In your opinion, which faction is the strongest in Heroes 5? Let's discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each faction.

If you take the same number of troops, then the Dark Elves are definitely the best. They have the highest quality troops!

If the opponent has the same number of troops as a Dark Elf, it means they are playing worse than the Dark Elf. This shouldn't happen when playing against equally skilled opponents.

El Feroz, I completely agree that the best faction is the one you play best!

However, I absolutely disagree that Dark Elves are weak when attacking a castle. In my opinion, quite the opposite - only a fool would hide from them behind walls. They can take down anyone with area-of-effect spells. IMO, they don't even need a Phoenix. I prefer to upgrade something else instead of summoning one. They need to be fought in melee combat, exploiting their weak defense.