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Classic Heroscape Power Rankings

spider_poison

2-time GenCon Mindshackle and Main Event Champion
For those of you familar with NFL football, you may have heard of the power rankings. For those of you who don't know what they are, power rankings are opinions by various sports columnists which rank all NFL teams according to how "good" that football team plays. All units to this date are included below in what shows how good each unit should perform. In football, it is argued that teams are ranked by how easily they can win games. In Heroscape, it is quite different. All units are ranked according to a generic criterion: their "usefulness." For example Raelin receives the highest ranking, A+, not because she can kill everything, but she mostly receives it for her defense boost and compatibility with most armies. Oh, and like any good columnist, opinions aren't expressed in terms like "I think" or "it's my opinion that." Rather, everything is cut and dry and fact. Without further adieu...

Important Note: beginning August 27, 2009, spider_poison is no longer the caretaker of the rankings. Here's his announcement. Now it's handled by Jexik. We'll still talk them over much as we did before.

Here's a general idea of what the grades themselves mean (from a post on 12/13/09):

People have been asking for awhile to have some more concrete definitions for what it means to be an A. This will still be a largely subjective list, as even after over 100 tournament games, I don't feel that I know all there is to know, and that variance and matchups will always play a part. This ranking list that was originally designed as a fun joke became some kind of community pillar. Even still, here are my attempts at working definitions of the rankings.

Units in the "A" range are units that can realistically be components (either major or minor) in a highly successful [read: tier 1] tournament army. A+ units (now just Raelin and Deathreavers) work with just about everything and make most armies better with minimal order marker investment, and have gotten even better with the release of Jungle. Flat A units are tournament staples, and are often on the tongues of people looking to make more A+ units. Be ready to face them. Play around with point totals to see which ones work best for any tournament you go to: even if you don't play them, someone else probably will. A- units can be equally dominant if the maps, glyphs, or expected matchups favor them.

Units in the B range have all the tools necessary to give you some control over the game and your own fate, but there are often better ways to spend your points. They may have some rather favorable matchups against a few top armies, but will struggle a lot with others. That B+ zone in particular is home to a bunch of potential upset-makers.

Units in the C range and below really shouldn't be considered if you are mostly concerned with winning a tournament, or even many games. If you have lots of experience with them, if there's a quirky army environment or set of rules, or you just feel like it, knock yourself out.


The Official Unofficial Heroscape Power Rankings


The Power Rankings are sorted by letters in PDF format thanks to lonewolf. This is a great list to add to your Heroscape collection, and it is in a very printer-friendly format. Thanks, lonewolf!

HS Grades PDF

Thanks to kenjib, here is the list appearing in order from good to bad. It is a useful tool to assist you in filling out that last 50 points of your army or to build an entire army :) . Thanks, kenjib! Also, Heroscaper Jexik has added his color schemes to the power rankings. His coloring scheming, based off his insightful What's in an Order Marker? article, describes the typical roles of each and every unit in the game. Just below the units sorted by ranking is a brief guide that explains each color. For a more detailed explanation of each color, check out his article. Thanks, Jexik!

A+
Deathreavers (40*)
Major Q9 (180)
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior-ROTV (80)

A
4th Mass. Line (70*)
Blastatrons (60*)
Captain America (220)
Fen Hydra (120+)
Gladiatrons (80*)

Grimnak (120)
Heavy Gruts (70*)
Isamu (10)
Knights of Weston(70*)
Krav Maga Agents (100)
Laglor (110)
Marro Stingers (60*)
Marro Warriors (50)
Sir Gilbert (105)

A-
10th Regiment of Foot (75*)
Agent Skahen (120)
Airborne Elite (110)
Alastair MacDirk (110)
The Axegrinders of Burning Forge (70*)
Braxas (210)
Cyprien Esenwein (150)
Darrak Ambershard (60)
Death Chasers of Thesk (55*)
Eldgrim the Viking Champion (30)
Greenscale Warriors (60*)
Kaemon Awa(120)
Major Q10 (150)
Marcu Esenwein (20)
Marcus Decimus Gallus (100)
Marro Dividers (50*)
Me-Burq-Sa (50)
Mogrimm Forgehammer (120)
Nerak the Glacian Swog Rider (50)
Nilfheim (185)
Phantom Knights (70*)
Sgt. Drake Alexander-SOTM (170)
Silver Surfer (320)
Sonya Esenwein (45)
Venom (150)
Zelrig (185)

B+
Arrow Gruts (40*)
Black Wyrmling (30*)
Blade Gruts (40*)
Brave Arrow (50)
Capuan Gladiators (70*)
Charos (210)
Crixus (90)
Eltahale (140)
Finn the Viking Champion (80)
Goblin Cutters (50*)
Fire Elemental (35*)
Heirloom (90)
Horned Skull Brutes (75*)
Krug (120)

Kurrok the Elementalist (120)
Marrden Nagrubs (30*)

Mezzodemon Warmongers (65*)
Migol Ironwill (110)
Mohican River Tribe (70*)
Moltenclaw (170)
Ne-Gok-Sa (90)

Ogre Pulverizer (100+)
Othkurik the Black Dragon (140)
Red Wyrmling (30*)
Roman Legionnaires (50*)

