Ssrathi Units
Racial Tag
Both the Ssrathi and their Dinosaurs are all categorized as "Lizard", which offers the units some additional traits which aren't typically listed:
- Resistant to Poison. (+25%)
- +1 combat during the day.
----------Tier 1----------
Chameleon - Ssrathi Builder
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Combat: 2 Max Mana: 40 |
Prerequisites: None Size: Small Ability: Can build all types of buildings, Can Fill Mines, Poison (6) Upgrades: +4 view range, +3 combat, +5 morale, Can cast Invisibility (35 mana), Highly resistant to missiles, Double build skill |
The Chameleon is the builder of the Ssrathi. It has very limited combat ability. It can, however, be upgraded to be very resistant to missile attacks, build faster and be able to turn invisible, useful for infiltration, avoiding or escaping enemies.
Snakeman - Basic Ssrathi Infantry
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Combat: 4 |
Prerequisites: None Size: Medium Ability: Poison (7) Upgrades: +4 view range, +3 combat, +5 morale |
The Snakeman is the Ssrathi's basic infantry unit. Its outstanding points are its relatively large amount of hits, damage and slashing resistance. Like many other tier 1 units, it is somewhat weak, even in large numbers. Its price is high to compensate for its increased combat capabilities over other tier 1 units, including its poisonous attack.
----------Tier 2----------
Snakepriest - Ssrathi Spellcaster
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Combat: 6 Max Mana: 40 |
Prerequisites: None Size: Medium Ability: Can cast Cauterise (30 mana) and Poison Cloud (25 mana) Upgrades: +4 view range, +3 combat, +5 morale, +6 missile range, Triple mana regeneration |
Snakepriests are one of the most powerful Ssrathi units available. At first, they are nothing more than support units, their range is low and they can only destroy buildings with support, but as they are upgraded at the Sacred Pool building, they gain immense range upgrades (and mana regeneration) and become wrecking balls, capable of felling bases in mere minutes.
Dragonfly - Basic Flier
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Combat: 2 |
Prerequisites: None Size: Small Ability: Flying, Poison (5), Triple damage vs large and huge fliers Upgrades: +4 view range, +3 combat, +5 morale |
The purpose of the Dragonfly is to inflict Poison upon aerial targets, but the problem here is that the Ssrathi have much better options for doing just that, and at the same tier level, too. However, up untill tier 4 the Ssrathi have limited ways to deal with aerial targets, relying heavily on fire attacks from their Snakepriests. This leaves the Ssrathi unable to fend off early Daemon attacks summoned from enemy Heroes or produced from Infernal Temples. Although Dragonflies are utterly terrible, they can help out with this one situation - just remember to have a large swarm of them and even back them up with Snakepriests for extra damage, even if it is a small amount due to the Daemon's fire resistance, lest the Daemon will just feed off them and grow even stronger!
----------Tier 3----------
Lizard Rider - Ssrathi Cavalry
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Combat: 10 |
Prerequisites: Hatchery Size: Large Ability: Poison (5) Upgrades: +4 view range, +8 combat, +5 morale |
Lizard Riders are extremely fast cavalry units, able to dart in and out of combat with ease. Lizard Riders provide the one thing that most un-upgraded Ssrathi units lack: Speed. As such, they can perform hit and run and flanking tactics, commonly to create a large diversion (or cover) for the Snakepriests to burn the enemy to dust.
Triceratops - Ssrathi Dinosaur
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Combat: 14 |
Prerequisites: None Size: Large Ability: None Upgrades: +4 view range, +3 combat, +5 morale, +30 damage, +6 speed |
Triceratops are mid-game tanks. They have a large amount of hits and a good amount of armor. Their resistance, damage type and even army points, on the other hand is poor. This makes it difficult for them to assault bases, so it is best to use them to soak up damage for other more important or frail units.
