I'm largely a self-taught player, so I know the basics, but it's always possible that I've missed something and (swallowing my pride for a moment), it's always possible to learn. Plus, combat has changed in the past 2+ years -- the AI has gotten better (possibly only obvious if you've taken a long break from the game, but I swear it was different two years ago), encounters have more mixed types, and multi-wave battles are a thing. Also, we now have full 3 stars on all troops, unlike two years ago.
As for combat guides, they really haven't been updated for all these changes. Plus, all the ones I've read seem to boil down to:
Basic strategy: Respect the pentagon.
Advanced strategy: Don't rush the enemy. Order determines starting position. You can fight and quit to see the layout before selecting troops for real.
I'm looking for tips that are different from these two, particularly when to violate those rules. For example, I keep reading that people love frogs (and I've just unlocked three stars on them, which is what's prompting me to write). However, if you only wanted to respect the pentagon, you'd only deploy them against light melee troops. (Or maybe people only do that, but appreciate how effective they are against light melee.) Not to mention, the greater variety of troop types encountered (I've seen a battle with all 5 troop types), troop selection is more complicated than it once was.
What tips do you have that goes beyond the tips above? Especially, when do you violate the pentagon? (There are exceptions for "Don't rush the enemy", but those are more obvious.)
Interesting topic,
And the answer is "it depends"
The combat triangle is mostly flawed.
Melee combat units are a lot weaker than ranged units. this disadvantage makes it that sometimes neutral units with range are better than "optimal melee units" in a neutral game.
When we include in the game combat boosters like the fire bird, magnificient mage multiplier and enlightened light range,
Also wonders like needles of the storm, temple of toads and dragon abbey, then the combat triangle almost fully switches to ranged units only.
Ranged units have a always "first strike" and ofter first 2 strikes capability. when you increase there damage potential it instantly makes them very very powerfull. remember that every dead enemy unit cannot strike back
If to that mix you also add special powers that weaken/destroy the enemies defence bonus, then you can even annihalite your direct enemy.
For example I often run a 150-250% attack bonus on my mage units during a tournament
Since blossom mages have the blossom winds power that destroys 30% of the enemies defence it's my favorite unit agains thiefs (light melee)
Thieves have a 60% defence bonus agains mages. since the blossom mage whack 30% of it's defence (100%+60%)/0.7 =112%
Yes this is inno math, you just removed with your 30% defence remover 48% of it's defence capabilities.
The higher the defence the more you remove.
This makes any range unit with this power that you can boost it's attack extremely powerfull.
Even thieves in a tournament battle where they are 200% of my size or more it usually only takes 2-3 hits to bring it down. and since your range is 5 it can hit the enemy and stay out of danger at the same time.
While this is most effective at manual combat, this effect is also very very prominent at autobattles.
As an elf player on all 9 tournaments combined I use about 80% pro ranger / blossom mage, with a dash of elite archers and poison dryads where some AI flaws are beneficial, or just because I need to het rid of those units since I got to many. about 15% are granite golems and frog princes with a dash of senior orc strategist and less than 5% are vallorian veteran and sinister cerberus with a little dash of "free sword fighters and venom drone riders that I get from my wonders.
This is all because the power of range is far superior to the power of melee.
since you almost always have priority on the battle field, you can pretty much destroy any thread in 1 shot or at least eliminate it to almost zero before they have a chance to retailliate.
Mistwalkers are the bane of your existence they always strike first as they are the fastest unit in game, this means that no matter what you do, you will get hit and will get hurt a lot.
The AI issue is that mistwalkers in round 1 have a favorite order in which they attack your units.
Sorceres | Dryad | Archer | Blossom | Banshee | Treant | Ranger | Drone Rider | Sword Dancer | Cerberus | Frog Prince | Orc Warrior | Golem |
This means you have an option to somewhat choose which units takes that first hit (assuming the map doesnt screw you over)
So when you are on a map where your blossom mages have an easy job except for that pesky mistwalker, a mistwalker kan destroy a unit of blossom mages with 1 strike, but it does limited damage to other light ranged units.
With this you can redirect it's first strike to a dryad or archer unit instead of your blossom mages this can in the right circumstances limit your losses in a battle dramatically.
My most favorite unit is the blossom mage, not only does it have an amazing defence breaker, it also can target that enemy you might not be able to kill that 1 round and limit it's damage capability with it's flower power attack power breaker. it's very versatile as long as it doesn't oppose a bunch of light range units, those are it's only weakness. in autocombat orcs can also be a weak spot as your mage runs into it's range and it has low HP (dies quickly) but a very high attack,
Elite archers and pro rangers also have this benefit of 20%/30% defence breaking, with the advantage that the pro ranger is the fastest unit after the mistwalker and has a superior walking range for the price of less HP. remeber that if you hit hard and first your enemy will have a limited ability to retailliate. so first strike is very powerfull. this is also why melee units fail as they give that first strike capability to the enemy, so by the time they reach that enemy they are already severly weakened.
Granite golem has a good HP, damage and a +10% defence breaker and frog princes a low HP low damage but the 30% defence breaker + super range are super effective as long as you are stronger on the battlefield than your opponent, once you lost the battlefield advantage the granite golem becomes superior to the frog prince as it hits harder and has better survivability.
Martial monestary/Sanctuary, unleashed unit upgrades and dwarver armouries are therefore also lifesavers as they reduce your losses enough for you to gain the upper hand and shoot ot throw or spit your enemy to pieces. every unit that does not die, ga do damage in return limiting the enemies ability to hurt you. each round the battle takes compounds it beneficial effect.