Sacred Band (50*)
Samuel Brown (60)
Sgt. Drake Alexander-ROTV (110)
Sir Hawthorne (90)
Spartacus (200)
Spider-Man (160)
Theracus (40)
Torin (120)
Tor-Kul-Na (220)
Venoc Vipers (40*)
Venoc
Warlord (120)
Warforged Soldiers (80*)
Water Elemental (30*)
Zetacron (60)

Zombies of Morindan (60*)

B
Abomination (320)
Ana Karithon (100)
Arkmer (50)
Atlaga (90)
Aubrien Archers (70*)
Brunak (110)
Concan the Kyrie Warrior (80)
Guilty McCreech (30)
Ice Troll Berserker (85+)
Incredible Hulk (370)
Iron Golem (100+)
Izumi Samurai (60)

James Murphy (75)
Marrden Hounds (90*)
Marro Drones (50*)
Marro Hive (160)
Microcorp Agents (100*)
Minions of Utgar (110*)
Nakita Agents (120)
Ogre Warhulk (150+)
Omnicron Repulsors (40*)
Omnicron Snipers (100*)
Protectors of Ullar (110*)
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior-SOTM (120)
Sentinels of Jandar (110*)
Shurrak (160)
Siege (120)
Swog Rider (25*)

Syvarris (100)
Tagawa Samurai (120)
Tandros Kreel (120)
Ulginesh (150)
Warriors of Ashra (50*)
White Wyrmling (30*)


B-
Air Elemental (30*)
Anubian Wolves (75*)

Armoc Vipers (65*)
Ashigaru Harquebus (60*)
Blue Wyrmling (35*)
Death Knights of Valkrill (60*)
Deepwyrm Drow (70*)

Drow Chainfighter (25*)
Earth Elemental (35*)
Emirroon (80)
Estivara (80)
Feral Troll (90+)
Granite Guardians (100*)
Iron Man (240)
Johnny "Shotgun" Sullivan (65)
Jorhdawn (100)
Kato Katsuro (200)
Kelda the Kyrie Warrior (80)
Kozuke Samurai (100)
Kyntela Gwyn (20)
Mimring (150)
Ornak (100)
Quasatch Hunters (100*)
Retiarius (90)
Rhogar Dragonspine (110)
Sir Denrick (100)
Sonlen (160)
Su-Bak-Na (160)
Taelord the Kyrie Warrior (180)
Tagawa Samurai Archers (65*)
Thanos (360)
Thorgrim the Viking Champion (80)
Werewolf Lord (140+)
Wo-Sa-Ga (135)
Wyvern (100+)
Zettian Guards (70)

C+
Agent Carr (100)
Ashigaru Yari (40*)
Brandis Skyhunter (90)
Chardris (90)
Dr. Doom (245)
Deathstalkers (100*)
Erevan Sunshadow (80)
Evar Scarcarver (110)
Frost Giant of Morh (140+)
Fyorlag Spiders (40*)

Greater Ice Elemental (130+)
Gurei-Oni (100)
Kumiko (80)
MacDirk Warriors (80*)
Master of the Hunt (140+)
Master
Win Chiu Woo (140)
Mika Connour (110)
Morsbane (100)
Ninjas of the Northern Wind (110)
Otonashi (10)
Red Skull (190)
Sharwin Wildborn (110)
Sir Dupuis (150)
Sujoah (185)
Tarn Viking Warriors (50)
Tornak (100)
Tul-Bak-Ra (130)
Valguard (110)
Wolves of Badru (80*)

C
Dumutef Guard (25*)
Elite Onyx Vipers (100)
Gorillinators (90*)
Iskra Esenwein (50)
Jotun (225)
Kee-Mo-Shi (130)
Khosumet the Darklord (75)
Mind Flayer Mastermind (100+)
Parmenio (90)

Pelloth (100)
Rechets of Bogdan (50)
Saylind the Kyrie Warrior (80)
Shaolin Monks (80*)
Sudema (140)

C-
Acolarh (110)
Dzu-Teh (75*)
Deathwalker 8000 (130)
Deathwalker 9000 (140)
Dünd (110)
The Einar Imperium (140*)
Empress Kiova (90)
Grok Riders (130*)
Roman Archers (55*)
Runa (120)
Sahuagin Raider (25*)
Shades of Bleakewoode (100*)
Templar Cavalry (120*)
Warden 816 (90)

D
Deadeye Dan (60)
Major X17(100)
Marro Drudge (50*)
Moriko (110)
Obsidian Guards (100*)
Shiori (60)

F
Deathwalker 7000 (100)
Hatamoto Taro (130)



* This unit is common and may likely need to be taken in multiples to achieve full potential

+ This unit is uncommon and may be taken in multiples, but is likely not essential to its success or failure.

Jexik's Color Codes

Warm colors describe units on which you will place the majority of your order markers.

Cool colors describe units that are good even when they don't take many turns.

Purple describes units somewhere in between.

Black units should be avoided when making pre-made armies.

Units are listed in alphabetical order, and thanks to HSisforcoolkids, each unit is hyperlinked to the various books on each Heroscape unit. Be sure to check out the Heroscape books for discussion, comments, and questions you have for each unit that interests you. Thanks again, HSisforcoolkids!