----------Tier 4----------
Pterodactyl - Advanced Ssrathi Flier
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Combat: 12 |
Prerequisites: None Size: Large Ability: Flying Upgrades: +4 view range, +3 combat, +5 morale, +30 damage, +6 speed |
The Pterodactyl can only be produced by the Ssrathi at a level 2 Nest. While at first, it seems to be massively hampered by its attack type, the bonuses it gains from the Saurus Pen make them Dragon-slaying machines. Also, due to their high damage that also recieves upgrades, a swarm of these can level a base before the towers have even reacted, so massing them for a suicide run on a base that's not expecting an air assault is an effective tactic. Even without the upgrades, Pterodactyls are physically superior to most other 2nd level Eyrie units.
----------Tier 5----------
Tyrannosaurus Rex - Advanced Ssrathi Dinosaur
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Combat: 18 |
Prerequisites: Sun Temple level 5 Size: Huge Ability: Causes Fear (8) Upgrades: +4 view range, +3 combat, +5 morale, +30 damage, +6 speed |
Tyrannosaurus Rexes are the powerhouses of the Ssrathi. They make up for the weaknesses in the Triceratops, having a massive amount of hits, average armor but good resistance. Similarly to the Snakepriests though, Tyrannosaurus Rexes are slow and must be upgraded to turn the unit into a complete sledgehammer. Once this thing is upgraded at the Saurus Pen, it will have good speed and truly excellent damage. The combination with this and the Dragon Master skill from the Dragonslayer skill tree makes this creature around the strength of a Minotaur King, even overtaking it in some stats.
Naga - Ssrathi General
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Combat: 13 Max Mana: 45 |
Prerequisites: Sun Temple level 5 Size: Large Ability: Causes Fear (5), Can cast Defense Lore (40 mana), Can cross water Upgrades: +4 view range, +3 combat, +5 morale, Triple mana regeneration |
The Ssrathi general has its perks and its downsides, like most other units. Whilst it has respectable defenses (especially for a ranged unit), it has a crippling vulnerability to common slashing damage. Still, its almost certainty to deal at least 20 damage to most units, the ability to walk over water (the only unit in the game that is able to, the others fly or levitate) and its armor boosting spell make it a great support unit.
Fire Dragon - Elite Flier
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Combat: 20 |
Prerequisites: None Size: Huge Ability: Flying, Splash damage burns enemies, Terror (5) Upgrades: +4 view range, +5 morale |
The Ssrathi are, unfortunately, one of the 2 races in the game that gets both the Fire Dragon and Swamp Dragon. This effectively means the Ssrathi only get one Dragon type, as the Swamp Dragon is identical to the Fire Dragon but with the added bonus of lowering enemy armor. Because of this there is simply no reason to build Fire Dragons when playing as the Ssrathi.
Swamp Dragon - Elite Flier
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Combat: 20 |
Prerequisites: None Size: Huge Ability: Flying, Splash damage lowers armor, Terror (5) Upgrades: +4 view range, +5 morale |
The Swamp Dragon is in itself a great unit, unfortunately it is pretty much the only Dragon choice the Ssrathi get and it is yet another fire damage type dealing unit. With Snakepriests and Pterodactyls upgraded, the Ssrathi have all the building destroying units they need, which means the Swamp Dragon's most effective use isn't as appreciated here as it would be in another race. That doesn't mean the Swamp Dragon is useless, for its splash damage that erodes armor can scare away many infantry - driving them away from your Snakepriest platoon or at least weakening them to be picked off by your common units, such as Lizard Riders. Ironically, the Snakepriests that lesson the usefulness of the Swamp Dragon also aid it - with their Cauterize spells they can keep the tougher Ssrathi units fighting fit, allowing creatures like the Swamp Dragon to quickly recover from its injuries and then proceed once more into the enemy ranks.
Iriki - Ssrathi Titan
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Combat: 22 |
Prerequisites: None Size: Huge Ability: Causes Terror (10), Ignores armor, Explodes into Rings of Fire upon death, Does not count as a missile unit Upgrades: +4 view range, +5 morale |
The Ssrathi titan can burn down entire bases almost single-handedly. Iriki has an immense range, even more than the upgraded Snakepriests, and has many times the damage and combat. Essentially, the greatest servant of the Sun God Couatl acts like an uber Snakepriest, and like any Titan, is extremely formidable and dangerous. However, as Iriki deals fire damage, almost all Dragons are able to resist him and may proceed to devastate Iriki.