A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

There's a handful of power rankings out there that are used when "grading" units and / or armies. None of them really match with my perspective of the game. I originally did this 10 years ago and have had a lot of thoughts since then.

The best way to view this perspective of rankings is "I'm looking at this through the lens of a mostly pure melee (melee bonding at that) lens.” For those of you that don't know my play-style, I very rarely play any range. I would say over my tournament career (I quit keeping track like 6 year ago and I was in the 400s for tournament games played) melee units have been at least 90% of my overall army composition of my over a dozen years of tournament play. So that is the perspective I am approaching this from.


A+
10th Regiment of Foot
Captain America
Grimnak
Heavy Gruts
Knights of Weston
Sir Gilbert

A
Airborne Elite
Axegrinders of the Burning Forge
Blastatrons
Deathreavers
Gladiatrons
Kaemon Awa
Marcus Decimus Gallus


A-
Darrak Ambershard
Marro Warriors
Mogrimm Forgehammer
Roman Legionnaires
Silver Surfer
Warriors of Ashra

B+
4th Massachusetts Line
Dorim the Bulkhead Brawler
Charos
Death Chasers of Thesk
Eldgrim the Viking Champion
Fen Hydra
Fire Elemental
Isamu
Krav Maga Agents
Major Q9
Nerak the Glacian Swog Rider
Nilfheim
Zelrig

B
Agent Skahen
Air Elemental
Alastair McDirk
Blade Gruts
Crixus
Eltahale
Ewashia Master of Tides
Greenscale Warriors
Iron Man
Krug
Laglor
Marro Dividers
Moltenclaw
Me-Burq-Sa
Mimring
Ne-Gok-Sa
Nakita Agents
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (RotV)
Sacred Band
Syvarris
Tarn Viking Warriors
Theracus
Tornak
Xenithrax the Vineweaver

B-
Admiral EJ-1M
Arkmer
Arrow Gruts
Ashigaru Harquebus
Brave Arrow
Braxas
Black Wyrmling
Capuan Gladiators
Cyprein Esenwein
Finn the Viking Champion
Goblin Cutters
Heirloom
Horned Skull Brutes
Izumi Samurai
Knight Irene
Kurrok the Elementalist
Frostclaw Paladins
Major Q10
Marcu Esenwein
Marro Drones
Migol Ironwill
Mohican River Tribe
Ogre Pulverizer
Red Wyrmling
Swog Rider
Tor-Kul-Na
Mezzodemon Warmongers
Tagawa Samurai
Tandros Kreel
Thanos
Valguard
Venoc Warlord
Warforged Soldiers
Zombies of Morindan

C+
Anubian Wolves
Armoc Vipers
Aubrien Archers
Brunak
Concan the Kyrie Warrior
Death Knights of Valkrill
Dumutef Guard
Fia Bonny the Void Siren
Fyorlag Spiders
Granite Guardians
Hulk
Ice Troll Berzerker
Loviatak the Kyrie Warrior
MacDirk Warriors
Major X17
Microcorp Agents
Mind Flayer Mastermind
Minions of Utgar
Ornak
Otonashi
Phantom Knights
Protectors of Ullar
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (AoA)
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (SotM)
Seige
Sentinels of Jandar
Sgt. Drake Alexander (SotM)
Sgt. Drake Alexander (AoA)
Shurrak
Sonya Esenwein
Spartacus
Spider-man
Tagawa Samurai Archers
Thorgrim the Viking Champion
Wyvern
Venom

C
Agent Carr
Atlaga the Kyrie Warrior
Blue Wyrmling
Drow Chanifighter
Earth Elemental
Gorillanators
Guilty McCreech
Iron Golem
James Murphy
Johnny “Shotgun” Sullivan
Killian Vane III
Knaves of the Silver Scimitar
Kozuke Samurai
Kumiko
Marrden Hounds
Marrden Nagrubs
Onshu the Welkineye
Othkurik the Black Dragon
Rhogar Dragonspine
Sgt. Drake Alexander (RotV)
Sir Denrick
Sonlen
Venoc Vipers
Water Elemental
Werewolf Lord
White Wyrmling
Zetacron

