Among the cheap tier-1 units by “raw” efficiency (health and damage per gold) the Scamp and the Militia lead; among ranged units the Archer and the Skeleton archer offer the best balance. At tier 2 take the Spearman, the Armored beetle or the Ghost, at tier 3 the Knight, the Wolf and the Battle mage, for siege the Catapult or the Golem. Numbers without abilities are misleading: see counters.
How we count
The efficiency metric equals √(health × damage per second) / cost: it shows how much “combat power” you get per gold. It ignores range, abilities and armor, so it suits comparing units of the same tier, not a verdict.
| Tier | Units by efficiency (descending) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Scamp 1.29 · Militia 1.19 · Skeleton warrior 0.97 · Bog thrower 0.76 · Archer 0.61 · Skeleton archer 0.59 |
| 2 | Spearman 0.45 · Armored beetle 0.44 · Ghost 0.31 · Standard-bearer 0.20 · Gravedigger 0.19 · Mushroom shaman 0.17 |
| 3 | Thicket wolf 0.42 · Knight 0.35 · Bone rider 0.30 · Battle mage 0.14 · Lich apprentice 0.14 · Marsh witch 0.13 |
| 4 | Stone golem 0.29 · Coffin cart 0.15 · Catapult 0.14 |
| 5 | Gryphon rider 0.12 · Firemane wyvern 0.10 · Bone dragon 0.10 |
The higher the number, the better the unit is “head-on”. Ranged and support units look worse than they are in practice: an archer that shoots from behind is stronger than its number.
The best by role
Front line (brawlers and tanks)
- Tier 1: the Militia (Kingdom) wins with health and the armor bonus in a tight group, the Scamp (Wilds) is the cheapest and evasive, the Skeleton warrior (Pale Court) rises after dying.
- Tier 2: the Spearman against riders and air, the Armored beetle against archers and siege (armor 5), the Ghost against any physical damage.
Ranged units
The Archer offers range 170 and a volley on a second target, the Bog thrower slows its target, the Skeleton archer ignores 2 points of armor. All three have low health: keep them in the rear.
Riders
The Knight is the sturdiest (230 health, armor 3), the Thicket wolf is the fastest and runs around the line, the Bone rider slows enemy archers.
Mages
The Battle mage chains and hits undead harder, the Marsh witch weakens armor and attack, the Lich apprentice grows in a long fight. The Mushroom shaman and the Gravedigger belong to support.
Siege
The Catapult and the Coffin cart hit from afar, the Stone golem is nearly immune to arrows and breaks lines up close. All siege is helpless against fast units, so bring cover with it.
Air
The Gryphon rider, the Firemane wyvern and the Bone dragon cost 600–620 gold: take them when the enemy has no spearmen and little ranged damage.
What matters more than numbers
- The counter. Spearmen are twice as strong against riders and air: a unit with “bad” numbers can win the fight.
- Composition. A single unit type loses to a mixed army: you need a front line, ranged units and support.
- The price at your castle level. The price grows 25% for every level above a unit's tier, so cheap units are worse at high castle levels: see the price table on each unit page.
All 24 units with numbers: the reference.
FAQ
Which Warhosts unit is the strongest?
There is no single “best” one: the Stone golem leads by health, siege and air by damage per second, cheap tier-1 units by cost efficiency. It all depends on the enemy army: see counters.