Posts from Orcs have no magic. Warcries.

yes, that’s exactly what annoyed me – that the hero deals damage to his own troops. That’s why I can use a weaker ability of the leaders, but more often I go for the Executioners, and therefore the actual percentage of games in which I use it is not high. Besides, it can be justified in hero battles, but creeps are easily defeated anyway, so essentially it’s still rarely used.

P.S. It’s enough to compare the HP of Warmongers and Soldiers, and it will immediately become clear why the former are the obvious choice. And their rage doesn’t save them from a couple of Stone Skins and Lightning spells. If their attack was guaranteed, they would be more valuable.

And boosting defense for an Orc isn't the best option.

I already wrote that you should boost defense for an Alt hero. The chance of an Alt hero getting it is significant. Shakh'Karakat, with a bit of luck, can get "Protect Us All" at level 3. At worst, it's level 4-6. Also, you can level up an Alt not only at Dolmens of Knowledge and Magic Temples, but you can give all the Orcish units to Shakh'Karakat (or another hero who got the defense skill), and after killing the mobs guarding the passage to a neutral castle, send him there to capture a mine, sawmill, and maybe even the castle. This accomplishes two things at once: you get a bunch of goblins and, as a bonus, you get stones and wood, which are often lacking when upgrading your buildings. At the same time, your main hero doesn't have to travel far and leave your home castle unguarded.

defense won't help the Orc. The Orc should always strike the enemy unit first, so that there is no one left to retaliate. Moreover, it is not important when Rage is present, which absorbs a significant amount of damage. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on Rage, which gives them so many advantages.
"Protect us all" is a completely uninspiring ability. When there are a couple of hundred Orcs, Goblins don't play any role. Assassins do. And how. But not Goblins. Well, yes, one dead Angel. That's all. And even then, only if Howl is present. Otherwise, they are taken out in one or two casts of Meteor Shower, which is not even cast directly on them, but nearby, on other creatures.

Added 29 minutes later

You take them when you need all the 3rd-level Orcish warriors (they are rarely used in development anyway).

But here I don't understand much. Why aren't they used? And who is used instead? Goblins? And aren't Warmongers a combination of bulk and muscle?

Halfogre already wrote that defense should be taken not by the main hero, but by a side hero, for the sake of the skill "protect us all" (learn to read :)). And it's worth accumulating goblins not in order to move mountains with them, but in order for the "fury of the horde" ability to hit harder (1 unit = 1 damage). For the final battle, it's better to take shamans, as their magic damage has a real effect (+ if you're lucky with the "silence" skill, it's even better), unlike traps. Besides, it's not a given that the enemy hero will go down before the orcish hero (if they're not very smart :).
Regarding leveling up, yes, goblins are used as a living shield for the centaurs + traps. I also take warmongers with me, but their function is only to occasionally finish off enemies.

"Protect us all" is a completely unremarkable ability. When there are a couple of hundred Orcs, Goblins don't play any role. Assassins do. A significant one. But not Goblins. Well, yes, one dead Angel. That's it. And even then, only if they have the "Howl" ability. Otherwise, they're gone after one or two casts of "Meteor Shower," which isn't even cast directly on them, but nearby, on other creatures.

Are you still learning how to read?

The only benefit of this kind of freebie is a greater chance to disrupt the enemy's magic.
But it doesn't work well on the hero, and if you cast "Meteor Shower" on yourself and the nearby troops, it will be very bad.

Regarding leveling up, yes, Goblins are used as a living shield for Centaurs + traps.

Thanks, I laughed.
Now I understand why you need this ability – to have at least some Goblins in the final stages. And it's not surprising, because they die like flies. It's one thing to lead creeps around the map one by one, and quite another to "use them as a living shield." This is starting to sound absurd. And you don't deploy Orcs, huh?) To save resources?))
Warlords are the backbone of the mid-game army. They are tough, strong, and certainly much more suitable for protecting Centaurs.
I also chuckled about the Centaurs. You know, they can't be compared to Elves or Archers, so you won't get any "über ranged attack" from them.
That's how theory crumbles in practice.

Added 5 minutes later
A little more practice: you yourself, when you played as Orcs, did you level up filler units? Huh?
That's what I thought. I think players have long understood what filler units are.