C-
Abomination
Ashigaru Yari
Bok-Bur-Na
Deadeye Dan
Deathstalkers
Emirroon
Estivara
Evar Scarcarver
Exiles of the Sundered Sea
Frost Giant of Morh
Jorhdawn
Kato Katsuro
Kelda the Kyrie Warrior
Kyntela Gwyn
Marro Hive
Marro Stingers
Morsbane
Ninjas of the Northern Wind
Omnicron Snipers
Parmenio
Quasatch Hunters
Raackchott Steward of Death
Red Skull
Runa
Shaolin Monks
Sir Hawthorne
Su-Bak-Na
Sujoah
Taelord the Kyrie Warrior
Ulginesh



D+
Ana Karithon
Chardris
Deathwalker 8000
Deepwyrm Drow
Dzu - Teh
Elite Onyx Vipers
Erevan Sunshadow
Feral Troll
Greater Ice Elemental
Jotun
Khosumet the Darklord
Kira the Springrunner
Master of the Hunt
Mika Connour
Retarius
Saylind the Kyrie Warrior
Sharwin Wildborn
Shiori (AoA)
Tul-Bak-Ra
Warden 816
Wolves of Badru
Wo-Sa-Ga
Dr. Doom

D
Acolarh
Brandis Skyhunter
Dund
Empress Kiova
Gurei-Oni
Iskra Esenwein
Master Win Chiu Woo
Misarex the Kyrie Warrior
Moriko
Omnicron Repulsors
Rechets of Bogdan
Shades of Bleakwoode
Sir Dupuis
Torin
Zettian Guards

D-
Deathwalker 9000
Einar Emperium
Kee-Mo-Shi
Marro Drudge
Obsidian Guards
Pelloth
Sahuagin Raider
Shiori
Sudema

F
Deathwalker 7000
Grok Riders
Hatamoto Taro
Roman Archers
Templar Cavalry

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

What an interesting take on the power rankings! Personally, I feel that the Fen Hydra should've gone in with the A- crowd, but I've had an inordinate amount of success with it (usually paired with Ornak et al). I would also think that Venom would be a bit higher, but I've never been in a mixed-Marvel tourney, so what do I know?;)

Oh, and surprise, a format that still can't help out the 7000...not surprising! Nice job!

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

Earth Elemental Deserves Better!

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

The first thing I noticed was the 4th in the B+ grade. I was surprised given the melee focus that Warriors of Ashra are only C+. I think it's a pretty good take.
I'm not so sure about including the Wave D3 though, its kind of going out on a limb.

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

Well, even using the standard power rankings when making an army is just theoryscape until you have a handful of games with a particular unit under your belt. Why not include D3? Common sense and the drawing of comparison to other units seems reasonable.

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

The hydra has only been out for a short period of time so I don't want to give it too much credit yet.

@killergoat -
Think so? In my experiences with him (it), he's been less than impressive

@elvenenvy -
I can't remember the last time I lost to a 4th Mass army with knights or heavies. Also with the WoA, I still have to keep in mind that range is still prevalent in today's meta-game. D3 - Everybody's seen the cards and have done some play-testing, so I just took a stab at it. I could be way off.

Thanks for the feedback everybody so far!

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

-If 5 of the 6 A units are melee then it would seem that using any of those is girler than using any ranged that isn't Q9

-Not many are going to go along with Nilfheim and Zelrig being only B. Both have had very recent success

-Tandros Kreel and Theracus having a higher rating than Morsbane is a crime .

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

Interesting list. I'm surprised the Ogre Warhulk didn't rank higher. I'd imagine that against melee, he'd be pretty frightening.

