Garbad Reviews: TWA Founder Packs
7 min readThis is a guide to evaluate the value of the TWA Founder Packs, currently for sale in the TWA open beta. Gold in TWA costs $10 USD for 2500 gold, which is the same rate as WOT and similar games. As of right now, gold will NOT be shared between TWA and other wargaming games.
There are currently four packs available:
CLASSIC BUNDLE – $30 USD
- 30 Days Premium (2500g)
- Delian Peltasts – IV (~2500g)
- Germanic Scounts (roman archers) – IV (~2500g)
- Cosmetics
This package includes $30 worth of loot for $30.
BARBARIAN BUNDLE – $40 USD
- 30 Days Premium (2500g)
- 3500 gold
- Germanic Scounts (roman archers) – IV (~2500g)
- Spear Brothers – IV (~2500g)
- Cosmetics
This package includes $44 worth of loot for $40.
ANTIQUE BUNDLE – $70
- 30 Days Premium (2500g)
- 10,000 gold
- Thracian Royal Cav – V (~3500g)
- Triarii – VII (~5750g)
- Cosmetics
This package includes $87 worth of loot for $70.
ULTIMATE BUNDLE – $100
- 30 Days Premium (2500g)
- 12,300 gold
- Delian Peltasts – IV (~2500g)
- Germanic Scounts (roman archers) – IV (~2500g)
- Spear Brothers – IV (~2500g)
- Celtic Slingers – V (~3500g)
- Thracian Royal Cav – V (~3500g)
- Triarii – VII (~5750g)
- All Cosmetics
This package includes $140 worth of loot for $100.
PREMIUM UNITS IN GENERAL
From my experience so far, credits are not a limiting factor in TWA to the same degree they are in WOT. Although its common to lose credits in poor higher tier matches, units are much less expensive to buy so its fairly easy to get ahead. The real value of premium units, then, is not credits but in free experience (blue experience). This can be spent on unlocking new commanders, levelling up units or commanders, or bypassing undesirable units. Because credits are not an issue and you get 3x the unit experience per commander experience, premium units 50% bonus to commander exp is great to help keep your commanders maxed out and helping you get past units you don’t like. I also note that converting regular exp using gold is also much more cost effective than it was in WOT, by orders of magnitude.
A final nice touch on TWA premiums is variety. Most premiums feature unique skills, unit types, or base stats than their tech tree peers which can make them quite different. For example, the Celtic slinger is the only slinger available to the Barbarian line, giving them the unusual ability to dominate greeks at their own game. Thracian Cavalry has the Horse Kick skill – the only greek cav to get this skill — which makes them deadly brawlers, unlike the traditional hammer and anvil greek style. Finally, the Spartan Hoplites (a tech tree premium) have unusually high foot speed, which when combined with Miltiades allows you to play an aggressive shock style hoplite that otherwise isn’t possible. I appreciate this, as it adds more niches and variety for commanders to enjoy.
THE PREMIUM UNITS
Next, let’s look at the value of the units themselves. Note that as in WOT, higher tiers tend to earn more credits/exp per battle from what I can tell. Also, the way the MM works currently tier 4 is a good grinding tier (it can only see tier 5 max, while most tiers can see +2 tiers).
DELIAN PELTASTS – TIER IV GREEK JAVELIN
Peltasts are ranged anti-armour units that specialize in dismantling heavy roman and Greek infantry. They can really rack up the kills, making them profitable stat padders. The Delians are one of only two greek peltasts in the game and have practically identical stats to their Roman counterparts. My only reservation with the Delians was that I couldn’t find a commander that I felt like had great synergy with them. Still, this is a potent unit that gives your greeks a hard hitting close range option they otherwise lack.
Rating: 5/10
GERMANIC SCOUTS – TIER IV ROMAN ARCHERS
The scouts are basic, generic archers that are slightly superior to their greek/barbarian peers. They are the only archers available to Roman commanders other than the tier 7 premiums. The main drawback of the Scouts is the lack of a Roman commander who specializes in missile units (Ceasar’s skills are too close range to work well with bows). This isn’t a problem facing other 4s as your stats are more or less equal to your opponents, but if you face a tier 5 cynane with barrage you are food. This makes the scouts an interesting novelty, but not terribly useful.
