Overview
Endless hordes of the Undead are at your disposal. To utilize them effectively, you ought to know what to expect once they hit the table top.The guide will give you all the tips and tricks to need to understand and eventually master these shambling minions.
Skeletons: Waves of Tenacity
An unending supply of warriors; these Skeletons can overwhelm even the most battle-ready opponents..
Skeletons can be deployed in large volumes at an affordable price. Covering a relatively large, circular area, a single deployment of Skeletons is easily able to surround enemy troops. This allows you to overwhelm enemies and get your Skeletons to attack from the front and the rear. This is especially useful while distracting Giants from attacking your strongholds, as their directional attacks will not deal damage to the Skeletons behind them. This means that it takes two attacks or more to destroy them all; and by that point you’re able to summon even more! Be wary though, as their numbers are contrasted by their low durability. Their weakness makes them an easy target for Troops who utilise splash damage, such as the Human Wizard. Skeletons rely heavily on numbers, and when they inevitably fall, so does their effectiveness on the battlefield.
As quickly as they fall, they rise up. You are able to summon this Troop quickly after they are defeated due to their lower price. Spawning Skeletons regularly allows you to stay in the fight, wearing down your opponent’s forces until they’re no longer able to fight back. Not only that, when given enough distance, Skeletons will leap forward to get the first strike on their target, making them excellent at dealing with fragile targets like the Bomber.
This tenacious Troop should not be overlooked. Given the right opportunities, their unending waves can overcome most defences by quickly expending a Trap’s uses and drawing fire away from your more powerful Troop choices.
Flesh Lobbers: Mindless Minions
Flesh Lobbers are crazed minions of their god; literally throwing their own brains at the enemy. Don’t worry, though, their brains will grow back to be thrown again.
Flesh Lobbers are tough and powerful warriors. They can serve to be extremely useful in many cases during play. Flesh Lobbers are a ranged Sentry Troop. Compared to other Sentries, their range is quite limited. However, they make up for their lack of range with their sheer power. They deal hefty splash damage where ever their mushy brains land.
Flesh Lobbers are stout and tough. They can take notable amounts of damage before succumbing to their wounds. Not only that, but they can actually regenerate their health over time. This feature is particularly important as it is how they level up! This means that it’s important to deploy your Flesh Lobbers farther ahead. Not only will they be more effective (due to their limited range), but it will give them more opportunities to lose HP, regain it, and gain experience over time!
In particular, Flesh Lobbers can be quite useful when attacking enemy Strongholds. They’re tough, so they can (hopefully) get more attacks in without being wiped out, and with some support, can deal heavy damage to your foes.
Some positions are pretty sneaky for the Flesh Lobbers, and placing them in ideal positions can keep a lot of pressure on your opponent. In most cases, you’ll want to use Flesh Lobbers in such a way that they are always dealing damage. Whether it be to Structures or Troops, as long as Flesh Lobbers are dealing damage, your opponent will not be able to ignore them. Pair these relentless zombies with a Pestilence Launcher and you can easily tear down enemy Strongholds early in the round. (Provided you support them with other troops).
Be careful while playing against Humans, as their superior range can cause you some woe. Their Wizards pack a wicked punch and can easily wipe out your Flesh Lobbers without fear of taking damage, as their superior range allows them to attack from safety. Likewise,Giants can soak up tremendous damage from your Flesh Lobbers and squash them instantly with one swift melee attack.
Remember, the key is to be aggressive with this Troop. Place them far ahead where they can reach enemies. Use them when being flooded with weaker Troops such as Knights and Reavers as their splash damage will easily defend against larger groups. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to allow them to take some damage. Their experience is gained by regenerating health. Placing them in a “safe” position may keep them on the table, but they won’t level up!
Shambling Hulks: Aggressive Abominations
Shambling Hulks are amalgamations of flesh and bone, recklessly stitched together to form a hulking beast. These focused minions disregard all pain and march forward toward their only objective: destruction. Though slightly weaker and more expensive than Giants, this Troop deploys in pairs and will never stop to attack other Troops that might attempt to halt their march.
Shambling Hulks can be a devastating force. Protecting your Shambling Hulks is entirely necessary once they’ve been deployed. They cannot soak up nearly as much damage as other large Troops, and though they spawn in pairs, just one Wizard can be enough to eliminate them before they reach their goal.
