The most UNPOPULAR faction in Heroes 5.

Wow, "Mages are bad because they aren't pretty, but Necromancers are pretty," blonde girl O_o??

The Orc Castle is the ugliest! No brains, no imagination!

But at least the Barbarians' idea was finally implemented properly. They are made in such a way that it is interesting to play as them, and the balance is fine.
And the fact that Mages are weak is just... no comment. You just haven't played with those who KNOW how to play as them. I personally don't know how (((, but I don't consider them weak.
I personally don't like Necromancers (from 2 to 5))) - there are no decent archers, all the units are standard, somehow slow, and designed for quantity rather than quality, just meat. But vampires are definitely an exception, and ghosts are also good; they gave them exactly what they needed.

Added 2 minutes ago
Wow, "Mages are bad because they aren't pretty, but Necromancers are pretty," blonde girl O_o??

The Orc Castle is the ugliest! No brains, no imagination!

But at least the Barbarians' idea was finally implemented properly. They are made in such a way that it is interesting to play as them, and the balance is fine.
And the fact that Mages are weak is just... no comment. You just haven't played with those who KNOW how to play as them. I personally don't know how (((, but I don't consider them weak.
I personally don't like Necromancers (from 2 to 5))) - there are no decent archers, all the units are standard, somehow slow, and designed for quantity rather than quality, just meat. But vampires are definitely an exception, and ghosts are also good; they gave them exactly what they needed.