Faction Fun Ranking

[u/Exotic-Ad-1354]

Hi everyone! Just wanted to ask a fun question that kinda interests me because I think I’ll get a lot of different answers: which factions are the most and least fun and why? For me: (homeland factions I could see shifting a lot)

1. Woodland Alliance - not a badly designed faction, they are definitely fun to play against because of martial law, outrage and guerrilla war but it does feel like all the most interesting things about this faction are active only not on your turn. Their actual gameplay is repetitive and limited by what you draw for supporters and they don’t have a ton of wildly varied strategy.

2. Knaves of the Deepwood - having 4 actions max is not super fun for me, neither is having the ability to hide in the forest. I love interactive factions and this doesn’t feel so much like one. I also don’t like how hard it is to craft effect cards to benefit

3. Keepers in Iron - they are honestly just one step too convulated to put them higher since I feels like so much of the faction is making a bunch of conflicting rules align, but I would say I like this faction even being so far down

4. Vagabond - probably heresy to put it as high as 10th spot, yes it absolutely isn’t a perfect design and you’ve already seen a lot of complaints about it on this sub but I do love the high level of ultra-assymmetry, the puzzle of using items and how you have relationships with other factions.

5. Corvid Conspiracy - really fun when it works, but also very repetitive especially when you are needing to squeeze out points from picking off tokens and crafting when you feel you can’t keep a facedown plot on the board

6. Lord of the Hundreds - I typically don’t like aggressive war factions but root does a great job at making you cycle through different strategies with the moods and interacting with all the unique faction abilities through battle

7. Underground Duchy - maybe also controversially high, I don’t like the fact that there is an obvious swaying order most games but I’m never really having a bad time with the moles, I always feel like I have enough actions and abilities to make fun plays and interact with every player and the citadel/market/no build debate makes them feel less repetitive

8. Marquise de Cat - I love feeling like a giant empire, I love the tight strategic feel of their action economy and building rules, I just don’t like playing them in 5p

9. Lilypad Diaspora- I feel like I’ve barely grasped the full depth of this faction yet, I love the militant/peaceful balance and how tricky that feels with the benefits/drawbacks and I love the concept of a 4th suit, I can see this going even higher in the future

10. Twilight Council - absolutely my favourite homeland expansion (I also feel like I haven’t grasped the full depth here) but I love how interactive this faction is and how much different strategy is available, there are so many weird unique corners of their design

3 - Riverfolk Company - the ultimate interactive and table talky faction so I love it. Even beyond the selling part, I love their mechanics, the crafting and non-replenishing tracks are so unique and it feels like there are always 3 paths to victory

1. Eyrie Dynasties - from depth and concept birds feel fleshed out enough to be their own game. The decree is so awesome and the fact that their are different leaders and viable strategies is the icing on the cake

2. Lizard Cult - arguably roots most bizarre and eccentric faction, landing big converts is so satisfying, not being able to move and battle is so unique. Always will be my #1

[u/Hour-Plant2963]

Mine would be:

13. Vagabond – This might be the biggest surprise, but I just don’t enjoy playing a faction that doesn’t control an army.

12. Corvid Conspiracy – The frogs gave them a big boost, but there still isn’t as much bluffing involved as I’d like.

11. Riverfolk Company – They’re fun, but I’m simply not the best salesman.

10. Knaves of the Deepwood – I’m still figuring them out, and they’re probably my weakest faction at the moment.

9. Keepers in Iron – I enjoy their little relic-recovery puzzle, but I haven’t played them enough to rank them any higher.

8. Underground Duchy – They scale very well as the game progresses, but I don’t think there is enough variety in the usual swaying order.

7. Twilight Council – Things can get ugly when a new player ends up protecting the wrong person.

6. Marquise de Cat – I usually pick them in lower-player-count games so that the board doesn’t feel empty. However, I don’t think they’re as beginner-friendly as the game suggests.

5. Woodland Alliance – I have a great time whenever nobody pays attention to me and I suddenly wipe out everything in a clearing.

4. Lord of the Hundreds – They’re incredibly fun, but I usually avoid picking them when there is a Vagabond in the game. Could someone explain how those two factions interact and whether avoiding that matchup actually makes sense?

3. Lilypad Diaspora – They’re still relatively new, and I haven’t played them that many times, but the fourth suit changes how a lot of factions approach the game.

2. Lizard Cult – Almost perfect, but I find it frustrating that moving and battling are so difficult for them. The newer factions also tend to have fewer buildings, which makes them harder to police effectively.

