META 7.0 Report (May 2021)

https://www.reddit.com/r/walkingwarrobots/comments/nefym8/meta_70_report_may_2021/

This is a continuation of the top 10 voted META bots for all game modes. Here are the results:

Shell
Demeter
Hawk
Fenrir
Typhon
Ravana
Scorpion
Orochi
Blitz
Hades

Greetings once again, Commanders, and welcome to the newest edition of the META reports. Here was the previous one.

It is broken down into the following chapters:

META Synopsis
Top 10 META Bots
Titan META
Weapon META - Priority Weapons by Class for bots and Titans
Modules (Titan and Bot) META - Priority Weapons by Class
Top 5 Legendary Pilots
Top Drone Chips by Class
Anti-META - Older bots that perform well in the META

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META Synopsis

The Shell and Demeter remain in the top 2 spots, with top clans using alternating Shell / Demeter combos in beacon games to cap and hold beacons. Even with the nerf, Sonics weapons are still a powerful threat and continue to make Ravana and Scorpion viable options in all game modes, but both bots dropped slightly in the ranking. The Hawk moved back up to the 3rd spot likely due to the announced nerf not happening in 7.0 and the introduction of the Sharanga titan. Many Top Tier clans and players have 2-3 Shells in their hangars, along with 1-2 Demeters, and 1 Hawk. The Orochi made it into the Top 10, serving as a good beacon runner and ambusher. Fenrirs are the established tanks thanks to the Bernadette Legendary Pilot, and Demeter continues to be the META support bot.

The new flame rockets rose in ranking and use, but are not a suitable replacement for close-range engagement.

For titans, Nodens remains in the top spot since it is the best support unit in the game capable of turning even mid level titans into unstoppable forces. The new titan Sharanga is very situational. It has unmatched firepower but without proper support from squad mates (i.e. Nodens and / or Demeter) the Sharanga is extremely vulnerable.

For weapons, sonics continues to be the META, along with flame and cryo.

For drones and drone chips, the Nebula and Glider are the best drones, with in trouble series being the best in its respective class.

For Legendary Pilots it somewhat reflects the META. Shell (Linda Cano), Fenrir (Bernadette Wolfe), Kyle Rogers (Hawk), and Ash Skarsgard (Scorpion) all made the Top 5.

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To explain the bot rankings, here is the criteria for rating each bot.

Firepower
Speed, health, special ability
Power cell consumption
Utility
Technical prowess (corner shooting, turn speed)

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Top 10 Meta Bots

#1 Shell (previously #1)

Recommended weapons: Ember/Blaze, Glacier/Rime, Devastator/Scatter (or Rime)
Recommended passive modules: 2 BAL/LS, or 2 OD/LS, or 2 FOR/LS, or HAK/AC/LS
Recommended active module: Advanced Repair or Phase Shift
Recommended pilot skills: Destroyer, Physical Shield Expert, Road Hog, Armor Expert, Mechanic, Scout
Recommended drones /chips: Nebula, Glider, Discus / A: Suppressor or Lockdowner, Control Resistor; B: Modulative Intensifier; C: Forward warning Defender; D: In trouble Repairer or Emergency Repairer; F: In-Trouble Absorber or Crashing Absorber

Shell is the current META and is extremely hard to counter when fighting for beacons due to the shields wrapping around the entire bot and its blast ability. When using the Legendary Pilot and support chips / drones / pilot skills the Shell withstands attacks from other bots long enough to simply outlast the bots' abilities while dealing damage at the same time. It's a great bot to push and hold beacons and is used as an opener in many hangars. All sonic is very good against other bots, while all flames are good against other Shells. In squad play high level clans will use a Shell paired with a Demeter to push / cap / hold beacons.

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#2 Demeter (previously #2)

Recommended weapons: Cryo, Igniter, Havoc
Recommended passive modules: 2 CU/LS, 2 OD/LS or 2 BAL/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift, Advanced Repair, Lockdown
Recommended pilot skills: True Ace, Tough Guy, Road Hog, Armor Expert, Thrill Seeker, Scout
Recommended drones /chips: Nebula, Eye, Glider / A: Suppressor, Lockdowner, or Freezer; B: Modulative Intensifier; C: Forward warning Defender; D: In trouble Repairer or Emergency Repairer; F: In-Trouble Absorber or Crashing Absorber

Demeter is the best support bot in the game. The ability to teleport to a squad member to heal and provide cover with an absorber shield is powerful and offers significant agility on the battlefield. It is a very strong support bot against titans, and can be used at all phases of the game. The Jerry Legendary Pilot provides an additional 20% damage output to all bots within the shield, making it a formidable force. The APPM-3TR Legendary Pilot heals previously unrepairable damage (the grey portion of the health bar), making it powerful and put the Demeter at the top of the META. Once the ability ends the Demeter is vulnerable and needs to take cover or use other bots for protection.

