Attack, +30% Attack Speed. Basic attacks deal 80 extra damage and slow, stacking up to 5 times. The slow is halved on ranged basic attacks, but it still pairs well with the slow on Skill 1 and the frost zone from Skill 3.
- Golden Staff (2,000 g): +55 Physical Attack, +15% Attack Speed. After every 2 non-crit basic attacks, the next one gets 80% extra Attack Speed and triggers attack effects 2 more times. That's your Engulf and Corrosion procs, three times on one hit. It also turns any Crit Chance into Attack Speed, so don't mix it with crit items.
- Malefic Gun (2,120 g): +40 Physical Attack, +20% Attack Speed, 30% Physical Penetration, and 12% more basic attack range. The extra range keeps Popol safer while Kupa goes in.
- Wind of Nature (1,910 g): +30 Physical Attack, +20% Attack Speed, +10% Lifesteal. The active makes you immune to all Physical Damage for 2 seconds (90s cooldown). Popol gets the full 2 seconds because his main role is Marksman.
Swaps:
- Enemy is healing (Estes, Floryn, a lifesteal fighter): swap Wind of Nature or Malefic Gun for Sea Halberd (2,050 g). It cuts the target's shields and HP regen to 60% for 3 seconds. Our MLBB anti-heal items guide explains when it's worth the slot.
- You keep getting focused down late: Immortality (2,120 g) revives you 2.5 seconds after death with 16% HP and a shield, on a 210-second cooldown.
- Enemy is all magic damage: Wind of Nature does nothing against mages, so take a magic-defense item in that slot.
For what every other item in the shop does, see our MLBB items guide.
What is the best Popol and Kupa jungle build?
mlbb.io now lists the duo in Jungle and Gold Lane, and Ice Retribution appears in 3 of the 6 post-revamp builds it tracks. The new passive is why jungle Popol works: Kupa deals extra True Damage to creeps, and he now regenerates HP out of combat, so he can keep clearing camps without dying.
Ice Retribution's own creep damage gets a 100% bonus only on non-Marksman heroes (mlbbhub), and Popol is a Marksman. Kupa's creep damage makes up for that. On an enemy hero, the active deals 100 True Damage and steals 52 to 80 Movement Speed for 3 seconds (scales with level). Use it to stick Kupa onto a target, then follow with Skill 1's slow and a trap.
Jungle Popol plays the Attack-Effect build, but the boots slot becomes Swift Boots upgraded into Ice Retribution: mlbbhub lists Ice Retribution as a jungling item that Swift Boots builds into. Golden Staff is the most important item here, because the extra attack-effect triggers also speed up clears. For which junglers you're competing with in Season 42, see our best jungle heroes ranking.
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Which emblem and battle spell should Popol and Kupa use?
Marksman emblem with Thrill, Weapon Master and Quantum Charge. It's the most common setup in the six post-revamp builds on mlbb.io:
| Pick | Builds using it (of 6) | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| Marksman emblem | 3 | +15% Attack Speed, +16 Adaptive Attack |
| Thrill | 4 | +16 Adaptive Attack |
| Weapon Master | 5 | Raises the Physical Attack you get from items, emblems, talents and skills |
| Quantum Charge | 3 | Basic attacks give 30% Movement Speed for 1.5s and restore HP (8s cooldown) |
| Ice Retribution | 3 | Jungle pick, also steals movement speed from enemy heroes |
| Flicker | 2 | Gold Lane escape or engage |
Why Quantum Charge: Popol already fights by basic attacking next to Kupa, so the speed burst comes up almost every fight. It also stacks with the speed from riding Kupa on Skill 2, which makes the duo very hard to catch.
Swift instead of Thrill is mlbbhub's older pre-revamp pick. It still works, but Golden Staff and the Marksman emblem already push your attack speed high. Our MLBB emblem guide and battle spells guide cover the other options.
How do you play Popol and Kupa? (combos)
The mount is the only fully new tool. The revamp also moved the Alpha Wolf airborne control onto the enhanced Skill 1 and reworked Kupa's healing: on top of the out-of-combat regen he already had, he now recovers HP while Popol rides him, and heals to full on the ultimate. These combos are built from the official skill descriptions.
1. Lane pickoff (any time): Skill 3 trap in the bush or at the edge of the wave → wait for the immobilize → Skill 1 onto the trapped target (Kupa bites and slows) → basic attacks. The trap's frost zone and the bite's slow overlap, so a hero without a dash will struggle to walk out.
2. Teamfight (ultimate up): Ultimate first, so Kupa heals to full and enters Alpha Wolf Form → Skill 1, which now knocks nearby enemies airborne → basic attacks while Golden Staff procs. You have 9 seconds. Save Skill 2 for when the enemy dives you, because in Alpha Wolf Form it gives a stronger shield and heals Kupa to full while you ride him.
