Heroes of Might & Magic Olden Era Tier List – All Factions Ranked [Early Access]

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era launched in early access on April 30, 2026, bringing you six playable factions to the game. Let's go through all towns in HoMM Olden Era early access, rank each faction, and break down every unit available in the turn-based strategy game's early access release.

Heroes of Might & Magic Olden Era Towns Tier List

Unfrozen Studio, the developers behind this long-awaited HoMM revival, built the game with six factions set on the continent of Jadame, a region of Enroth that the series had never explored before. All six are playable in the early access version: Temple, Necropolis, Grove, Dungeon, Hive, and Schism. Each faction features seven creature types with two upgrade paths each, for a total of 21 unit variants per town and 126 creature types across the entire game.

Our Olden Era faction tier list is based on hands-on time with all six towns, factoring in unit versatility, early-game strength, unique faction mechanics, and late-game power. The game is a prequel set in Jadame before the events of Might and Magic VIII, and draws heavily from HoMM3 roots while introducing new factions alongside returning classics like Necropolis and Dungeon.

6. Schism Faction - Eldritch Horrors Town

Schism lands at the bottom of the tier list, and that's partly by design. The faction gets stronger the more battles it wins, making early-game play genuinely punishing. The lore frames Schism as elves who went too deep into the sea and returned with extraplanar horrors forming their armies: cultists, eldritch abominations, and creatures from the Plane Between Planes. Their armies look the part, with fallen elves riding snails and medusa-like creatures with tentacles. Schism's native terrain is Snow, where their units gain an initiative bonus.

Unique Faction Ability: At the start of each combat, your army size increases based on your Communion level. This level decreases daily but rises with victories. Each hero has their own Communion level, requiring strategic decisions about which hero to send into battle. Additional troops appear only during combat and can't be transferred between heroes.

List of Schism Units

5. Hive Faction Town & Units

• Hero Classes: Enforcer and Herald

Hive is one of the brand-new factions in Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era, operating out of the Ironsand Desert. Lore-wise, they represent an insectoid swarm corrupted by the Dragonfly King, and Unfrozen positioned them as the spiritual successor to the old Inferno faction. The comparison holds visually: Hive replaces the demonic chaos of Inferno with molten bugs and close-range swarm tactics. Their best unit, Hive Queen, has a Zerg Queen of Blades quality to it. Native terrain for Hive is Lava.

The Hive strategy is simple: rush enemies and overwhelm them with numbers. If you prefer ranged attacks and low casualties, Hive is not for you. Ranged options are very limited across the roster, with only the Tier 1 Gnat and the Pyroboros (Tier 6 upgrade) offering any ranged attack capability. Hive also benefits from the Hivemind passive: the more distinct Hive unit types you field in one army, the stronger certain units become at the start of battle.

List of Hive Units

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4. Grove Faction Town & Units

• Hero Classes: Warden and Druid

Known in earlier previews as Sylvan, the faction is officially called Grove in the early access release, representing the Forces of Nature and Fey Folk based in Murmurwoods. Grove is the forest faction with druids, treants, and elemental spirits, and it comes with a standout unique mechanic: a mushroom teleporter network that links your owned towns across the map. If you've played HoMM3's Rampart, the aesthetic will feel familiar, though the roster is quite different. Grove's native terrain is Autumn.

Grove is one of the best factions for beginners, as the abundance of ranged attack options across multiple tiers makes it much easier to keep your units alive compared to most other factions. The ideal strategy is to prioritize ranged damage output and use your melee units as screening, rather than leading the charge. The Phoenix at Tier 7 is among the most powerful units in the game. Grove is comfortable in single-player and competitive in multiplayer once you understand the ranged-focused win condition.

List of Grove Units

3. Temple Faction Town & Units

• Hero Classes: Knight and Cleric

Temple is the classic human faction in HoMM Olden Era, representing the Church of the Sun that arrived in Jadame from Karigor Isle to spread their faith by any means necessary. Governed by the High Inquisition, Temple troops are well-rounded and gain extra combat benefits from buffs and spells. If you've played HoMM3's Castle town, the lineup will feel immediately familiar: disciplined swordsmen, crossbowmen, knights on horseback, Griffins soaring overhead, and Angels anchoring the late game. Temple's native terrain is Grass.

Temple is a solid choice for players who want flexibility. With ranged options at Tier 2 (Crossbowman), Tier 4 (Lightweaver), and Tier 7 (Angel), you always have a shooting option available. Cavalry provides strong melee pressure mid-game, and Griffins, with their high initiative and unlimited retaliations, are a reliable aerial threat throughout. The main weakness is that Temple generates Focus Points slowly, which powers hero and creature abilities. Knight heroes lean into creature combat, while Cleric heroes specialize in light magic, with access to the powerful Ascension subclass that can eventually let your hero cast spells for free.

List of Temple Units

2. Necropolis Faction Town & Units

Necropolis is governed by the Head of the Necromancers' Guild in Shadowspire, and is one of the most lore-rich factions in the entire HoMM series. Their armies consist of skeletons, undead beasts, liches, and vampires, and the faction's core power is sustainability: units rise again after each battle through the Necromancy skill, and Vampires drain life from enemies with every strike. Necropolis native terrain is Deathland.

Necropolis requires patience. None of the starting melee units have ranged attacks except the Skeleton Archer upgrade at Tier 1, making the first few weeks risky against ranged-heavy opponents. The faction's power grows steadily as you build toward Liches and Vampires. If you prefer an attrition-based playstyle that outlasts opponents rather than overwhelming them, Necropolis delivers. Starting with a Necromancer hero and prioritizing Skeleton Warriors gives you the fastest ramp into the faction's Necromancy snowball.

List of Necropolis Units

1. Dungeon Faction Town & Units

• Hero Classes: Warlock and Overlord

Dungeon is widely considered the best faction in HoMM Olden Era right now. It represents the Alvar Pact, the most powerful and populous nation on Jadame, built from an underground alliance of dark elves, minotaurs, medusae, and dragons. Every Dungeon unit can switch between two attack types, giving the faction a tactical versatility no other town can match. Their native terrain is Dirt.

The Onyx Dancer (Tier 3) is the key unit. These dark elf ranged fighters form the backbone of the strongest Dungeon openings. Stack them heavily early, then upgrade to Aureate Dancers via the Amphitheatre II building. The Aureate Dancer's initiative dramatically increases, letting your army act before most opponents in the opening round and deal devastating damage before any counterplay is possible. Pair Dancer stacks with Medusae for ranged control and Cave Dragons upgraded into Black Dragons or Ashen Dragons for late-game dominance, and you have one of the strongest compositions in early access. Black Dragon is also immune to spells, making it one of the hardest units in the game to remove.

List of Dungeon Units

HoMM Olden Era Factions FAQ