That being said, there are plenty of ways to ensure your Hulks reach their target. Dark Shroud, one of the three current Power Spells, will conceal an area in darkness, dealing damage over time to all enemies within it and stopping all ranged Troops from firing into or from within the area of effect. With some proper timing, sneaking any number of Shambling Hulks under the black clouds of the Dark Shroud can help ensure their delivery to enemy Strongholds. Pair this with a stream of Bombers and you can demolish Structures with haste.
To ensure effectiveness, it’s usually smarter to deploy Shambling Hulks as far back as possible in your Regions. This will give you some extra time to generate the Mana you need to drop some important supporting Troops nearby to help get your Hulks where they gotta go.
Another strategy, building upon the above, is to split your efforts between all the possible options. Once in a while, try dropping a Necromancer far back in your Regions to give it some time to “spin up” and summon its maximum amount of Necrospawn. Once this horde reaches an enemy Region, use your newly generated Mana to deploy your Hulks in an entirely different lane. Your opponent will be forced to choose one of the two threats, a massive horde of Necrospawn, loyally following their master, or a pair of beefy Hulks with the potential to literally slap the health off of a Stronghold.
Remember that the goal of the Undead is to effectively overwhelm the enemy. This might require you to practice the timing required to have all your forces reach the enemy Regions all at the same time. This may also prove a bit tricky as you must balance between defence and offence. Be sure to make use of your Flesh Lobbers and Skeletons to keep enemies away from your Strongholds while you get ready for your big push.
With Shambling Hulks, you can take advantage of the bonus Mana rewarded after losing a Stronghold. If you feel you’re losing a Stronghold, it’s usually best to take advantage of the situation. Spend your remaining Mana on deploying Troops wherever your enemy seems the weakest, instead of attempting to defend your at-risk Stronghold.
Once your Stronghold inevitably falls, back up your offensive efforts with your bonus Mana. Drop a pair of Shambling Hulks offensively at the front line, wait a moment to charge up to 7 Mana, and then drop another pair.
Your opponent, who has likely spent most of their Mana on their own offensive, may scramble to deploy a defence. Take advantage of the situation and deploy a Fireball or Dark Shroud to ensure your hordes reach their target.
Remember, Hulks are weaker than other large Troops and can’t take as much damage. Be sure that you’re backing them up with supporting Troops. Try to to conceal them in a Dark Shroud when you have the chance. It’s better to do this in the first two WAR! phases of a match to get an advantage early.
Remember that timing is your most effective tool. Try your best to have your Hulks reach the enemy Regions at nearly the same time as other Troops to put a lot of pressure on your enemy.
Hulks are a Menace. As such, they will often be the primary target of Troops – especially Ranged Troops. Likewise, they will almost always grab the attention of your opponent, and will normally motivate your opponent to act defensively when they pop up. Spread the threat around and force your opponent to spread their forces thin to combat you across the entire battlefield and not in a single lane.
Lich: Soul Stealer
The Lich is a sorcerer of dark will. The Lich does away with weaponry and armour and instead wields only his ability to steal the life-energy from his foe. This magical attack arcs across the air like electricity, assailing multiple targets at once, draining the target of their health and healing the caster simultaneously.
Liches, when deployed, begin with only a fraction of their maximum health. In order to replenish themselves to full health, the Lich must siphon the life from enemies, which becomes even more effective when targeting a group. Their attack can be so effective, in fact, that in some cases a Lich can fend for themselves while under attack by a few small Troops such as Knights.
The range of the Lich is significantly shorter than their counter-parts, the Human Wizard and Demon Mage. However, their ability to heal themselves makes them exceptionally reliable when they are properly protected. Pair this Troop with a horde of Skeletons to protect them and watch as they reap the benefits. Not only will they continuously deal damage to enemies that are within range, but they will follow their allies to ensure that they can assist them in their duties.
This Troop has a reserve limit of only 2. Together, this diabolical pair can deal tremendous damage to large groups of enemies all at once. Though they are powerful, they are only another cog in the Undead war machine. They are most effective when they are mixed in with their allies, assisting them and following them to victory. Remember that the key to Undead success is a well coordinated horde.
