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What “best” means in this vote
PC Gamer’s Fraser Brown puts the choice to readers: “But what does ‘best’ actually mean? That’s up to you!” The poll’s competitors do very different jobs and operate at vastly different scales, from workers and support units to tanks and enormous spacecraft. A fair vote starts by choosing what matters most to you rather than treating unlike units as if they had been tested on one common scale.
- Combat: Consider performance in a particular matchup, damage, survivability, or ability to punish an opponent. A unit’s strength depends on the situation, so explain the fight you have in mind.
- Strategic utility: Value the work that helps an army or economy function: gathering resources, building, scouting, supporting allies, sieging defenses, or producing a fleet.
- Cost and availability: Ask whether a unit’s price or ease of production changes its practical value. The source describes the Mammoth Tank as costly and the Attack Cycle as cheap; that contrast is part of their appeal, not a standardized efficiency comparison.
- Distinctiveness: Judge the silhouette, animation, disguise, scale, or voice that makes a unit immediately recognizable.
- Personal or cultural appeal: Nostalgia, humor, lore, and a memorable moment in a campaign or match are valid reasons to vote for a favorite.
The original 16-unit field
The tournament began with 16 competitors, choosing one game version where an entry appears across a series. These are the source-described candidates; the list is not a current quarterfinal bracket and does not imply that every listed unit advanced.
| Unit | Game | What makes it a contender |
|---|---|---|
| Peon | Warcraft 3 | An Orcish worker who gathers resources and builds the base, but can also fight or shelter in a burrow. |
| Glass Dragon | Rise of Legends | A visually striking creature praised for its ability to destroy tanks. |
| Mammoth Tank | Command & Conquer: Red Alert | A powerful but costly, slow vehicle. |
| Petard | Age of Empires 2 | A self-sacrificing attacker used against structures. |
| Psyker | Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War | Remembered for its voice acting and connection to the setting. |
| Rohirrim | The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth | A mounted force recalled for its trample utility, especially when upgraded. |
| High Templar | StarCraft | A lore-rich unit with area-effect potential; the contributor recalls discovering a powerful army combination with it. |
| Pride of Hiigara | Homeworld | A mobile base and factory that can carry a fleet and produce capital ships. Its mobility differs between the original Homeworld campaign and Homeworld 2. |
| Mirage Tank | Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 | A stealthy attacker that disguises itself as a tree; its disguise options and damage potential are part of its appeal. |
| Ballista | Warcraft 2 | A straightforward long-range siege unit. |
| Attack Cycle | Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun | A cheap, fast Nod vehicle described as effective in swarms. |
| Executor Super Star Destroyer | Star Wars: Empire at War | A massive capital ship valued for its scale and firepower in the game. |
| Atreides Sonic Tank | Dune II | Included in the field; the source does not provide enough detail to characterize its mechanics further. |
| Dolphin | Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 | Included in the field; the source does not provide enough detail to characterize its mechanics further. |
| Peewee | Total Annihilation | A basic Kbot with a cheerful look and energy blasters. |
| Priest | Age of Empires | Famous for its memorable “Wololo” line. |
How to make a case for your pick
Choose one criterion, then make the case in that unit’s context. If you vote for a worker such as the Peon, its contribution to a functioning base may matter more than a duel. If you pick the Pride of Hiigara, compare the strategic reach of a mobile base and fleet producer rather than its ability to trade shots like a tank. If your favorite is the Priest or Psyker, voice and personality can be the point. The poll invites preference, not a universal tier list.
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What is known about the quarterfinals
The cited PC Gamer article, published October 1, 2026, shows that first-round voting closed at 10:59 PM on October 4 and anticipated quarterfinals early the following week. It does not establish the quarterfinal pairings, results, or whether voting remains open. For the current bracket and any live poll, check PC Gamer’s tournament article; do not infer advancement from the original field alone.
This is a popularity vote, not a statistical measure of unit strength. No named performance statistics or controlled comparisons are provided, so the result reflects voters’ chosen criteria and favorites.
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