Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 12 per week (Horde +6)

None

None

Upgrade Value = Optional

Gnolls are better-than-average units; they specialize in great Damage. Always try to get the first shot in on all enemies you have the Gnolls attack. Increase your growing Gnoll numbers with the Fortress horde building.

An all around stat increase makes the Gnoll Marauder a pure melee-oriented unit. They still have the great damage of the regular Gnoll, but can now last longer in combat because of their defensive improvements.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 9 per week

Ranged

Ranged

Upgrade Value = Important

A bit on the slow side, the defensive Lizard Man can keep the enemy at bay with decent ranged attacks. Lizard Men also have average health to survive weak attacks from enemies.

Lizard Warriors perform much better than regular Lizard Men. They have better Defense and Damage to help ward off enemies that get within melee range.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 8 per week

Flying - Dispel: Serpent Fly attack eliminates all beneficial spell effects from target

Flying - Dispel: Dragon Fly attack eliminates all beneficial spell effects from target - Weakness: Dragon Fly attack lowers the attack of the target (Weakness spell)

Upgrade Value = Essential

Serpent Flies are well-known for leading offensives, but they actually do better defensively. Serpent Flies are the fastest creatures early on, and they can move far for smiting ranged enemies quickly. Their only downside is low Health. Bring them out of the fray if trouble starts to threaten them.

Dragon Flies are lightning quick; send them out to nip ranged attackers in the start of a battle. Then bring them back, or hit another ranged attacker. Each enemy they hit loses all beneficial spell effects and loses some Attack. A Dragon Fly's Defense is slightly better than a normal Serpent Fly, but they still should not be kept in a danger zone for too long.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 4 per week

Petrify: 20% chance of petrifying enemy stack after an attack; petrification lasts for 3 rounds; creatures turned to stone take half damage when attacked

Petrify: 20% chance of petrifying enemy stack after an attack; petrification lasts for 3 rounds; creatures turned to stone take half damage when attacked

Upgrade Value = Optional but Useful

Everything about the Basilisk is exceptional, including price, compared to the stats. The Basilisks can also turn enemies to stone, just like the Medusa. Basilisks are the spearheads of the Fortress army because of their balanced stats and versatility.

All of the basic Basilisk's stats get even better when they upgrade, ranking them among the best level 4 units. Greater Basilisks can give punishment and take some too, so put them to good use against other enemy melee fighters; even higher level units will have to be careful.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 3 per week

None

Death Stare: A % chance that a Mighty Gorgon can kill extra units after an attack. Each Mighty Gorgon has a 10% chance of killing the top unit, to a maximum of 10 Mighty Gorgons, and the more Mighty Gorgons in a stack the higher a chance they have to kill mutiple top units.

Upgrade Value = Essential

Gorgons win the endurance competition with high Defense and very high Health. Use that advantage and their good Damage to help stronger units like the Hydra or weaker units like the Basilisk, or plant them in front of your Lizard Warriors just for fun so enemies dare not approach.

Mighty Gorgons get even more Defense this time around, making them the most defensive level 5 unit. Slighty improved Speed allows for easier manuevering around the battlefield as they battle enemies. Their Death Stare ability allows them to destroy extra units after an attack; this is extremely valuable against level 6 and 7 units, because it kills the same amount of top units indiscriminately.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 2 per week

Flying

Poison Attack: 50% chance of inflicting poison; poison reduces target's health by 10% every round for 3 rounds, but the poison can be inflicted twice in a row, but cannot reduce entire stack's health by more than 50% - Flying

Upgrade Value = Important

Wyverns are cheap and efficient, with all below-average stats, they cannot perform any particular task extremely well, but they still pose a threat to low level enemy ranged attackers.

A big increase in cost gives Wyvern Monarchs more Speed and Damage, and a handy ability to poison enemies. This makes Wyvern Monarchs unbelievably valuable; the poison can hurt enemies even after the Wyvern Monarchs die, and multiple units (preferably ranged enemies) can be poisoned at once. Definitely an important upgrade.

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

Weekly Growth = 1 per week

Hydra-Headed Attack - No Retaliation

Hydra-Headed Attack - No Retaliation

Upgrade Value = Essential

Hydras mostly concentrate on Defense, because they have low Attack and are incredibly slow. The low Speed and Attack can be made up for with its useful ability to hit all enemies around it, without retaliation. Hydras do decent damage as well.

Chaos Hydras get a huge Health bonus, along with small bonuses in other areas. Chaos Hydras can still hit every unit around them; this is extremely effective if used with the Teleport spell. Chaos Hydras can take some good amounts of damage, so send them out to hold back enemy advances.

Attack Skill

40% chance of Regeneration - No Retaliation - Hydra-Headed Attack - Immune to Fear - Acid Attack: Adds extra damage to a Hell Hydra's regular melee attack and lowers target stack's Defense

1 per week

The Hell Hydra, unlike its menacing name, doesn't have much to show stat-wise. Low Attack and Defense and average Health give it a slight weakness in combat against other level 7 and 8 units. But this new Hydra has much more endurance potential: Extra damage on attacks, and a chance to heal the top creature every turn. This sets the Hell Hydra up for the long haul and ensures its place in your ranks at the end of every battle. To use the Hell Hydra most effectively, try some different things. Use that handy Teleport spell to hit a group of units - the regular attack of a Hell Hydra lowers defense of all affected units in addition to the dealt damage. Also, while I recommended holding back enemy advances with a Chaos Hydra, I also suggest you go all out with the Hell Hydra once in a while and throw it into the melee. (Note that the Hell Hydra is only available in the Wake of Gods add-on to Heroes III)