Firstly, freebies are never a bad thing; why argue against it?
Secondly, a couple of goblins (split into stacks of one and used to protect the main units) won't make much of a difference, especially against fast-moving enemies (particularly large ones). I won't even mention slow-moving neutral creatures – they don't even make it.
Regarding shamans... stealing magic is just one of their three (or so) effects.
I already wrote about orcs; I carry them with me, but they don't offer much in the early game because the main units do most of the work. However, if you level up Soldier's Luck and the Berserk skill triggers often, then you don't even need goblins for protection. You really feel the benefit of warmongers when you face armored enemies; that's when the main units start to struggle.
What's wrong with the main units for you? Sure, they're not elves, but I find them quite sufficient. They're tougher and have more initiative than the archers from Haven, they don't have a penalty in melee combat (for the combat units), and the first Blood Fury skill (which is achieved fairly quickly) gives them +6 attack.
I haven't leveled up the silence skill in a long time, but if, for example, the opponent's magic is obvious and you get the silence skill, why not take it?
By the way, I personally don't really like the War Cry skill either, but you have to use it somehow, right? Damage + a few points of fury is still better than just a few points of fury (from a combined War Cry).

I think it was a mistake not to give the Orcs magic:smile19:. Personally, I can't do without magic, but, as they say, everything has its pros and cons. For example, their battle cry increases their attack, and the second ability makes them even more ferocious, so they start cutting down everyone left and right:smile19:. Of course, without magic, they are weaker, but if you pump up certain skills and take Daughters of Heaven, you can achieve something:smile49:.

Secondly, a couple of goblins (split into stacks of one and used to support the centaurs) won't make much of a difference, especially against fast-moving units (particularly large ones). I won't even mention slow-moving neutral creatures – they don't even reach the battlefield.
As for shamans... stealing magic is only one of three (or so) effects.

The thing is, the chance of success isn't high, especially when fighting a powerful mage. And the risk that the shamans might absorb some kind of berserk spell and attack the centaurs hiding in the rear is not good. But when fighting an enchanter or a light mage, there is practically no risk. Unless, of course, they cast Divine Intervention, Magic Bolt, or Swarm of Bees.

Warlords are really useful when you face armored units; that's when centaurs start to struggle.

Not just armored units. There's also the first level of Gnomish units and Alt-skeletons – they all cause trouble. And even warlords won't help here, because by that time, there won't be many of them left. In this case, I would rely on combat centaurs, as they don't suffer a penalty for melee combat.

Honestly, I haven't used silence spells in a long time, but if, for example, the opponent's magic is obvious and a silence spell is available, why not take it?

In reality, only the Chaos Silence spell is truly effective. And you can do something against Darkness. The other silence spells are learned not for the sake of silencing magic, but for additional perks, such as Secrets of Light and Return to Void.

By the way, I personally don't really like War Cry, but you still have to use it somehow, right? Damage + units of fury is still better than just units of fury (from a combined War Cry).

Why not? It's perfect for boosting the fury of a key stack if it's just a little short of the next level. Frightful Howl is also a powerful ability, especially when it forces a unit on the opposite side of the battlefield, under the effect of fear, to run towards our lines and, at the same time, be pushed to the end of the turn order. And Battle Cry is a real terror for all enemies. But, as I've noticed, it appears less often than War Cry, or maybe I'm just unlucky.

I always prefer combat knights because, in my opinion, the absence of a penalty in melee combat is much better than maneuverability. I have never had any problems with dwarves and bone warriors when leveling up. It is quite possible to defeat a horde of such units with minimal losses (or even without any) using combat knights and trappers. Regarding the horde's war cry, I meant that it is equivalent to a combined war cry + damage, so if it drops, you need to get the maximum benefit from it. Terrifying roar and war cry are, of course, more attractive than the chieftain's command and the horde's war cry, but they don't always drop :( Regarding the chaos and darkness artifacts, that's true, plus you definitely need to level up the perk for pushing the hero back in ATB. The summoning artifact also has a cool perk called "return to the void" (triple damage to summoned creatures).

protecting an Orc won't help. An Orc should always...

You should urgently see an ophthalmologist; both you and Kvas have already told you to learn how to read. Once again, just for you: no one said to level up the main character's defense, God forbid. And no one is betting on "protect us all" in the game, but there's no need to miss this opportunity if it presents itself. As Kvas already said, a freebie is a freebie.
And what kind of Orc army do you have, totaling 200? Well, if it's only high-level units, then that makes sense, but with a bunch of weak units, I'll have more than 200 by the beginning of the second week. Of course, if there's a battle at that moment and I have the "Orcish Fury" ability, then the damage of 200, considering the army's hit points, won't be that bad, but by the end, with an army around level 20, it definitely won't be 200, but rather around 1000.
Yes, warmongers are good as a shield, but I also find it more convenient to use single goblin units. Instead of upgrading the Warrior Hut, I'd rather build a Shaman's Hut for leveling up and take 5 shamans, divide them into 2-3 stacks, and their slowing effects of 35% or speeding effects of 30% will be better than warmongers, which stand in defense and lose 30 fury each turn. By the way, with the help of shamans and trappers, it's very easy to defeat large, strong melee mobs somewhere in the middle of the second week, for example, on the "Key to Victory" map, without losses (or almost without losses), Death Knights are defeated. They are defeated with the following composition: 80-100 archers, about 100 trappers, and a few single units, 5 shamans divided into 2-3 stacks, and a ballista. By the way, don't neglect the traps from the single units; they work! =). 2-3 traps in front of a pack of Death Knights will definitely either stop them or prevent them from reaching their target.

