Introduction | Units and Strategy Eador: MotBW Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

To win a war, you need army. In Eador: Masters of the Broken World there are over a hundred types of diverse units, all of them with their own abilities and statistics. It takes a lot of time to figure out which are good for what, and to use them in practice is a challenge requiring a lot of skill. Luckily, the guide will give you all the details you need to know about particular armies and units. After all, no leader starts their carrier without getting to know their forces and working out an optimal way of doing battle.

Let's start with the basics. All units are described with several key statistics that play a crucial role in the outcome of the battle. See below:

Unit Statistics

Icon	Name	Description
	Hit Points	When hit points drop to zero, the unit dies. Whatever it takes, make sure that doesn't happen, because buying new units is going to cost you a lot of money. Healing skills and magic, such as Regeneration and First Aid, also come in handy. On the other hand: poisoning is a great way of eliminating low-resistant units.
	Stamina	The less Stamina points, the more tired the unit. Exhausted troops deal less damage, and if they lose their strengths completely, they lose a round and can't counterattack. Crossing hills, wastelands, deserts, swamps and forests costs more Stamina than crossing plains. Luckily, Stamina can be regenerated during you rest or by casting specific spells. Notice that your enemy can be tired out, too; it's great way to win a battle.
	Morale	Troops' Morale drops due to negative spells, wrong unit selection or the death of nearby allies. When it drops to zero, the unit flees (the opponent loses control over it). If all enemy units flee, the battle is won. Frightened units can still counterattack, though, so they're not an easy target.
	Speed	Speed determines how many tilescan a unit travel in their round. Crossing a difficult terrain (such as hills, forests and swamps) requires higher Speed.
	Attack	Attack determines the number of damage a unit deals while striking and it's the basic value of all melee troops. In battle, the first strike goes to the attacker (Attack), while the defender strikes second (Counterattack). The number of damage drops with Stamina and Health Points.
	Counterattack	Counterattack determines the number of damage a units deals in response to an enemy Attack and it's valid only in melee combat. Obviously enough, if a unit dies as a result of an enemy strike, it can't perform a counterattack.
	Defense	Lowers the number of damage received in direct combat. It's especially important to units standing in the first line of battle.
	Ranged Defense	Lowers the number of damage received in an enemy fire (non-magical). Particularly useful if the enemy has a lot of ranged units, or during a siege.
	Resistance	Lowers the effectiveness of negative spells cast on troops (either curses, or damage-dealing spells), and as such is the basic source of defense against enemy spellcasters.
	Ranged Attack	Determines the number of damage dealt in ranged combat and it's the basic value for all archers and shooting units. Its effectiveness drops along with Stamina and Health Points.
	Range	Determines how far a unit can shoot. High Range allows eliminating enemies before they can reach your troops.
	Ammo	The number of Ammo determines how many shots a unit can fire during a single battle. When they run out of ammo, they start fighting hand-to-hand. Some creatures can replenish ammo during battle.

The above statistics can be raised by using special spells, with medals received for exceptional achievements and on leveling up. A small army comprised of tried veterans can often be much more powerful than a larger, but poorly trained one. Tend to the survivability of your units by allowing each battle to make them stronger and more resilient. The easiest way to achieve this is by recruiting several healing units which only purpose is to keep the other ones alive.

The factor that determines the size of the hero's army is their Command level (See: Heroes: The Basics). As for units, they can be recruited in cities in dedicated Military Quarter buildings or in a Tavern with mercenaries. Some troops can be summoned by special spells (the undead, demons), some can be hatched from seeds or eggs (Spiders, Treants, Basilisks, Slugs, Hydras, Manticores), others can be hired in designates headquarters on the world map. In case of "hatchable" creatures, you first need to acquire a particular egg - they can be sometimes found in underground vaults or received during battle - and then construct special buildings in your Forest Quarters. Afterwards, just open the recruitment screen and drag the item into a designated slot.

When creating an army, remember not to mix creatures with opposing alignments, good and evil, as it significantly lowers the troops' morale and may have catastrophic results on the battlefield (the enemy may win only by casting fear-inducing spells). Neutrally aligned units work well with both types, but are generally weaker, so pay attention to what you are choosing. You can check unit alignments on the city screen - neutral creatures are at the top, good in the middle, and evil at the bottom (see above).

Furthermore, keep in mind that once you select a headquarters for your units, the choice can't be reversed and it comes with consequences. What it means in practice is that if you've built, for example, a Barbarian Camp, you won't be able to destroy it. What's more, there is a certain limit as to the number of military buildings of a particular rank: when you reach that limit, you won't be able to build more. In other words, if you build four recruitment buildings of the first rank, you lose access to all remaining ones (of the same rank). This is grave limitation as to the variety of your army, and furthermore - its specialization. All things considered, you should decide what your playing style is going to be early on.

Number of Recruitment Buildings per Rank

Rank	Buildings Available
I	4
II	3
III	2
IV	1

The next chapters contain lists of all creatures living in the Broken World. A number of useful tips and suggestions should help you exploit their potential in the most optimal manner: even the smallest units can prove valuable in the hands of a gifted strategist. Individual descriptions also contain some helpful information as to the optimal juxtaposition of units in relation to each other in order to maximize their effectiveness.