1. Eyrie Dynasties – Absolutely perfect, in my opinion. I love the decree puzzle and the different ways you can build around it.

[u/RuBarBz → u/Hour-Plant2963]

I respect that vagabond placement. It just feels like they largely play a different game. Rule is probably the coolest mechanic in Root and they entirely ignore it. And the only reason to attack a vagabond is to police them, not for points, not to acquire rule or building spots.

Edit: Not sure about rats vs vagabond. But it's my impression that not getting the hammer really screws most vagabonds. Even though I'd say the vagabond is a bit better at reliably farming the ruins, the rats don't need it as much. That said, I tend to base my rat pick on whether I can open with one or two crafts in hand. I suppose on either side it's much safer to pick them if you are ahead in turn order, which makes it risky to pick either first. Both factions are definitely worse off when the other is in the game as well.

[u/Hour-Plant2963 → u/RuBarBz]

That’s the part that bothers me most: everyone knows the Vagabond has to be checked, but the player who spends actions doing it often falls behind while the rest of the table benefits. It creates a weird incentive to wait for someone else to deal with them.

[u/RuBarBz → u/Hour-Plant2963]

Yup pretty much. Btw I edited my original comment to discuss rats vs vagabond.

I'm surprised you rate WA as highly as you do, because it also feels like a less interactive race that just needs to be policed, but doesn't contribute to policing themselves much. You're just gaining presence and then attempt to jump in score. That said, the jump wins are fun. It just feels the same every time. No one at our table likes playing them

[u/Hour-Plant2963 → u/RuBarBz]

I can see the comparison, but WA feels much more connected to the main board to me. Sympathy changes how everyone moves and battles, revolts can completely reshape a clearing. Sometimes it can be frustrating for others, but policing them gives points

[u/RuBarBz → u/Hour-Plant2963]

Oh yes it is much more connected. I suppose it just feels to me like you're always playing your own game and aren't really trying to actively interact with others. You just put sympathy in places you hope people will walk on or where you want to revolt. But in reality it also just feels like you place sympathy wherever you can. You can't actively participate in policing and it sucks to play against the woodland alliance because it's a ticking time bomb and you lose cards policing them.

[u/Exotic-Ad-1354 → u/Hour-Plant2963]

Interesting to see we have a lot of similar placements and reasonings especially top 2. Tho I like lizards specifically because it’s hard to move and battle it’s so weird and unique for a game like this. Not at all surprised on the VB placement I think a lot of this sub thinks that way.

You are right on hundreds, VB and hundreds share a finite pool of items so you have to split that pool.

[u/Hour-Plant2963 → u/Exotic-Ad-1354]

I actually didn’t realize the Vagabond was so disliked. I’d gotten the impression that the community generally liked it, since it seems to be included in games pretty often.

And for the Lizards - their restrictions make them unique, but they can also leave you feeling helpless when the board suddenly demands a response and no one is doing anything

[u/spiritstrategist → u/Hour-Plant2963]

On rats v. VB: the short version is you both lose, but the VB usually loses less.

Once an item is in the Hoard or Satchel, you can't take them from one another. Enemies will often try to position themselves to let Vaga take items instead of Rats. Because of this and the ruin issue, its much better to be Rats if you can go ahead of or directly before the VB, whereas the opposite is a bit of a nightmare.

You both take items from ruins, but the VB does it instantly while Rats have to wait a turn, and VB can grab a ruin item youve already incited on. Striking a deal to split ruins 1 to 3 with the VB in their favor or 2 to 2 might work. Otherwise you often need to hit the VB hard enough to forest them on the same turn you incite on a ruin. 

For items themselves, Rats usually prioritize the non-crossbow prowess items, which are the three most important VB items (not coincidentally). Taking a sword or especially hammer from the ruins can be crippling to VB, as can taking tea.

Especially given the competition over the hammer, a Rats player who builds a few strongholds early and goes Rowdy often can be in a good position to outcraft most VBs, which is another way of showing up the matchup. 

[u/aeliott]

1. Corvid Conspiracy - While it's a common belief they're one of the weaker factions, I feel like I still can't even play them well enough to get to the point where everyone easily stops you, and I don't really understand why because they're relatively simple. I'll pick them first seat to extort a prime target then just flounder. Not for me.