10th Regiment of Foot- They're no 4th Mass, but who is? The Redcoats get better the more people play melee units. A-
4th Mass. Line- Although no longer considered unbeatable, a low-cost, average defense, 4-man ranged squad will always be a threat on most maps, taking great advantage of height and the engagement mechanics. Wait then Fire is just icing on the cake. A
Abomination- Squads can be troublesome, but Abomination's beastly attack can rip through all opposing figures. B
Acolarh- Three symbols is a bit hard to roll. Not doing much outside that, Acorlarh doesn’t hold up too well. C-
Agent Carr- While a bit delicate, Carr can hit hard when needed. C+
Agent Skahen- She's a pretty solid hero, but the Krav make for a pretty tough act to follow. A-
Airborne Elite- Though easy to kill, the AE can attack with high power. A-
Air Elemental- The interdiction might come in handy. B-
Alastair MacDirk- With uses outside of his clan, Alastair’s extended attack comes in handy often. A-
Ana Karithon- Somewhere between Kelda and Raelin. Might be neat as PK tech. B
Anubian Wolves- Without bonding or consistency, the Wolves lack some major punch. But with a good roll, the Wolves can take down anything. B-
Arkmer- Not only is he the best Elf Wizard for his points, but Arkmer also has some uses outside of that specific build. B
Armoc Vipers- Though not the most point-efficient melee squad, a group of Armocs with Warlord can be devastating. B-
Arrow Gruts- Bonding, potential for higher attacks, cheap cost. Once one of the most competitive squads around, they seem to be in decline. B+
Ashigaru Harquebus- Pretend Raelin is always on your team and the 4th Mass Line don't already exist, and you've got yourself a respectable ranged squad. B-
Ashigaru Yari- As long as these guys don't clog your starting spaces, the Ashigaru Yari in great numbers can challenge most troops in melee battles. C+
Atlaga- With a movement boost to Minions and Protectors and a chance to swing the game in one roll, Atlaga is fairly versatile figure. A-
Aubrien Archers- Though inconsistent, repeated Aubrien volleys can take down the heartiest of foes. B
Axegrinders of Burning Forge, The- A tactically flexible squad with the ability to smash Q9 or Nilfheim to bits? Sign me up! A-
Black Wyrmling- Cute as Krav or PK tech. B+
Blade Gruts- Though weak in attack and defense, Grimnak and a cheap cost keep the Blades reasonably competitive. B
Blastatrons- Highly mobile and potential for crazy-high attacks help the B-Trons compete with the best. A
Blue Wyrmling- The most unwieldy of the wyrmlings. B-
Braxas- Lessening the game of Squadscape, Braxas strikes fear in all high-cost squads, and stops Deathreavers in their tracks. A-
Brandis Skyhunter- Well, he might do well in cleanup, or to try to assassinate a Dragon, until they engage him. Bring rats. C+
Brave Arrow- Though decent as a stand-alone figure or pseudo-bonded to the Mohican River Tribe, Brave Arrow has yet to prove his true value. B+
Brunak- Brunak does everything well, but nothing great. B
Captain America- Though he has solid stats like most Marvel figures, the Cap's multiple attacks propel him over the others. A
Capuan Gladiators- The "Steamroller" is a simple, yet pretty effective and thematic combo. B+
Chardris- Chardris is the least exciting of the attacking Elf Wizards. C+
Charos- The release of the Raknar's Vision dragons bumped down Charos’ worth. Still a viable option, Charos can excel in the right situation. B+
Concan the Kyrie Warrior- Though no bonding or easy synergies, Concan is a low-cost option for a decent beat stick, especially for a Valiant army. B
Crixus- The release of the Capuan Gladiators turn this guy into a very solid hero. The still-high cost of Spartacus keeps them from being top tier. B+
Cyprien Esenwein- Cyprien wears the daddy pants for the vampires, and for good reason. However, Q9 is still too hot to be cooled by Cyprien's touch. A-
Darrak Ambershard- Bonds with a solid squad? Check. Nice oomph for his cost? Check. A-
Deadeye Dan- Just get Theracus and Deadeye Dan! Then have Deadeye Dan jump off the cliff. D
Deathchasers of Thesk- I really liked these guys wrapped in bacon. They'd lose to some of the elite armies out there (but what doesn't?), but I really enjoyed the combination of low cost, low survivability and good early movement and high offense. They're very different than a lot of other popular squads. A-
Deathknights of Valkrill- They're better than Zettians, that's for sure B-
Deathreavers- Nothing is more annoying than an opponent’s Rats clogging the battlefield and tying down your units. They are also arguably the best glyph grabbers and holders for their cost. A+
Deathstalkers- With questionably the silliest ability in the game, the Deathstalkers might be better if the Hounds weren’t already around. C+
Deathwalker 7000- Sweet! I blew up next to four of your squad members. Wait, I still didn’t do crap for damage. F
Deathwalker 8000- If it weren’t for the rule of the Deathwalkers, 8K seems like a good option for hordes. C-
Deathwalker 9000- See above. C-
Deepwyrm Drow- A bit too situational to really shine. They're like common Ninjas of the Northern Wind... and a bit cheaper. B-
Dr. Doom- Though one of the most menacing supervillans of all time, Dr. Doom is too inconsistent to see regular tournament play. C+
Drow Chainfighter- Situational and d20-reliant... but really cool when it works and you remove Raelin or a rat from an important location. B-
Dumutef Guard- With new, better filler units, the Dumutef’s play and usefulness will only become worse with time. C
Dünd- Dund's uses are few, but a good roll can greatly hurt the opponent. D
Dzu-Teh- The Dzu-Teh can deal decent damage, though their uses outside an ice map are limited. C-
Earth Elemental- Not bad if you aren't going heavy fire, funny when combined with Air, but water seems better than both. Don't bother without Kurrok. B-
Einar Imperium, The- Though the Imperium can school most units out there, keeping the E.I. alive long enough can prove troublesome. C-
Eldgrim the Viking Champion- Eldgrim will never win a game for you, but he will never lose one either. He does a little of this and a little of that. A-
Elite Onyx Vipers- Though hard to kill from range, the EOV fall quickly if they don’t kill their targets. C
Eltahale- She's pretty neat and has a cool attack. B+
Emirroon- Well, he's more reliable than Saylind. B-
Empress Kiova- Though extremely limiting, Kiova has decent stats for a Kyrie. C-
Erevan Sunshadow- He's like a budget version of TBR. Wait, is that a good thing? C+
Estivara- She does a little bit of everything- part cleanup, part cheerleader, all okay. B-
