Ram-Strengths and Weaknesses
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 11:49 pmAs a brief introduction, I am vnvreborn, a high ranking ram player. Here are my current thoughts on starting small ap value ram games. Please note that throughout this post, these are only my opinions and observations.
Out of the three different races to pick: ram, lion, and wolf, it is my opinion that the starting options for ram are the weakest overall which leaves new players through a harsh series of losses and often makes ram lose its appeal. The strongest beginning army consists of a Skull warrior, Necromancer, and Skeleton Archer. While the army has a balance of range, melee, and magic, the composition does poorly against the other common starting armies, especially wolves. This often leads to new ram players losing consistently at early stages. No one wants to play a race that seems to always lose.
The starting wolf army most commonly picked includes a Predator of Blood and a Wolfen Hunter. The speed and damage of these two units quickly close the gap before the archer can do any significant damage and the necromancer can be killed even when hidden behind both puppets. This leaves only the Skull Warrior which is no match in a pure 1v1 vs the Predator.
The strongest starting lion army has a Knight, Swordsman, Archer, and Sparkling. Against this army, ram is forced to advance as lion will almost always get the first shot due to 3 discipline vs the 0 of ram. However, ram is also outmatched in melee. Level 1, hard-boiled makes the Knight a superior fighter to the Skull, who only has a situation increase in damage. The necromancer is made a minor factor, as puppets lose most of their health before entering the battle and are slow with little damage. The Skeleton loses to the Archer due to lower Discipline.
The after units begin to hit level 2, the ram army becomes more well rounded, but to get to this point is generally too discouraging for newer players.
I would recommend changing this army to a Skull Warrior, 2 Skeleton Warriors, and a Skeleton Archer. Necromancers are too complex of a unit to use for new players to use effectively and is weak at level 1, often leading to a useless unit until leveled. Starting armies should be small forces where the player can feel the strength of each unit, while offering basic tactics. The Skull is a solid core for the army, that while weaker than its counterparts, is still a solid choice. The Skeleton Archer allows the player the option of fighting at a range. This army is superior as it provides new players with an army with intuitive strategies based on the composition as well as a better rounded force which can better match wolves in melee and survive to face lions at level one.
Out of the three different races to pick: ram, lion, and wolf, it is my opinion that the starting options for ram are the weakest overall which leaves new players through a harsh series of losses and often makes ram lose its appeal. The strongest beginning army consists of a Skull warrior, Necromancer, and Skeleton Archer. While the army has a balance of range, melee, and magic, the composition does poorly against the other common starting armies, especially wolves. This often leads to new ram players losing consistently at early stages. No one wants to play a race that seems to always lose.
The starting wolf army most commonly picked includes a Predator of Blood and a Wolfen Hunter. The speed and damage of these two units quickly close the gap before the archer can do any significant damage and the necromancer can be killed even when hidden behind both puppets. This leaves only the Skull Warrior which is no match in a pure 1v1 vs the Predator.
The strongest starting lion army has a Knight, Swordsman, Archer, and Sparkling. Against this army, ram is forced to advance as lion will almost always get the first shot due to 3 discipline vs the 0 of ram. However, ram is also outmatched in melee. Level 1, hard-boiled makes the Knight a superior fighter to the Skull, who only has a situation increase in damage. The necromancer is made a minor factor, as puppets lose most of their health before entering the battle and are slow with little damage. The Skeleton loses to the Archer due to lower Discipline.
The after units begin to hit level 2, the ram army becomes more well rounded, but to get to this point is generally too discouraging for newer players.
I would recommend changing this army to a Skull Warrior, 2 Skeleton Warriors, and a Skeleton Archer. Necromancers are too complex of a unit to use for new players to use effectively and is weak at level 1, often leading to a useless unit until leveled. Starting armies should be small forces where the player can feel the strength of each unit, while offering basic tactics. The Skull is a solid core for the army, that while weaker than its counterparts, is still a solid choice. The Skeleton Archer allows the player the option of fighting at a range. This army is superior as it provides new players with an army with intuitive strategies based on the composition as well as a better rounded force which can better match wolves in melee and survive to face lions at level one.
