Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 14 per week

Resist Joust: Pikemen are immune to the Jousting Bonus extra damage of Cavaliers and Champions

Resist Joust: Halberdiers are immune to the Jousting Bonus extra damage of Cavaliers and Champions

Upgrade Value = Optional

Pikemen have great Health and good Defense. Early on, they perform well offensively against enemy low level units, but as enemies grow stronger, just use them to protect fragile ranged attackers such as Archers/Marksmen. They are a bit expensive for level 1 units.

Halberdiers are a beneficial upgrade for the already good Pikemen; they get decent Attack, Damage, and unfortunately, Cost increases. However, they can protect allies and attack enemies equally well.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 9 per week

Ranged

Ranged - Double Shot

Upgrade Value = Essential

Archers are plain, simple ranged attackers with so-so stats and good Damage. Low Defense promises that they do not stand well under strong attacks, but that is where Pikemen and Halberdiers help the most during tough battles.

Marksmen are faster than normal Archers and can shoot twice in a row. To help further this significant advantage, they also have double the ammo. They are still as fragile as the basic Archer, though.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 7 per week (Horde +3)

One Extra Retaliation - Flying

Unlimited Retaliations - Flying

Upgrade Value = Important

Griffins are able flyers in combat. They have decent Damage and Attack, but low Defense. This weakness often causes them to be picked off by ranged enemies with some ease, but Griffins find it easier to handle melee attackers than some other flyers can, which balances their effectiveness out. There is a good horde building out there for adding on to your massive Griffin forces.

Royal Griffins are great at taking on groups of enemies, mostly because they can retaliate infinitely. This helps when fighting a siege battle, because if the Royal Griffins fly over the wall towards enemy troops, enemies will swarm over them, provoking many retaliations. A small increase in Attack and a boost to their Speed aids in their safe travel across the battlefield.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 4 per week

None

Double Strike

Upgrade Value = Essential

Swordsmen, somewhat ironically, have less Attack than Defense, though both stats are above-average. While Swordsmen are slightly slow compared to other 4th level creatures, they pack a punch damage-wise. Always move them out to take on enemy forces right away.

Crusaders even out the Attack-Defense difference in Swordsmen, making them more balanced. In addition, they get a bit faster, and they have the ability to attack twice in a row. While the price jump is a bit steep, Crusaders are extremely important. They have good movement for getting around the battlefield as they slice things to pieces in the process. Crusaders often do well while backing up Champions; if not, they can protect Monks/Zealots for some extra safety.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 3 per week

Ranged

Ranged - No Melee Penalty

Upgrade Value = Important

Monks are a little sub-par for a level 5 unit. Very low Defense and low Health ruins their otherwise good-looking game plan, and low Speed does not allow them to unleash their full potential very well. They deal average damage compared to other 5th level units, but deal high damage for a shooter itself.

Zealots grant a potent boost to the weak Monk, with a nice boost of Speed and Defense, and No Melee Penalty equips them for close combat when necessary. Zealots are much better than Monks, and a second good shooter is invaluable to the Castle army.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 2 per week

Jousting Bonus: Cavalier's attack deals an extra 5% damage per hex traveled before attack

Jousting Bonus: Champion's attack deals an extra 5% damage per hex traveled before attack

Upgrade Value = Important

Everything about the Cavalier is the exact middle of the Good vs. Bad scale. Even Health and Damage are average, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. All average stats allows for no real Cavalier weaknesses to be exploited during combat. Cavaliers can move extremely far to launch brutal attacks with its Jousting Bonus special ability.

Much of the Cavalier improves a little bit, making the Champion a better unit all-around. With relatively high Defense, the Champion can charge into the fray and tear open enemy front-lines with their good Damage bonus without taking too much wear. Champions do not cost much for their worth compared to other level 6 units, which is surprising for their effectiveness in battle.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 1 per week

Flying - 150% damage against Devils and Archdevils - +1 morale to friendly troops

Flying - 150% damage against Devils and Archdevils - Resurrection: Can revive a number of creatures from a dead/living stack; number of creatures revived is based on number of Archangels - +1 morale to friendly troops

Upgrade Value = Essential

Angels are the strongest of any basic level 7 unit. They have very high Damage and very good Health, which makes them extremely formidable against any enemy. A high cost comes with these special warriors, so make sure your stores are ready for the shot.

Archangels are probably the strongest level 7 unit. With high Health and great Attack and Defense skills, Archangels seem somewhat over-powered compared to other units at their level. Their Resurrection ability lets them revive their fallen allies in battle; use this on fallen Marksmen and Zealots to turn the tide against your enemies. The Archangel is very expensive, but a very strong unit nonetheless.

Attack Skill

Can cast Resurrection twice per battle - +1 Morale bonus for all friendly troops - Immune to Fear - No Retaliation - Flying - Additional +1 Morale for friendly troops if Supreme Archangel is in a hero's army

1 per week

The Supreme Archangel is one of the best level 8 units, both through stats and abilities. The Supreme Archangel deals massive damage on every strike, and it can cast Resurrection twice per battle instead of once. The Supreme Archangel's effective uses are still basically the same as a regular Archangel - stick with offensive manuevers and nail enemy ranged attackers quickly. Supreme Archangels cost a great deal, so if you lose a few, do not hesitate to use one of those Resurrection spells to save your poor treasury. (Note that the Supreme Archangel is only available in the Wake of Gods add-on to Heroes III)