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

To me, the 4th Mass vs melee matchup is very map dependent. If you have a big open map, say Table of the Giants, the melee army is in real trouble. On the other hand, play Sir Gilbert/KoW vs 4th Mass on Fulcrum, and my money's on the melee army.

I was glad that Braxas was so highly ranked. In playtesting, I couldn't beat Braxas/Raelin/Greenscales with a melee army (KoW, HG or Dwarves).

I was surprised that Q9 and the Deathreavers didn't make up a category called the "Girly Girl Units".

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

I don't particularly agree with the ratings for some of these. In particular DW7K, and the Roman Archers. Charging the bomb is suicide for any melee unit. IMHO, DW7K should be a C-(on this scale). The Roman Archers hold a specific niche, and that is to act as high defense busters. On this scale, they are plenty capable of bombarding your high defense melee heroes and pounding squads into the ground. The hieght advantage theory still holds with their short-range combat while against melee. I'd go with a D+ rating.

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

That's a very valid point. His stock will probably go up too as the DCoT hit the tourney scene. I know I'm very excited to use them myself. I'll keep a close eye on him.

@RICH10
It may be map dependent, but I'd still say the knights beat them 60/40 on a ranged favored map. I should do a color thing like Jexik and use pink for Girly units...:)

@Flamesayer
If I sat down against you (or anybody for that matter) with any melee bonding army and you had DW7K and / or Roman Archers and you actually killed half of my army I would wear a pink dress for a week.

Re: A Melee Perspective on the HeroScape Power Rankings
 

The reason I don't think you would do as well as you assume, is because the Roman Archers are also meant to be played as a team of trappings. The whole army isn't supposed to be little one defense soldiers.
Imagine it to be like this:

I had some archers and DW7k. The total isn't my whole team, but they were the ones I built the army around.

As your bonding hero comes around(for this we will use typical Human Champions like Finn or Hawthorne), the Deathwalker is obviously faster than your knights(KoW move is 4, DW7K move is 6) and should be able to get to one of your champions. In this event, I will have considered to have inflicted 2 wounds on one of your bonding heroes. Your Champion isn't just going to shake that off either. If your champion is within threat range of one of my Romans, they volley on him. Chances are, if your Champion can attack one of my Romans, they can reach your Champion. If your Champion cannot attack a Roman, then the ones who conveniently positioned themselves on various higher spots on the map while you were busy dragging your army over here(road or not, it can still be a lengthy process to bring a big enough swarm to not get completely pounded by Romans who are playing to counter you) put holes in Knights. 3 attack versus 4 defense(with dwindling numbers on each side mind you) can punch through fairly well. When your knights attack the pod conviently located on the ground ready to Volley at a Champion, it is unlikely that all of them are engaged. So an impromptu Volley can occur.

Let's imagine you got my DW7K tied down. I am relatively confident that he can survive an attack or 2 of 3. Then, well it's time to say arrow volley or just wiggle around to get engaged with as many things as possible before going BOOM! If your Knights are there on a road, I'll be glad to nail an nearby champion with the volley. You still don't want to disengage unless you need to risk the loss of a knight. And then even worse, you'd be untying my Deathwalker. Surround the DW7K with 2 or 3 knights and he already earned his points by getting rid of something more valuable by kills. By getting rid of some of the swarm.

These theory-scaped results are assumed on the following builds:

Knightsx4 280
Finn 360
Hawthorne 450//////18 figs

Roman Archersx6 350
DW7K 450///////19 figs

It would be assumed that our builds do not have to be exact. More or less, I'm playing Trap&Kill. Your playing Bonding Swarm. Your knights can't move quickly enough on many maps w/out road(and more often than not, you are going to be somewhat constricted if you wanted to get the bonus, likely feeding me kills). Only about half of my Romans have to move at all and until your knights are out about halfway, they have plenty of time to get ready. Then I scatter the OMs on DW7K to follow my initial strategy.