I still haven't played as all the factions... I only played as Orcs, Dwarves, and Elves. Someone said that Dwarves are weak... I don't know... they're great when you're being besieged, and a couple of months have passed... it's tough for the enemy when, in addition to the army, there are about 1,000 Dwarves... they have good armor, and you don't mind sacrificing them =). Although, yes, they are weak on their own... but when you have runes... a lot of runes... and, accordingly, a lot of resources... then... As for Elves, I try to build upgraded archers as quickly as possible... even if it means I'll be short on wood later... but with ranged units, I gather a lot of them... and even if you don't cover them, it will be difficult for the enemy to reach you =). And the combination of a Nymph and Ents is also good =). If only you could use it once per turn =( Also, I choose a hero who has a bonus to initiative at the beginning of the battle... and I try to increase luck as much as possible, and get to the Elven Luck skill as quickly as possible. As for the least favorite... Demons still disgust me the most... I don't know why...