Best level 5 units

[pavned]

I know that if you surf trough the entire forum you might get all the answers you are looking for but I'd like to put it all in one thread. So here it is:

What is the best level 5 units? Is the black dragon so much better then the rest? Personnaly I can'T wait to upgrade my level 2 Phenix spell to a level 3!

I tought the Cyclops was pretty good, but I went on a journey that cost me 4!

[DGDobrev]

In my eyes, the Bone Dragons are the best for single-stack army and Red Dragons for 5-troop army, even though I used a single Black Dragon stack throughout most of my Mage games.

Black Dragons are good if you want to stop the enemy hero's spellcasting, do item upgrades and suppressions (since black dragons can't be hit by spells) or deal with enemies who inflict mainly magic or fire damage. The downside is that they can't be ressed and there is no way to boost them with Stone Skin.

Red Dragons have slightly lower resistances and health, but they can hit a number of enemies in an indefinite straight line and can be resurrected by the Inquisitors. They can also act as tanks with Stone Skin and an occasional Heal.

Trolls must not be underestimated as well because of their overpowered regeneration ability, but their usefulness usually ends when the player gets a good army and puts his feet on the ground as he/she should. Another usefulness lies when fighting some underground bosses (Spider, Driller, K'Tahu), because with Stone skin on they can shrug off the damage and regen in the very same turn.

Bone Dragons are quite cool too. They inflict poison damage, which is great - few enemies other than undead have resistance against it, and can also cut through Dragon lines in record time with their poison cloud ability. The other positive is that they can be resurrected with Elvin, while the other dragons (besides black and bone) can only be ressed by Inquisitors.

[jake21]

I believe that timeback works on red/green dragons.

Originally Posted by DGDobrev

In my eyes, the Bone Dragons are the best for single-stack army and Red Dragons for 5-troop army, even though I used a single Black Dragon stack throughout most of my Mage games.

Black Dragons are good if you want to stop the enemy hero's spellcasting, do item upgrades and suppressions (since black dragons can't be hit by spells) or deal with enemies who inflict mainly magic or fire damage. The downside is that they can't be ressed and there is no way to boost them with Stone Skin.

Red Dragons have slightly lower resistances and health, but they can hit a number of enemies in an indefinite straight line and can be resurrected by the Inquisitors. They can also act as tanks with Stone Skin and an occasional Heal.

Trolls must not be underestimated as well because of their overpowered regeneration ability, but their usefulness usually ends when the player gets a good army and puts his feet on the ground as he/she should. Another usefulness lies when fighting some underground bosses (Spider, Driller, K'Tahu), because with Stone skin on they can shrug off the damage and regen in the very same turn.

Bone Dragons are quite cool too. They inflict poison damage, which is great - few enemies other than undead have resistance against it, and can also cut through Dragon lines in record time with their poison cloud ability. The other positive is that they can be resurrected with Elvin, while the other dragons (besides black and bone) can only be ressed by Inquisitors.

[Zechnophobe]

For me, Red Dragons are the best all around. They do amazing damage, and have significantly better health/leadership and damage/leadership than black dragons. Getting red dragons early on in the game is the single best boost you can get (Yummy shield of rekross!)

Bone Dragons however have their share of tricks. Eviln obviously, but also the target/timeback combo:

Step 1: Move bone dragons into middle of group of bad guys
Step 2: Cast target on them, and wait until end of turn
Step 3: At end of turn (Surrounded by attackers) use poison breath to damage many many stacks at once.
Step 4: Wait with bone dragons turn 2
Step 5: At end of turn, cast time back, to return them to full health, and fly into center of old spot, and use Poison Breath again to once gain hit a whole lot of stacks.

42 mana, second round of combat and you are at full health, and have done a whole lot of poison damage to a whole lot of units. Works just as well with allies. Take a bunch of archers to go in with bone dragon to help pick of baddies, works pretty good.

[DGDobrev]

You're absolutely right. It works, but it's a whopping 30 mana and requires lvl 3 Distortion magic, which the fighter classes can't afford so easily in the beginning. As a mage, you won't have much trouble.

Bone Dragons provide greater efficiency, because even a lvl 1 Evlin for 15 mana (1/10 of the stack recovered) can save you from getting any losses. Lvl 2 is 25 mana and replenishes 1/5 of the stack, while for a fighter class Time Back is 30 and is a one-time miracle until you manage to save up 30 mana again (mana accelerator works, but why spending it on recovering mana when you can spend it on something offensive).

That's the thing... KBTL and KBAP are games that really like efficiency

[pavned]

Is it me or the Ancient Ent is ridiculously uneffective? Aside the fact that it's pratically undestroyable "against non fire based attacking units" can you really use it?

I think it would make it the worst level 5 unit kinda like the Assassin for all level 4 units!

[dashcunning]

Ancient Ents are actually an excellent ranged unit. The damage they do is only surpassed by the extremely fragile thorn hunters and skeleton archers. As you noted, Ents are stupidly tough. That said, ranged units aren't all that great in general. Being among the best of a mediocre bunch isn't anything to get excited about. Similar to cyclops, more damage and health but less mobility and damage resistance. Neither have any tricks that the really good lvl 5 units do.

I would say Ogres are the worst lvl 5 unit, poor damage and the lowest health and damage resistance of the lvl 5s. The drain ability is nifty but only usable once.