Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era features a complicated system with rewarding experience. Picking up a perfect unit can be a difficult experience, as they are built differently, and utilizing them will be a challenge for any newcomers joining the game for the very first time. Here we will take a look at both sides of the Grove unit to help you pick the better one in Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era.
Tier 1: Faun
| Stat Details | Faun Warrior | Faun Archer |
| Health | 11 | 11 |
| Attack | 6 | 4 |
| Defense | 6 | 3 |
| Damage | 4 | 3 |
| Morale | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 |
| Initiative | 7 | 6 |
| Speed | 4 | 3 |
Faun Archer might not pack as much damage compared to Warrior, but the range ability is what makes them appealing, especially for the early game. In the early sessions, Faun Archer seems to do a more than decent job of carrying out the damage dealing without taking any significant hits.
For Faun Archer, you have Sharpshooter, which allows ranged damage dealt from any range. In short, you will not have to get your hands messy with any range penalty. For Faun Warrior, they have Nature’s Fury, allowing them to deal +2 Damage and a 2 Speed increase till the end of the round in exchange for 1 Focus Charge. But as the game progresses, I will recommend switching to Faun Warrior for the damage-dealing players.
Another factor that could change your picking option here is the special or Hero you choose as your character. Let’s say you are playing as a ranged specialist, such as Gingertail or Gorel Spearhead, then using Archer will be a better option. Both heroes benefit a lot more from the range option than warrior-style.
Tier 2: Hoplet
| Stat Details | Dawn Hoplet | Dusk Hoplet |
| Health | 18 | 18 |
| Attack | 8 | 5 |
| Defense | 3 | 5 |
| Damage | 3 | 3 |
| Morale | 1 | 2 |
| Luck | 0 | 1 |
| Initiative | 6 | 9 |
| Speed | 6 | 5 |
If you have chosen any magic Hero, then close your eyes and go with Dusk Hoplet. Dusk Hoplets have Bloom, which helps raise your overall Spell power. Second will be Leaching Hop, helping you steal mana from the enemy.
If you have picked a might Hero, then Dawn Hoplet is the answer. Dawn Hoplets comes with Swift Strike, which stops enemies from counterattacking. Another highlight here is Morning Dew, allowing you to gain a Focus Charge for free per battle.
Tier 3: Iriyad
| Stat Details | Fungal Iriyad | Crystal Iriyad |
| Health | 45 | 45 |
| Attack | 4 | 4 |
| Defense | 10 | 8 |
| Damage | 4 | 5 |
| Morale | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 |
| Initiative | 2 | 2 |
| Speed | 4 | 5 |
Both Fungal units cover defensive and offensive capabilities. It comes down to you on how you want to use this unit in the gameplay.
If you love the defensive tactic, then you can hold the hands of Fungal Iriyad. Their Living Cover ability allows other friendly creatures, next to Fungal Iriyad, to take less damage.
If an offensive tactic is the answer, then Crystal Iriyad will be a perfect choice. They will do more damage but will be a bit light on the defense, as you can see from the stats. Crystal Iriyad has Earthshatter, which pairs extremely well with Crystal Thorns, allowing enemies to take losses when they attack.
Tier 4: Naiad
| Stat Details | Brumal Naiad | Vernal Iriyad |
| Health | 35 | 35 |
| Attack | 13 | 11 |
| Defense | 9 | 9 |
| Damage | 14 | 14 |
| Morale | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 |
| Initiative | 6 | 7 |
| Speed | 5 | 8 |
Here, Brumal Naiad is a better option compared to the Vernal Naiad. While the latter, Vernal Naiad, has a good initiative at 7, the skill set is lackluster. Vernal Naiad has Rivulet Retreat, which might sound good for ranged characters, as it allows them to blink away from enemies to get to safety. But the problem with Rivulet Retreat, it can only be used after Awaken.
Compared to Vernal, Brumal Naiaid has more damage and speed. And it also has Icy Vein, which stops the target enemy from replenishing its HP til the end of the battle. The other ability is Whirlpool allow you to put the target in Confusion, and their Speed and Initiative get lowered by 2.
Tier 5: Herbomancer
| Stat Details | Sporemancer | Murmurmancer |
| Health | 65 | 65 |
| Attack | 16 | 12 |
| Defense | 19 | 15 |
| Damage | 15 | 18 |
| Morale | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 |
| Initiative | 8 | 8 |
| Speed | 6 | 8 |
Here we will pick between Sporemancer and Murmurmancer, like how we picked between Dusk and Dawn Hoplets.
If you are playing a magic Hero, then you will need to start with Murmurmancer. The special move, Echoes of the Murmurwoods, allows you to use Spellbook again and also clears the effect that prevents you from using it. Another highlight here is the Power of Murmurs, raising the hero’s spell level by 1.
Sporemancer is a better might option. Here we have Swarm of Bees, it does what it says, you will release the bees against enemies. You can count the Sporemancer as a range class, as the bees deal damage at a distance. Combined with Dawn Hoplets, Sporemancer will also gain a free Focus Charge. More Focus Charge will allow you to use a Swarm of bees.
Tier 6: Qilin
| Stat Details | Thunder Qilin | Mist Qilin |
| Health | 135 | 135 |
| Attack | 22 | 26 |
| Defense | 22 | 26 |
| Damage | 27 | 27 |
| Morale | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 3 | 3 |
| Initiative | 11 | 13 |
| Speed | 8 | 7 |
If you are magic-focused, then Mist Qilin makes more sense. As it has Scintillating Scales, any enemy next to the Mist Qilin will take 30% more Magic damage. Do note that the damage doesn’t stack. And having a higher initiative of 13 does help you attack first.
For Might players, I will recommend Thunder Qilin, as its Ball Lightning deals AOE damage. And Thunderstrike that converts your defense into extra attack til the end of the round. Another highlight here is Cloud 9. At the start of each round, you gain 2 Focus Points. Thunder Qilin also pairs well with Dawn Hopelts with the Focus Charge recovery. The Focus Charge recovery also makes Thunder Qilin a good choice for the Spell build, too.
Tier 7: Phoenix
| Stat Details | Energy Phoenix | Flaming Phoenix |
| Health | 250 | 300 |
| Attack | 26 | 32 |
| Defense | 36 | 24 |
| Damage | 45 | 45 |
| Morale | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 |
| Initiative | 15 | 16 |
| Speed | 9 | 9 |
Both are excellent choices, first let’s get into the Energy Phoenix, its Supernova skill is a great ability dealing over 1500 magic AOE damage, leaving the targets on fire. Any enemies are at the burning status, will take over 700 magic damage at the start of their turn, and the best thing about Supernova, it is stackable. The annoying aspect of Supernova is the fact that you must be near the enemy’s tile to trigger it. It will not take you to the targeted tile for the hit.
Energy Phoenix also has Eternal Flame, allowing them to heal 25% of the HP that lost since the start of the battle. Eternal Flame can also be used to revive fallen enemies.
Flaming Phoenix has Heatwave, which dispels all negative effects from friendly creatures and removes any positive buffs from enemies. It might not sound appealing on PvE, but it’s a good thing to see around in PvP. Another reason why Flaming Phoenix is a close call is the numbers on its Initiative. Let’s say you are going against another Grove player, then choosing Flaming Phoenix will be the perfect choice.
Both upgrades are balanced well, but your game state or playstyle can benefit a lot from picking one Grove unit over the other.
