Best starting leader in Warcraft Rumble – Who to pick first (F2P)

Warcraft Rumble is out, and there are a number of leader/unit choices players will need to make that could make the mid-to-late game harder: especially if you’re trying to remain a free-to-play user. Here are some recommendations for starting leaders that you can take into the endgame.

How leader choices work (including your first one)

After completing the tutorial (upon earning two sigils), players will be given the chance to pick a random leader from a choice of three (I’m getting flashbacks to Hearthstone Battlegrounds). Sigil level-ups will also grant you bonus leaders, and they can be purchased in The G.R.I.D. with stars.

If you’re new to Warcraft Rumble, as a rule, aim for tankier leaders, which can provide a shield for troops regardless of whether or not their abilities actually go off. Also trying to grab leaders that have passive abilities (read: powers that just work) is going to make for an easier time. If they have both, that’s even better.

For instance, trying to juggle Jaina’s leader ability that powers up your spells while Jaina is physically in play might be tough to manage. You’ll need to keep a very squishy Jaina alive to even benefit from her bonuses, and you need an array of spells to actually use. The same goes for Maiev Shadowsong, which requires multiple unbound units (units that can spring up on the battlefield at will) for maximum efficiency. Not all of these tools are going to be available to free-to-play users.

Tirion Fordring

Traits: Melee, One-Target, Tank, Armored, Healer

Leader ability: Heals all nearby friendly units

I’ve made considerable headway through the live version of Warcraft Rumble, and Pally-Tank Tirion Fordring is by far my favorite leader thus far. I feel considerably lucky that I acquired him early, and had the good fortune of using him immediately.

In short, Tirion is one of the best tanks in the game due to his healing, which is an exceedingly useful quality as you start to head into the 30-sigil level territory, as well as heroic mode. Enemies hit extremely hard, so having more on-demand tanks allows you to brute force your way through some of the trickier stages.

To use Tirion, keep him in the middle of the pack, allowing other tanks to draw the brunt of attacks, while Tirion heals them. Units like Abominations are great tag team options for Tirion, as they can pick off ranged attackers who are attempting to get some potshots in.

Baron Rivendare

Traits: Melee, One-Target, Tank, Armored, Elemental, Fast

Leader ability: Rivendare periodically summons skeletons at buildings you control

Whew! Baron Rivendare would be a mean leader if you just went by his traits alone, but thankfully he does have an incredibly useful leader ability: summon skeletons. Once you see it in action, you’ll become a believer.

While Rivendare isn’t a catch-all leader, his skeletons (which are automatically summoned in multiple lanes) can lead you to victory, despite their smallish stature and statline. Sometimes all you need is a body in a lane, and skeletons can help you capture treasure chests (which provide bonus gold to use on units) or free up gold veins by clearing enemy miners.

Again, the combo of tank/passive abilities wins out here.

Hogger

Traits: Melee, AOE, Tank

Leader ability: Hogger’s movement and attack speed increase 35% each time he is played

Hogger is as devilishly simple as his encounter in World of Warcraft – you get what it says on the tin. He’s meant to be played repeatedly and is buffed each time you call upon him. Having a low unit curve is paramount to cycling Hogger in quickly and repeatedly.

Thankfully, Hogger is an AOE tank, so as long as you back him up with the proper support units, he’ll be able to make headway in a lane through sheer force of will. Just note that he is particularly strong against plentiful units (like angry chickens or raptor packs); so there are ways to use him even more efficiently. You’ll also want an answer for aerial units so he isn’t picked off quickly.

Grommash Hellscream

Traits: Melee, One-Target, Tank, Bloodlust

Leader ability: All nearby friendly units gain Bloodlust

Do you see the pattern yet? Grommash Hellscream is a tank that provides a passive benefit: shocker! Grommash thrives when leading packs, which are often some of the cheapest and most common units for free-to-play users. For those of you who haven’t played a Warcraft game before, Bloodlust provides an attack/movement speed buff.

An attack speed buff is useful for any unit, but if you start buffing up droves of angry chickens, you can clear out structures very quickly.