Why are some factions overused or underused?

[Aelaris]

So I was reading through this thread again, and decided to count up people's preferences.

This is very rough, since some people described what they played, and some people described what they thought other people over-played or underplayed. However, I think the results are pretty striking. As RowanthePreacher said, "We have a consensus. Drakes don't get used much."

Over-used
Rebels 6
Knalgans 2
Loyalists 4
Undead 1
Drakes 1
Northerners 1

Under-used
Drakes 7
Knalgans 2
Undead 4
Northerners 1

Overused minus underused:
Rebels: 6
Loyalists: 4
Northerners: 0
Knalgans: 0
Undead:-3
Drakes:-6

I find this all pretty interesting, but one thing that wasn't directly covered in that thread is... why?

I assume Rebels are overused because they are overused in campaigns, but by that logic Loyalists should easily be more popular.

Similarly, Drakes are under-represented, but the others really have all of what - one or two campaigns to their names? (One for Undead, two for Knalgans, one for Northies.)


An alternative idea is that popularity is based on strategy. However, I started by playing undead and drakes, and I play everyone else like undead and drakes, and thus have a fairly warped view of the world. So could some more worldly players speak up?

Also, before you settled into the random that everyone seems to play, what did you play, and why? (I played Drakes and Undead because I hate mirror matches, and the friends who introduced me to the game were already playing all the other races.)

[Colouredbox]

Well I think the cut is so small that you can't jump into big conclusions.

But I think rebels and loyalists are most used because they have the "newbie-stamp" in them. (also loyalists pwn)
Well about undead and drakes, I find them not-so-easy-to-learn and they also have quite different resistances. (if your opponent chooses undead you can recruit mages, trolls and other anti-UD units. Drakes to a slightly lesser extent.)

Don't forget humanminds are weird little thingys, we don't see things as they really are.

[Caphriel]

I think the campaigns play a fairly large role. Most players start by playing the major campaigns, which have the player as Rebels and Loyalists, approximately. Drakes are just getting a mainline campaign now, and the primary Undead campaign is listed as hard, and doesn't give a good feel for playing Undead.

Second, a lot of new players seem to think that Drakes are substantially underpowered, because 1) their units are all expensive, 2) their units generally have low defense values, and 3) in general, more than any other faction, they get massacred if they try to fight at the wrong time of day.

Undead, also, may be somewhat underplayed because of a perception that the most popular factions have an edge against them.

This is, of course, all just speculation, though. I played Random, but when I picked, it was usually Knalgans. Of course, what with the footpad nerf, HODOR has become a lot less appealing for the future...

[MRDNRA]

Drakes are just getting a mainline campaign now

They are?

OT, I think that Rebels and Loyalists are generally used more because they are easier to learn. Drakes have a totally different style of play to most other factions which takes a bit of adjusting to when using them due to their low defense, and undead have unusual resistances which often lead to more of some units being recruited against them to use against their main weaknesses.

[Caphriel]

I've heard that Flight to Freedom is being mainlined, but I can't confirm this with a casual search.

[Insinuator]

Flight to Freedom has never been added to mainline and will almost certainly never be.

[Iris]

To elaborate a bit more on that, the Drake faction will be portrayed in more depth in the Wings of Victory campaign (not to be confused with Brave Wings) which will enter mainline whenever the two developers in charge of it finish their work and get it playtested. At this point it looks like the campaign will miss 1.10.

[Caphriel]

I knew it was one of the two, but it looks like I misremembered which one