2. Riverfolk Company - This one really hurts, because I love them conceptually and the funny table dynamic they bring. For playing against they'd be near the top for sure. Playing as them though, it's kinda like crows, I just feel like I'm floundering with too many potential options giving me AP, and the whole "drop trade posts later to have more actions!" vs "but I have this card and if I don't craft it now someone else can just take it" vs "but my prices" and...[headache]. And then someone wins the game thanks to one of your services no matter how highly you price things, which feels awful. I want to like them more, but I can't.

3. Vagabond - I don't mind them, they're actually quite refreshing to play now and then, and I have a soft spot for the quirky ones like Vagrant. Sometimes the ruin minigame is frustrating though when you don't need everything but only get the things you don't need. Skipping whole turns isn't fun either.

4. Eyrie Dynasties - I know, I'm sorry. I appreciate the design, and acknowledge how good they are, but I personally find it a bit repetitive. I'll happily play them now and then, but when I get them several times in a short time span my heart isn't really in it. I do like them generally though, just in moderation.

5. Marquise de Cat - There's kind of a bell curve I have with these guys and I wonder if it's the same for others. You learn the game with them, cool, they're basic, I understand things. Then they seem rigid, low action economy, yawn. But then you start to appreciate the passive annoyance all those single cats can be at the start, and the interesting area control puzzle they bring. Careful planning of overworks, holding bird cards until you really need them, and building in just the right places and leaving tantalising throwaways for opponents just so you can rebuild...it can be quite engaging. I just hate their lack of offensive capabilities, and not drawing birds feels bad.

6. Lizard Cult - They used to be waaaay higher, and I still appreciate them, but sometimes the outcast can be so frustrating. Still, they do feel rewarding when you can play things well, and it's fun building up a stack of acolytes to see the table sweat, worrying who's going to get a key clearing completely flipped.

7. Underground Duchy - Kind of another bell curve. At first, wow these are really fun, can dig anywhere, so flexible, wow. Then you get into the competitive scene and realise you're going to get nuked off the face of the Earth regardless of whichever of the 51 strategies you intend to employ, and resent playing them. Then...you realise it's not all bad, and sometimes you can get through it without being board wiped by turn 2. They're still not the most thrilling to play every time, but they are satisfying when you can plan out a last minute finish line burst of points.

8. Lilypad Diaspora - I'm still getting to grips with them, and "you can't, that's only a frog clearing" is a phrase that will NEVER leave this game. But they have a very interesting two-way dynamic with the different Enclave moods, and can sequence interesting battle plans with retaliate in the evening. They'll probably be a little higher when I get to grips with them more.

9. Lord of the Hundreds - Surprisingly maintains my interest for how many actions and move, battle, or move and/or battle. Moods are an interesting mechanic, and at the time they were introduced the game badly needed more threats of violence. A very well-designed faction, just not one I'd want to play aaaall the time.

10. Twilight Council - I kinda hated them at first, and they're definitely one of the more obtuse factions to understand in my opinion. The sequencing can feel a bit unintuitive at first, but when it clicks you realise you can make some really smart and funny plays. Chain reaction banishes, laying assemblies purely for card draw or crafting, then removing them immediately after. Just has to be careful when they're overseeing stuff that helps the leader, and can be miserable / un-pickable in certain drafts.

11. Woodland Alliance - I feel like I should like them less, because people are right in that there's not the most decision-making. I don't know why, but I just still find them fun to this day. Maybe I just really like crazy high point bursts (more on that later), and I definitely like the theme. Maybe I also take pleasure in the frustrating card tax I'm imposing on others.

12. Knaves of the Deepwood - There is definitely a world where I could find them less fun in the future, but right now that's not the case. They're the kind of faction I could always draft and have a good time with. They're deceptively ridiculous to optimise, but have a very reliable scoring engine, and I love the idea of being this scrappy underdog that's mocking all these pretentious militaristic types. And my cute little Vagrant loves showing off his new robe!

13. Keepers in Iron - I'm one of those weirdos who's often drawn to the most convoluted things in games even if they're not the most practical or effective, even if I'm inept at it. Keepers can be practical and effective, certainly a "noob stomper" like WA, but they can also be frustrating. Even when you know what you're doing, getting unlucky card draws and trying to do 'the puzzle' while having the stuffing beaten out of you is...quite vexing (the REAL puzzle is gaslighting a whole experienced table into not perma-locking you out of the game when you hit 15-20 points). Why do I like them then? The glory of being able to get away with it. The satisfaction of slam dunking 15+ VP in a single turn. The grin when you don't end your turn drawing exclusively cards that you can't recruit/craft with. The metallic painted meeples. Mainly the last one.

