Class and Race Combinations

Age of Wonders III4 · 57 ratings6k views90 favorites7 min readby mauvebutterflyView on Steam ↗

Introduction

When you start a new game you need to choose your leader. Your class and your race affect many parts of the game, but not all of those are shown up front. In particular, some of the racial class units get bonus abilities that aren’t shown. This guide will show all of those bonus abilities. If you’re looking to start a new game but don’t know what kind of leader to play, maybe something here will give you some ideas.

I will not be including all the details about the units, just the ones that are above and beyond what you would normally expect. For example, a draconian apprentice has fire resistance. This is because it is a draconian; all draconians have fire resistance. Even though apprentices from other races don’t have fire resistance, this is not interesting enough to be included in this list. Draconian apprentices also have the fire bomb ability. This is interesting, since this is a special perk given to the draconian apprentice that is not given to any other apprentices or to draconian units generally.

If all units of a type have a similar ability but there is variation in what that ability does, I will also be including that here. To use the draconian apprentice as an example again, this unit has fire bolts (fire). This is different from an orc apprentice that uses fairy fire (cold, fire, shock). In cases like these I will include these abilities for reference.

Finally, I usually play this game using the PBEM balance mod. This guide was made for the base unmodded units before the PBEM mod was considered. If anything listed in this guide is followed by (PBEM) that means that it’s unique to the mod and not to the base game.

Arch Druid

Draconian
Shaman
  • has Fire Bolts (fire damage) in addition to Poison Bolts (blight damage)

Dwarf
Hunter
  • is Armored
Shaman
  • is Armored

Goblin
Hunter
  • has Wetlands Concealment
  • has Blight Concealment (PBEM)
Shaman
  • melee attack does blight damage in addition to physical damage
  • has Inflict Noxious Vulnerability

High Elf
Hunter
  • has a Longbow (no range penalty)
Shaman
  • has Total Awareness

Human
Hunter
  • has Throw Net
  • has Water Concealment

Orc
Hunter
  • has Throw Javelin instead of Shoot Bow (orc hunters do so much more damage with Throw Javelin than other orc units for some reason)
  • has a Shield
  • has War Cry
Shaman
  • has Bane Fire (blight, fire, spirit damage) instead of Poison Bolts (blight damage)
  • has War Cry

Halfling
Hunter
  • has Monster Slayer
Shaman
  • has Minor Bard Skills

Frostling
Hunter
  • has Arctic Concealment
Shaman
  • has Frost Bolts (frost damage) instead of Poison Bolts (blight damage)
  • has Inflict Chilling
  • has Arctic Concealment

Tigran
Hunter
  • has Throw Blades instead of Shoot Bow
  • has Coup de Grace
  • has Razor Projectiles
Shaman
  • can transform into a Were Bear

Dreadnought

Draconian
Engineer
  • has Inflict Immolation

Dwarf
Engineer
  • has Projectile Resistance

Goblin
Engineer
  • Blunderbuss also does blight damage
  • Flash Bang also does blight damage
  • has Inflict Noxious Vulnerability

High Elf
Musketeer
  • has Forest Concealment
Juggernaut
  • doesn’t have Tree Crusher (PBEM)

Human
Engineer
  • has Throw Net

Orc
Engineer
  • has Razor Projectiles

Halfling
Golem
  • is called a Party Robot Prototype and has Nourishing Meal
Juggernaut
  • doesn’t have Tree Crusher (PBEM)

Frostling
Tank
  • produces a Frost Tank instead of a Flame Tank

Tigran
Engineer
  • has Sprint

Rogue

Draconian
Scoundrel
  • has Improved Wall Climbing
Assassin
  • has Improved Wall Climbing
Succubus
  • Melee Strike also does fire damage

Dwarf
Scoundrel
  • is Armored
Bard
  • has Shoot Heavy Crossbow instead of Shoot Light Crossbow
Assassin
  • has Projectile Resistance
Succubus
  • has Projectile Resistance

Goblin
Scoundrel
  • Shoot Light Crossbow also does blight damage
  • has Wetlands Concealment
Bard
  • Shoot Light Crossbow also does blight damage
Assassin
  • has Wetlands Concealment
  • has Blight Concealment
Succubus
  • Melee Strike also does blight damage

High Elf
Scoundrel
  • has Forest Concealment
Bard
  • has a Longbow (no range penalty)
Succubus
  • has Total Awareness
  • doesn’t have the base 60% Blight Protection, leaving it with 20% Blight Weakness
  • in PBEM mod it has a total of 20% Blight Protection instead

Human
Scoundrel
  • has Throw Net
Assassin
  • has Water Concealment
  • can Swim

Orc
Scoundrel
  • has Throw Javelin instead of Shoot Light Crossbow (this actually does less damage)
Bard
  • has Razor Projectiles
Assassin
  • is Tireless
Succubus
  • has War Cry

Halfling
Scoundrel
  • has a Slingshot instead of Shoot Light Crossbow
Bard
  • has a Slingshot instead of Shoot Light Crossbow

Frostling
Scoundrel
  • gains Arctic Concealment at Veteran rank
  • in PBEM mod it starts with Arctic Concealment instead
Assassin
  • has Frost Weapons (Assassin’s Strike and Melee Strike also do cold damage)
  • has Arctic Concealment
Succubus
  • Melee Strike also does frost damage
  • has Inflict Chilling
  • doesn’t have the base 60% Fire Protection, leaving it with 40% Fire Weakness

Tigran
Scoundrel
  • has Inflict Bleeding Wounds
Assassin
  • has Coup de Grace
  • is Bloodthirsty
Succubus
  • Melee Strike also does fire damage
  • is Bloodthirsty
  • has an additional 40% Frost Weakness, for a total of 60% Frost Weakness