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#3 Hawk (previous #5)

Recommended weapons: Nucleon/Quarker, Glacier/Rime, Ember/Blaze, Hornet/Magnetar, Incinerator/Scald, Devastator/Scatter [Note: can also use ECUs if intended to brawl]
Recommended passive modules: 2 TNR/LS or 2 OD/LS or 2 TNR/LS, or 2 CU/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift (or Quantum Radar), Jump
Recommended pilot skills: Destroyer, Road Hog, Armor Expert, Mechanic, Master Gunsmith, Foolhardy Quartermaster, Knight's Errand (if using ECU)
Recommended drones /chips: Nebula, Octanian, Eye, Glider / A: Freezer or Lockdowner; B: Modulative Intensifier; C: Forward warning Defender; D: In trouble Repairer or Emergency Repairer; F: In-Trouble Absorber or Crashing Absorber

The nerf to the Hawk's beam ability vs. bots along with losing its reflector shield when taking off and landing significantly hurt the overall effectiveness, but it is still a top bot in the current META and rose in the ranks due to a nerf to sonics and the introduction of the Sharanga titan. It serves primarily as an ambush and anti-Titan bot, particularly against Sharangas, Mings, Minos, and Kids. By using a Jump module pilots can leverage higher flight altitudes to gain an advantage with attack angles. The Hawk has relatively low durability and cannot hold a beacon from sustained pressure unless utilizing ECUs and sonic weapons (best defense is overpowering offense). It is clunky to maneuver both in flight (it "bounces off structures" and legs do not rotate when landing) and on the ground and can easily get caught on structures. When equipped with high level chips the Hawk's beam can quickly freeze, suppress, and / or lock down targets to give it a tactical advantage.

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#4 Fenrir (previous #6)

Recommended weapons: Scourge/Calamity, Igniter/Ember, Cryo/Glacier, Redeemer/Taran, Nucleon/Atomizer, Devastator/Havoc
Recommended passive modules: HAK/HAK/LS, or HAK/BAL/LS, or BAL/BAL/LS
Recommended active: Advanced Repair
Recommended pilot skills: Tough Guy, Road Hog, Armor Expert, Mechanic, Energy Shield Expert, Modules Expert
Recommended drones /chips: Nebula, Glider, Discus / A: Suppressor or Lockdowner; B: Modulative Intensifier; C: Forward warning Defender; D: In trouble Repairer or Emergency Repairer; F: In-Trouble Absorber or Crashing Absorber

Next to the Shell, the Fenrir is the best tank in the game and excels in the early game as a 2nd drop since they are still incredibly hard to beat down (especially with Bernadette Wolfe Legendary Pilot and support chips / drones). Fenrirs can withstand several blasts from a Shell long enough to simply outlast the bots' abilities and keep weapons locked on and firing. It's a great bot to push and hold beacons and can be used to flank the enemy with its relatively fast ground speed.

Fenrir can also be used as an opening bot combined with Demeter to good effect, disrupting Shells when fighting for center beacon.

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#5 Typhon (previous #7)

Recommended weapons: Scourge, Igniters, Wasps, Pulsars, Atomizer, Scorchers
Recommended passive modules: TNR/FOR/LS or 2 FORs/LS, or TNR/OD/LS, or 2 BAL/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift or Quantum Radar
Recommended pilot skills: Energy Shield Expert, Crazy Electrician, Wonderworker, Road Hog, Armor Expert, Mechanic
Recommended drones /chips: Nebula, Octanian, Eye, Glider / A: Freezer; B: Modulative Intensifier; C: Forward warning Defender; D: In trouble Repairer or Emergency Repairer; F: In-Trouble Absorber or Crashing Absorber

Typhon has great firepower, decent speed and an ability to suppress, lockdown, and prevent a target from using its ability, which makes it a great support bot for front line engagement. A late-game Typhon can be a powerhouse to support the front line by blacking out Titans and Hawks. It is especially disruptive against Sharangas, Minos, and Nodens. When equipped with Fortifiers and Igniters it can brawl and inflict significant damage against Titans and Shells.