Here's some more information to consider. Since we're talking about the usefulness of goblin-shamans in the endgame. Let's say in the endgame, the enemy's level is 20, and if we have 600 goblins (yes, it's difficult to accumulate so many, but I'll use that as an example to have something to base it on), and the enemy casts a 5th-level spell, then the probabilities are as follows:
1. The spell will not work - 10%
2. The hero's (caster squad) "Magic" will be reduced by half when calculating the spell's effect - 40%
3. The cost of the spell will be doubled - 40%
4. The goblins will be thrown to the beginning of the ATB scale, and if the spell has a cursing or damaging effect, it will fly to the goblins, and the caster will not spend mana. - 10%

If a 4th-level spell is cast (or a level 19 hero casts a 5th-level spell), then:
1. 15%
2. 40%
3. 40%
4. 5%

and so on, in general, the lower the level of the hero and the spell, and the more goblins there are, the higher the probabilities increase in favor of the goblins.
The probability of any of the outcomes cannot be less than 5%.

Of course, you need to use them wisely, not try to block a 5th-level spell cast by a level 20 hero with 400 goblins, because the probabilities will be:
1. 5%
2. 5%
3. 40%
4. 50%

I don't quite understand its use, but I still haven't found any benefit from the "Word of the Leader" ability. In my opinion, it's one of the unnecessary features in the game. But if anyone disagrees with me, they can explain to me what the benefit of the "Word of the Leader" ability is.

I don't quite understand what's going on here, but I still haven't found any use for "Word of the Leader." In my opinion, it's one of the unnecessary things in the game. But if anyone disagrees with me, let them explain to me in detail what the benefit of "Word of the Leader" is.

Word of the Leader
Mana cost: 2
Army Morale Increase: +30
Target moves forward on the ATB scale by 0.1 + 0.02 * Hero Level and receives 30 additional Morale points.

In my opinion, it makes sense to use it on a large, low-level unit. Then, the damage inflicted on your own unit will not be so significant in relation to the damage that this unit will inflict on the enemy. For example, if we have a level 20 hero, we attack a group of centaurs, kill 6 of them, but move the unit on the scale by 0.5, that is, halfway across the scale, which is not so little. If the hero is level 30, then he will kill 8 centaurs and move them by 0.7.
I wonder, does "Word of the Leader" affect "Devil's Strike"? And "Stunning Blow"?:confused: And does Krag hit his own units as hard?

Immediately see an ophthalmologist, both I and Kvas have already written to you - learn to read. Once again, especially for you - no one said to pump up the main character's defense, God forbid. And no one is betting on "protect us all" in the game, but there is no need to miss this opportunity if it is provided.

Be more polite, smart guy. This is not a tavern, the tavern is in the "off-topic" section, specifically in the "pub." You can talk to street thugs who are drinking cheap liquor in the alleys in that tone.
No one is betting on "protect us all"? Then why can you read praises for this ability in every one of your posts? I told you that two hundred goblins don't decide anything. You start talking nonsense about who is not betting on what.

And what kind of orc army do you have, with a total of 200? Well, if only high-level units, then it's understandable, but with all sorts of small units, I'll have more than 200 by the beginning of the second week.

That's interesting!
Do you think I'll be too lazy to count? You're wrong.
Let's say you took a Tilshek, and he turned out to be exceptionally charismatic and brought with him as many as 30 orcs, which is not comparable to reality.
Let's say you built a castle along with yurts in the first week. In total, you have: 30+8+16=54 units by the second week. You were also lucky - there was a bug in the game, and two barbarians appeared in the tavern, each with 5 orcs. Let's say the bug happened again in the second week.
In total - 74 orcs, taking into account the buggy game, incredibly stupid development, and Tilshek's charisma, equal to ten.
Oh, grandmaster of the game, advise me, what am I missing to achieve the same level of perfection? ArtMoney or two dozen dwellings near your main castle?

