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DeletedUser6372
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Not all units are created equal, and some units have clear advantages over others. Which units are going to end up the ones to use will depend on several factors, which can be quite complicated-looking at first. However, I've prepared this guide to help people choose the right unit for the job!
We will be breaking up units by category, that is to say: Light Melee, Light Ranged, Heavy Melee, Heavy Ranged, and Mage. And we'll be taking a look at each unit within that category that the race in question has access to and comparing them on comparable tier for the tech they require to unlock.
Humans actually get some pretty solid units out of the box, there's only a couple that are regularly going to be replaced.
Light Melee: Axe Barbarians aren't bad, but Cerebus are better and unlock as soon as you get your Training Grounds in Act II. Once you have Cerebus unlocked, never build another Axe Barbarian unless it is for a quest or something. Drone Riders unlock in Act VII: Fairies. They are better against Archers than Cerebus are, but Cerebus are better against mages.
Light Ranged: Crossbowmen will keep you going for quite a long while. Dryads are specialist units only good for attacking heavy Melee, which is pretty much unnecessary since Crossbowmen can kite heavy melee with impunity pretty well. The upgrade in Wood Elf tech doesn't change this fundamental principle. Rangers also unlocked in Wood Elf tech and will completely replace your Crossbowmen, being strictly superior. They have longer range, they have more damage vs mages, slightly less damage vs heavy melee which you can of course kite, and have far superior defenses against casters.
Heavy Melee: You have Paladins, what more do you want? They've got a Reach of 2, which puts them MILES ahead of Orc Warriors. Plus by the time you unlock the Orcs, the Paladins have their third-tier upgrade and slap a defense debuff on anything they hit for three rounds. The Vallorian Guard is one of the last techs to unlock at this date, and are strictly inferior to Paladins unless you are specifically hunting Heavy Ranged only.
Heavy Ranged: Mortars are pretty boss. 10 range is the longest range in the entire game. Sure, they are slow, but that's why they stay in the back corner away from everything. They are an excellent support unit whose primary role of blowing stuff up is unsurpassed. Orc Strategists piddly range of 3 cannot begin to compare.
Mages: Priests are the best mage unit in the game to date. Why mess with the best?
Elven units are, for the most part, mechanically inferior to anything humans get. I know, they were trying for an asymmetrical balance, but they failed miserably. So you're going to be needing to rely on your non-barracks units in most categories.
Light Melee: Sword Dancers are the worst light melee unit in the game. Once Cerebus unlocks, never look back. Drone Riders are a viable alternative against archers.
Light Ranged: Archers are possibly your only solid Barracks unit in the game, so use them heavily where applicable. Dryads really can't keep up since archers can kite heavy melee all day long. Rangers are a mixed bag. On the one hand, they do less damage vs mages and don't apply a defense debuff. On the other hand, they have more movement, and take far less damage from casters.
Heavy Melee: Unfortunately, you start off with Treants. Which can be kited around by most heavy ranged units they are supposed to be able to be effective against. Which kind of reduces their effectiveness. Unfortunately, while Orc Warriors are more effective against light melee, they really aren't a whole lot better overall. Vallorian Guards are strictly superior to both, and should be used once you finish off the tech tree.
Heavy Ranged: You've got Golems. Umm... yea. They can pack a punch when they hit the right things... but their range really sucks, and they have no defense against light melee that they are supposed to be effective against. In other words: a glass canon without the range to give them time to blow stuff up with. They have trouble keeping up with archers of any stripe, and puppies can eat them alive. Orc Strategists, however, are not the solution. They do about half the damage against light melee and only slightly more damage against light ranged. But they have the same crippling range penalties. Overall, Golems are probably going to be better unless you know they're going to take a beating in which case the Orc's better defenses overall are going to help them survive to do more damage.
Mages: Sorceresses suck. Sorry, there's no real way to sugarcoat it. Banshees are strictly superior by having a defense debuff rather than an attack debuff and more damage vs heavy ranged. Neither one can kite around Paladins or other Reach 2 heavy melee, which presents a fairly serious problem. Blossom Mages, when they unlock in Fairy tech, are the best mages you can get access to, and others should be abandoned once you get them.
In summation:
Humans:
Light Melee: Cerebus, or Drone Riders if they are unlocked and you have plenty of light ranged on the board against you
Light Ranged: Crossbowmen until you unlock Rangers, then Rangers.
Heavy Melee: Paladins!
Heavy Ranged: Mortars!
Mages: Priests!
The trio of Paladins to tank supported by various Mortars or Priests depending on what you are facing is extremely strong. When mages show up, send in the puppies backed by priests.
Elves:
Light Melee: Same as Humans... Cerebus or Drone Riders once they unlock and you have light ranged against you
Light Ranged: Archers! Rangers are a side-grade.
Heavy Melee: Not much in the way of options here, they all kinda suck until Vallorian Guards
Heavy Ranged: Again, not much in the way of options here, they all kinda suck period, but Golems are marginally better as long as they don't get attacked.
Mages: Banshees replace Sorceress when they unlock, Blossom Mages replace both.