Evar Scarcarver- I don't see him doing a lot in tourneys. C+.
Fen Hydra- This is a Kaemon Awa quality hero. Gentlemen, start your lawnmowers. A
Feral Troll- Excellent against low defense or weakened Heroes. Not so much against squads. Can potentially do well as cleanup. B-
Finn the Viking Champion- Gilbert hurt Finn’s worth, but the original knight champion still sees play from time to time. B
Fire Elemental- The Firestorm is deadly iff you have about 10 Fire Elementals and Kurrok. A-
Frost Giant of Morh- He'd be cool if he could get more attacks reliably and if he could actually hurt Q9 with dying swipe. C+
Fyorlag Spiders- I don't know which one's Gary, and which one's Olaf, but they're tough to win with, even with the new units in D1. C+
Gladiatrons- See B-Trons. A
Goblin Cutters They've almost got the Roman problem. Too cost effective for their own good. B+
Gorillinators- The Nakitas brought these underappreciated monkeys back into playability, but they still need some help. C
Granite Guardians- They're just like Minions... only not. B-
Greater Ice Elemental- Too much of a hero-and-melee killer to survive in a tourney environment. C+
Greenscale Warriors- Gencon 2010 put these guys on a lot of people's minds. Will they stay there? A-
Grimnak- CHOMP. Although fairly expensive, Grimnak's bonding with Gruts and ability to automatically destroy squad figures make him very powerful. A
Grok Riders- I don't Grok the Groks. C-
Guilty McCreech- Despite being just a filler unit, Guilty can actually run and gun better than some of the higher costed figures. Though easy to kill, he can dominate if going up against late-game melee fighters. B
Gurei Oni- Although Evil Eye Defense is a pretty neat ability, it'd be even better if he could threaten with a ranged attack of his own. C+
Hatamoto Taro- With the release of the Tagawa Samurai Archers and Kaemon Awa in Wave 6, Ashigaru in Wave 7, and Kato Katsuro in Wave 8, Hatamoto Taro is still bad. Sometimes, the winning move is not to play him. F
Heavy Gruts- With a strong showing at GenCon 2009, it's clear that the Heavy Gruts don't mess around. A
Heirloom- One of my favorites from D2. Pretty good even when T-glyphs aren't involved. B+Horned Skull Brutes They've got some solid stats, with or without the cutters. They'd be pretty sweet in a team tourney. B+
Ice Troll Berserker- Helped convince me to take my Arrow Gruts out of retirement. B
Incredible Hulk- Though stronger than his counterpart, Hulk's large attack is often overkill against many classic figures. B
Iron Golem- He's no Krug, but he's neat against Q9 and other special attacking heroes. B
Iron Man- Despite his domination in the box office, Iron Man has yet to translate that to success in Valhalla. B-
Isamu- Isamu's ten point cost is by far his best asset. Aside from that, the littlest ninja can actually assassinate some figures mid to late game. A
Iskra Esenwein- Though playable alone, Iskra's primary use is in summoning her pets. However, order marker management will often be a huge problem with her. C
Izumi Samurai- The Izumi remain good blocker units. B
James Murphy- Like Johnny Shotgun, but a little better for point cost. B
Johnny "Shotgun" Sullivan- A fun, sometimes effective unit, but lack of bonding and/or multiple attacks leaves Johnny as a situational unit. B-
Jorhdawn- She throws fire like a girl. B-
Jotun- Jotun costs too much. C
Kaemon Awa- A great late-game mop-up hero, Kaemon can single-handedly take out much of an opponent's army. A-
Kato Katsuro- Although extremely expensive, he does allow you to make an army that can get 8 attacks in one order marker. He seems more appropriate in gigantic games. B-
Kee-Mo-Shi- Although Kee-Mo-Shi is a really fun concept, she's a tad expensive and easy to bring down in practice. C
Kelda the Kyrie Warrior- Taking out a turn to not attack can prove costly, and Kelda’s stats aren’t up to par with other kyrie heros. But with Fen Hydrae (sp) or Q9, there's a reason to take along the "gas can." B-
Khosumet the Darklord- Without Khosumet, the Heroes of Barrenspur pack would have all good heroes. C
Knights of Weston- The strongest melee fighting squad in the game, a few squads of knights is difficult for even the toughest of armies. A
Kozuke Samurai- Though weak on defense, the five attack of the Kozuke is an unprecedented value. Charging assault ensures that most melee units won’t attack them first. B-
Krav Maga Agents- Though the Krav can completely dominate an entire game, their effectiveness significantly drops with the loss of one squad member. Raelin greatly improves their value. A
Krug- They just don't make them like they used to. Although tons of fun, more people seem to have access to enough squads to bring the old angry teddy bear down these days. B+
Kumiko- Fortunately, she's probably the best of the unique female Ninja heroes. Unfortunately, there isn't much competition for that spot. C+
Kurrok the Elementalist- He's the glue for the passable Elemental army. B+
Kyntela Gwyn- Though hard to keep her up with your fighters, Kyntela is only 20 points. For that price, you don't lose much even if she does nothing. B-
Laglor- The second best flagbearer, Laglor can set up a ranged pod that can challenge any ranged figures. A
MacDirk Warriors- Gilbert has dusted off these neglected figures, but expensive melee figures with low defense remain hard to play. C+
Major Q9- For quite some time the only question to ask when building an army was “Can this take out Q9?” Expect a comeback this year Beware the 'borg. A+
Major Q10- Though not as good as his predecessor, Q10 remains a decent hero with decent stats. A
Major X17- Though seemingly a strong figure, slow movement, lack of bonding, and lack of a great attack makes X17 a mostly wasted turn. D
Marcu Esenwein- Provided Marcu never backstabs you, he is perhaps the best filler unit in the game. Given his 20% of betraying you, however, Marcu can often hurt you more than help if used early. A-
Marcus Decimus Gallus- Perhaps the hero with the best boosts in the game, the poor stats of Marcus are made up for with his incredible help to soldiers. A-
Marrden Hounds- Though the hounds can excel at times, inconsistency remains a huge problem. B
Marrden Nagrubs- The grubs might be tasty for the Marro leaders, but with just 2 defense, the big boys might starve before supper time. B+
Marro Dividers- It's a good thing the Dividers can't be revived with the Hive. B+
Marro Drones- Though tons of figures attacking in one turn can prove fatal, like the hounds, a lack of consistency plagues the drones. B