And by the final, around level 20, the army will definitely not be 200, but rather around 1000.

Please tell me, oh grandmaster, how much time do you spend on an average scenario? Is it a year?! If so, then you shouldn't participate in offline tournaments :-(

What to upgrade the warrior yurt with, I'd rather build a Shaman's Hut for leveling up and take 5 shamans, divide them into 2-3 stacks, and their slowing spells at 35% or speeding spells at 30% will be better than warmongers, who stand in defense and lose 30 rage each turn.

A hasty conclusion, my boy, a hasty one. You can run from one cell to another, right? Without losing thirty points of rage.
And you said it well about building a hut, yes. It seems to me that you will still have to build it if you want to get a wyvern.
However, it is better to upgrade the yurt with town points than to spend, for example, on... a forge (as far as I remember, it is not needed for anyone).
And a speeding or slowing spell will be not much more effective than fifty hairy samurai.

By the way, don't neglect the traps from the level 1 units, they work! =) 2-3 traps in front of a pack of ratmen, if they don't stop them, they will definitely not let them reach their target.

A theory not confirmed by any data.
A trap from a single smiley can only stop... a skeleton. And not even completely. The point, you know, is in the thickness of the goblin stack. In a group of five, the size of the squad decides everything. The more hit points in the stack, the higher the chance of the ability working. It's strange that you, oh grandmaster, don't take this into account, despite the following reflections on shamanism and paganism.
By the way, from these same reflections, it also follows that shamans are not as useful as they might seem at first glance, moreover, by attracting area-of-effect spells, they are often frankly harmful, which casts doubt on the expediency of using them in this capacity. Although, what else is left for the poor orc, forced to throw a stone at the cursed psionic for his inability to respond in kind? :-(

P.S. Battle cry is just an awesome cry, and it is definitely much more useful than the rage of the horde.

Added 12 minutes ago
Yes, in my reflections and calculations, I didn't even mention the fact that the game, as I understand from the words of our expert, is played on recruit difficulty, because even there, what was said above is, in principle, impossible.

P.P.S. And have you tried using warmongers in a slightly... different way than the same armored units? For example, move them to the center of the field and hold the line so that the enemy takes increased damage along with their own attacks, being at arm's length from the centaurs, but not being able to get closer?
Oh yes, a few warriors die. Well, that's life. And it works against any enemy. But a ballista, for example, will help minimize losses. But this method brings much more fun than boringly shooting with weak centaurs and constantly separating individual gremlins for running.

I don't know about Krag, but the debuffs from attacks don't apply when using the Warlord's Word, and that's good enough for me.

You're the one being rude here; I was just pointing out your inattentiveness. Regarding the 200 orcs, it seems we misunderstood each other. I think you meant "orcs" to refer to the entire army, not just level 3 units. I wasn't singing praises, but you focused on that, so I had to explain again what I meant. Hopefully, I won't have to repeat it for the umpteenth time. I wasn't even trying to compete for the title of "best player." I've been playing for almost a week, but I play on Veteran difficulty and try not to drag out the endgame. I don't really focus on the numbers; I guess the maximum is 2 months, but I try not to play for longer because I build and level up quickly, and as soon as all the upgrades are done, I buy an army (even selling all my resources to make sure I have enough money) and go on the offensive. I try not to prolong the game to the point where I run out of money and can't buy any more units. Also, about Warmongers and Shamans. Yes, of course, I know that you can move back and forth without losing rage, and I always do that with Executioners and Warriors when sieging a castle, while the Cyclops and reinforcements are going through the gate. But do you play every battle against monsters manually? In games on the Heroes of Might and Magic series, I can't afford that luxury. I never set the time for a single turn to be more than 2 minutes, and an Orc with the "Path of War" skill can clear so many waves of creeps that it's simply impossible to do everything manually. So, I have to adapt to the AI. And the AI tells Warmongers to stand still and defend, and even if the enemy is already in the adjacent cell, it won't move to finish them off. Instead, it just stands there, and you can only hope for the taunt ability to work. And the Shamans do their job – they slow down and speed up units. I prefer this combination for leveling up: Shaman + Centaur + Ballista, and for the hero who collects resources, I have a group of Trappers, in case I need to fight strong melee units. With Trappers, of course, you have to control everything manually. And about the traps and level 1 units, you don't believe me, you rely on theory, but try it in practice. I was surprised myself; it WORKS! Also, I didn't understand your point about the forge being useless. Of course, everyone plays differently. I assume you start with Tilsen, but I prefer Hagish as my main hero, so I build a forge on the second day of the game, unless Tilsen appears in the tavern.