Why you should focus on only a few unit types in any faction. Discusses stack sizes, research upgrades, and resource efficiency in a manner applicable to every faction.
Strategy Basics & Stack Size
All credit goes to barrackar!
Summary
TLDR: Focusing on only a few unit types allows you to (1) Reach the maximum stack size sooner; (2) Leverage the skills of your heroes; (3) Spend research upgrades efficiently; and (4) prioritize resource collection.
Advantages of Few Unit Types
Why you should only build a few unit types for any faction. In particular, focusing on only three unit types is likely best.
Reach the maximum stack size sooner
Songs of Conquest introduces a stack size limit and command size limits. Stack size is very important. An incomplete stack is likely to be one-shot by enemy attacks or spells while a full stack size is much more likely to one-shot enemy stacks and more likely to survive to retaliate themselves.
Because most unit dwellings have limited rates of unit production, building multiple of the same dwelling accelerates how quickly your heroes can reach maximum stack sizes for their armies. It also helps you re-max your armies after difficult fights.
Leverage the skills of your heroes
The different hero skills make each hero better with different sets of unit types. If your hero has archery and gives all ranged units extra range then they will be much better with more ranged units. Heroes with lost of magic skills may be better with units which generate more magic. Focusing on only a few unit types allows you to focus only the units which will benefit the most from your heroes skillset.
Similarly, if you only have a few unit types it becomes easier to choose which skills will benefit your armies the most as your heroes level up.
Spend research upgrades efficiently
Every faction has tier-3 research buildings that allow you to increase the maximum stack size of certain units. Getting every upgrade is incredibly expensive. However, if your armies only consist of a few unit types then you only need upgrades for those units in order to maximize your armies. Focusing only on a few unit types allows you to reach the end-game sooner with max upgraded units.
Prioritize resource collection
When you are only building a few types of dwellings you only need a few types of resources. It becomes easier to bypass resources you don’t need to focus on the resources which will help expand your empire. Each mine or overland resource is more easily quantified in terms of which army units it will help you make more of. If you only have one unit type for each of the rarer resource types (glimmerweave, ancient amber, celestial ore) then you won’t have to choose between what to spend your resources on as you expand.
Example with Loth
As an example, consider the Barony of Loth. You could choose : rats, necromancers, and High Legions.
- Upgrading rat barrens (Small) takes 2 glimmerweave.
- Buying necromancers (Medium) takes celestial ore.
- Buying high legions (Large) takes ancient amber.
If you are on a map with a lot of any particular resource then build more of those unit types allowing you to optimize whatever resources you have available.
For stack size comparisons, rats start at 100, and can be upgraded to 160 for a 60% increase. Necromancers start at 10 and can be upgraded to 20 for a 100% increase stack size. These upgrades are a massive boost to your army strength.
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