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#6 Ravana (previous #4)

Recommended weapons: Havoc, Cryo, Wasp, Igniter, Pulsar
Recommended passive modules: 2 HAK/LS or 2 OD/LS, or TN/CU/LS, or 2 BAL/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift or Advanced Repair
Recommended pilot skills: Clever Survivor, Foolhardy Quartermaster, Road Hog, Armor Expert, Modules Expert, Mechanic
Recommended drones /chips: Nebula, Glider, Discus / A: Suppressor or Lockdowner; B: Modulative Intensifier; C: Forward warning Defender; D: In trouble Repairer or Emergency Repairer; F: In-Trouble Absorber or Crashing Absorber

Combined with phase shift and certain pilot skills, the Ravana is nearly impervious from harm for large windows of time. This is useful in one-v-one situations or when hunting down enemy bots. Due to sonic weapons the Ravana is a dominant assassin bot. When equipped with Igniters or Cryos it can also help counter Shells. Ravanas are also used for mid-range support, and with high level Wasps can do significant damage to Hawks (in the air) and against Shell shields. Pulsars also perform well in most maps.

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#7 Scorpion (previous #3)

Recommended weapons: Havoc/Scatter, Cryo/rime, Scourge/Spark, Storm/Gust, Igniter/Blaze
Recommended passive modules: TNR/AC/LS or 2 TNRs/LS, or TNR/OD/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift
Recommended pilot skills: Wonder Worker, Road Hog, Armor Expert, Thrill Seeker, Destroyer, Mechanic
Recommended drones /chips: Nebula, Octanian, Eye, Glider / A: Freezer, Lockdowner, or Suppressor; B: Modulative Intensifier; C: Forward warning Defender; D: In trouble Repairer or Emergency Repairer; F: In-Trouble Absorber or Crashing Absorber

The Scorpion's ability to teleport behind a target coupled with decent firepower and decent speed make it a formidable ambusher. When equipped with sonic weapons, cryos, or flames, it is devastating. For Beacon Rush the Scorpion is not ideal at holding or taking beacons but can dish out significant damage and support a strategy of mech'ing the opponents early instead of beacon control. In FFA and TDM the Scorpion is the premier ambusher.

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#8 Orochi (previously unranked)

Recommended weapons: Glacier, Ember, Redeemer, Viper, Nucleon, Devastator, Incinerator, Calamity
Recommended passive modules: OD/AC/LS or TNR/AC/LS or or BAL/AC/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift
Recommended pilot skills: Wonder Worker, Road Hog, Armor Expert, Thrill Seeker, Destroyer, Mechanic
Recommended drones /chips: Nebula, Octanian, Eye, Glider / A: Freezer, Lockdowner, or Suppressor; B: Modulative Intensifier; C: Forward warning Defender; D: In trouble Repairer or Emergency Repairer; F: In-Trouble Absorber or Crashing Absorber

Orochi is the latest bot and is being seen more frequently in Champion League solo play due to its ability to swiftly navigate the battlefield under duress of Titans and other META bots. It has a very low health pool and when caught in the open it will die quickly, but with two heavy weapons it serves as an excellent ambusher and can cause chaos behind enemy lines.

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#9 Blitz (previous #8)

Recommended weapons: Shredder, Spark, Rime, Blaze, Scalds, Scatters
Recommended passive modules: TNR/AC/LS or TNR/OD/LS, or HAK/AC/LS, or BAL/AC/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift
Recommended pilot skills: Deft Survivor, Wonderworker, Road Hog, Armor Expert, Suppressor, Thrill Seeker
Recommended drones /chips: Nebula, Glider, Discus / A: Freezer or Lockdowner; B: Modulative Intensifier; C: Forward warning Defender; D: In trouble Repairer or Emergency Repairer; F: In-Trouble Absorber or Crashing Absorber

With Clive Legendary Pilot the Blitz is a powerful bot with good speed, resistance, and firepower. Equipped with Rimes, Scatters, or Blazes along with supporting microchips the Blitz can lock / freeze enemies almost instantly while suppressing firepower. Alternatively 4 Sparks or 4 Scalds can do serious damage at any range while reserving the ability for defensive purposes. Due to the introduction of the Shell the most popular loadouts include Rimes and Blazes.

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#10 Hades (previously #10)

Recommended weapons: Calamity/Spark, Nucleon/Quarker, Viper/Shredder or Magnetar, Devastator/Scatter
Recommended passive modules: TNR/AC/LS or 2 TNRs/LS, or TNR/OD/LS, or 2 BAL/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift or Quantum Radar

Pantheon bots made a comeback as a counter to Hawk, Typhon, mid-range bots, and titans. The Hades buff (increased HP) and decent speed allows it to support front line engagement and skirmish at close range. With Electric, Damage over Time, Flame Rockets, or Lock-down weapons, Hades serves as an excellent support role. When equipped with sonic or flame weapons Hades can do some limited brawling / close-range engagement to help counter Shells and other tanks.

