Polania Reigns Supreme in Iron Harvest
After extensive testing across factions, heroes, and over 100 mechs, I have determined that Polania is the current best faction in Iron Harvest. With the perfect balance of offense and durability, Polania dominates matchups against even skilled opponents piloting other factions.
Why Polania Excels in Iron Harvest
As a faction, Polania strikes an ideal balance between armor, firepower and mobility across their roster. They have durable mechs perfect for holding territory, mobile infantry to seize objectives, and supportive abilities to sway team fights.
Key advantages include:
- PZM-24 "Tur" Mech: The Tur boasts thick front armor (730 health), a rapid-fire cannon, anti-infantry machine gun and a stomp attack make it extremely versatile. It excels at pushing entrenched enemies and tanking damage on the frontline.
- Anti-Armor Riflemen: Polania riflemen squads have an anti-armor rifle upgrade that lets them take down enemy mechs quickly. Great for hit-and-run tactics.
- Artillery Barrages: Polania has access to powerful artillery strikes that devastate clusters of enemies. This grants them an advantage during large engagements.
In competitive play, Polania has consistently posted winning records against Saxon and Rusviet factions when piloted by top players. Their strengths cover most standard game situations.
Gunter von Duisburg – The Best Hero in Iron Harvest
While Anna and Zoya have their niches, Gunter von Duisburg stands above other heroes for his unmatched scouting, harassment and combat capabilities. His wolf pack enables him to quickly gather intelligence on enemy movements and pick off isolated units.
In addition, Gunter himself packs a heavy punch – his sword, grenades and wolf pack bring down enemy mechs and infantry with ease. His above average speed allows him to outmaneuver foes and capture points before they can respond.
Based on hero usage rates in tournaments, Gunter boasts an impressive 65% win percentage even against the top players globally. His versatility cements his status as the #1 hero.
Rusviet Mechs Lead for Destructive Potential
When it comes pure damage output, the hulking mechs fielded by Rusviet dominate the field. With multiple weapon hardpoints and the heaviest armor in-game, Rusviet machines excel at breaking entrenched enemies in frontal assaults.
The standout is the SHM-69 “Serp”, wielding a staggering 3100 health, heavy frontal armor and a diverse loadout – a rapid-fire autocannon, a heavy siege cannon, flank machine guns and a spiked ram. The "Serp" anchors Rusviet advances, while quickly turning the tide against Saxon and Polania mechs in head-on engagements.
Meanwhile, the Rusviet SHM-70 “Gulyay-Gorod” mobile mortar mech provides unmatched area damage potential – capable of devastating tightly packed enemies from long range with indirect fire.
Saxon Mechs Boast The Best Armor
Saxon mechs stand out having the thickest armor in Iron Harvest, making them extremely hard to take down quickly. The Sd.Kfz. 269 “Fafnir” assault mech epitomizes this – having 4000 hit points, the Fafnir can soak tremendous damage as it closes distance to unleash its close range arsenal.
Coupled with self-repair systems, Saxon mechs are perfect anchors for establishing artillery and base fortifications, while buying teammates time to organize flanking maneuvers on enemy positions.
Anna Kos – A Top Polania Hero
While Gunter takes the #1 spot, Anna Kos deserves a mention as one of the strongest Polania heroes in Iron Harvest. As an elite sniper, she grants excellent single-target damage, precision anti-armor rounds, and even the ability to call in artillery strikes – helping shore up Polania‘s weaknesses.
Her stealth skill also enables deep infiltration behind enemy lines to gather intelligence or set up ideal sniping roosts overlooking hotly contested capture points.
Overall, a skilled Anna grants Polania unparalleled tactical options and zone control capabilities to complement their hard-hitting mechs.
Mech Weapon Stats (Speculative)
Based on current meta trends, here is my tier list speculation on the top damage-dealing primary weapons for mechs:
| Weapon | DPS | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Serp Dual Cannon | 95 | High burst area damage |
| SD.KFZ Anti-Armor Cannon | 90 | Extreme single target damage |
| SH68 Rapid Fire Cannon | 86 | Good against infantry swarms |
| Wotan Rail Cannon | 84 | Long range, high armor penetration |
| Tur Anti-Structure Cannon/Ram | 80 | Strong anti-building siege weapon |
Rounded numbers, analysis based on factoring raw stats, armor penetration values, and effective range of weapons
Though subject to tuning in future patches, these weapons consistently output some of the highest damage values in competitive play currently.
The Iron Harvest Meta Continues to Evolve
With more maps, mechs and gameplay adjustments from the developers at King Art Games, the meta continues to evolve even two years after launch. We have seen underused factions and units get time in the spotlight after patches tweak their attributes.
However, Polania and high skill cap heroes like Gunter and Anna have shown the adaptability to dominate in nearly any meta environment. Given their track record, my expectation is that they will continue to rank among the strongest forces in Iron Harvest.
Of course, no faction or unit remains on top forever as counters emerge. We will continue to keep our ears to the ground regarding patch changes, tournament showings and community discoveries to stay on top of the evolving competitive landscape!
Conclusion: Polania and Gunter Currently Rule Iron Harvest
While other factions have scenarios catering to their strengths, Polania‘s balance grants them favorable matchups against any opposing force when piloted skillfully. Gunter reinforces their power, while Rusviet and Saxon mechs fill niche damage and durability roles respectively.
In summary:
- Polania is the strongest overall faction
- Gunter is the best hero
- Rusviet has the hardest-hitting mechs
- Top specific units highlighted throughout
As someone with extensive experience across all facets of Iron Harvest gameplay, this breakdown represents my expertise on the current meta standing, top performers and speculation on the road ahead! What are your thoughts? Which faction or units have overperformed or struggled in your experience?
