Songs of Conquest: Rana Faction Guide

by Lordtoto01 / Songs of Conquest, Articles / 01 Jun 2022

Rana, swamp dwellers, scattered by their enemies, and at times enslaved. But a mysterious Wielder has risen, uniting the folks of the Marsh to rediscover their true strength. Vicious Ravagers, Wise Chelun, and even the Secretive Eth’dra, all will come to the Wielder’s call and the world will tremble to hear them roar.

Rana Faction Overview

Rana can be considered the primary spellcaster faction in the game.

They have more abilities and skills that buff or negate magical effects than any other faction, making them a natural master of battlefields.

Rana units are quite fragile at the beginning, but they develop a whole new playstyle and a ton of defense when you upgrade them. They rely on several overlapping synergies, which are difficult to execute unless you understand faction mechanics very well.

Wielder Selection

Wielder	Starting Skills & Specialization	Verdict
Cheekam	Combat Training, +1 Damage to Hunters and Storm Guards	If you want to build your entire army around Hunters and Storm Guards, Cheekam is the Wielder to use. The Hunter/Storm Guard unit is viable throughout the entire game (early-late), making Cheekam a very powerful beginner-friendly Wielder when combined with Combat Training.
Itchamo	Destruction, +1 Destruction	Itchamo is the first primary Rana spellcaster who specializes in Destruction based spells. However, he starts out with Shamans and Guards that do not generate any Destruction essence. Itchamo is not the best early-game Wielder.
M’Sunga	Creation, +40% Spell Power	M’Sugna is the best spell caster because of his specialization. Creation offers lots of damaging spells, which, when combined with the Channeling skill and his specialization, can deal insane amounts of damage. He even starts out with three Tremors that generate both Destruction and Creation essences, making him a DPS god on the battlefield.
P’Cha	Magic Resistance, +40% Spell Damage Resistance	P’Cha is a defensive Wielder who can completely negate any kind of spell damage. The level 3 Magic Resistance skill grants +75% Spell damage Resistance which combined with his specialization grants a total of 115% resistance.
R’Lac	Combat Training, +20 Melee & Ranged Offense to Rana Troops	R’Lac is an offense-based Wielder who starts out with a decent army. He can quickly gain control over precious resources thanks to his DPS and get a head start on the rest of the competition. R’Lac is yet another beginner-friendly Wielder.
Rasc	Melee, +1 Troop Movement to Ravagers, Riders of the Swamp	Rasc is the perfect choice for a second Wielder. He has the highest movement speed in the game but not the best starting army. Recruit him once you have a decent stack of troops ready to be hired. He is able to zoom through the map and capture strategic locations faster than anyone else.
Rik-Tap	Guard, +15% Ranged Resistance	Rik-Tap is yet another defense-based Wielder. Not the best for the early game, but you can recruit later him if the enemy has a ranged-heavy army.
Sla-Kin	Learning, +1 Range	Sla-Kin is possibly the worst Wielder in Rana. He only starts out with two Eth’dras that are not enough for the early game. Even during the late game, you’re better off hiring Eth’dras from the Smoldering Cave. It’s better to recruit and level other wielders who offer different perks to combat specific enemy troops. Sla-Kin doesn’t bring anything worthwhile to the table.
T’Chyra	Arcana, +1 Arcana	T’Chyra is an offense-focused Wielder perfect for the mid-late game due to his lack of starting melee units. His Arcana boost allows him to wield some very powerful offensive and utility spells.

We also have a Wielders guide, covering all troop modifiers that wielders grant to their armies.

Songs of Conquest: The Ultimate Wielder Guide

Recommended Skills and Powers for Rana

An Eye for an Amber – Pick this skill the moment it appears as most of the high-end troops and buildings require Amber to level up.

Archery – Shamans and Sages have poisonous making them a very powerful damage dealer during the early game. Storm Guards are quite powerful so you do not need additional melee buffs anyway. It’s better to focus on ranged DPS.

Command – Get the first one asap a two stacks of Hunters and Shamans are a very powerful early game comp. After that, take Commands once every three level-ups.

Creation, Arcana & Destruction – Spell skills come in handy if you’re playing as one of the powerful spellcasters.

Melee Offense, Combat Training & Cunning – Pick this if you are losing too many Storm Guards during battles.

Attuned – A must-have power for any spell casters, including M’Sunga, T’Chyra, and Itchamo.

Brutal/Rigor – Perfect combination for melee offense-based Wielders such as Cheekam and Rasc.