3. Escape: Skill 2 to call Kupa back, take the shield and ride away → drop Skill 3 behind you on the path the chaser has to take. If the enemy is physical, pop Wind of Nature before they reach you.
4. Chase: Skill 2 to ride and close the gap → dismount into Skill 1 to slow → basic attacks. If you run Ice Retribution, use its movement-speed steal here.
Mistakes to avoid:
- Opening a teamfight with Skill 2. It's your shield and your escape. Mounting to chase a lone, low-HP target (combo 4) is fine. Spending it to walk into a full fight leaves you nothing when the enemy dives you.
- Popping the ultimate when Kupa is already full HP and nobody is in range. The full heal and the knock-up are wasted.
- Leaving Kupa dead. The passive lets Popol pray him back. Without Kupa, Popol loses a big share of his damage, the bite slow and the Alpha Wolf knock-up.
- Mixing crit items with Golden Staff. Golden Staff converts Crit Chance into Attack Speed, so a crit item's Crit Chance only turns into Attack Speed you could buy more directly.
Who counters Popol and Kupa?
From mlbb.io's matchup data, fetched 14 November 2026. Most of these games were played before the revamp, so treat the list as a guide, not a final answer.
| Heroes that beat Popol and Kupa | Edge | Heroes Popol and Kupa beat | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanabi | +3.7% | Harley | +2.9% |
| Atlas | +3.5% | Mathilda | +2.7% |
| Melissa | +3.5% | Selena | +2.6% |
| Carmilla | +3.1% | Harith | +2.3% |
| Xavier | +1.8% | Hayabusa | +1.9% |
| Ixia | +1.1% | Roger | +1.8% |
The pattern: area control and long-range damage beat the duo, because Kupa has to be in melee range to deal damage and they can hit both of them at once. Atlas and Carmilla can catch both of them in one engage. Popol does well into dashing assassins and divers like Harley, Hayabusa and Selena. The trap catches the dash, Skill 1 slows the follow-up, and Skill 2's shield absorbs the burst.
The best teammates on mlbb.io are Granger, Harith and Lesley (+3.5% each) and Wanwan (+2.9%). Those are gold-lane carries, which points to jungle Popol playing next to a marksman. For the Gold Lane competition, see our best Gold Lane heroes for Season 42.
Patch 2.2.23 also helps Gold Lane Popol, at least in high ranks. Under the notes' Mythical Honor Battlefield section, the Gold Lane siege minion's extra early gold went from 40% to 60%, to push marksmen back into the lane after fighters had been taking it over in high-tier Ranked and pro matches.
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FAQ
What is the best build for Popol and Kupa after the revamp? On Patch 2.2.23, our pick is an attack-effect build: Swift Boots, Demon Hunter Sword, Corrosion Scythe, Golden Staff, Malefic Gun and Wind of Nature, for 10,980 gold. The passive lets Kupa inherit Popol's attributes and equipment effects, and Golden Staff repeats on-hit effects like Demon Hunter Sword's, which is why we pick attack-effect items over crit.
When did the Popol and Kupa revamp come out? The revamp went live on the Original Server on 11 November 2026, in Patch 2.2.23 in Season 42 "Starward Decade". It was the only hero revamp in that patch.
Can Popol ride Kupa now? Yes. Skill 2, Kupa, Help!, calls Kupa back, gives Popol a shield and lets him ride Kupa to move fast while Kupa recovers HP. During the ultimate's Alpha Wolf Form, the shield is stronger and Kupa heals to full while mounted.
Is Popol and Kupa a jungler or a gold laner? Both. mlbb.io lists them in Jungle and Gold Lane, and Ice Retribution shows up in half of the post-revamp builds it tracks. The new passive makes Kupa deal extra True Damage to creeps, which is why jungle Popol works now.
What emblem is best for Popol and Kupa? The Marksman emblem with Thrill, Weapon Master and Quantum Charge. Weapon Master appears in 5 of the 6 post-revamp builds on mlbb.io, and Quantum Charge's speed burst stacks with riding Kupa.
Is Popol and Kupa good right now? They're contested but still being learned. On 14 November 2026 their all-rank win rate is 48.25% on mlbb.io's latest day, down from 53.67% over 30 days, and their ban rate has climbed to 4.39%. mlbb.io rates them A tier and mlbbhub rates them B tier.
How much does Popol and Kupa cost? mlbb.io lists the hero at 32,000 Battle Points or 599 Diamonds in the shop. Check the in-game shop before you buy, because event discounts change the price.
