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Unicorn Overlord can be overwhelming when you first start. Heck, it can be overwhelming throughout its runtime if you aren’t prepared to delve into its far-from-svelte bowels. But it’s not insurmountable and having a basic idea of what classes to bring in the early game can help smooth out our play experience.
Of course, if you want to beat the game you will need to expand beyond the basics, but these lads and lasses will remain relevant throughout and they will prove invaluable throughout the early game. We are talking somewhere between Cornia and Drakenhold – you know, the first 10-15 hours of the game. Spoiler, Unicorn Overlord is a big game.
There Are No Bad Classes In Unicorn Overlord
Before we get started it’s important to note that there are no bad classes in Unicorn Overlord. At least, as far as we’ve seen. Some may be strong, others may be more nuanced, but with the right setup, you can get any class to sing. Do not take this list as a condemnation of the units that don’t make the cut. Let’s dive right in.
Hoplites
The Hoplite gets the nod from us because this lad is just a burly so-and-so who is practically unkillable in the early game. Incredible defences, the ability to protect your allies, and access to the biggest shields in the game, the Hoplite simply doesn’t die. Well, until he starts to die, of course. Hoplites have a few key weaknesses, namely their low damage and weakness to Hammers and Magic, but with clever planning, they can overcome even those.
If you need to keep your squishy backline alive, you can’t go wrong with a Hoplite. Slap him on the front row and keep everyone else behind him. Toss a Lapis Pendant his way and he’ll become pivotal to your squad’s success. A Shaman or Cleric supporting him goes a long way too.
Clerics
Speaking of which, Clerics are borderline broken. These incredibly potent support pieces deal zero damage as they have no attacks. However, they have healing based on both Passive and Active slots. This means the people you want to live simply will.
Not only that but as they level up, Clerics gain access to skills that cure ailments. This is essential for getting rid of pesky stuns, burns, and debuffs. A Cleric is almost required if you intend to fight Shamans or Thieves. Not every party needs a Cleric, but most won’t turn their noses up at them.
Griffon Knights
Griffon Knights are broken. They are ludicrously powerful when you first gain access to them and they will quite literally dominate a huge portion of the early game. Griffon Knights attack entire rows at a time, and if they are attacking Cavalry, they one-shot them. Considering how prevalent Cavalry is in Unicorn Overlord, this is very powerful. Heck, even just attacking basic infantry will yield incredible results.
Not only that, they fly. This makes them very hard to hit in combat by any infantry and if they do get hit, they have a potent healing Passive called Wing Rest. Their only weakness is Hunters as these guys deal bonus damage to flying units and they don’t miss. Be sure to support your Griffon Knights with Fighters or Hoplites. Witches are helpful too.
Witches
Coming in hot with another obvious segway, Witches are our favourite class in the early game – even though they don’t top this list. The reason for that is because of their staggering levels of versatility. Witches not only deal Magic damage (perfect for killing Hoplites and Fighters), but they also inflict Freeze, grant perfect accuracy, imbue your allies with Magical attacks, and more.
Witches synergise with almost any party and are particularly effective when supporting Griffon Knights or Gladiators due to an exponential increase in combat effectiveness when given Truestrike or Magic attacks. Witches are incredibly squishy, so be sure to protect them at all costs.
Sellswords
Sellswords are just silly if we are being perfectly honest. These guys do incredible amounts of single-target damage with Heavy Slash, and that’s all you need to know. Nearly everything they hit dies, and the things that don’t die will die if you have these guys supported.
Not only that, they have one of the best Passives in the game, Follow Up. Whenever an enemy attacks, any Sellswords in your team will attack that enemy in response. If that attack hits, your PP is replenished so you can do it over and over again. Having even one Sellsword in your party drastically increases your damage output. Having two or three is comical. Just be sure to keep them safe as they aren’t the most durable.
As a side note, their Valour Skill is also excellent. Summon Warriors allows you to flood the battlefield with units scaled to the difficulty of the map you are on. This is perfect for sieging entrenched locations and dealing with more powerful enemy squads.
Housecarls
Housecarls are a fantastic unit that deals huge amounts of single-target damage, grows into dealing huge amounts of AOE damage, and even gets a free attack once the battle ends. Oh, and they shred enemy defences something rotten. If a Housecarl hits something and it lives, it won’t live for long after that.
These guys start powerful and remain powerful throughout the Cornia and Drakenhold. Once they start to fall off, you can Promote them to Vikings and you better believe they become one of the best brawlers in the game all over again. When in doubt, slot in a Housecarl. You won’t regret it.
Soldiers
Soldiers do everything. That might sound like rose-tinted hyperbole, but we assure you, Soldiers do so many things it may as well be everything. Fighting Cavalry? They get bonuses. Fighting columns? They get bonuses. Took damage? They can heal. Need to hit something? They grant Truestrike. Need to kill something? They give 100% Crit Chance. Need to kill flying targets? They deal bonus damage and Truestrike them into oblivion.
The list goes on, and on, and on. And all of this is before they are promoted. You could put a Soldier into every unit and you would end up with an effective fighting force because they fill so many gaps. Like many things on this list, they are not necessarily designed for front-line combat, so keep them safely tucked away whenever possible.
Shamans
We could wax lyrical for another 5 entries, but we will end it on the Shaman. The Shaman is game-breaking when you first unlock them. This is because enemies don’t have an answer to endless debuffs in an AOE. If you’ve fought Shamans, you know exactly what we are talking about because an enemy team with a Shaman is a NIGHTMARE to deal with.
Take one of your own and you better believe your Squad is winning most fights. Be sure to mess around with Tactics to ensure the most effective use of her abilities and you will be laughing all the way to the bank. Naturally, she only gets more powerful over time, and we simply can’t see a world where we don’t consider a Shaman in all of our teams. Truly outstanding.
And that’s all we have for Unicorn Overlord for now. There are so many things to talk about in this game and we intend on covering as much as we can. Be sure to check back for tips, tricks, and guides.