Spell Selection

Rana can focus on three different spell schools – Destruction, Creation, and Arcana.

Single essence spell – Ice Bolt, Fireball, Mist, Acid Cloud, and Arcane Storm.

Multi essence spell – Breath of the Phoenix, Ethereal Scales, Rejuvenation, and Rupture.

Based on your army and wielder you can focus on one or two schools or go wide into all three for better offensive/defensive options. You’ll have to figure out your own playstyle as you progress through the game.

Unit Breakdown

Units	Specialty	Verdict
Hunters/Storm Guards	Guards ignore the zone of control and can also gain +30 defense for a turn.	Storm Guards are a powerful troop that is viable throughout the entire game.
Shamans/Sages	Shamans are Venomous and once upgraded, can buff the offense and initiative of an ally within 1 hexagon.	Shamans are a powerful troop thanks to their Venomous ability. They are a must-have ranged damage dealer in any army.
Guards/Protectors	Guards buff the defense of nearby allies within 1 hexagon.	Guards are the slowest Rana unit, but they can protect your Ranged troops if the enemy manages to get up close.
Ravagers/Riders of the Swamp	Ravagers have a charger and once upgraded can also postpone their turn.	Ravagers can travel long distances and deal a ton of damage thanks to the Charger ability. They also have both Rana & Beast statuses which grants them buffs from both research trees.
Crawlers/Adult Crawlers	Crawlers debuff the enemies’ defense and initiative within 1 hexagon and once upgraded can hold their turn.	Crawlers have high health and defense, but their inability to move prevents them from collaborating with the frontline. They’re best used in the rearguard to protect your ranged troops rather than advancing forward.
Tremors	Tremors debuff the defense and initiative of ALL enemies.	Tremors are the only troops capable of debuffing the enemy team as a whole. Every army should have one.
Chelun/Chelun Elders	Cheluns have ranged resistance and once upgraded, they gain the ability to generate essences.	Cheluns are a troop that can be used in a variety of situations. Due to their slow movement, they are unable to travel far. So you can either keep them back and use the Charge Essence ability, or teleport them to the front lines where they can tank and deal damage at the same time with the Dimensional Door spell.
Eth’Dra/Dragons/Elder Dragon	Eth’Dras have Ambush, and they unlock several abilities once upgraded to a dragon. They can postpone their turn, and buff the offense and initiative of an allied unit. Dragons also have a +1 Melee Range, deal damage to enemies behind the target, and debuffs enemy defense and initiative.	Eth’Dras may be a solid end game ranged unit, but the Dragon is even more powerful. They have the most abilities of any unit in the game, making them quite a force to be reckoned with, but they are quite costly to produce.

Research Priority

Rana is a faction that relies on huge stacks of units. So it’s better to unlock the Birthing Pools before Dragon Pyramid.

Hunting Parties, Chelun Congress, and Shamanistic Gatherings are recommended, but you can choose different research upgrades depending on your army.

City Building Tips for Rana Faction

In our Arleon Faction Guide, you can learn the fundamentals of city-building:

Songs of Conquest: Arleon Faction Guide

Here’s a more general approach to constructing buildings as the Rana faction:

Lean-To and Shaman Tent – Get these buildings up ASAP because they will be producing your early game army.

Beast Hut / Chelun Sanctuary – Pick one based on your playstyle and Wielder. If you’re a spellcaster, then pick Sanctuary; otherwise, go for the Beast Hut.

Dragon Pyramid – You’ll need a larger troop size in the mid-late game. Eth-dra is an excellent unit, but it isn’t required to win the game.

Rana is a high-skill cap faction and is not meant for beginners. You can play the faction in different ways. Whether it’s a spell, melee, or ranged heavy strategy, Rana supports it all. Most units have ambush, so instead of going all-in, plan ahead. In addition, the units have a variety of synergistic abilities that must be understood to win games. The possibilities are endless, but in order to carry them out properly, you must first gain a better understanding of the faction.

If you’re having trouble understanding the faction, we also have a beginner’s guide. And If you liked this guide and want to learn more about the game, be sure to check out the rest of our Songs of Conquest guides as well.

Songs of Conquest: Beginner’s Guide: Essential Tips & Tricks

Lordtoto01

I’ve loved games ever since I was a child. I like playing them and sharing my feelings with other like-minded individuals. I started off writing as a hobby, and a few years later, my love for games is still as lively as ever and I intend to spread it throughout the gaming community.
View all posts