Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 15 per week (Horde +8)

None

None

Upgrade Value = Optional but Useful

Goblins are almost exactly the same as Halflings stat-wise: good offensive skill. They have slightly more Health, and they also possess a horde building which should be purchased for good measure.

Hobgoblins improve everything that Goblins are already good at. With more Attack and Speed, Hobgoblins pose more of a threat on the offensive than the Goblin previously did.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 9 per week

None

Double Strike

Upgrade Value = Essential

Wolf Riders excel in Attack, so naturally they deal good Damage. Far movement, low Health and average stats are all that can be said of this useful unit.

Wolf Raiders sharpen their skills with extra Attack and Damage, and the ability to strike twice in a row. This combination of handy feats and good Speed makes them a force to be reckoned with, and apparently a force to be targeted. The AI often take advantage of Wolf Raiders' low Health by attacking them more often then other units.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 7 per week

Ranged

Ranged

Upgrade Value = Optional but Useful

Orcs have rather low Defense and Health, which makes them vulnerable to punishment from melee units and flyers. Despite that fact, Orcs lean to the offense side of things, so hit enemies hard when you get the chance to.

Orc Chieftans are an efficient upgrade because your plain Orcs will gain a good deal of Health and a little Speed for very little extra cost. While this does not change much of the basic Orc strategy, it allows for a more relaxed play because Orc Chieftans will not crumble so easily as their lesser counterparts.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 4 per week

None

Bloodlust: Can cast Bloodlust at Spellpower 6 with Advanced effectiveness on an ally instead of moving/attacking/defending

Upgrade Value = Essential

Ogres sacrifice low Defense for a very high Attack, which would normally limit them defensively, but their high Health negates that weakness fairly well. They are very slow, so they cannot catch as much action as some faster creatures.

Being able to cast Bloodlust to improve their allies battle skills is great news for Ogres, who normally can't do much because they can't move far enough to get into the brawl. This gives them something to do from the backseat, and if enemies get close, they pound without fear of death, because Ogre Mages get a HUGE Health bonus. Definitely an essential upgrade.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 3 per week

None

Thunderbolt: 20% chance of a bolt of lightning to hit the target after Thunderbird attack; damage = number of Thunderbirds x10

Upgrade Value = Optional but Useful

Rocs have all expectional stats for 5th level units. Good Speed, Health, and even Damage lend them a good reputation for war and its many forms. Use them to crush weaker flyers like Griffins and Serpent Flies.

Shooters beware when Thunderbirds enter the scene. Thunderbirds are very fast, and can sometimes hit targets with lightning bolts for extra damage after attacks. Deep fry enemy shooters with these awesome birds, but watch your wallet because high costs tend to strike you before their lightning strikes their enemies.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 2 per week

Ballistics: Instead of attacking an enemy, a cyclops can attack the walls of a town twice during a seige; attack acts as Advanced Ballistics skill

Ballistics: Instead of attacking an enemy, a cyclops can attack the walls of a town twice during a seige; attack acts as Advanced Ballistics skill

Upgrade Value = Optional but Useful

The humble Cyclops does not raise many eyebrows. They have low Defense and very low Health, but fortunately for the buyer, very low cost. Cyclopses are a bit slow, so they cannot perform very well against fast foes early on.

A bunch of extra Attack, some more Defense and Speed, and a big increase in cost make a Cyclops a king of combat. Cyclops Kings have very good Attack, but still low Health. So keep them away from pesky foes like Dragon Flies and Silver Pegasi. While their Damage is not spectacular, the Cyclops King is very good for a ranged unit.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 1 per week

Defense Reduction: Any target a Behemoth attacks has its defense reduced by 40% during the attack

Defense Reduction: Any target an Ancient Behemoth attacks has its defense reduced by 80% during the attack

Upgrade Value = Essential

Behemoths, unlike their name implies, are actually rather weak units. Low Health makes them popular targets for enemy ranged units, and Behemoths are often too slow to react to dangerous situations that require some action. Thankfully, Behemoths are the cheapest 7th level creatures.

Ancient Behemoths are infinitely better than the lesser Behemoth. Ancient Behemoths have extremely high Health and good Damage, so forget about the ranged wimps attacking you and go for the Black Dragons or Chaos Hydras instead.

Attack Skill

Flying - +2 Luck for all friendly troops - Ignores Enemy Defense (100% Target Defense Reduction) - One Extra Retaliation

1 per week

The Ghost Behemoth deals the most damage out of any creature in Heroes III. While its regular damage is not the highest, its 100% defense reduction causes it to deal massive damage to any unit. The Ghost Behemoth can fly and retaliate twice in a row, which leaves no doubt that it may be the best melee unit ever. The ability to fly modifies the Behemoth strategy quite a bit; use it to attack ranged enemies and strong opponents like level 7 or 8 creatures. (Note that the Ghost Behemoth is only available in the Wake of Gods add-on to Heroes III)