
Orcs are mostly generalists besides their preference for melee combat, with competent ability to use both overground and underground expansion strategies without much worry. They do suffer from a weaker ranged attack penalty and lower resistance than other races, but this is allowed for in their troops with the archer units being used to inflict bleeding wounds so that the melee units can clear them up faster. Orcs are the melee powerhouses of the game with higher health and melee damage. Orc Warlords can reinforce many of the traditional strengths of the orcs, but can lack flexibility when brute force isn’t the answer. They can also serve well for Dreadnoughts – many of their troops are armored, and the reduced accuracy of orcs matters little with massed volleys of musket fire or the larger dreadnought war machines. They prefer barren tropical and subterranean regions, but are noteworthy as being able to survive in blighted regions better than most, although they are still not entirely at home there.Ĭlass Synergies Orcs, surprisingly, make excellent Theocrats – tireless orc Crusaders can make some of the toughest troops around, and the Theocrat can grant orcs a resistance to non-physical attacks they otherwise lack. Their Priests provide little direct support to their allies, but are masters of dark magic, able to curse their foes from a considerable distance. Their Black Knight cavalry is infamous for their skill at dispatching enemy cavalry, and their Spearmen irregulars more than make up for their lack of ranged accuracy through their mobility and the greater durability granted to them through their shields.

On the other hand, they field poor archers (the razorbow is only remarkable for a chance to inflict additional damage over time), and are more vulnerable than most to magic – particularly their elite Shock Troopers, which are otherwise probably the toughest of the racial special units in a straight-up fight. In fact, some of their melee units enjoy fighting so much that they are able to tirelessly strike back at all comers without forfeiting the ability to press their own attack. Summary Orcs favor the direct approach: They are stronger in melee than other races, have more hit points, and enjoy fighting such that the sheer thrill of victory can cause them to regenerate health.
