Overview
Tabletop Gods has a number of troops to choose from, and as such, it’s important to understand how each of them behave in order to make the most them.This guide will give you the insight you need about your forces to deploy them effectively in battle. Go forth and squash your opponents in battle. Good luck, and have fun!
Knights: The Backbone of Your Army
The Knight: Loyal, brawny, and well armoured. Knights are a moderately priced Troop that is both a hefty defender and a ruthless attacker. Knights will charge headfirst into enemy troops, spreading themselves to form a wall of blades and bodies. Knights are attracted to enemy Troops, and will always attack them first.
Knights are effectively deployed near enemy Troops, and can deal large amounts of damage very quickly when in high numbers, making them a great option when defending against heavier troops, like the Demon Lord, Giant, Shambling Hulks, or Behemoth.
Because of this, you’ll want to extend their lifetime as much as possible in order to deal maximum damage. For example, when deploying against a Giant, you’ll want to try to deploy Knights behind them while they’re distracted attacking something else. Likewise, larger Troops often deal splash damage that can annihilate your Knights. Due to this, it’s best to wait and deploy more Knights immediately after your target makes an attack. That way you increase the amount of time your Knights are in the field before they’re hit with another attack.
Keep in mind that those heavier Troops are well equipped to deal with groups, and though your Knights have the power to quickly dispatch of enemies when in high numbers, they are still vulnerable and can suffer heavy losses when matched against splash damage. With this in mind, your utility spells can help you in a pinch. Stasis can freeze enemies in place, allowing your knights to beat them down while they’re helpless. Blossom, when applied to your Knights will cause them to explode when they are defeated, which can help you deal some extra damage to your target.
A stalwart ally, Knights will yield positive results in most situations, and are the backbone of your Human army. Be careful, though. Deploying this troop too quickly might leave you tapped out for too long, giving your opponent a brief edge, and the means to penetrate your defences. Likewise, these bold troops will often charge headstrong into the enemy lines, leaving them open to ranged attacks – their greatest weakness.
Archers: Precise and Deadly
Archers are loyal, precise, and expert Troops. Their range is nearly unmatched, and their potential is extreme. This Troop will launch volley after volley into their target until they bring it down.
Archers are exceptionally useful simply due to the massive range in which they can volley their arrows. Their most obvious use is in defence. Their long range lets your deploy Archers far back where they can remain safe for a long time. Archers are a Sentry troop, meaning they will not move once placed into the field. This behaviour is particularly useful for Archers since once they’re in a safe position, they can continue to fire arrows at enemies without much risk. Their low cost makes them particularly reactive, as well. If your opponent has an affinity for bombarding you with Bombers, one well placed Archer can endlessly defend a Stronghold, since a single volley of arrows is enough to bring them down.
Although they are excellent defenders, they have a very high potential for dealing offensive damage as well. Placing Archers just close enough to attack Strongholds can frustrate your enemy to no end. Their low cost allows you to constantly drop Archers as they are defeated so they can constantly dish out damage to Strongholds. Defending these aggressive placements will only aid in your conquest. Fortify, for example, when placed on friendly Structures will augment them to send magical piercing energy into your enemies, which can greatly help your Archers survive.
Take care when playing aggressively with your Archers, as a single Canon Tower or equivalent can easily wipe out a unit of your Archers, wasting their potential. If you’re feeling particularly gutsy, however, placing a Champion up front to attack a position can be enough to draw most or all enemy ranged attacks away from your Archers and onto the Champion, who can deflect ranged projectiles using their protective shielding. Together, this combination can demolish your opponent’s defensive line.
Use your Archers constantly; they level up over time by dealing damage. Archers have immense potential at higher levels, and this unit alone can decide the fate of the game during the third WAR! phase. If you can have your Archers reach level 3 by the third round, their potential to destroy Strongholds is quite high. Your opponent will have no choice but to spend precious Mana on Troops in order to fend off the continuous volleys from your offensive positions.
Be very careful, though, to not place all of your Archers on one side of the battlefield. This mistake can have horrible consequences as your immobile Archers stand totally still, allowing your opponent to play around them for the remainder of the round. Your opponent can even avoid them all together by simply attacking a different lane, where your misplaced Archers cannot reach them.
