Cinderfall factions
Factions that play by different rules
Changing faction in Cinderfall means changing your entire strategic logic. Units, buildings and visual identity differ, but the asymmetry goes much deeper: each people has its own resource, defining systems and pace of play.
Humans and Orcs are currently playable. The Ashfiends already appear in battle under CPU control. Nature units can be used by several factions, while the Ancients are planned for a future stage of development.
Quick comparison
| Force | Status | Identity | Core system | Specific resource |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humans | Playable | Coordination, defense and support | Officer and Directives | Faith |
| Orcs | Playable | Aggression and constant pressure | Rage Meter and Totems | Rage and War Trophies |
| Ashfiends | CPU-controlled | Souls, transformation and magic | Soul harvesting | Ash |
| Nature | Shared | Hybrid reinforcements | Units available to several peoples | — |
| Ancients | Planned | Primal and natural forces | Not announced | Not announced |
Humans
An organized army that wins through coordination
Humans field a balanced force able to hold positions, maneuver quickly and strike from range. Their roster includes cavalry, defensive troops, artillery and elemental magic.
Their strength comes less from constant pressure than from organizing troops effectively. Positioning, protecting key units and choosing the right moment for an ability can turn a battle.
The Officer system
The player can appoint one unit as an Officer. This unit projects an aura that strengthens nearby allies according to the selected Directive.
The Officer becomes a mobile anchor for the army. Good positioning improves an entire group, while isolation or elimination removes a major part of its coordination. The player must constantly balance maximum influence against safety.
Faith and Human abilities
The Officer also helps generate Faith, the Human-specific resource. Faith powers faction abilities such as temporary enhancements, war cries and coordinated attacks including arrow volleys.
Before the match, the player selects Directives and abilities to orient the army toward support, defense or a more offensive approach.
Humans may suit you if…
- you enjoy organizing complementary groups;
- you value positioning and holding ground;
- you want to combine defense, mobility, artillery and magic;
- you like preparing decisive actions with a dedicated resource.
Orcs
A faction that grows more dangerous through combat
Orcs rely on raw power, durable units and relentless pressure. Ogres, brutal infantry, inaccurate but destructive artillery and powerful spellcasters give them the tools to impose an offensive rhythm.
An Orc army that keeps fighting becomes stronger. One that remains passive allows its main advantage to fade.
The Rage Meter
Every elimination generates Rage. As the meter grows, it increases the army’s overall strength, accelerates production and improves Totems. Rage gradually decreases during inactivity.
The player can preserve Rage for its ongoing bonuses or spend it on powerful temporary effects such as area attacks, life steal or faster movement.
War Trophies and Totems
Defeated enemies also provide War Trophies. This resource is used to place Totems on the battlefield.
Each Totem creates a permanent bonus area that can secure a position, support an offensive or control an important passage. Two Totems may be active at the same time. Selecting them before the match and positioning them during battle are central parts of Orc strategy.
Orcs may suit you if…
- you like taking the initiative and maintaining pressure;
- you prefer durable armies with heavy impact;
- you want every elimination to build momentum;
- you enjoy creating areas of control with Totems.
Ashfiends
A threat from another world
The Ashfiends are tied to the origins of the Great Cataclysm. Their blue magic animates and manipulates the ash covering the world.
In the current version, the faction is controlled by the CPU. It already has dedicated units, buildings and mechanics, but its roster and balance need further development before player access can be considered.
Strengths and limitations
Ashfiends rely mainly on heavy creatures, powerful spellcasters and air units. Their infantry is less effective and their naval options more limited.
This distribution makes them overwhelming in selected situations while leaving weaknesses that Humans and Orcs can exploit.
Wandering souls and Ash
Deaths near a Ashfiend presence can release wandering souls. Once collected, these souls attach to a unit or building, apply different effects and generate Ash.
Ash powers faction abilities such as:
- summoning creatures;
- draining mana;
- recalling fallen units;
- creating temporary passages;
- enhancing or transforming existing forces.
Nature units
Nature is not an exclusive faction. Its units can be added to the armies of several peoples, filling a missing role or enabling hybrid compositions.
This shared category expands the army configurator: each faction keeps a strong identity while gaining access to carefully selected neutral options.
The Ancients
The Ancients are the founding people of Nareth-Kor, deeply connected to nature and the world’s primal balance. Their return is planned for a future evolution of Cinderfall.
Their units, resource and playable mechanics have not yet been announced, but they hold an important place in the mystery surrounding the Cataclysm.
Which faction should you choose?
Choose Humans if you want a versatile army built around support and positioning. Choose Orcs if you want to dictate the pace, turn combat into growing power and control the field with Totems.
In both cases, the faction is only the starting point. Your selection of units, buildings, runes and abilities lets you create your own version of that army.