STRONGHOLD UNITS
 
 
Level 1
 
Basic unit
Goblin
Hobgoblin
Upgrade
 
4

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

5
2
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
3
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
1-2
Damage
Damage
1-2
5
Health
Health
5
5
Speed
Speed
7
40 gold
Cost
Cost
50 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 15 per week (Horde +8)
Special Abilities
None
None
Tips
Upgrade Value = Optional but Useful
Tips
Goblins are almost exactly the same as Halflings stat-wise: good offensive skill. They have slightly more Health, and they also possess a horde building which should be purchased for good measure.
Hobgoblins improve everything that Goblins are already good at. With more Attack and Speed, Hobgoblins pose more of a threat on the offensive than the Goblin previously did.
 
 
Level 2
 
Basic unit
Wolf Rider
Wolf Raider
Upgrade
 
7

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

8
5
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
5
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
2-4
Damage
Damage
3-4
10
Health
Health
10
6
Speed
Speed
8
100 gold
Cost
Cost
140 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 9 per week
Special Abilities
None
Double Strike
Tips
Upgrade Value = Essential
Tips
Wolf Riders excel in Attack, so naturally they deal good Damage. Far movement, low Health and average stats are all that can be said of this useful unit.
Wolf Raiders sharpen their skills with extra Attack and Damage, and the ability to strike twice in a row. This combination of handy feats and good Speed makes them a force to be reckoned with, and apparently a force to be targeted. The AI often take advantage of Wolf Raiders' low Health by attacking them more often then other units.
 
 
Level 3
 
Basic unit
Orc
Orc Chieftan
Upgrade
 
8

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

8
4
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
4
12
Shots
Shots
24
2-5
Damage
Damage
2-5
15
Health
Health
20
4
Speed
Speed
5
150 gold
Cost
Cost
165 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 7 per week
Special Abilities
Ranged
Ranged
Tips
Upgrade Value = Optional but Useful
Tips
Orcs have rather low Defense and Health, which makes them vulnerable to punishment from melee units and flyers. Despite that fact, Orcs lean to the offense side of things, so hit enemies hard when you get the chance to.
Orc Chieftans are an efficient upgrade because your plain Orcs will gain a good deal of Health and a little Speed for very little extra cost. While this does not change much of the basic Orc strategy, it allows for a more relaxed play because Orc Chieftans will not crumble so easily as their lesser counterparts.
 
 
Level 4
 
Basic unit
Ogre
Ogre Mage
Upgrade
 
13

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

13
7
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
7
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
6-12
Damage
Damage
6-12
40
Health
Health
60
4
Speed
Speed
5
300 gold
Cost
Cost
400 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 4 per week
Special Abilities
None
Bloodlust: Can cast Bloodlust at Spellpower 6 with Advanced effectiveness on an ally instead of moving/attacking/defending
Tips
Upgrade Value = Essential
Tips
Ogres sacrifice low Defense for a very high Attack, which would normally limit them defensively, but their high Health negates that weakness fairly well. They are very slow, so they cannot catch as much action as some faster creatures.
Being able to cast Bloodlust to improve their allies battle skills is great news for Ogres, who normally can't do much because they can't move far enough to get into the brawl. This gives them something to do from the backseat, and if enemies get close, they pound without fear of death, because Ogre Mages get a HUGE Health bonus. Definitely an essential upgrade.
 
 
Level 5
 
Basic unit
Roc
Thunderbird
Upgrade
 
13

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

13
11
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
11
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
11-15
Damage
Damage
11-15
60
Health
Health
60
7
Speed
Speed
11
600 gold
Cost
Cost
700 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 3 per week
Special Abilities
None
Thunderbolt: 20% chance of a bolt of lightning to hit the target after Thunderbird attack; damage = number of Thunderbirds x10
Tips
Upgrade Value = Optional but Useful
Tips
Rocs have all expectional stats for 5th level units. Good Speed, Health, and even Damage lend them a good reputation for war and its many forms. Use them to crush weaker flyers like Griffins and Serpent Flies.
Shooters beware when Thunderbirds enter the scene. Thunderbirds are very fast, and can sometimes hit targets with lightning bolts for extra damage after attacks. Deep fry enemy shooters with these awesome birds, but watch your wallet because high costs tend to strike you before their lightning strikes their enemies.
 
 
Level 6
 
Basic unit
Cyclops
Cyclops King
Upgrade
 
15

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

17
12
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
13
16
Shots
Shots
24
16-20
Damage
Damage
16-20
70
Health
Health
70
6
Speed
Speed
8
750 gold
Cost
Cost
1,100 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 2 per week
Special Abilities
Ballistics: Instead of attacking an enemy, a cyclops can attack the walls of a town twice during a seige; attack acts as Advanced Ballistics skill
Ballistics: Instead of attacking an enemy, a cyclops can attack the walls of a town twice during a seige; attack acts as Advanced Ballistics skill
Tips
Upgrade Value = Optional but Useful
Tips
The humble Cyclops does not raise many eyebrows. They have low Defense and very low Health, but fortunately for the buyer, very low cost. Cyclopses are a bit slow, so they cannot perform very well against fast foes early on.
A bunch of extra Attack, some more Defense and Speed, and a big increase in cost make a Cyclops a king of combat. Cyclops Kings have very good Attack, but still low Health. So keep them away from pesky foes like Dragon Flies and Silver Pegasi. While their Damage is not spectacular, the Cyclops King is very good for a ranged unit.
 
 
Level 7
 
Basic unit
Behemoth
Ancient Behemoth
Upgrade
 
17

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

19
17
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
19
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
30-50
Damage
Damage
30-50
160
Health
Health
300
6
Speed
Speed
9
1,500 gold
Cost
Cost
3,000 gold + 1 crystal
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 1 per week
Special Abilities
Defense Reduction: Any target a Behemoth attacks has its defense reduced by 40% during the attack
Defense Reduction: Any target an Ancient Behemoth attacks has its defense reduced by 80% during the attack
Tips
Upgrade Value = Essential
Tips
Behemoths, unlike their name implies, are actually rather weak units. Low Health makes them popular targets for enemy ranged units, and Behemoths are often too slow to react to dangerous situations that require some action. Thankfully, Behemoths are the cheapest 7th level creatures.
Ancient Behemoths are infinitely better than the lesser Behemoth. Ancient Behemoths have extremely high Health and good Damage, so forget about the ranged wimps attacking you and go for the Black Dragons or Chaos Hydras instead.
 Level 8
Ghost Behemoth
Stats
 

Attack Skill

25
Defence Skill
25
Shots
n/a
Damage
45-75
Health
600
Speed
11
Cost
6,000 gold + 2 crystal
 
 
Weekly Growth
Special Abilities
Flying - +2 Luck for all friendly troops - Ignores Enemy Defense (100% Target Defense Reduction) - One Extra Retaliation
1 per week
Tips
The Ghost Behemoth deals the most damage out of any creature in Heroes III. While its regular damage is not the highest, its 100% defense reduction causes it to deal massive damage to any unit. The Ghost Behemoth can fly and retaliate twice in a row, which leaves no doubt that it may be the best melee unit ever. The ability to fly modifies the Behemoth strategy quite a bit; use it to attack ranged enemies and strong opponents like level 7 or 8 creatures. (Note that the Ghost Behemoth is only available in the Wake of Gods add-on to Heroes III)