High Elf Units

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High Elf Units

Racial Tag
Every race in the game have some special or hidden traits that come from their race tag / classification. The High Elf race tag is the prime example of  "all or nothing", for the special traits they adopt are either a full immunity or a full vulnerability:
 * Immunity to Fear.
 * Immunity to Terror.
 * Helpless against Poison. (Absolutely no resistance to the effect)
 * Helpless against Disease. (Absolutely no resistance to the effect)
 * +2 combat during the day. (Prior to 1.03.23, the High Elves only gained +1 combat during the day)

Wisp - Elven Builder
Wisps are very weak builders that are used for the Elven races. Four Wisps can merge together and form an Ancient Wisp at cost of 100 crystal, but only after researching the skill with the same name at tier 2. Unlike other builder units, Wisps cannot be put into mines.

Iceguard - Basic High Elven Infantry
The Iceguard are one of the better basic infantry in the game, possessing high combat, damage, speed and decent armor / resistance. Their only real downfall is their sub-par HP stat, which wont save them from any untimely critical hits, and to some extent, undermines their high armor and resistance. Although with such a high combat stat, it will usually be them who will be scoring the critical hits against other basic infantry. They can also be upgraded in tier 3 for +10 damage, allowing their damage output to still sting later on as the game advances.

They are also meant to do triple damage vs. Dwarven units, but due to a typo in the source code, they do not.

Longbow - Basic High Elven Missile Unit
Longbow Men are some of the best basic missile units in the game and can be upgraded to be even better, as well as dealing fire damage. But their cost is pretty high and that Flaming Arrows research wont be arriving any time early game. In large numbers they by themselves will decimate just about everything, but having a bunch of melee units to act as a mobile bulwark certainly will help them to survive longer.

Ancient Wisp - Advanced Elven Builder / Missile Unit
Made by combining 4 baby wisps and spending 100 crystals (takes a grand total of 200 crystals). It generates crystal at a rate of a level 1 mine and can be a lifesaver for the crystal hungry elves. Make as much of them as possible and coupled with trade in merchant building by mid game you won't have scarcity of resources. They can construct buildings and are a decent missile unit with long range electrical attacks. They have more hit points than most of your units, but are vulnerable to physical attacks, so you'll either want to keep them protected behind a melee wall or accompany them with so many other wisps + archers + mages + towers + manticores that nothing will survive long enough to do much damage to any particular wisp. They can also be recruited for your Hero's retinue, allowing you to bring them over to other crystal hungry races, such as Daemons and Plaguelords.

Ancient wisps are significantly more powerful the stronger your hero's merchant skill (from Charisma, or from the merchant class), because decrease in cost of purchases is equivalent to an increase in the rate at which wisps produce crystal. Without any mercantile upgrades, wisps have a geometric growth rate of doubling your number of wisps every 7 minutes (not counting the costs of the buildings used to produce the 4 baby wisps and to increase your supply cap). With mercantile upgrades, you can instead reach a geometric growth rate of quadrupling your number of wisps over the same time period. If your income is quadrupling every 7 minutes, while the other player's isn't, then time will definitely be on your side.

Dragon Knight - Basic High Elven Cavalry
Comparable to knights of the Knight race (though there are no armor and attack upgrades besides extra damage to Dragons) and the only cavalry in the game able to attack fliers. Through their high resistance, immunity to Terror and upgrades to deal extra damage to Dragons, Dragon Knights make true of their name and make for excellent Dragon hunters. However, Dragon Knights aren't just restricted to Dragon slaying, for their prowess allows them to stand strong against many foes of the game. Prior to 1.03.23, Dragon Knights were so good that players would even rush to get them to end the game quickly!

Phoenix - Basic Flier
The Phoenix helps the Elves make up for the lack of mine fillers with their ability to convert buildings. Fortunately for the High Elves, they also have access to the Income and Trade skills that can help bolster the usefulness of what ever mines they do capture. So if they are struggling to control the map, they wont be falling behind too quickly. Outside of their ability to convert, the Phoenix has no other purpose - its combat capabilities are poor and it can't take many hits at all. Once the High Elves have established a strong foot hold of the map, they can send their Phoenixes to early retirement.

Mystic - Basic High Elven Spellcaster
With short ranged spells and main attack, Mystics are designed to be used along side melee units (Typically Iceguards due to Dragon Knight's being too fast to catch up with), sitting only slightly behind them and offering covering fire... or frost in this case. They can be used to guard ranged units, such as Longbowmen, and threaten enemy melee units that wish to assail them with their Ring of Ice spell, but they will find themselves doing nothing most of the time till that scenario occurs. Their White Ward spell is even more situational and regardless of how the unit is used. High Elves are already immune to the two most common psyche effects out there, and the other two are restricted to only a handful of units. This makes the spell borderline useless for the High Elves, with its only saving grace being able to prevent enemy Illusion class Heroes from inflicting Awe on the High Elven archers.

Typically Ice Maidens are the better choice for a spell-caster to aid the High Elves, due to their much longer range and better selection of spells, but the combination of both Ice Maidens and Mystics together can help cover each other's weaknesses. Ancient wisps also often edge out druids, dealing similar damage at longer range, doubling their HP, and replacing the sometimes-useful spells with always-useful crystal generation.

