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Diesbudt's Guardian Guide

Started by diesbudt, October 12, 2009, 03:09:45 PM MT

diesbudt

DIESBUDT’S GUARDIAN GUIDE

WARRIOR: (Offensive and Defensive): The Warrior is one of the most basic and most used hero’s by players in Hero Mages. It has both a decent offense and a strong defense. It really shines though when augmented as he gets 2x the augmentation (he attacks twice a turn). Also, with his high defense and the ability to share that defense with any friendly unit, he can help keep heroes and other low defense units alive, even your partner’s in a team battle. “The bravest warriors know no bounds, not even enemy territories”.
   Stats
      -Strength 2, Defense 17, Life 5
   Abilities
      -[Duel Wield] Passive: May attack twice a turn
      -[Protect] (1 card cost): Lower warriors defense by 4, to increase a friendly adjacent unit’s defense by 4

*Strengths â€" With the Ability to attack twice, he can be considered a strong offensive character. With a single augmentation, Dragon’s fury for example, the warrior now gets 10 dice to attack this turn. Also, he is the only character, that can regularly earn you 2 valor a turn (the barbarian can also if he kills a unit on his first attack).
*Weaknesses â€" He only has 5 hp. To most this doesn’t seem to much of a factor, but that 1 hp can go along way especially with luck in this game.

*“Good/Bad Unit Combinations”*

Good:
---Paladin: With the Paladin, you have 2 very defensive units that can enter the middle of the field and not be as worried as LoS from enemy mages than other units. And with the Support of Both you could pin or push opponent units to where you want, giving you a slight advantage “controlling the field”. Also the ability for the paladin to heal, your 17 def guardians could survive a while (Depending on luck).
---Rogue:  With a Rogue, he can stand back and force your opponent’s to be more conscious of LoS, as you can close the distance with a buffed warrior with lots of Dice to roll, without taking too much LoS damage.
---Soul Reaver: With this unit, not only can you have 2 offensive and defensive units, but some maps have “chokepoints” where a soul reaver can stand and duel an opponent unit, while the warrior stays behind the Soul Reaver protecting him.  [Think about it, a 4 STR 20 DEF counterattacking unit standing in the only entrance to your unit? Mmmmm]
---Bard: With a bard, you will have a semi-offensive unit helping to damage but also giving a “20%” better hit chance to the warrior. Give the warrior the Bard’s inspiration and a buff, and watch the warrior put the hurt on units. Also if the bard is the focus of your attacks, and you need the bard more (to help with your hero) than your warrior, you can protect him giving him 18 DEF at the sacrifice of your warrior’s DEF.
Bad:
---No actual bad combinations as of the moment

**Duel rating (8/10); Team Rating (9/10); FFA Rating (8/10)


PALADIN: (Defensive and Support): The paladin is another basic unit used highly by all Hero Mage players, new and pro. It has a strong defensive but lacks a comparable offense (Considered 2nd worse offensive unit, behind the psionist). The paladin, however makes up for that in support abilities, with the ability to heal 1 damage a turn and remove stuns and immobilizations for a card each. “It is a well known fact that paladins have cured the incurable for millenniums, all she sees this as, is another day of work”.
   Stats
      -Strength 3, Defense 17, Life 5   
   Abilities
      -[Combat Healing] (1 card cost): Heal a friendly unit in Line of sight 1 damage
      -[Bless] (1 card cost): Remove all stuns and immobilizations on a friendly unit in Line of sight.

*Strengths â€" The Paladin has a high defense of 17 and amazing support abilities at her disposal.
*Weaknesses â€" Same as the warrior, she only has 5 hp to live with and is considered a weak offensive unit.

*“Good/Bad Unit Combinations”*

Good:
---Warrior: <See above under Warrior>
---Soul Reaver: Having another high defensive and offensive unit to balance out the paladin’s support abilities, makes this setup a harder to kill set-up. The Paladin is known to survive the most devastating attacks, and yet your opponent will think extra hard when thinking about melee attacking a 16 Defense Soul Reaver.
---Samurai: The most offensive unit, mixed with the most defensive unit. Just imagine, 1 unit is destroying all your opponents’ hopes and dreams, as the other blocks access of some units trying to get to your hero or samurai and helps keep the samurai from being stunned/immobilized.
Bad:
---Psionist: The Psionist being a supportive unit, needs a strong offensive unit to balance it out, which the Paladin is not. As the only good thing a Psionist has is Mind control (Her offense and defense are bad). And with both paladin and Psionist having only card cost abilities, they are a combo eating cards incredibly fast, leaving you low on offensive cards too.