Archers have very high potential, and should be seen as a primary source of damage. Do not let them fall out of position. They should always be placed in such a way that they can either defend your Strongholds or attack enemy Strongholds.
Giants: Massive and Mighty
Giants are the biggest, toughest members of the Human Empire. Lacking in more traditional intelligence, Giants let their boulders do the thinking for them. Able to pummel both Structures and Troops with ease, this Troop will make a powerful servant, crushing enemies beneath their primitive yet effective weaponry.
Giants are one of the toughest Troops available in play. Their massive pool of health allows them to take huge amounts of damage. Partner this attribute with the Harden Spell, and you’ll be shocked at the beating this Troop is willing to take.
Giants are intended to be used as siege weapons. Their most effective use is crushing enemy Structures. The amount of damage a single Giant can deal to Strongholds is unmatched by any other Troops. However, they are slightly difficult to control. These lumbering warriors are easily distracted, and will always turn their attention to annoying enemies poking at their ankles. Because of this, it’s key to support your Giants however you can.
Giants are one of the few Troops who have the Menacing quality. This means that they generate more threat than their allies, and will often be the primary target of enemy Troops. This means that enemies will almost always attack Giants first, and might even ignore your smaller Troops all together when they are forced to choose a target. Because of this, you can easily draw attention away from your supporting Troops. Pairing Giants and a Wizard proves to be particularly effective, as enemy ground Troops will move in to attack your Giants, causing them to group up in an area where your Wizard’s splash damage can wipe them out. This combination can make for an excellent attacking strategy, since your Giant will keep your Wizard protected, all the while the Wizard will easily clear groups of Troops, allowing your Giant to approach enemy Strongholds without becoming distracted by lesser targets.
Giants pose immense threat to Strongholds. If you’ve got the Mana to spare, dropping a Giant in a previously empty lane will almost certainly result in your opponent dropping some sort of defence in the same lane to slow down the Giant’s advance. These Troops cannot be ignored, as only a few strikes with their massive boulders will deal tremendous damage to a Stronghold.
In this same way, you can use Giants to force your opponent into utter panic as you continue to place Giants into lightly defended lanes. You might get lucky and get a Mana advantage over your enemy. With some luck, and tactical placement of Giants, you can watch and laugh as your opponent struggles to summon Troops in all lanes as they attempt to halt your Giants.
Remember that the key to success with Giants comes from ideal placement. Placing them in lightly defended lanes forces your opponent to divert their forces in order to defend.
Remember that Lightning Traps can instantly destroy a Giant, so it’s best to clear a lane with some Knights or a Bomber to be sure that it is trap free for your Giants.
Tactical spells like Harden and Stasis can prolong the life of your Giants significantly by simply reducing their damage intake. Likewise, War Clerics make for great allies to a Giant by healing them while they take most of the damage.
Giants are super versatile. They can totally destroy groups of small Troops, deal plenty of damage to singular heavy Troops, or assist other heavy hitters by soaking up damage on their behalf.
Wizards: Magical and Wise
Wizards are powerful magicians who call upon the destructive power of fire to scorch enemies who stand in their way. This frail old fella may not seem like much, but he packs a punch like no other. Brave and wise, the Wizard hobbles forward, leaving destruction in his wake.
Wizards are a mobile ranged Troop with extreme potential to deal damage. Their blazing fireball attack will explode on impact, dealing damage to any enemies that are nearby. Their spectacular range and powerful magic lets them destroy swarms of enemies with ease. Skeletons, Knights, and Reavers alike are easily dispatched within seconds after meeting the gaze of a Wizard. Their magic is so powerful, in fact, that even the Undead Shambling Hulks can be quelled in only a few attacks from a Wizard.
This power and wisdom has come from decades of practice, and though the Wizard may wield amazing magic, his age has left him brittle and weak. The Wizard has the lowest pool of health of all Troops, and is defeated by even the slightest of attacks.
Because of this, Wizards are almost always best suited for the back line at their maximum range. When deploying Wizards try to be sure that there is at least one other friendly Troop ahead of them. Enemies are more likely to attack the nearest target, so making sure that your Wizard is not the nearest target is key to keeping them alive.