You don't really get access to many good units until later on in the game, and there are many situations which will force you to barter rather than fight.
We will be breaking up units by category, that is to say: Light Melee, Light Ranged, Heavy Melee, Heavy Ranged, and Mage. And we'll be taking a look at each unit within that category that the race in question has access to and comparing them on comparable tier for the tech they require to unlock.
Humans
Humans actually get some pretty solid units out of the box, there's only a couple that are regularly going to be replaced.
Light Melee: Axe Barbarians aren't bad, but Cerebus are better and unlock as soon as you get your Training Grounds in Act II. Once you have Cerebus unlocked, never build another Axe Barbarian unless it is for a quest or something. Drone Riders unlock in Act VII: Fairies. They are better against Archers than Cerebus are, but Cerebus are better against mages.
Light Ranged: Crossbowmen will keep you going for quite a long while. Dryads are specialist units only good for attacking heavy Melee, which is pretty much unnecessary since Crossbowmen can kite heavy melee with impunity pretty well. The upgrade in Wood Elf tech doesn't change this fundamental principle. Rangers also unlocked in Wood Elf tech and will completely replace your Crossbowmen, being strictly superior. They have longer range, they have more damage vs mages, slightly less damage vs heavy melee which you can of course kite, and have far superior defenses against casters.
Heavy Melee: You have Paladins, what more do you want? They've got a Reach of 2, which puts them MILES ahead of Orc Warriors. Plus by the time you unlock the Orcs, the Paladins have their third-tier upgrade and slap a defense debuff on anything they hit for three rounds. The Vallorian Guard is one of the last techs to unlock at this date, and are strictly inferior to Paladins unless you are specifically hunting Heavy Ranged only.
Heavy Ranged: Mortars are pretty boss. 10 range is the longest range in the entire game. Sure, they are slow, but that's why they stay in the back corner away from everything. They are an excellent support unit whose primary role of blowing stuff up is unsurpassed. Orc Strategists piddly range of 3 cannot begin to compare.
Mages: Priests are the best mage unit in the game to date. Why mess with the best?
Elves
Elven units are, for the most part, mechanically inferior to anything humans get. I know, they were trying for an asymmetrical balance, but they failed miserably. So you're going to be needing to rely on your non-barracks units in most categories.
Light Melee: Sword Dancers are the worst light melee unit in the game. Once Cerebus unlocks, never look back. Drone Riders are a viable alternative against archers.
Light Ranged: Archers are possibly your only solid Barracks unit in the game, so use them heavily where applicable. Dryads really can't keep up since archers can kite heavy melee all day long. Rangers are a mixed bag. On the one hand, they do less damage vs mages and don't apply a defense debuff. On the other hand, they have more movement, and take far less damage from casters.
Heavy Melee: Unfortunately, you start off with Treants. Which can be kited around by most heavy ranged units they are supposed to be able to be effective against. Which kind of reduces their effectiveness. Unfortunately, while Orc Warriors are more effective against light melee, they really aren't a whole lot better overall. Vallorian Guards are strictly superior to both, and should be used once you finish off the tech tree.
Heavy Ranged: You've got Golems. Umm... yea. They can pack a punch when they hit the right things... but their range really sucks, and they have no defense against light melee that they are supposed to be effective against. In other words: a glass canon without the range to give them time to blow stuff up with. They have trouble keeping up with archers of any stripe, and puppies can eat them alive. Orc Strategists, however, are not the solution. They do about half the damage against light melee and only slightly more damage against light ranged. But they have the same crippling range penalties. Overall, Golems are probably going to be better unless you know they're going to take a beating in which case the Orc's better defenses overall are going to help them survive to do more damage.
Mages: Sorceresses suck. Sorry, there's no real way to sugarcoat it. Banshees are strictly superior by having a defense debuff rather than an attack debuff and more damage vs heavy ranged. Neither one can kite around Paladins or other Reach 2 heavy melee, which presents a fairly serious problem. Blossom Mages, when they unlock in Fairy tech, are the best mages you can get access to, and others should be abandoned once you get them.
In summation:
Humans:
Light Melee: Cerebus, or Drone Riders if they are unlocked and you have plenty of light ranged on the board against you
Light Ranged: Crossbowmen until you unlock Rangers, then Rangers.
Heavy Melee: Paladins!
Heavy Ranged: Mortars!
Mages: Priests!
The trio of Paladins to tank supported by various Mortars or Priests depending on what you are facing is extremely strong. When mages show up, send in the puppies backed by priests.
Elves:
Light Melee: Same as Humans... Cerebus or Drone Riders once they unlock and you have light ranged against you
Light Ranged: Archers! Rangers are a side-grade.
Heavy Melee: Not much in the way of options here, they all kinda suck until Vallorian Guards
Heavy Ranged: Again, not much in the way of options here, they all kinda suck period, but Golems are marginally better as long as they don't get attacked.
Mages: Banshees replace Sorceress when they unlock, Blossom Mages replace both.
You don't really get access to many good units until later on in the game, and there are many situations which will force you to barter rather than fight.