**Duel Rating (6/10); Team Rating (9/10); FFA Rating (7/10)


BARD: (Offensive and Support): This basic unit has the one thing other units wish they had, a way to get around the high armored units such as the Paladin and Warrior. Her strength is only an average 3, but her passive ability giving her +2 to all rolls, makes her hit more often. And with her ability to help increase the chance to hit to her allies, she is a team player with that support ability. “His sword skills are amazing, but his vocal skills are impossible to match, watch out when he sings the melody of inspiration”!
   Stats
      -Strength 3, Defense 14, Life 6
   Abilities
      -[Precision Strike] Passive: the bard gets +2 to all her rolls
      -[Inspire] (1 card cost): She can give any ally, or herself, in line of sight +4 to their attack roll that turn.   

*Strengths â€" The Bard only has a 3 STR offensive, but also +2 on her rolls, making it so her dice has a better chance to hit. The Ability to give +4 to attack rolls helps support stronger units getting them to do more damage, but also gives her the option to give herself a +6 modifier. Mix that in with a Cripple spell card, and you can almost guarantee most dice will hit.
*Weaknesses â€" The Bard however only has that 3 STR offensive and can’t usually make a strong, devastating hit. Her low defense also makes her a vulnerable target if she was to venture too close to enemy units for too long.

*“Good/Bad Unit Combinations”*

Good:
---Warrior: <See above under Warrior>
---Barbarian: The Barbarian has an amazing 5 STR, and can do damage. But also because the barbarian may attack every time he kills a unit, having the bard to give him +4 to his rolls could result in a fearsome beast. Inspiration + Charge and a bit of luck could see the barbarian doing 5 damage to any unit. Plus with 3 dice already at +2 on rolls, is extra damage that could be needed to help the barbarian kill a unit so it may attack again.
---Rogue: Basically inspiring the rogue and shooting from afar will slowly whither your opponents’ units’ hp pool. Mix this with spells, and he will have no choice but to close the distance. When he gets close enough, that is when the bard springs into action adding his own manipulated dice to the attack pool, helping kill unfortunate victims.
Bad:
---No Actual Bad combinations as of the moment.

**Duel Rating (7/10); Team Rating (8.5/10); FFA Rating (6/10)


ROGUE: (Offensive): This basic unit has one ability that sets it from the rest, the fact that he can attack from any point on the map to any unit within his Line of sight. This mixed with his ability to attack again against any unit at 1 hp is very handy. ”Unlike most Rogues this little guy isn’t stealing your treasure; he is just stealing your life. 1 attack at a time”.
   Stats
      -Strength 3, Defense 13, Life 6
   Abilities
      -[Bow and Arrow] Passive: The rogue can attack any unit in his LoS
      -[Finishing Shot] (1 card cost): The rogue has the ability to attack any unit in LoS that is at 1 hp with 3 STR   

*Strengths â€" The rogue can attack from range, keeping him safely away from danger. And with the ability to attack again at any target with 1 hp, he could do some major damage from a distance.
*Weaknesses â€" He has a very low defense and can die quickly if your opponent can close in on him fast. Also with him long range attacking, your other guardian (who is melee) or your hero is going to be the target of the force from your opponents’ attacks

*“Good/Bad Unit Combinations”*

Good:
---Warrior: <See above under Warrior>
---Bard: <See above under Bard>
---Soul Reaver: The soul reaver can get in the way of your opponents’ melee trying to hunt down your rogue, and keep them at bay. Not only forcing them to take damage from the Soul reaver, but also could force counter attack damage. Meanwhile your rogue is behind shooting more carefree doing damage to the target.
---Barbarian: The Rogue is amazing at keeping other unit’s hidden, which means your units can close distances without too much mayhem happening. The rogue can help the Barbarian move close enough to charge length of an opponents’ weak unit for him to go in for the final blow. And if for some reason the Barbarian couldn’t finish the job, the rogue still has his attack and an extra attack at 1 hp targets.
---Samurai: (Same reason as Barbarian) To help close the distance keeping enemy units hidden behind walls.
Bad:
---Psionist: the psionist’s main ability to mind control opposing unit’s is meaningless if your other guardian can attack from range. And with how small the board is, 2 range guardians isn’t a good idea as it wouldn’t take too long to close the distance with well played sprints. And with both being very low on the defense meter, once that distance is closed… goodbye guardians.