Sorcerer

Draconian
Apprentice
  • has Fire Bolts (fire damage)
  • has Fire Bomb

Dwarf
Apprentice
  • has Fairy Fire (frost, fire, shock damage)
  • is Armored

Goblin
Apprentice
  • has Bane Fire (blight, fire, spirit damage)

High Elf
Apprentice
  • has Fairy Fire (frost, fire, shock damage)
  • has Total Awareness

Human
Apprentice
  • has Fairy Fire (frost, fire, shock damage)

Orc
Apprentice
  • has Fairy Fire (frost, fire, shock damage)

Halfling
Apprentice
  • has Fairy Fire (frost, fire, shock damage)
  • has Minor Bard Skills

Frostling
Apprentice
  • has Rime Fire (blight, frost, spirit damage)
  • has Frost Weapons (Melee Strike also does frost damage)
  • has Inflict Chilling

Tigran
Apprentice
  • has Magic Bolts (fire, spirit damage)

Theocrat

Draconian
Crusader
  • has Improved Wall Climbing
Evangelist
  • has Fire Bolts
Exalted
  • has Charge

Dwarf
Crusader
  • has Defensive Strike
Evangelist
  • is Armored

Goblin
Martyr
  • Throw Stones also does blight damage

High Elf
Evangelist
  • has Total Awareness

Human
Martyr
  • has Spirit Blast (spirit damage) instead of Throw Stones (physical damage)
Evangelist
  • has Spirit Ray

Orc
Martyr
  • has Throw Javelin instead of Throw Stones (difference is just cosmetic)
Crusader
  • is Tireless
Exalted
  • has War Cry

Halfling
Martyr
  • has a Slingshot instead of Throw Stones
Evangelist
  • has Minor Bard Skills

Frostling
Crusader
  • has Frost Weapons (Melee Strike also does frost damage)
Exalted
  • has Frost Weapons (Melee Strike also does frost damage)

Tigran
Martyr
  • has Inflict Bleeding Wounds
Crusader
  • has Sun Shield
Exalted
  • is Bloodthirsty

Warlord

Draconian
Berserker
  • has Improved Wall Climbing
Monster Hunter
  • has Fire Spit (fire damage) instead of Shoot Light Crossbow (physical damage)
Mounted Archer
  • Melee Strike also does fire damage
Manticore Rider
  • Melee Strike also does fire damage
  • has Inflict Immolation

Dwarf
Berserker
  • has Projectile Resistance
Monster Hunter
  • has Shoot Heavy Crossbow instead of Shoot Light Crossbow
Mounted Archer
  • is Armored
Phalanx
  • has Defensive Strike
Manticore Rider
  • has Defensive Strike
  • has a Shield

Goblin
Monster Hunter
  • Shoot Light Crossbow also does blight damage
Mounted Archer
  • has Forestry
  • has Overwhelm
Phalanx
  • has Life Steal
Warbreed
  • has Disgusting Stench
Manticore Rider
  • Melee Strike also does blight damage
  • has Inflict Severely Poisoned
  • has Inflict Weakened

High Elf
Mounted Archer
  • has a Longbow (no range penalty)
Manticore Rider
  • Melee Strike also does shock damage
  • has Inflict Stun

Human
Mounted Archer
  • has Blessed Arrows (Shoot Bow also does spirit damage)
Manticore Rider
  • has Devastating Charge

Orc
Berserker
  • has War Cry
Monster Hunter
  • has Throw Javelin instead of Shoot Light Crossbow (this actually does less damage)
Mounted Archer
  • has Razor Projectiles
Phalanx
  • has War Cry
Warbreed
  • is Tireless
Manticore Rider
  • has Guard Breaker
  • has War Cry

Halfling
Monster Hunter
  • has Fireworks (physical, fire damage) instead of Shoot Light Crossbow (physical damage)
Manticore Rider
  • has Wing Beat

Frostling
Berserker
  • has Frost Weapons (Melee Strike also does frost damage)
Monster Hunter
  • has Frost Weapons (Melee Strike also does frost damage)
  • has Throw Harpoon (physical, frost damage) instead of Shoot Light Crossbow (physical damage)
Mounted Archer
  • Melee Strike also does frost damage
Phalanx
  • has Frost Weapons (Melee Strike also does frost damage)
Warbreed
  • has Frost Weapons (Melee Strike also does frost damage)
Manticore Rider
  • has Frost Weapons (Melee Strike also does frost damage)
  • has Inflict Chilling

Tigran
Berserker
  • has Pounce
  • is Bloodthirsty
  • has Improved Wall Climbing
Monster Hunter
  • has Coup de Grace
  • has Inflict Bleeding Wounds
Phalanx
  • has Sun Shield
Warbreed
  • is Bloodthirsty
Manticore Rider
  • has Pounce
  • is Bloodthirsty
  • has Inflict Bleeding Wounds

Necromancer

Draconian
Reanimator
  • has Bane Fire (blight, fire, spirit damage) instead of Black Bolts (blight, frost damage)
Death Bringer
  • has Improved Wall Climbing

Dwarf
Reanimator
  • is Armored

Goblin
Reanimator
  • Melee Strike also does blight damage
Death Bringer
  • has Inflict Severely Poisoned

High Elf
Reanimator
  • has Total Awareness

Human
Death Bringer
  • Melee Strike does spirit damage instead of blight damage

Orc
Reanimator
  • has Throw Curse
Death Bringer
  • has War Cry

Halfling
Reanimator
  • has Memories of Joy
Death Bringer
  • has Backstab

Frostling
Reanimator
  • has Inflict Chilling
Death Bringer
  • has Frost Weapons (Melee Strike also does frost damage)

Tigran
Death Bringer
  • is Bloodthirsty

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