Counting down to #1– the top 10 abilities in Factions: Battlegrounds (#7-#5)

Last week we kicked off the countdown of the Top 10 Abilities in Factions: Battlegrounds with #10-#8 (and some honorable mentions!). Let’s keep it moving and get into the second batch of top 10 level abilities!

Prior to #7, I have to throw in my usual reminder that this list is solely my opinion- and therefore your top 10 can be completely different! Onward!

#7- +1 GOLD (or +1 MANA) PER ROUND

(Zyan- Farm Peasant) (+1 Gold)

(Doom Sand- Goldminer Contractor) (+1 Gold)

(Zermano- Manawing Aku) (+1 Mana)

(This unit generates + 1 Gold (or Mana) Per Round during the resource counting phase)

Don’t let the fact that these units cannot do any damage whatsoever get you confused. Don’t let these units terrible combat and (other than Manawing Aku) slower- than- molasses speed and rank fool you. Units that generate an extra resource are extremely valuable and I have personally witness many a game in which a Farm Peasant or unit like them is the most important unit on the board. This is because resource generation is paramount in a sustaining a solid offensive throughout the entire game. Lots of times, players race out to 15 or 20 victory points, only to have nothing left in the resource stockpile for those final crucial eliminations. + 1 generators have absolutely no desire to rush into the action, and are excellent when tucked away safely in an isolated corner of the board, churning out a war chest for you. Consistency also really elevates the value of these units- as they don’t have to be on their home terrain tiles to get the +1 bonus. If they ARE comfortably on their home terrain though, they get that standard resource generation as well- and if kept safe they will make every unit in your warband (or every spell in the Manawing Aku’s case) a possibility. It is the ultimate low-risk, low maintenance, high reward ability!

#6- WAR HORN

(Primus- Amazon Champion)

(Baazaria- Asanbosam Packmaster)

(Put a unit of the indicated unit type into your base camp without paying it’s gold recruitment cost)(1 use)

In the current game, unit types are the least-utilized element of a unit card. On a Factions: Battlegrounds card, the unit type can be found underneath the unit name and directly to the left of the “generates”. Unit types rarely come into play… unless a general takes advantage of War Horn.

Activations are extremely important in taking control of a battle in Factions: Battlegrounds- and the more units you have on the board, the more activations you have. War Horn enables players to get a unit on the board for free, making it very strategically powerful. War Horn is best used to accelerate an offensive, as it brings another attacker onto the board right away. It’s also useful as a catalyst for early game advantages, as using War Horn right away basically extends your vanguard, giving you an extra unit in round 1 for no cost. Beyond activations, that free unit can pick up resource centers, generate more resources, and allow you to spend your gold elsewhere.

#5- STEALTH

(Primus- Sabertooth Hodag)

(Primus- Greater Wyvern)(Jungle spaces only)

(Enemy units cannot move prior to making melee attacks on units with Stealth)

Stealth is an outstanding ability, and I can easily see it as a top 3 ability in the entire game- as from here on out the difference between the top 5 is razor thin. Melee attacks are almost always the most common form of attacking in almost every battle, and almost every melee attack is preceded by a unit moving a few spaces and then attacking. Stealth foils the most common activation (moving then melee attacking) in the game. Units with Stealth therefore become great 2 way (offensive and defensive) melee fighters themselves- usually getting to attack without sustaining any damage themselves. Enemy generals also have to consider making units with Stealth priorities for ranged attacks or spells, therefore freeing up some of your other non-stealth units that might normally be targets. Stealth really works well when units lurk on the edges of the battleground, isolating melee-attacking enemies and ripping them apart one at a time.

As I mentioned- Stealth is the first of the top 5- and the first of the abilities I consider to be true game-changers… What abilities do you think will crack the top 5? Did I overrate or underrate anything? Make sure to check back next week as we get closer and closer to #1!