Today, we'll take a closer look at two the most powerful level three fliers, the Highmen Valkyrie vs. Undead Demon.
Lets take a closer look:
Edge: Valkyrie Edge: Valkyrie The Valkyrie's 7 attack is higher than a Demon's 6, but it lacks a Demon's follow-through with only 3 damage. A slightly lower than average defense of 4 and average resistance of 5. The Valkyrie has only 8 hit points, two less than a Demon's. Edge: Demon The Demon has fire strike, which isn't that great of an ability, but it can kill a unit that has been knocked down to 1-2 hit points at the beginning of the next turn. The Valkyrie's 7 attacks means it usually strike an opponent, but that opponent is usually around to hit back the next turn because of its pathetic 3 damage rating. The Valkyrie relies on its Holy Strike to give it the edge in combat, which on a successful hit gives the victim Vertigo (-2 ATK & DMG). The Valkyrie's Holy Strike also means it can hit Unfortunately, inflicting Vertigo isn't a given, and the Valkyrie's lower damage means its enemy is usually hitting back, and usually inflicting damage. It's a close call--high damage vs holy strike--but I'd rather kill a unit quickly than hope to Vertigo it. Edge: Demon On the other hand, the Demon enjoys a host of immunities, similar to its undead comrades, however, it is not a true "undead" unit, so it can't be turned. The Demon has Fire Immunity, Death Immunity, Poison Immunity and Vision II. However, the ability that really sets the demon apart is Regeneration. All it needs to do is survive a battle by one hit point and it's back at full strength the next day. Edge: Demon The Demon hits hard and hits often. It can take a good beating with 10 HP, and it's good-to-go every single turn because of its regeneration. While it may be more expensive than the Valkyrie, its well worth the extra gold because it's like you get a brand new unit each turn; it not unusual to see silver and gold medaled demons flying about. It would be interesting to toss the Nordic Glow into this discussion, but we'll leave that for another day. Or feel free to add the Nordic Glow to the discussion below. I enjoy debating the pros and cons of unit balancing. [This message has been edited by Angel Draco (edited 08-25-2002 @ 01:00 PM).]
The Valkyrie is significantly cheaper than the Demon, costing only 85 gold to install and produce, compared to the Demon's 105 price tag.
Both units have true flight with no ranged attack, which means they must engage in melee. However, the Valkyrie has 36 movement points (MP) to the Demon's 30.
Overall, the Demon is generally a "tougher" unit than the Valkyrie. The demon has strong attack
The Demon boasts an awesome melee attack that really packs a punch. It's high attack of 6 hits often and its 6 damage hits hard. A demon can easily kill a low-level unit in one turn.
However, the demon does not have a magic strike so it can't hit units with physical invulnerability (which is a rare ability).
The Valkyrie is Fearless, has Holy Immunity and Vision II.
While the Valkyrie may be the best of the "Good" level three flying units, it pales in comparison to the Demon. It's low defense and low HP means it dies quickly in battle. And even if its only severely injured, it needs healing the next round or its toast.