Marro Drudge- Unless the Drudge have some swamp in which they can maneuver, their usefulness is significantly lower. D
Marro Hive- As long as you can protect your precious hive from an early death, huge returns can be expected in high point games. B
Marro Stingers- The stingers are some of the most potent forces to date. As long as the D-20 doesn't let you down, the stingers are capable of burning through most all enemy units. A
Marro Warriors- Cheap and effective, the Marro Warriors will rarely not kill their point value. A
Master of the Hunt- Not right for the way tournaments are usually played. C+
Master Win Chiu Woo- In addition to helping the monks, Woo is a formidable figure alone. C+
Me-Burq-Sa- An excellent addition to any Roman army, Me-Burq-Sa’s Paralyzing Stare can take down high-defense figures and bypass special abilities. A-
Mezzodemon Warmongers- Kind of like Cutters, these guys require you to have some hero-killing back-up. They hold their own surprisingly well against the main ranged squads. B+
Microcorp Agents- With height, a horde of Microcorp can kill just about anything. Without height, they’re worse than most ranged squads. B
Migol Ironwill- Although pretty tough and deadly, his boys can pretty much take him or leave him. B+
Mika Connour- Despite her cool powers, she's surprisingly easy to lock down. C+
Mimring- Fitting well into an Arrow Grut army, Mimring can be devastating at times. His 150-point death before doing much damage can be equally devastating. B-
Mindflayer Mastermind- Low survivability keeps his game-altering powers in check. C
Minions of Utgar- With resurgence in play, the Minions are becoming a good pick to take down most heroes. A-
Mogrimm Forgehammer- Like the Axegrinders, he's solid. He's the edge the dwarves needed to hold their own a little better against ranged commons. A-
Mohican River Tribe- I pity da fool who underestimates the Braves. B+
Moltenclaw- Firebomb incoming. I mostly feel sorry for all those guys who put lava on top of single-hex pillars in the hopes of making BoV maps. B+
Moriko- With her special attack, she's just like Q9 for 70 fewer points! Q9 with 2/3 the offensive output, 4/7 the defense, 1/6 the range, medium size, and phantom walk. Watch out! D
Morsbane- Morsbane is cool, but I'd much rather kill a unit than disable it. The release of Ulginesh and the other Wave 8 elves raises his value slightly. C+
Nakita Agents- Though a bit costly, the Nakitas offer potentially invincible support to any rank of your army. Better stats in the move and range areas are in order, however. B
Ne-Gok-Sa- Perhaps one of the most solid master set figures, Ne-Gok-Sa will usually be one of the last figures on the battlefield. Being a warlord, Ne-Gok-Sa can prove a decent play with the Romans. B+
Nerak the Glacian Swog Rider- With wave 10 on the horizon, and maps being made more melee-friendly, Nerak is suddenly a force. A-
Nilfheim- Nilfheim was a solid figure before, but the Greenscales make him better. Still fairly fragile for how much can be riding on him in a Greenscale army, however. A-
Ninjas of the Northern Wind- Ninjas are really cool, and pretty good…not really good and pretty cool. C+
Obsidian Guards- Tell your friend to come over with his best army to play on the new map you built. After you reveal your all molten lava map, the Obsidians will win for you. D
Ogre Warhulk- A little pricey, but not half bad. B
Ogre Pulverizer- I'm pretty astonished by his lukewarm reception. A solid choice for the DCoT's to deal with other squad figures. B+
Omnicron Repulsors- Like most golden bullets, these guys are a little soft. B
Omnicron Snipers- With an increase in points in games, the Omnicrons have become a viable and potentially devastating force. B
Ornak- Potentially effective in massive point games, Ornak can be hard to field. The vampires from Wave 7, however, have improved his worth. B-
Othkurik the Black Dragon- 'lil Blacky isn't as solid as the other Dragons, but as a cheap dragon option, I'm sure he'll see play from time to time. B+
Otonashi- She's the second best 10 point unique ninja! B
Parmenio- His ability is just a bit hard to get to work, and Romans are better than Greeks anyway. C
Pelloth- I've never liked Drow thematically or attacking my own figures mechanically. He's a bifecta. C
Phantom Knights- Like reverse Redcoats. Somewhat match-up dependent, but still tough enough to grind it out in their poor match-ups. A-
Protectors of Ullar- Striking fear in the hearts of low defense heroes, the Protectors need to watch out for cheaper enemy ranged units. B
Quasatch Hunters- I want to try these guys out more. 4 defense, and potential 7 move on a lot of popular maps makes me think they can't be that bad. B-
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior ROTV- Giving help to all figures in the game, Raelin can significantly assist any army. A+
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior SOTM- Though Raelin has become battle-hardened, most armies would prefer she go back to her old ways. B
Rechets of Bogdan-Like the Airborne Elite before them, the Rechets of Bogdan add to the shock value troops in the game. Unfortunately, their lack of consistency is exponentially greater. C
Red Skull- Red Skull brings flexibility to hero based armies, but a decent cost makes him difficult to field. C+
Red Wyrmling- Similar to the black wyrmlings, better against some units, but worse v. Krav. B+Retiarius- He's no Crixus. B-
Rhogar Dragonspine- He's a dude. B-
Roman Archers- Despite having a powerful combined attack, one defense and a range of six means a short life for the Roman Archers. They're arguably the worst ranged common squad in the game. C-
Roman Legionnaires- Cheap, effective, and easily boosted stats, the Romans will undoubtedly always be a powerful force. B+
Runa- Too random to ever be viable, Runa just doesn’t have it. C-
Sacred Band- If the Romans didn’t already exist, the Sacred Band might be used frequently. As it is now, they’re a bit more restricting but more mobile. B+
Sahuagin Raider- Fishsticks stink. C-
Samuel Brown- He's kind of like Concan with range. B+
Saylind the Kyrie Warrior- Q9 made Saylind a bit more playable, but her uses are still somewhat limited. C
Sentinels of Jandar- If the Sentinel shields are on your side, they can appear invincible to your opponent. Revdyer has shown that they work great with the 4th. A-
Sgt. Drake Alexander ROTV- With more and more special attacks releasing, Drake’s value keeps going down. Once a safe bet, Drake’s Thorian Speed isn’t always fast enough nowadays. B+
Sgt. Drake Alexander SOTM- Sgt. Drake is back and better, but his high point cost keeps him in check. A-