Rating: 2/10
SPEAR BROTHERS – TIER IV BARBARIAN SPEARS
The spear brothers are the only spear unit the barbarians have access to. They are lightly armoured compared to their Greek peers, but significantly faster and have an equivalent attack. This combination of a fast defensive unit gives the barbarians a look they don’t usually have, and one that can pay dividends. For example, three spear brothers make a pretty excellent missile escort because you can keep up with the fastest archers and quickly move to protect them from cavalry attacks. Another variation is one spear flanked by two swordsmen or dogs. The spear phalanx gives you a hard wall to fix and the rest of your team can surge in on the flanks…in theory. In reality, it’s pretty hard to convince your opponents to attack a spearwall with anything other than their own superior spearwall or roman blob, so most of the time I felt like the spear brothers didn’t quite justify their spot. Its an interesting unit and one I want to explore more, but not spectacular.
Rating: 4/10
CELTIC SLINGERS – TIER V BARBARIAN SLINGER
The Celtic slingers are once again the only Celtic slinger unit in the game. They also have a clear statistical advantage over their Greek peers (superior missile block and vision). Combine this with the fact that slingers can’t use barrage on cynane, and your barbarian slingers become the best in niche slingers in tier. Slingers are best used as anti archer/arty and are not easy to use (it’s easy to get FF, you need LOS, etc) but when properly used can dominate those nasty missile units that are so lethal to your team. I want to emphasize this is not a noob friendly unit, but it has the potential to dominate in the hands of an expert.
Rating: 6/10
THRACIAN ROYAL CAVALRY – TIER V GREEK CAVALRY
The Thracian Cav is one of two cavalry choices the greeks have at tier 5. It has above average speed, good defensive ability (but lowish armour), average charge with above average brawling. It also has the peerless Mount Kick skill, which is an amazing high damage + knockdown skill that basically makes the unit. The greeks tech tree cavalry in tier 5 are beginning to specialize as lancers (high charge, no shield, less melee), while the Thracians are a traditional “barbarian” style brawlers (better scouts, slightly faster, better in a brawl). While both styles can work, I find the barbarian style to be superior because you can stick and win a brawl against the right unit, rather than gambling on an all or nothing charge.
Rating: 6/10
TRIARII – TIER VII ROMAN SPEARMEN
The Triarii were hoplite style elite soldiers held in the third line who functioned as a last resort reserve in the early Roman system. They provide the Romans with their only spear unit in the game. The Triarii have extremely high melee defence, morale, and good armour – easily outclassing heavy legionaries and their Greek opponents. Despite being perhaps the tankiest unit in the game, Triarii has poor mobility and lackluster offence. They also have a raise shields ability which is highly useful on non-Germanicus units.
Overall, the Triarii is highly useful. First off, it can be a great escort unit – for example one triarii and two catapults. With a spear wall, stakes, and raise shields it is a good bit more durable than a typical legion. Second, although their spears are relatively weak against other heavily armoured units, they should do just fine against barbarians, falxes, and so on while giving you the ability to phalanx in good situations. The ability to fix the middle of the line while two legions work the flanks could be extremely powerful. The only unit I really see the Triarii needing to fear is a pike or javelins.
Rating: 8/10
CONCLUSION
On the whole, I think the Antique Package offers the most value for the buck. I think the Thracian cav are a solid, fun, useful unit and expect the Triarii to be a highly sought after, rare unit perhaps comparable to the Type 59 or E-25. The other founder’s pack premiums are interesting and worth considering if you are into variety/collecting, but probably can be passed on.
As a final note, remember stats will be reset, progression with being lost, and gold will be refunded when the game goes live. This means now is a good time to spend some gold and see if you like a unit and get a refund if you don’t.
Hope you Enjoy, comments welcome.
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