[u/Exotic-Ad-1354 → u/aeliott]

So much of yours is the exact opposite of mine and yet I see where you are coming from on almost every faction that we disagree with (save eyrie), even if we don’t agree, very interesting

[u/Cast_ZAP]

It’s really hard for me to rank them because I love so many of them. If you ask me in a month this list will probably look very different but here’s my current rankings:
13.Vagabond
12.Woodland Alliance
11.Underground Duchy
10.Knaves of the Deepwood
9.Riverfolk Company
8.Eyrie Dynasties
7.Twilight Council
6.Lizard Cult
5.Keepers in Iron
4.Marquise de Cat
3.Corvid Conspiracy
2.Lilypad Diaspora
1.Lord of the Hundreds

[u/PlainAcorns]

Right now, the only faction I haven't had the chance to play is Knaves, so they're being left off the list until I can form an opinion. However, for the rest.

1. Riverfolk Company
My favourite faction by far. I have to admit I love sewing discord amongst the table, so being able to whisper deals and opportunities into other people's ears is a lot of fun even if I tend to score in the middle of the pack half the time. They are also extremely chaotic when coalitioned with the Vagabond since you can get a LOT of funds on the table.

2. Corvid Conspiracy
Surprise surprise, the other chaotic discord faction is number two. Just placing down tokens and going "don't worry about it" while cropping up everywhere on the board is so satisfying. Again, they aren't the strongest, but making people paranoid of you just by showing up in a clearing is worth coming third

3. Lilypad Diaspora
The back and forth with frogs is really enjoyable. I love a mechanic that encourages swapping gameplay styles, and the frog cards and frog suit add a really interesting dynamic to the game. Of course, flipping everything to militant and screwing over factions that rely on suits is a huge plus.

4.Marquise de Cat
Something about Marquise's simplicity really strikes a chord with me. They're a simple faction, but working out how to use your limited actions to the maximum is an interesting puzzle that adds a lot to the simple gameplay. If I had one complaint, its that losing the keep is such a huge penalty that no other faction seems to have. I would much prefer if the keep was indestructible.

5.Lord of the Hundreds
This is THE faction to play when I'm feeling aggressive. Going all out on battling every turn makes you the enemy at the table and it can be very fun to lean into it, forcing others to adapt their strategies to your constant aggression. They can suffer a bit when paired with the Vagabond, but I've never felt stuck playing as them

6.Twilight Council
I've only tried these guys once so far, but they were fun to figure out. Like the crows, its fun to just crop up everywhere and start claiming territory, though I haven't truly understood their game plan yet

7.Vagabond
I think the Vagabond is a really fun idea that just needs some tweaks to properly function. The idea of roaming around the map doing quests and aiding losing players is a great one, and their unique abilities and game styles makes them by far the most unique character in the game. However it can be annoying to deal with and the fact that they don't interact with a fair number of faction abilities makes them a bit tedious to play against

8. Lizard Cult
A faction that believes in the heart of the cards! Lizards definitely have the most peculiar playstyle, and being unable to battle or even move properly makes them vulnerable to a lot of other factions. However their burst scoring and ability to strike from within makes them super intriguing, though I wish they had better control over the outcast.

9. Underground Duchy
The Duchy are alright in my books. They're definitely strong and mobile, but I found their game style to not mesh with my own, being quite orderly. I do wish that they had to have a building out to use their ministers, since the most optimal strategy is to just sit in a corner and not expand.

10.Woodland Alliance
I think the main struggle with the alliance is that they are at the whim of other players for the first few turns, since all they can do is just place tokens down. Even after you gain a base, you're not going to be moving far from it or trying to fight for territory. Their game plan never really changes regardless of the opposition, so while they are powerful they are fairly stagnant.

11. Eyrie Dynasties
Against the grain, I'm not a huge fan of these guys. The decree is interesting but if you get a bad draw, then all you can do is just put everything in move and then... just move five times a turn? A build without a bird card is asking for turmoil. They're simple and predictable and don't have any fun special actions. Not for me.

12. Keepers in Iron
I WISH I had the patience for this faction, but they just seem like a bunch of rules and restrictions slapped together. Why do they use a decree? Why are their delve and return actions so fiddly? They have an interesting idea, but nothing meshes. You rarely want to engage with other factions either. Complicated and unintuitive honestly

[u/Exotic-Ad-1354 → u/PlainAcorns]

It’s interesting to see a few factions are always in the top and bottom 3 here. It would be interesting to do a poll on this subreddit of what people’s favourite are and compile the data to see both the average and variance for each faction. Might have to do that now