Ice Maiden - Advanced High Elven Spellcaster
Ice Maidens are very fragile, but with such long range, they can and should be used as back line support. However, this long range makes their spells a little tricky to pull off where needed unless the player insists on sending them forwards purely to cast their spells. But with such low defense, any moderate ranged targeting would likely have them killed before they get chance to cast their spells, so they should never be left by themselves. Regardless, their long range frost attacks are welcomed by the other High Elven archers to help combat missile-resistant units, and their Freeze spell can be very valuable when used against the right targets.

Manticore - High Elven Seige Weapon
Despite being titled a Siege Weapon, the Manticore is an anti-infantry weapon that's designed to slaughter hordes of enemies simultaneously, and it couldn't be better in that regard! With splash damage, carry through and the Multishot ability, the Manticore can take out many enemy units and with ease. Although it can't hit aerial targets, the Multishot ability can. This ensures that it's not entirely helpless against fliers and can even rid the area of those pesky weaker fliers that can hit grounded targets, such as Imps and Lightning Hawks.

The Manticore's limiting factor comes from its lack of mobility. While the rest of the High Elven army can run rings around their foe and strike them afar with the many other ranged weapons they have access to, the Manticore gets left behind and in most cases (well, for me at least) the Manticore is best suited for base defense instead of assault.

Unicorn -  High Elven Cavalry / Healer
Unicorns can be very useful.... to the other races, that is. Due to the fragile nature of the High Elves, their units will usually die before they can be healed. Further more, because of their low hit points, the triple HP regeneration they can acquire via research is sufficient enough for any healing.

However, their Dragons and advanced fliers can make full use of both of the Unicorn's spells, so they're not completely wasted. In addition to that, the Unicorn isn't exactly helpless. With respectable stats, and not just for a support unit, as well as the ability to cause Awe, the Unicorn is certainly capable of fighting off common enemy units and its offensive prowess is sure to be useful to the High Elven army. Although one should take note of its Piercing damage type, which is also shared with many other High Elven units.

Wyvern - Advanced Flier
The High Elves got greedy in WBC3 and snagged themselves a second advanced flier, and one which doesn't even get banned when the No-Fliers rule is implemented.

The Wyvern is a powerful unit and one of the best fliers in the game, but its piercing damage type offers nothing new to the High Elves. This alone gives it large competition with the Pegasus, who usually comes out on top in regards to choice. If the crushing damage that the Pegasus brings to the table isn't in much need, but still in need of a strong flying unit, then the High Elves can choose to produce Wyverns over Pegasi for the raw power that they hold. Producing them together is a little redundant, as the excess resources could be saved for an actual Dragon.

Pegasus - Advanced Flier
It is said in Etheria lore that when Lord Bane's Undead army marches down south from the Realm of Death, it is left to the High Elves to push his force back. But with almost all of the Undead units being resistant to the majority of the High Elven weaponry, one would wonder how the High Elves are actually meant to stand up to the Undead. However, it is the Pegasus that makes the lore a reality. Its crushing type damage is not only un-resisted by the Undead but most are actually weak to it! But with its high flying speed and lucky critical effects, any foe can find themselves hard pressed by the Pegasus, making them very valuable to the High Elves, regardless of who they're fighting.

Moonguard- High Elven General
One of the most powerful ranged units in the game and one that's caught much attention from every patch that passed the game by. In 1.03.23 they were booted out of the Tree of Gold and pushed into the White Tower level 5 to drastically reduce the easiness of spamming them.

What makes them so good is that they're essentially uber Longbowmen - units that when when upgraded and massed could destroy unprepared bases. This means massed Moonguards when fully upgraded usually win the game. The only true way to take on Moonguards is with missile-resistant units, or very tough piercing resistant units, anything else will be shot down upon sight. Add in Dragon Knights for a mobile bulwark and you've got yourself a force to be reckoned with!

Celestial Dragon - Elite Flier
With its high powered magic breath that turns enemies into crystal and double damage vs evil creatures (a huge portion of the units in the game), as well as its high endurance, Celestial Dragons are simply one of the best none-Titan units in the game. Its cost may be high but with the High Elves having access to Trade, the Celestial Dragon isn't really that difficult to afford. And once it is in the field, it'll start paying you back with the crystal it gains for slaying the fools who strayed too close to it.

Considering that the High Elven spellcasters have frost type attacks and spells, one of which is the Freeze spell, there is no rush to produce a Frost Dragon. So you should wait till you get the extra resources and produce a Celestial Dragon in almost all cases.

Frost Dragon - Elite Flier
Frost Dragons are a great Dragon choice, but the High Elves aren't strangers to frost attacks. Both of their spellcasters have frost attacks and spells, one of which is the Freeze spell that has the same effects as the Frost Dragon's breath attack, but with the added effect of being issued across a large radius. This makes the Frost Dragon's unique roll a lot less unique for the High Elves. Considering their other Dragon choice as well, and it's no mystery why the High Elves common Dragon choice is the Celestial variant. That's not to say the Frost Dragon has no place in the High Elven army, their natural bulk and the absents of mana for their freezing allows them to function on the front line and assail even Mana-Drain units and still remain effective.

King Lunarion - High Elven Titan
The legendary king of the High Elves, riding a beautiful golden dragon. Causing 160 damage to enemies, Lunarion and his dragon can destroy a vast army. unfortunately, he does piercing damage which makes him weak against buildings. King Lunarion's flying ability makes up for this as most units can't hit him.