Players can choose between five armies, each with distinctive strengths.
An army is composed of 12-16 units. These are~
6-8 Weak units. These form your frontline, with low hp, low damage, and limited range.
2-4 Average units. Beginning in your rear rank, these units have the longest attack range.
2 Strong units. At the center of your forces, your heavy damage dealers.
2 Support units. At the edges. Support units do not have a standard attack, but can provide a unique effect, exclusive to your army.
Each turn, you can perform a 'move' action with one piece, and a 'target' action (usually attack) with one piece. Let's see what this looks like, through the wonders of MSPaint!
As shown, the three icons near the top of your unit display show that unit's default stats. However, these stats can be modified by magic items, armor class, and experience bonuses.
ARMOR CLASS
Each unit has an armor class, which gives them bonuses and penalties when dealing and taking damage.
Heavy units do +2 damage against medium armor, but -2 against light
Medium units do +2 damage against light armor, but -2 against heavy
Light units do +2 damage against heavy armor, but -2 against medium
Unarmored units have no damage bonuses or penalties
EXPERIENCE
As your units rank up kills, individual units can level up, giving them bonuses to range, damage, or defense.
A unit becomes a
Veteran Combatant after delivering 2 killing blows.
A unit becomes a
Decorated Combatant after delivering 5 killing blows.
The elements, only one step removed from the blessed ancestors, have guided the orcish shamans for generations. As the voices of the spirits wane, the remaining mystics of the Horde call once more on the furies' aid.
Elements comprise the best general-purpose army, and excel at attacking from range.
UNITS
Elemental Solid (medium): 15 hp, 1 move range, 1 attack range, 5 damage
Elemental Squall (light): 19 hp, 2 move range, 3 attack range, 7 damage
Elemental Cinder (heavy): 20 hp, 1 move range, 2 attack range, 19 damage
Elemental Spray: 15 hp, 2 move range, 1 target range, does 5 healing
SHAMANS
Ner'zhul: The Elder Shaman. Can cast Portal, allowing units to quickly move across the board.
Zuluhed: Chieftain of the Dragonmaw Clan. Can summon a temporary Spirit Drake, a fairly strong unit with unlimited move range.
LEVEL-UP
Elemental Fury: +1 attack range
Elemental Lord: +2 attack range
The tutelage of Kil'jaeden has given the Horde's warlocks access to new dimensions of power, thrusting expendable demon legions into the material plane. They are expected to strike swiftly, surely, and die in the name of their masters.
Most demon units are fragile, but they can be very strong in the early game.
UNITS
Imp (medium): 11 hp, 1 move range, 2 attack range, 6 damage
Felhound (light): 18 hp, 2 move range, 2 attack range, 10 damage
Voidwalker (heavy): 37 hp, 2 move range, 1 attack range, 15 damage
Succubus: 12 hp, 1 move range, 2 target range, casts silence, preventing an enemy unit from using its target action for its next 2 turns.
WARLOCKS
Gul'dan: The Great Betrayer. Can cast Volcano, doing damage to all units in a 2x2 square.
Nekros Skullcrusher: Enslaver of the Red Dragonflight. Can cast Dominate, granting him control of an enemy unit for a single turn.
LEVEL-UP
Legion Captain: +3 damage
Legion General: +6 damage
Most orcs have always gone the way of the warrior, and Horde warlords are still at their best commanding battalions of hardened fighters. Orcs stand shoulder to shoulder, rushing headlong into battle as one, yet also respecting each others' strengths.
Orcs form the most rounded and situational army, with relatively stronger 'weak' units and weaker 'strong' units.
UNITS
Grunt (heavy): 14 hp, 2 move range, 1 attack range, 7 damage
Spearman (medium): 16 hp, 1 move range, 3 attack range, 9 damage
Raider (light): 23 hp, 3 move range, 1 attack range, 18 damage
Wardrummer: 20 hp, 2 move range, no target ability. Passively plays wardrums, increasing the damage of adjacent friendly units and decreasing their damage taken by 1.
WARLORDS
Orgrim Doomhammer: Warchief of the Horde. Can cast Lava Lash, making a target enemy unit deal damage over time to all adjacent hostiles.
Dal'rend Blackhand: Chieftain of the Blacktooth Grin. Can cast Fel Aging, permanently upgrading one of his units to a more powerful form.
LEVEL-UP
Horde Veteran: +1 move range
Horde Champion: +2 move range
The Draenei are in a perilous situation - severely outnumbered by the Horde, their numbers have already been decimated. Those who remain to defend their people are either among the mightiest, most capable warriors their race has known, or are skilled at evading the blades of their foes.
Draenei have the weakest 'weak' units and the strongest 'strong' units. Protecting your damage dealers is key.
UNITS
Krokul (light): 8 hp, 2 move range, 1 attack range, 4 damage. Stealths for 1 turn after attacking.
Rangari (medium): 17 hp, 3 move range, 2 attack range, 14 damage
Vindicator (heavy): 30 hp, 1 move range, 1 attack range, 22 damage
Anchorite: 11 hp, 2 move range, 2 target range, casts Light of the Naaru, healing allies and burning enemies for 2 points each turn over the next 2 rounds.
EXARCHS
Velen: Prophet of the Naaru. Can cast Redemption, reviving one of his random fallen units at the target square.
Akama: Ashtongue Elder Sage. Can cast Deathsworn Cunning, allowing him to take a second turn.
LEVEL-UP
Draenei Sage: +2 damage absorption
Draenei Elder: +4 damage absorption
The outcasts and disaffected of Draenor have fallen sway to the beguiling vision of the Shadow Council. Their minds too feeble or too broken to treat with fel, these wretched fighters have turned to void and necromancy, and are treated as little more than fodder by their masters.
The Shadow-touched are a highly mobile army of fragile, expendable units. Any battle will be a war of attrition, but the ability to rise from the dead means this army will last longer than most.
UNITS
Pale Orc (light): 4 hp, 1-3 move range, 1 attack range, 9 damage. Pale Orcs are notoriously unpredictable - their move range changes each turn.
Ogre (heavy): 21 hp, 2 move range, 1 attack range, 10 damage
Sethekk Slave (medium): 10 hp, 3 move range, 4 attack range, 16 damage. Sethekk become exhausted after each attack, and must rest one turn before attacking again.
Necrolyte: 15 hp, 2 move range, 3 target range, casts Death Pact, draining 10 hp from allies and restoring the Necrolyte to full health. Can also be cast on lingering souls to raise them into undead fighters.
Every living Shadow-touched fighter leaves behind a soul on death.
COUNCILORS
Cho'Gall: Master of the Twilight's Hammer. Can cast Corrupted Blood, which jumps between enemy units, doing 1 damage each time until it's done a total of 25 damage.
Teron Gorefiend: First of the Death Knights. Can cast Unholy Shield, wreathing a target ally or enemy in necromantic energies. The unit is impervious to attack damage for three rounds. And then it dies. Horribly.
LEVEL-UP
Initiate of the 3rd Circle: leave a Great Soul behind on death, which can be resurrected as an Undead Warrior (10hp/2 move/1 range/7 damage).
Initiate of the 5th Circle: leave an Epic Soul behind on death, which can be resurrected as an Undead Champion (16hp/3 move/1 range/9 damage).