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Honorable mention:

Ao Jun (previously #9)

Recommended weapons: Glacier, Ember, Redeemer, Viper, Nucleon
Recommended passive modules: 2 TNR/LS or TNR/AC/LS or TNR/OD/LS, or 3 TNRs, or TNR/CU/LS, or 2 BAL/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift

The Ao Jun remains a formidable ambusher especially with Yang Lee (Legendary Pilot) as it provides a direct counter to stealth (and bots using cloaking unit) and can get an angle to inflict damage against Shells. It is one of the best bot counters to Titans when equipped with Glaciers and Embers.

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Leech

Recommended weapons: Pulsars, Cryo, Scourge, Wasps, Igniters, Atomizer, Scorchers
Recommended passive modules: TNR/AC/LS or 2 TNRs/LS, or TNR/OD/LS, or 2 BAL/LS, 2 CU/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift or Quantum Radar

The Leech has great firepower, decent speed and an ability that is unmatched except against a Titan. An early game Leech is still a powerhouse to support the front line by taking out Shells when equipped with Igniters or Cyros, and can help take center beacon when played aggressively. High level Wasps can do significant damage to Hawks (in the air) and against Shell shields, and Pulsars perform well in most maps.

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Phantom

Recommended weapons: Havoc/Scatter, Spark/Scourge, Shredder/Atomizer**, Blaze/Igniter,** Rime/Cryo, Quarker/Atomizer
Recommended passive modules: TNR/AC/LS or TNR/OD/LS
Recommended active module: Advanced Repair or Phase Shift

Phantom is still a decent opener in beacon games but not as effective when compared to Blitz and Shell. While still strong the Phantom is challenged by these other bots. For the majority of players doing duos or solo play, the Phantom still remains a strong opener and a relatively strong mid- /late-game play bot because of the combination of speed, durability, and firepower.

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Loki

Recommended weapons: Rime, Gust, Halo, Quarkers, Scatters, Scald
Recommended passive modules: HAK/AC/LS or HAK/CU/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift

Loki is not used in Champion League squad play as often now due to the Shell META and the introduction of the Orochi, but is still effective in beacon games due to its ability to move around the battlefield using stealth.

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Falcon

Recommended weapons: Ember, Nucleon, Calamity, Glory, Redeemer, Devastator
Recommended passive modules: HAK/HAK/LS
Recommended active module: Advanced Repair Kit

Falcon has an excellent ability to tank damage and hold beacons and is up there with the Fenrir as a primary bot to to hold / push center beacon. 1-on-1 a Falcon can occupy the attention of several Shells and even defeat them if its weapons and pilot skills are built to beat them...think armor, durability, repair and adamant. While resistance bots are naturally poor against titans and sonic weapons, the falcon can hold its own against just about everything else.

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Nightingale

Recommended weapons: Cryo/Rime, Atomizer/Quarker, Corona/Halo, Igniter/Blaze, Havoc/Scatter
Recommended passive modules: HAK/AC/LS or 2 HAKs/LS
Recommended active module: Phase Shift

The ability to suppress almost the entire red team during a long flight and drop onto a target and burst them into oblivion is powerful. Due to the nerf to Nightingale's speed and increased height during flight (so it can no longer capture beacons) dropped the bot out of the META. It can still be a strong support bot for and against titans.

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Tyr

Recommended weapons: Shredder/Atomizer, Blaze/Igniter, Spark/Scourge
Recommended modules: 2 TNR/LS or 2 HAK/LS, or HAK/FOR/LS, or 2 BAL/LS
Recommended active: Advanced Repair or Repair

Considered by some to be a good all around bot (it is not incredibly strong against anything yet not weak against anything either), the Tyr can float itself and its allies with repair for long periods of time either pushing or defending a beacon. Combined with any resistance bot or high durability bot a Tyr can push a group of allies from an even clash into a winning clash with ease. It's also decent at healing allied titans. Tyr has a decent matchup against Hawks and sonic weapons since it can take the attack on its physical shield.

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Pantheon Bots

With the increase in more mid- / long-range weapons the Pantheon bots are making a come back. With Energy Machine Guns, Electric, Damage over Time, or Lock-down weapons, they can serve as an excellent support role.

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Titan Meta

#1 Nodens

The Nodens is not as good as an Arthur or a Minos for pushing or holding beacons, but as a support Titan it is invaluable on the battlefield because it keeps other Titans and bots alive. If you can support an Arthur or Minos with your Nodens from a relatively safe location those Titans can easily kill multiple red Titans supported by your suppression and healing chain.