Liches are defensive in nature and will not charge forth to battle alone. Instead, when there are no allies nearby, the Lich will likely spend his time nearby a friendly Stronghold, waiting for allies to come along to assist. This can make Liches very useful when you are left with only one or two Strongholds late in the game. Place the Liches near your remaining Strongholds and make use of terrain and obstacles to allow your Lich to spend the most time possible attacking enemies, all while staying safe.
Remember, the Lich starts with low health, and must attack enemies in order to gain it. You can subvert this a bit by summoning them with a few War Clerics, who will heal the Lich without the need to deal damage.
Liches are high value targets, and may draw fire from enemy ranged attacks. Likewise, Liches are most effective when they are dealing damage. If an enemy ranged Troop are able to attack a Lich while they are not dealing damage, then it only makes it easier for them to be defeated. Your Lich should be close as possible to the enemy at all times – when they are properly accompanied by allies. Liches are relatively inexpensive, only costing 4 Mana, use them as a quick defense when you feel you’re being overrun.
Necromancer: Decrepit Leader
Necromancers are powerful commanders of the Undead. Their presence on the battlefield brings forth dozens of Undead minions who rise and fall in battle for their leader. Able to wage entire assaults nearly single-handed, Necromancers are an exceptional addition to any assault.
Necromancers are able to summon their own personal horde of Skeletons known as Necrospawn. They are slightly different from your other Skeletons as they level up along side the Necromancer. They also have slightly different damage tables and will not dive at targets like your other Skeletons. Likewise, they will always stand nearby the Necromancer that summoned them, and will only venture a short distance to attack enemies that are nearby. This means that when your Necromancer occasionally stops to summon more minions, so will the Necrospawn that accompany it. They will move around and halt as your Necromancer does, keeping them relatively cohesive.
Necrospawn are summoned often enough that a single Necromancer can stand to push a lane all on their own. It will require your opponent to effectively place their best defenders, such as Wizards and Behemoths in order to halt the march of a Necromancer and their Necrospawn . Supporting your Necromancer with other effective Troops in order to prolong their life is objectively the best strategy to use when you summon a Necromancer. Using War Clerics for example is the most direct way to prolong the life of a Necromancer. Since, for the most part, a Necromancer will never be the first into battle, since they are surrounded by their minions, it is unlikely that they will be directly targeted by enemy Troops – that is, until their minions have been defeated and the Necromancer is alone.
Likewise, Necromancers tend to stand back from their foe, and allow their minions to do the hard work. Because of this, they will often stay far enough away that you can safely place War Clerics nearby to heal them when they inevitably suffer splash damage from enemies. You’ll be surprised how long five War Clerics and a Necromancer can effectively push a lane. War Clerics prefer to stand near the Necromancer rather than their Necrospawn, meaning they won’t wander into inconvenient positions far from your Necromancer. If you find that your Necromancer is left too exposed, and enemies begin to pose a significant threat to them, deploying some extra Skeletons yourself can help keep your Necromancer safe amongst the cluster of Troops.
This strategy can not, and will not be ignored by your opponent. They will dedicate high quality Troops in order defend against the Necromancer’s attack. You can easily overcome this by making use of the Dark Shroud Power Spell, which will conceal an area in dark cloud, stopping all ranged attacks into it or from within it. Likewise, enemies within the cloud take damage over time, making it much easier for your Necrospawn to defeat them.
Necromancers are the centrepiece of your army. Having a Necromancer on the table is never a bad thing; when you aren’t deploying them too close to the battle. It is always best to deploy your Necromancer as far away from battle as possible. This will give you adequate time to build up more Mana for supporting Troops, as well allow time for the Necromancer to summon their maximum number of Necrospawn.
Necromancers are a great choice to place somewhere the enemy has not heavily defended. Press an attack in one lane, and then use the Necromancer to slowly creep up to a different lane to temporarily cause your opponent to change focus. They will have to spend Mana in order to defend against a Necromancer. They will also be inclined to choose high-cost Troops such as the Behemoth, Mage, or Wizard.
Necromancers do not attack, at all. Instead, they summon minions to deal damage for them. Because of this, they level up simply by existing on the table. They level up slowly over time, meaning that survival time is directly beneficial to you in the long run. Keep these guys as safe as possible and they will continue to prove themselves as exceptional.
Remember, Necrospawn are particularly weak against splash damage. Do not be surprised when they are wiped out by Canon Towers or equivalent. Ceasing fire with a Dark Shroud is the easiest way to assure Troops are not destroyed by ranged, splash damage.