Shades of Bleakewoode- Though a high “cool” factor, the Shades are the worst thing to come out of wave 6. Seven stealth flying can be handy at times. C-
Shaolin Monks- Give the monks one more defense and they could be some of the best units out there. Give yourself Master Woo, and you've got it as long as you can keep him close enough. C
Sharwin Wildborn- More like Sharlose. C+
Shiori- Though Shiori doesn't live up to the older ninjas, she can come in handy when the time is right. D
Shurrak- Bowl for Romans! B
Siege- He's tough to bring down if nothing else. B
Silver Surfer- You can't hit what you can't catch, but the Silver Surfer can still only attack once per activation. A-
Sir Denrick- With Gilbert coming out, Denrick’s value dropped significantly. However, a surge in huge figures makes Denrick a possibility. B-
Sir Dupuis- I've got 20 bucks that says I won't use this guy in a tournament this year. C+
Sir Gilbert- The best flagbearer or bonded hero, Gilbert solved the largest problem of the knights: movement. And with decent stats, Gilbert can deal some damage on his own. A
Sir Hawthorne- With decent stats in all areas, Sir Hawthorne can be a viable option for a knight hero. Problem is, there are too many good ones already. B+
Sonlen- The elf archmage has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, but Sonlen often fails at conjuring up his potent magic. B-
Sonya Esenwein-Though Sonya was mostly made to help her husband, she can still suck the life out of unsuspecting victims. A-
Spartacus- The Capuan Gladiators finally being released got rid of one well known clunker. B+
Spider-Man- Tough to catch and even tougher to hit, Spider-Man can swing out of harm's way in a flash. Relative low attack keeps him in check. B+
Su-Bak-Na- Though weak on defense and life, the bone dragon partially makes up for it with a high attack and marro/hound boosts. B-
Sudema- Although inconsistent and weak to consistently see play, Sudema's a champ against high cost melee figures. C
Sujoah- Although his mobility and toughness are quite good for a bonded hero, his offensive utility isn't on par with some of the other more expensive Heroes out there. C+
Swog Rider- See Arrow Gruts. B
Syvarris- Though he can outrange the best of them, Syvarris is often too weak to survive many attacks. However, he still makes a great end-game run-and-gun figure. B
Taelord the Kyrie Warrior- Taelord has arguably the best aura in the game, but there’s just one problem: Taelord costs too much. B-
Tagawa Samurai- Quite possibly the best melee squad in the game, a band of angry Tagawa Samurai can be scary. A high cost keeps them in check, however. B
Tagawa Samurai Archers- Though a bit disappointing to most, the Tagawa Samurai Archers might yet prove valuable in the future. B-
Tandros Kreel- He's no Kaemon Awa, but he's pretty tough and has some useful powers. B
Tarn Viking Warriors- A decent filler squad, the Tarns give you good stats for a low cost, but there are often better options. C+
Templar Cavalry-Though seemingly great on paper, a few shots at the mounted knights will easily bring them down. C-
Thanos- Thanos presents a dilemma to his opponents: attack him now, or let him decimate your army and save him for the end. Either way, Thanos is a headache to deal with. B-
Theracus-Theracus can set up most figures to most spots on the board quickly. And at 40 points, you can’t feel too badly about his simple uses. B+
Thorgrim the Viking Champion- With Gilbert out now, Thorgrim has trouble seeing the light of day. B-
Torin- Ranged counterstrike aura- he certainly has a place next to Stingers or other Utgar common ranged, of which there are remarkably few. Decent end-game vs. squaddies if your opponent ignored him. Raelin helps the pod even more. B+
Tor-Kul-Na- Though Tor-Kul-Na can rip through lines of squads, getting set up in the right situation proves difficult. B+
Tornak- Though easy to kill, a melee fight with Heavy Gruts and Tornak is nothing to laugh at. C+
Tul-Bak-Ra- Although he has an interesting toolbox of abilities, TBR isn't all that well suited to standard tournament play. C+
Ulginesh- As the keystone of the Elf Wizard army, Ulginesh has few substitutes... unless you just play something else. B
Valguard- With Romans/Greeks, Marcus is a near necessity. With that already in your army, Valguard becomes hard to fit in a standard point game. C+
Venoc Vipers- The prevalence of Braxas and Grimnak make the Vipers look a little nastier these days. B
Venoc Warlord- The Venoc Warlord’s value kept decreasing until the Aubrien Archers, Mohicans, and Zetacron came out. Now, he can give boosts to valued ranged figures and provide some melee value. B+
Venom- Though no synergies exist, a powerful attack for just 150 points is a steal. A-
Warden 816-The warden helps out his fellow guards, but most of them are beyond all hope anyway. C-
Warforged Soldiers- Neat unit, that's probably a hair behind other new units that are similar, like the PK's and Dividers. B+
Warriors of Ashra- Masters of melee combat, a few groups of WOA can tie down advancing enemies to your ranged figures. Without bonding and only three attacks of three, a turn marker on the WOA doesn’t get you a whole lot. B
Water Elemental- Even if you're giving up height, 4/5 and range with that maneuvarability isn't half bad. B+
Werewolf Lord- Seems fun in a counter-draft situation v. bonding armies, but not as much for a typical double-blind format. B-
White Wyrmling- High defense and the option for multiple attacks make this one of the more robust options if you want to make a full Wyrmling army. B
Wolves of Badru- They offer something new in the ability to finally bond with Khosumet, as well as using a combination of special and normal attacks on the same turn, but their defense and cost keep them from being among the elite units out there. C+
Wo-Sa-Ga- Although she has the potential to kill a Major in one attack, she is nowhere near as beefy as Tor-Kul-Na. B-
Wyvern- Super fun unit, all around. Almost makes me want to play spiders in a tourney. Almost. B-
Zelrig- Even if he doesn't kill his points, Zelrig is bound to make your opponent rethink the placement of his common squad figures. A-
Zetacron- A decent filler unit, Zetacron has the potential to take out even the mightiest of Heroes with a lucky Deadly Shot. B+
Zettian Guards- Though constantly ragged on, the Zettians can make a decent end-game ranged force. Will Torin revive this RotV clunker? B-
Zombies of Morindan- Still an enigma as to their value, Zombies can certainly crush or be crushed by an opponent. B+