**Duel Rating (7/10); Team Rating (9/10); FFA Rating (10/10)


SOUL REAVER: (Offensive, Defensive and Support): This “expansion” unit has a lot to offer, and in my opinion is the most underrated unit in the game. First he has a good offense, a decent defense. She also has some interesting abilities, first her duel ability can help keep any or your opponents’ units from fleeing from you, but also any melee attacks that fail to hit her, causes her to counter attack. This means she can do damage when it isn’t even your turn! ”She is known as the Dark beauty of the sword; she is as beautiful as she is deadly”.
   Stats
      -Strength 4, Defense 16, Life 6   
   Abilities
      -[Counter Attack] Passive: Whenever a melee attack fails to hit the soul reaver, she gets to do an instant free counter attack.
      -[Duel] (1 card cost) She may immobilize herself until the end of your turn, to immobilize an adjacent unit until the end of its turn

*Strengths â€" She has a moderately high strength with a good defense to back it up. With her counter attacks and duel ability, she could run rampant in your opponents’ backfield if given the chance. The duel ability also means she could catch “prey” and wait for your remaining force to get there.
*Weaknesses â€" Her immobilize support ability, also immobilizes her, making her a main target of attack.

*“Good/Bad Unit Combinations”*

Good:
---Warrior: <See above under Warrior>
---Paladin: <See above under Paladin>
---Rogue: <See above under Rogue>
---Psionist: With a psionist’s mind control you could move an opposing unit into your protected territory and than duel him with the soul reaver forcing him to stay until saved, or killed. Also the Soul reaver has a decent offense and defense to help offset the Psionist’s horrible offense and defense.
---Samurai: Many good opponents realize the first rule when dealing with a samurai is to stay away. Well what if you have a defensive AND offensive unit (soul reaver) force a unit on an opponents’ team to not be able to move as you close in the distance with the samurai? Your opponent will panic trying to save him by killing/stunning the soul reaver wasting cards on her instead of the samurai or your hero. This also means more possible counter attacks.
Bad:
--- No actual bad combinations at the moment

**Duel Rating (8/10); Team Rating (10/10); FFA Rating (9/10)
   

BARBARIAN: (Offensive): This “expansion” unit is a power house of power (Yes I said it so shut it!). He has a very high strength which would put fear into any unit’s soul. He also has the ability to charge and move an extra 4 spaces to get to an opponent. But that isn’t all! He can also attack again every time his attack kills a unit, making him a 1 man army if luck is with you. ”It was recorded that one time he faced off with 100 skeletons and killed them all with a single breathe…”.
   Stats
      -Strength 5, Defense 14, Life 6
   Abilities
      -[Frenzy] Passive: Every time the barbarian kills a unit with his attack, he may once again attack this turn.
      -[Charge] (1 card cost) The barbarian can charge up to 4 extra spaces to an enemy unit.   

*Strengths â€" His high offense and ability to cover a lot of ground to do that damage will make opponents’ think second on moving too close to your army. Also the fact that he can kill multiple units in a single turn makes him a Power to be reckoned with.  I have seen him obliterate 2 man armies alone because of this. [Don’t believe me just ask Ross. /wink]
*Weaknesses â€" His low defense is a huge disadvantage for his specialty. He isn’t one to survive a charge into your opponents’ backfield after doing damage. He also has no support for his fellow units.

*“Good/Bad Unit Combinations”*

Good:
---Bard: <See above under Bard>
---Rogue: <See above under Rogue>
---Psionist: The psionist’s mind control moving an opposing unit closer to you 5 spaces AND the barbarian’s ability to charge and extra 4 spaces means a possible 14 space “closing” movement on any opposing unit. And with the barbarian’s high Offense, and the small offense a psionist can provide, added in with spells, could be good night to any of your opponents’ units.
---Samurai: The only thing more deadly than a samurai? A lucky rolling barbarian. With both closing the distance, you could wreck havoc if any of your opponents’ units gets too close. Also with the barbarian being lower in defense, he can be considered the “decoy” as the samurai closes the  distance for the kill.
Bad:
---No Actual bad combinations as of the moment.

**Duel Rating (9/10); Team Rating (7/10); FFA Rating (6/10)


PSIONIST: (Support): This “expansion” unit is a difficult unit to play, and I suggest learning the other units before trying to understand her tactics. She has a poor defense and even poorer offense.  All she is, is Support with the ability to add a few dice to your attacks. She however can manipulate the field, throwing your opponents’ plans off or causing them great grief when they realize she is a bigger threat than first looks show. ”An old man foretold a woman shrouded in a cloak would come and mess with everyone’s mind. No one believed the old man… until now”.
   Stats
      -Strength 2, Defense 13, Life 6
   Abilities
      -[Psychic Blast] (1 card cost) She can attack any unit in Line of Sight for 3 STR at a SET defense of 14.
      -[Mind Control] (1 card cost) She can mind control any 1 opposing unit in LoS 5 spaces of her choosing.   

