Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

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Tom_Of_Wesnoth
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Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by Tom_Of_Wesnoth »

Everyone has at least one unit type that they hold dear to their heart - be it because it's come in clutch for them so many times, because they like the sprite, or maybe even they just randomly took a liking to? And likewise, everyone has at least one unit they can't stand - maybe it always lets them down, or maybe they hate having to fight against it?

For me, my favourite unit is probably the Horseman line, with all of its level ups. Its speed moving around the map, and its ability to hit hard and decisively, makes it absolutely indispensable in my armies. The Lancer characterises that, while the Knight and Grand Knight have more versatility and survivability. The Paladin is a beast against the Undead. Most importantly of all, the new graphics for these units are gorgeous.

My least favourite unit is a much easier choice - the Vampire Bat. With its good defence on most terrain, and its Draining melee attack, its an absolute nightmare to take out using melee attacks. A close second is the Footpad, which can retaliate against ranged attacks too - but the lack of Drains makes it slightly more bearable, for me. I've also never really liked using the Thunderer line. I love the graphics, and the satisfaction when you get a hit, but its so dependant on the RNG, and I'd rather mitigate the risk with extra attacks.

I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks!
If presented with the opportunity, I would take great pleasure in becoming a world ruler.
otzenpunk
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Re: Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by otzenpunk »

One of my favourite units are the spectre resp. wraith. Healing yourself while beating the opposition to pulp is the best power you can have. Especially on favorite ground with low defense rates for your opponents, they are more or less self-sustainable and can be sent out as an autonomous killing machine against nearly unlimited numbers of enemies, at least lower-level ones. Their comparatively low hitpoints are pretty much offset by their 50% resistance against most attacks, so they do effectively work as having normal hitpoints but healing at double rate! Beware of arcane and fire attacks, though. Even simple orc bowmen pose a very serious threat you'd better avoid.
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Tom_Of_Wesnoth
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Re: Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by Tom_Of_Wesnoth »

otzenpunk wrote: January 17th, 2019, 1:01 pm One of my favourite units are the spectre resp. wraith. Healing yourself while beating the opposition to pulp is the best power you can have. Especially on favorite ground with low defense rates for your opponents, they are more or less self-sustainable and can be sent out as an autonomous killing machine against nearly unlimited numbers of enemies, at least lower-level ones. Their comparatively low hitpoints are pretty much offset by their 50% resistance against most attacks, so they do effectively work as having normal hitpoints but healing at double rate! Beware of arcane and fire attacks, though. Even simple orc bowmen pose a very serious threat you'd better avoid.
That's a good shout! I haven't played with the Undead for a while, but the Spectre is huge fun to use and can be unstoppable if used right.
If presented with the opportunity, I would take great pleasure in becoming a world ruler.
otzenpunk
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Re: Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by otzenpunk »

And now my least favorite units: I HATE lancers! They are the suicide bombers of the Wesnoth universe. Sure, they deal incredible amounts of damage, when deployed against archers, magicians or other range attack units, but because of their assault attack, charging any melee unit is a pretty bad idea. Plus, they're vulnerable to pierce attacks aka archers. A typical situation is, that you think you just have to hit 2 of 3 strikes against a potential victim on 30 or 40% defense, and then you'd easily be able to protect the lancer with other units. But you hit just once, take a significant amount of retaliation, your other units can't pass by, and then your opponent riddles you with archers. Arrrrrgh! Even if this just happens every 5th or 6th time, it's just not worth it leveling your horsemen this way.

On the other hand, lancers are pretty awesome if you can just recruit them with money, like computer opponents do. Just throw them at your opponent's most valuable units, hopefully kill one or the other and don't give a [censored] if your lancer survives. Yeah, right. Really good, but a situation you pretty much never ever face, unless from the opposite direction.

Thus, lancers are imho not only one of the most annoying enemies, but also one of the least useful units you can develop yourself.
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josteph
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Re: Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by josteph »

otzenpunk wrote: January 18th, 2019, 5:32 am A typical situation is, that you think you just have to hit 2 of 3 strikes against a potential victim on 30 or 40% defense, and then you'd easily be able to protect the lancer with other units. But you hit just once, take a significant amount of retaliation, your other units can't pass by, and then your opponent riddles you with archers. Arrrrrgh! Even if this just happens every 5th or 6th time, it's just not worth it leveling your horsemen this way.
The probability of only one hit in three against 30% terrain defense is more than 20%, so it will happen every five turns on average. That's high enough that you should have a backup plan in case it happens.
nagdon
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Re: Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by nagdon »

My favourite unit is probably the elvish shaman – I like the fact that their effectiveness scales with the strength of the enemy (slowing a higher-level unit takes away more damage from them). I also like Silver Mages (teleportation is my favourite ability, but it is on an otherwise relatively boring level 3 unit).

I don't have a least favourite unit, but I would like to mention invisibility/ambush as my least favourite mechanism in the game. Usually it does not affect the results, but when it does, it makes the enemies more annoying without making them significantly stronger.
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Tom_Of_Wesnoth
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Re: Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by Tom_Of_Wesnoth »

Silver Mages actually have really good resistances against other magical attacks, so make perfect mage-killers - which their mobility only adds to. So I’d say they’re not so bland.
If presented with the opportunity, I would take great pleasure in becoming a world ruler.
otzenpunk
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Re: Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by otzenpunk »

josteph wrote: January 18th, 2019, 2:40 pm The probability of only one hit in three against 30% terrain defense is more than 20%, so it will happen every five turns on average. That's high enough that you should have a backup plan in case it happens.
Yes, and my backup plan is… leveling up horsemen into knights instead of lancers. ;)
nagdon wrote: January 18th, 2019, 4:41 pm I also like Silver Mages (teleportation is my favourite ability, but it is on an otherwise relatively boring level 3 unit).
Yeah. And you really have to play Wesnoth a lot, to learn how to value this ability. In the beginning, I really didn't pay attention to this line of development and found it rather weak, but I was definitely very wrong.
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Tom_Of_Wesnoth
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Re: Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by Tom_Of_Wesnoth »

No love for the Lancer, huh?
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The_Gnat
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Re: Favourite and Least Favourite Unit?

Post by The_Gnat »

:D great to hear what everyone else thinks.
Most of my most favourite units are the classics like Great Mage. Also I have to say the horseman line /knight is just such a special unit going back to my days of King Arthur. I love the ghost line as well with the spectre and more importantly the Nightguant 8) 8)

That unit's backstab night stalk has always been an favourite.

As for least favourite unit I would say bat is definitely up in the ranks. It is the ultimate pest. Also I don't like the lich. However my absolute least favourite, whom I would never buy or immediately commit suicide, is the goblin.

I abhor Goblin anything. Not only are they pathetic and weak but combined with their story and terrible traits they are just a perfect enemy and aweful ally.

Also I know one player who hates the wose. I personally don't mind it but they don't like the pathetic defence, the vulnerable resistances, the slow MP, the high price, and the only melee attack (unlike all the other elves). They really love elves and it is the exact opposite of everything the elves are.
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