This list will be updated upon the new release of any wave, set, promotional unit, or to correct grammatical errors. However, there's also a possibility the power rankings will change between waves due to a surge in play of one unit or if the author changes his mind on something (possible, but unlikely :p). So, if you only have $30 and need to know where to invest it for your Heroscape collection, check out the power rankings for some expert advice :wink: . Feel free to post comments, complaints, and suggestions for the list.

EDIT: Rankings are based upon usefulness in 400-600 point games against what someone might expect to play in a tournament setting. At this moment, units that can deal with lots of squads and huge heroes have a bias toward higher rankings. The meta-game might (and probably will) change some day, but this is the way it is currently. Furthermore, rankings are based upon the fact that everything works in averages. For example, Ne-Gok-Sa's Mind Shackle doesn't "never work," it works 5% (barring Su-Bak-Na, Lodin glyph) of the time. Similarly, Dund's crippling gaze isn't worthless, it just doesn't work 70% of the time. Lastly, rankings are also based on competent players playing competent opponents. For example, a good player won't let me march Sudema right into her starting zone to stone Raelin to death. Rather, she will shoot Sudema, tie her up with rats, or just do something that's generally counter-productive to what I'm trying to do.

Major Post Index
Here, I'll provide a list of links to major posts in this thread made by spider or I when rankings changed due to major tournament results, metagame shifts, or simply the release of new units.

