Orcs have the best balance; it's a race where you really need to think about which units to choose! Only the wyvern alternative makes me hesitate; I prefer vultures (this will be especially useful against Necropolis – poison doesn't work). Otherwise, it's great. Humans are unbalanced – perhaps you only need to think about it when using an angel. The gnome alternative isn't much better; only the last three types are truly balanced. For mages, the alternative is only gargoyles and rakshasa. Inferno and Elves – the alternative upgrades are better; there's no balance. Dark Elves – here, a real choice has appeared: invisibility is a scourge against neutrals – archers and mages, and shooting is also good:smile08:.