There are a few outstanding units that are underrated- at least in the battles I have been a part of!

Throughout my numerous (literally hundreds) of Factions: Battlegrounds games, it seems to me that there are some clear “fan favorites” that often see the battleground. Some players like powerful melee point scorers and some love to use units that can unleash major spells. Some players prefer speedy, high-ranked units to swarm their opponent and others like to use long-ranged or aerial attacks to their advantage. Clear patterns emerge as players figure out what units are great and what units are not so great. However, there are a few units I want to highlight that I think are game-changers that don’t always get the superstar treatment– I’ll call these units triple U’s– as in Underused, Underappreciated Units!

Keep in mind– this is just my experience, and is totally subjective (as is everything on this blog) and- like Taylor Swift says- I’m the problem it’s me. Oftentimes I am not giving these units the chance to help me win battles. Perhaps some players use these units every game!

Let’s get in to it!

MONSTROUS UMUTHI (Parada)

This Parada powerhouse is actually a quadruple U as in underused, under appreciated Umuthi unit. The Monstrous Umuthi has a 13 health- second highest in the game, and unlike the Kraken Overlord, it’s cost is not going to set you back for like 5 rounds. Once the Monstrous Umuthi hits the board, you know it’s going to extend the game at least a couple of rounds. It’s a great fit for Parada (which ironically is why I think I overlook it-I’ll explain!) because it draws a ton of attention. There is not a single unit in the game that can eliminate the Umuthi with one attack. As enemies rush towards the Umuthi, they rush AWAY from Parada’s ranged units– making them vulnerable targets. Oh, and the Umuthi doesn’t just stand around and take hits. 5 damage is a big-time attack skill- it just seems low next to that jaw-dropping 13 health. The Monstrous Umuthi is a GREAT unit for Parada to extend the battle and re-group if the start is less than ideal. It’s also a really good unit to bring out to defend the basecamp and long range shooters.

So why do I overlook it? Probably because Parada wants to play fast and rangy. The 1 movement is totally counter-productive to that overall strategy on the surface. However, Parada’s strength lies in being able to use long ranged attacks and not get hit to hard in the center of the board. The Monstrous Umuthi’s presence in the center of the board can take away that potential downside immediately. It forces your opponent to not only fight you in the forest, but actually fight the forest itself… and that makes the rest of Parada’s roster much deadlier. I also think the mana generation frightens off some players- and I get that! But it’s more than likely the Umuthi can lumber (see what I did there? I’ll see myself out) to a resource center with plenty of health to spare and take root (last tree pun I promise) on a gold mine. Once it’s there, it’s not going to be moved for awhile, potentially earning back a good portion of what was invested in it.

SORCEROR OVERLORD (Zermano)

Zermano has some of the best spellcasters in the game, but I always seem to neglect the one that has the most outright power. The Sorcerer Overlord’s Vaporize is bonkers. 9 damage?? That will decimate almost anything in the game. Sorceror Overlord is an outstanding reinforcement round play, as they can blast anything to pieces that gets too close to the basecamp- and with 4 rank, they have the potential to lead off the next round. Skypierce is one of the most underrated spells (ironic it’s on one of the most underrated units) as it’s 3 range can be a serious nuisance to Aerial units. The Sorceror Overlord is anchored by 2 health- while low objectively, it’s better than a lot of spellcasters. Despite all that power, my favorite thing about this unit is Dominion. With Aquatic units, it’s a solid strategy to snatch 2 of the same Resource Centers by summoning directly to those spaces, and then sitting back and letting the Sorceror Overlord pick up extra points. It’s even better if said resource centers are mana pools, because then there will be ample mana for a Vaporize if anything threatens the Overlord.

Cost is a big-time factor with Zermano- both gold and mana need to be carefully monitored. I think that’s why sometimes I unnecessarily pass on the Sorceror Overlord. One issue that I have is that I usually use some of Zermano’s other spellcasters first, then maybe try to bring on the SO later in the game. This is because the other spellcasters have cheap yet effective spells with more range. It’s a sound strategy, but it doesn’t make a ton of sense to try to bring in a unit that needs 9 mana to succeed when resources have been depleted. The Sorceror Overlord can be an excellent lead spellcaster, especially when protected by Zermano’s aquatic and melee units.

KICHWAVORE RAVAGER (Baazaria)

The Kichwavore Ravager is an undead assassin-hunter that kills in a variety of ways. Baazaria likes to control the battleground and does not need to rush to the front lines of melee combat- and the Ravager’s range helps keep it in alignment with that overall strategy. 4 rank/Captain gives the Ravager excellent value as a unit you can build an assault around. While the core attributes are solid, the abilities are where the Kichwavore Ravager goes from solid to amazing. The Kichwavore’s pairing of Execute and Ambush are arguably the best ability combo in the game. Ambush lets the Kichwavore intimidate enemies from reaching certain spaces and helps immensely with Baazaria’s overall board control strategy. The ranged attack, both regular and via the Ambush give the Kichwavore excellent wounding power– and that happens to work perfectly with Execute. The Execute ability makes the Kichwavore a finisher and an elite one at that. The faction fit could not be better- as Deathstorm Lich and Deathwave can really open up a ton of major points by way of Execute.

I think the reason I don’t let the Kichwavore Ravager loose as much as I should is because while it does a lot of excellent things, it sort of has to pick a lane. As a Captain, it can’t really get aggressive and use it’s deadly abilities. As a point scorer, it might wreak havoc, but it also might get chopped down really easily with only 2 health. Even it’s abilities make you have to choose one way or the other. Execute can only be a melee attack, and getting adjacent to enemies limits the effectiveness of the KR’s range. Despite this, I need to feature it more when I play Baazaria- it’s a LETHAL unit when used by a cunning player!

ROYAL BATTLELORD (Zyan)

Having a 5 rank Captain unit is always a huge advantage, and having one with the ranged attack that Royal Battlelord has gives Zyan a tremendous weapon. The Royal Battlelord will almost always have the chance to lead off the round, and they’ll usually have plenty of units to command. Zyan has no problem racking up gold and no problem getting units onto the battleground. That being said, what makes the Royal Battlelord a superstar is the 5 health paired with the range and rank. That health becomes a big challenge when you have to cross a battleground probably full of Zyan troops that have flooded your tiles and grind your way past a couple of ranged attacks. The Royal Battlelord is a tough, tough unit to kill- significantly tougher than you realize as they usually can coordinate an attack or shoot down approaching enemies. Inferno Oil is a nice little surprise for factions that use water spaces- and adds another challenge to the already tall task of crossing the board to kill the Battlelord.

8 gold is a lot, even for a faction that is adept at getting more, and I think that sometimes I try to recruit 2 units for Zyan with that amount of gold as opposed to spending it all in one place. Zyan wins by dominating activations, and having multiple units make attacks on bigger units. Also, the Battlelord is more of a defensive unit, and when I do spend on Zyan’s top notch units, I go for the more mobile offensive units like Sunfire Angel or Unicorn Warhulk. This is not always the best way to win with Zyan though, and the Royal Battlelord is often the best and most impactful unit on the board, especially against factions with low rank, Aquatic, or Amphibious units.

What are some units that you have found that are game-changers, but you feel are your Triple- U’s?