In which city is the alt upgrade more balanced?

the initiative is almost the same.
regarding the raiders... they can even beat a single unit, dealing 125% of its strength each turn, simply by running behind it. but still... when I fought against neutral creatures, I appreciated their ability; my entire army suffered, but they didn't care, they control the battlefield...
and when I built them myself... well... 25% turned out to be too little. no, it's a cool ability, I'm not arguing... but it's still not comparable to reducing defense. except that the new ones look cooler... at least they have a bite...