Make use of the Range Indicator that appears while you’re deploying a Wizard. You can see the maximum range of a Ranged Troop highlighted in orange while you are deploying them. The photo below has been lined in red to make the range more obvious. Wizards, for the most part, will ignore vertical distance between itself and a target. Use this to your advantage. Put obstacles and height differences between your Wizards and your Enemies to let them safely attack from a distance.
Wizards are tenacious. When deployed, they will push forward to attack, just like their allies. This behaviour can cause small issues when they walk themselves into enemy attacks. Wizards are weak, and cost a whopping 6 Mana to deploy. Pay attention to what lies ahead, as they may waste their potential by haphazardly approaching enemies.
On the other hand, you can use this behaviour to ensure their safety by deploying them very far back in your own Regions. Deploy a Wizard far back, take some time to replenish your Mana, and then back them up with some Troops placed forward to distract enemies from your heavy hitting Wizard.
Wizards are excellent for supporting other Troops, and should be used primarily to do so. Wizards will not last by themselves and they can be easily defeated with the placement of any enemy Troop that is close enough to attack them. Always be sure to have some of your own Troops in between your Wizard and the enemy.
Though Wizards do significant damage to Strongholds, you will likely struggle to keep them around long enough to damage them significantly. Do not use this Troop as a primary source of damage, as without nearby allies, they are too easily disrupted. That being said, similar to your Archers, a well timed Fortify can help keep enemies at bay while your Wizards throw their flaming attacks their way. Combine this with the impressive might of your Giants or Champions and you might find their destructive power to overwhelming.
Champion: Stalwart Hero
The Champion is an upright hero of the Human Empire. They excel in protecting their allies and are glad to take even the deadliest attacks on behalf of their allies. Blessed with protection, the Champion is surrounded by a reflective shield that will keep them completely protected from ranged projectiles. Their bravery shines through as they charge head-strong into battle with their war hammer raised high in the air before bringing it down mercilessly on the opposition.
The Champion is your faction’s centrepiece. When deployed correctly, Champions have the ability to completely turn the tables on your opponent. Even your enemy’s most well-guarded Regions can be overtaken with an effective Champion. Not only is the Champion protected from all ranged projectiles, but they can charge forward with great speed in order to bring down heavy splash damage against groups of enemy Troops with their great hammer. You can use this fervor to your advantage. When your opponent has populated a primary objective heavily with Ranged Troops, placing a Champion in the midst of battle can prove completely detrimental to their defence.
Troops will normally choose to continue attacking an enemy rather than change targets. Because of this, you can indefinitely distract Ranged Troops by charging a Champion into battle first. Once Ranged Troops are distracted by a Champion, they will stay distracted, allowing you to drop some smaller Troops like Archers or Knights without fear of them being picked off by enemy Ranged Troops.
The Champion is a power house. Their massive war hammer can deal enough splash damage to completely destroy deployments of Flesh Lobbers and other Ranged Troops. Not only that, but Champions will charge forward with surprising speed when they come near enough to an enemy. This can prove especially effective at getting them to be the first into battle, which is key to have them attract ranged attacks away from your other Troops.
Their only weakness is melee attacks. When faced against a large group of Melee Troops, Champions may be easily defeated as their attack speed is very slow, allowing enemies to get in a lot of hits between a Champion’s hammer attacks. That being said, as long as the Champion makes the first attack, they will often survive as they have wiped out a significant chunk of the competition. Be wary of your opponent using Stasis against your Champions, as that can leave them extremely vulnerable to melee attacks. Likewise, you can use Stasis yourself to prolong a Champion’s life by delaying attacks for a brief period from potential threats.
Remember, speed is key. Make sure that your Champion is not only the first one to rush into battle, but that it is the first to strike before enemy Troops. This will give it a chance to eliminate a clump of enemy Troops and reduce their effectiveness against your Champion.
Remember that once an enemy is attacking a Champion, is it very likely to continue attacking that Champion until it has been defeated. Because of this, it can indefinitely draw ranged attacks away from other friendly Troops with their deflective shielding. You can accent this effect by using War Clerics along with your Champion to allow them to take more damage from melee sources before falling in battle.
Pair this Troop with Wizards for great effect as enemy Melee Troops are likely to attack a Champion when it is the first one into battle. This will group them up to make your Wizard’s splash damage more effective.