Jexik's first rankings: Wave 9
GenCon reactions and changes
New A+ Unit!
Revamping of lower ranks
NHSD '09 Reactions
Main pre-D&D revamp
MS3 and Wave 10 grades posted
D1 April Fools.
D1 once more, with feeling
GenCon Ups
D2 and D3
GenCon 2011 non-changes
Greenscales and Nilfheim stealth demotion
Atlaga, Kyrie, and Gruts reshuffle

Playing Style and experience note:

Some people might be reading the new rankings and wondering, "Why are Sir Gilbert or the Mohicans so high? Krug so low?" Here's a link to my records with and against every unit I've seen in tournaments.

To see spider_poison's much more impressive tournament career: go here.

If you think I've got something in the wrong place, please link to a tournament where the figure did much better or worse than my current rankings would suggest, and I'll be happy to consider a change.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Supergeek said:
Cool idea SP.
"shotgun" Sullivan needs a letter grade.

Thanks. And I fixed the Shotgun thing. I'm also going to format a bit better when I have time so that it will be easier to read.
 
Dünd- Uhhhh….yeah. F
:rofl:

In all seriosness, thanks for taking the time to do this!

And that said... how much time DID this take for you to put together?!
 
Jormi_Boced said:
spider_poison said:
Supergeek said:
Cool idea SP.
"shotgun" Sullivan needs a letter grade.

Thanks. And I fixed the Shotgun thing. I'm also going to format a bit better when I have time so that it will be easier to read.

You bored? :)

A little. But it's been an off-and-on thing for about a week now. Honestly though, it took less time to do than battle reports I write. I just had to copy and paste the names of the figures, so it didn't take much time at all.
 
Great! It looks like you put a lot of time into this. The only thing wrong with this is the Fs. I mean, what is this based on? Sure, in 400 point games Spartacus sucks. But ask anyone who does 800 point games; he rocks. Hard. Dund has some uses, he deserves a D- at least; he's on par with Khosumet, and Deathwalker 7000... well, OK, he kinda deserves his F.
 
johnny139 said:
Sure, in 400 point games Spartacus sucks. But ask anyone who does 800 point games; he rocks. Hard.
His stats and boosts to the other Gladiators are nice and all, but I'd still much rather have Jotun, Charos, or Braxas for near the same points even in a 800 point game.
 
Uprising said:
johnny139 said:
Sure, in 400 point games Spartacus sucks. But ask anyone who does 800 point games; he rocks. Hard.
His stats and boosts to the other Gladiators are nice and all, but I'd still much rather have Jotun, Charos, or Braxas for near the same points even in a 800 point game.

Now, I could see that. But if you base an army around Spartacus, with synergy and such, he would crush the competition.
 
johnny139 said:
Uprising said:
johnny139 said:
Sure, in 400 point games Spartacus sucks. But ask anyone who does 800 point games; he rocks. Hard.
His stats and boosts to the other Gladiators are nice and all, but I'd still much rather have Jotun, Charos, or Braxas for near the same points even in a 800 point game.

Now, I could see that. But if you base an army around Spartacus, with synergy and such, he would crush the competition.
Yea, I'm betting his useage will skyrocket once a squad of Gladiators gets released....if ever.
 
Things you forgot

Airborne Elite - Might be there when you need them, but might not - B
Crixus - I think he deserves a bit more credit - B-
 
Tremendous! Thank you, sir!

~Aldin, who always finds that stuff like this makes him want to craft a superior squad of the "bad ones" (must have been watching "Dirty Dozen" with my dad as a kid)
 
Great resource!

I have my disagreements, but hey, it's an OpEd. I'd also like to know how you came up with some of this, though. A little clean-up for the sake of presentation would be nice too. Otherwise, great piece!
 
Overall pretty good ranking. It seems like you favor the bonding units over all else.

I'd have given the roman archers a much lower rating. I also would have given kelda a higher rating because she is more useful in high point games (like Taelord).
 
Very cool, thanks for sharing. Does seem a little skewed in favour of figures who currently work well with a themed army (i.e. anything tournament worthy, i.e. 4th Mass, Orcs, Blasts, etc.). Granted, that's the section this is in, but I'd like to see overall usefulness ratings. Also, Valguard is missing a grade.
 
Nicely done, and mostly agreed with!

I was surprised at Syv's low score though... but like someone else said, opinions may vary!

Again, well done!
 
spider_poison is too classy to tell you himself, but the guy did win the main tourney at GenCon last year. We may all have our own thoughts that differ, but I for one appreciate getting insight into this man's brain. As I am sure many others are.
 
Situational pieces like DED, Sudema, and Dund all received very low scores. Against certain army types each unit can be a bomb. In my opinion someone with a D- or F should suck against basically any army
 
Snotwalker 8000 said:
Nicely done, and mostly agreed with!

I was surprised at Syv's low score though... but like someone else said, opinions may vary!

Again, well done!
I second that Sys should have scored better, thank's SP great idea!
 
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