#2 Minos

Minos is an excellent Titan for capturing beacons and can be a respectable brawler against other Titans when played smartly. Minos is relatively weak when its reflective shield is not in use so its important to identify the right opportunities to engage.

#3 Arthur

Arthur, unlike the Ming, is an excellent beacon holder and a respectable beacon pusher. An Arthur, especially combined with a Nodens or Demeter, is the best way to bust a red beacon through tides of defending Hawks, Shells, and other Titans in squad games. Arthur is relatively weak to splash, especially opposing titan rockets so it's good to identify the weaponry of opposing titans before pushing.

#4 Sharanga

The Sharanga puts out unmatched damage with the ability to annihilate other titans in just a few salvos. It's exile ability offers some defense, but due to its slow speed the Sharanga is extremely vulnerable to ranged attacks from Mings and Hawks. Since Sharnga is not good and taking or holding beacons, it is best deployed when there is a beacon lead and played with plenty of cover along with support from Demeters and / or Nodens.

#5 Ao Ming

The Ao Ming is still a massive damage hog with the ability to clear entire hangars off the field. The only real counter to the Ming is an Arthur push or coordinated attacks by Ao Juns and Hawks. It should be noted that the Ming is fairly poor at taking or holding beacons, so it is best deployed when there is a beacon lead and played well it should be floating over or near one of your teams rear beacons so that if a bot does break through you can simply land and keep the beacon blue. Obviously it's best to abuse the range benefit of plasma or titan scourge weapons to protect yourself from opposing Ming or Arthur.

#6 Kid

A maxed Kid is very good at dealing damage to groups of bots in mass. The Kid is very fast, especially compared to Arthur. It has the highest durability and resistance of any titan. The downfall of the Kid is that it is poor against Plasma Ming without Nodens support, since it's difficult to find appropriate cover and close the gap from 600-500 without losing significant portions of its durability, and when Kid's ability is done it is vulnerable to Arthur and Minos.

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Weapon Meta

Heavy Weapons:

Ember
Devastator
Glacier
Incinerator (honorable mention)

Medium Weapons:

Igniter
Cryo
Havoc
Wasp (honorable mention)

Light Weapons:

Blaze
Scatter
Scald

Alpha Weapons:

Grom
Vengeance
Cataclysm (honorable mention)

Beta Weapons:

Squall
Krait

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Module META

Bot Passive:

Last Stand
Anti-Control
Balanced

Titan:

Antimatter
Plated Armor
Cannibal

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Legendary Pilots

Linda Cano (Shell) [previously #2]
Bernadette Wolfe (Fenrir) [previously #3]
Ash Skarsgard (Scorpion) [previously #4]
Kyle Rogers (Hawk) [previously #4]
Adrian Chong (Universal) [previously unranked]

Honorable Mention: APPM-3TR (Demeter) [previously #1] and Arnav Poe (Ravana)

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Drone Chips

A chip : Suppressor, Lockdowner (Honorable metion: Freezer)

B Chip: Revitalizing Intensifier, Modulative Intensifier

C Chip: Revitalizing Defender, Forward warning Defender

D Chip: In trouble Repairer, Emergency Repairer

F Chip: In-Trouble Absorber, Crashing Absorber

Drones: Nebula, Glider (Honorable mention: Eye, Discus)

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Anti-Meta

This section is for bots that can still perform, even in niche scenarios.

These are in no particular order.

Invader: Invader's high health pool can handle the top bots to a certain degree, with adamant skills and bulking up with healing and armor modules it acts somewhat like a Falcon and Fenrir.
Strider: The strider should never be overlooked. 5 dashes and a very quick dash reload means this bot can easily cover 300M or more in an instant. It's also faster to center than most bots on virtually all maps, especially when you can superdash reliably. A good strider pilot can beat most bots in a 1v1 if you have enough dashes ready. The Strider is the most difficult bot in the game to play well, but also the most rewarding once it is mastered. Equipped with sonic weapons the Strider is a true assassin.

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Cheers,

JFSoul

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Key:

TNR = Thermo Nuclear Reactor
HAK = Heavy Armor Kit
OD = Overdrive
CU = Cloaking Unit
AC = Anti-Control
BAL = Balanced Unit
FOR = Fortifier

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Special thanks to:

u/Frozenshxrd, u/juenta, u/Will-Morth, u/Shaaadyyy, u/autumnWR, u/arielbelkin, u/_Mausername_, u/Skydiver2021, u/Azncph8, u/Warcraftisgood, u/bechewyn, u/Frozenshxrd, u/Brisingr_007, u/cnavla, u/Puzzleheaded-Poet866, u/EducationFar1575, u/MasterofImbalances, u/WARROVOTS, u/Ciphers-wingman, and all others who contributed.