*Strengths â€" She can move any 1 unit on opposing team 5 spaces, helping your other 2 units close in for a damaging combo of attacks. This also can mess your opponents’ strategy and confuse them on how to close the gap without getting too close. Seeing one requires a whole new expert strategy to stop her.
*Weaknesses â€" Her main attack (Mind Blast) cannot be buffed, and both cripple and the bard song will not increase how good her attack is. Not to mention it actually makes the 3 dice harder to hit on all heroes but the Fighter Mage. (Her Offense is pretty low) She also has a staggering low defense with the low offense. If she isn’t combined with a strong offensive guardian, she becomes less useful in the battle. She is also expensive unit to play as it costs her 2 cards a turn to do both mind control AND Mind blast.

*“Good/Bad Unit Combinations”*

Good:
---Soul Reaver: <See above under Soul Reaver>
---Barbarian: <See above under Barbarian>
---Samurai: Samurai’s key weakness, is your opponent will probably try and kill him as soon as he peaks his head around the corner. So, to fix that your psionist can bring an opponent unti to him! With devastating damage from him and spells, this move can spell disaster early in the game for your opponent… however if you miss…
Bad:
---Paladin: <See above under Paladin>
---Rogue: <See above under Rogue>

**Duel Rating (7.5/10); Team Rating (9/10); FFA Rating (6/10)


SAMURAI: (Offensive): This “expansion” unit is a pure offensive unit. He doesn’t need to hit more than 1 dice to do maximum base damage. He also has a decent high defense. With his Eviscerate ability, he can automatically kill any unit in melee range at 1 hp. ”The Samurai were thought to be an extinct way of life, until one day a mysterious adventure showed up in samurai armor with a katana in his sheathe.”
   Stats
      -Strength 3, Defense 16, Life 5
   Abilities
      -[Critical Strike] Passive: Samurai gets +2 to damage to his dice rolls
      -[Eviscerate] (2 card cost) The samurai kills any 1 opponent unit in melee range at 1 hp.   

*Strengths â€" The samurai’s strength is in the fact, that he relies a little less on luck, as only 1 dice needs to hit and not all 3. Also his decent defense can make him a bit hard to hit. Basically he is a great unit to “herd” your opponent a certain direction as he/she should try to stay away from him.
*Weaknesses â€" Unfortunately his damage is capped to his 3 strength, so unless buffed he can never do more unlike the barbarian that can do 5. Also he is short 1 hp, making him a bit easier to whither down to kill. His eviscerate ability is also expensive costing 2 cards. Also, because he is feared across the land, your opponent will try and jump/kill him once he does get close in range.

*“Good/Bad Unit Combinations”*

Good:
---Paladin: <See above under Paladin>
---Rogue: <See above under Rogue>
---Soul Reaver: <See above Soul Reaver>
---Barbarian: <See above under Barbarian>
---Psionist: <See above under Psionist>
Bad:
---No actual bad combinations as of the moment

**Duel Rating (9.5/10); Team Rating (8/10); FFA Rating (7/10)


EXTRA COMMENTS

----The Paladin guardian is a much better when run with the Sorceress, Summoner, and Wizard than if ran with the Fighter Mage. This is because her defense can help stall melee units from getting to the weaker Heroes (The fighter mage can take more of a hit) and can remove stuns without attacking your own hero. Granted immobilization can still slow down the Fighter Mage, there are only 2 cards that can immobilize while there is 5 cards that can stun.

Ross Przybylski

Diesbudt- this is the most indepth and insightful reviews of the characters I have ever seen.  Thanks for this great contribution to the community!
Manager of D20Studios, LLC

diesbudt

Ross I updated the guide, if u wanna look at it.

Ross Przybylski

Interesting that you consider the Rogue + Psionist a poor combination.  I have played these together with Sorceress, creating an all-ranged army, with some great success.  Granted, the layout of the map will strongly affect this.  If you have a nice open area that melee units have to cross, you can barrage an enemy with Psychic Blast, arrows, Destruction spells, and Finishing Shot- using the Mind Control to keep them at bay.  Alternatively, you can use Mind Control to lure out a single enemy, and potentially blast the unit from across the map with ranged attacks, getting a kill first turn.

Maps with more cover, however, will suffer from this tactic as getting LOS from all 3 heroes is difficult.
Manager of D20Studios, LLC

diesbudt

Well This is my opinion, but I just don't like how that works. The Psionist's attack is ok. but that is just that ok.

It cannot be buffed, or modified through cripple. And it even buffs all heroes besides FM's def for this attack. And the  rogue isn't a power house himself.

Yes if u combo it with a sorc it could be devastating... but a sorc and rogue alone could devastate a target with the right cards.

I just have never seen a psionist and rogue combo work because sure they can attack afar, but once he has closed the distance you have the 2 least defenseful guardians. And I know personally how fast those can die  (from both ends of the spectrum).


Long Story short: They might work if everything is going for you (los, sorc spells), but I just don't see it as a strong combo compared to others in the game.