Which faction is the most interesting to play as, and what strategy do you find most engaging?

I agree, such a hero is cooler than this one: attack 8, defense 8, strength 8, knowledge 8, which also totals 32. No one would want such a hero for free!

Are you sure? Have you ever seen a Gnome? It has roughly the same parameters (20-30-30-20 chance of stat rolls) and is a mix of army and magic. Whether in Haven or Dungeon. And try to break through its defenses after it casts a general Skin spell, or just watch as your army burns from Pyrokinesis.