H3: Fav Lvl2 critter.

[ThunderTitan]

Don't tell me you didn't see this one coming! And yes, it's your favorite on looks, usefulness, name, or whatever else you use to decide.
Please say what creature if you vote Other/Neutral!

[Gljivko a.k.a Vortex]

I voted for Archer --> Marksman upgrade.

One of the best, if not, the best upgrade of lvl 2 units. 2x shot speciality is priceless IMO.

[Gaidal Cain]

Vote Harpies. One of the coolest specials, and good stats to boot.

[LordHoborgXVII]

Definitely marksmen. They can be quite useful, especially with those two shots. They are quite vulnerable at times, though.

Harpie hags are certainly versatile, with their 'almost ranged' attack, but I do have to say that they are ugly and that's why I don't like them.

Lizardmen always strike me as misleadingly weak, due to their miniscule damage, and zombies are a unit that never really manages to enter battle, because the enemy never attacks them, and they are usually too slow to get to the front lines in time to make an impact. Their disease specialty is a joke, because it has a very low chance of effect, and when combined with the fact that they never really get to fight, means that it is only seen about total 3 times in a game.

[gravyluvr]

Archer Marksmen with Harpies in close second.

Walking Dead is at the bottom of the list.

[ThunderTitan]

Damn, I can't decide between the Archers, Dwarfs and Harpies. I'll just vote tomorrow.

[Orfinn]

Voted Dwarf/Battle Dwarf

Yes they are slooow but heck they have a solid amount of HP, good attack and defence and the very useful magic resistance ability which can turn spellcasters crazy and if you add a hero with expert magic resistance along with the dwarves it will make alot of irritation and insane cursing from the oppsite side of the battlefield

Second comes marksmen and third wolf rider, a bit weak but they come in plenty and with double attack

Oh! and now we only miss polls for lvl 4, 5 and 6

[LordScimitar]

Funny thing is, Lizardmen are the perfect example of Fortress Heroes. Insane defense, sturdy, and can take a lickin' and keep on tickin' even if their specials are better than their damage (Ahem: Dispell/Weakness, Turn to Stone, Deathstare((best skill in the game if you ask me)), Poison (meh)), attack all hexes aroud you). I've heard, though haven't tested, that equal amounts of Lizard Warriors versus equal amounts of Marksmen...results in a Lizard Warriors win. They won't kill another unit as quickly as Marksmen, but they receive damage so much better they actually last longer and can do more damage over a longer period of time.

Yet, even knowing this, I still vote Marksmen. I guess raw quick damage hoping to kill the enemy before it ever attacks you is what I'm going for and not looking at long, involving battles.

Harpy hags are also a good second. That no enemy retaliation/boomerang attack is quite handy. Though, I wish there was an OPTION to attack and STAY where you're at. Same with Darkness Dragons (WoG). The boomerang can suck if you want to block archers and have to waste a round of not attacking.

[Corribus]

I'd vote for marksmen for castle defense and storm elementals for offense. They are just so fast. A runner up would be lizardmen.

[Banedon]

Point with Ranged creatures is that damage > defense, and so Lizard Warriors are rather pitiful, in my opinion. It's like Sharpshooters. Their damage is awesome but their HP is pathetic - yet they are creatures I'd love to have in my armies. Since a prime strategy with Ranged creatures is to keep foes away from them, defense doesn't play a part too often - except in a castle siege.

That said, it comes to a battle between Marksmen and Storm Elementals. From experience (not calculations), I believe the Marksmen have the greater damage output - and so my vote goes to them. This is the unit that grants Castle its early-game dominance. No other level 2 unit can claim the same with as much justification.

[Corribus]

Just out of curiosity - I believe storm elementals are much better in hand-to-hand, are they not? They are also wicked fast, which the rangers are not.

[LordScimitar]

Just out of curiosity - I believe storm elementals are much better in hand-to-hand, are they not? They are also wicked fast, which the rangers are not.

I would believe the Storm Elementals are better without even looking at their stats. First, Archers (not marksmen) are almost worthless. They SUCK. Yet, Marksmen are great. Why? Two attacks mean double the damage. And, unlike Crusaders, there's not a retaliation between the two strikes. So, their damage DOUBLES.

Yet, in Melee, Storm Elementals Damage deals half damage. But, Marksmen loses ONE entire attack, and THEN the one attack left is only HALF its original strength. So, basically, Marksmen do only a QUARTER of their original damage. As far as I'm aware, there are no units on the same "level" (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc) that only do half the damage of another unit. This is what happens with Marksmen-they have lower natural damage than storm elementals (I believe) but make up for it with the double. They don't do twice the damage of storm elementals. Which is what they'd need to do in order to remain equal with storm elementals in melee.

So, marksmen suffer the largest drop going to melee. Well, marksmen and Grand Elves. They're basically the same unit-Grand Elves are just stronger. Sharpshooters from Marksmen or Grand Elves always made perfect sense to me.

[Corribus]

@LordScimitar -
So from what you said, I think I would have to take the storm elementals over the marksmen. Sure, the marksmen may be slightly better ranged units, but the storm elementals are at least not useless when it comes down to hand-to-hand battle, which it often does. They're also fast flyers, meaning they can better avoid hand-to-hand combat if they have to AND they are immune to lightning bolt I think. Archers are toast going up against a strong spellcaster.

[Gaidal Cain]

@LordScimitar -
So from what you said, I think I would have to take the storm elementals over the marksmen. Sure, the marksmen may be slightly better ranged units, but the storm elementals are at least not useless when it comes down to hand-to-hand battle, which it often does. They're also fast flyers, meaning they can better avoid hand-to-hand combat if they have to AND they are immune to lightning bolt I think. Archers are toast going up against a strong spellcaster.

Tut-tut. I expected better from you;) Storm Elementals does not fly, and they take double damage from lightning. They're easily the best level 2 creatures out there, since their damage is comparable with Marksmen (2-8, I believe), and they have 25 freaking HP.

[Banedon]

A very important point, however, is that the Marksmen and the Storm Elementals should never go into melee. Neutrals should hardly ever force melee retaliations from them, and if the distance is somehow closed, the Crusaders and Halberdiers will have to take over the duties.

Perhaps the only times when defense is called into play is when the Marksmen go up against human intelligence. Here they too are useful. Because their ranged damage is enormous, the enemy is essentially forced to commit one stack to blockading them - which in turn places that stack within range of all Castle's powerful melee units. I think Marksmen are stronger than Storm Elementals, and I certainly like them more.

[kitcat0]

Interesting that archers are still so much favourites over lizard warriors although lizard warriors are more sturdy and in direct fight would win.

Anyways, I went with stormies, because of their high hitpoints.

[DaemianLucifer]

Voted archers.Shoot them before they come near

[Black Ghost]

Voted Dwarfes

That was difficult to choose between marksem and Battle Dwarves, but IMO I prefer the solid Battle Dwarf. Additionally, he looks great

[Pol]

* Yes, theirs time often come before the end of the game, a few hundreds of Harpy Hags or Magos could do always a nice comeback. (Actually legions of 2nd level units aren't bad at all)

voted: Magogs for theirs fire ball throwing ability.
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-- Balancing on the edge of the world. - Seeing another? --

[Corribus]

Tut-tut. I expected better from you;) Storm Elementals does not fly, and they take double damage from lightning. They're easily the best level 2 creatures out there, since their damage is comparable with Marksmen (2-8, I believe), and they have 25 freaking HP.

Uh.... yeah that's what I meant. Its obviously been a while since I played this game, so I will have to take your word for it.