If there is one thing Wargroove and turn-based tactics fans know well, it's learning curves. As soon as you think you've found your feet in a game like this, a tough boss will, inevitably, sweep the ground from under you. Wargroove continues the series' tradition of demanding prompt, thought-out decisions from players, especially with its bosses. Sure, the game may look cutesy and retro on the outside, but, since it's a spiritual successor to Advance Wars, it gets seriously tough.
The bosses highlight how difficult it is to regain momentum in a title like this, so one wrong move can mean the end for players. Below are the five most powerful bosses in Wargroove, and five that are so easy they'll make you feel like a seasoned tactician.
10 (Weakest) Ragna, Act 1 Mission 2
It may seem harsh to put what is effectively a soft tutorial as the weakest boss in Wargroove, but Ragna is a serious pushover in this mission. The majority of the missions against her are easy, but this one is by far the easiest. All players have to do is move their units to Ragna's barracks as fast as possible; there aren't necessarily any tactics involved, rushing the Pikemen unit does the job fine. If only all missions and bosses in Wargroove were this easy, eh? Sadly, things get tough fast.
9 (Toughest) Sigrid, Act 3 Mission 3
This mission is one of those that take the gradual progress of the game's learning curve and dials it up far too much. The mission itself mixes together escort and escape elements with Sigrid's ever-frustrating units. For players who are new to the turn-based tactics games, it feels like there are too many plates to spin at once.
Players must keep Merica alive, all while using Nuru's units to flank units and capture buildings. This is where players learn to mix aggression and defense - once you learn that you need to focus down the trebuchets and make use of ranged units, it should fall into place.
8 (Weakest) Mercival, Prologue
Okay, it sounds like a copout, but the Prologue does feature one of the easiest missions in the entirety of Wargroove. In fact, the mission can be S-ranked in just 7 moves and it's more of a tutorial than anything else.
Whenever players decide to replay the game on Hard to S-rank every mission, they will breeze through this without a problem. However, the game's ease in this opening mission is soon eclipsed by the brutal difficulty curve. So, for new players, enjoy this mission, because it's going to get a lot more difficult from here on out.
7 (Toughest) Valder, Act 6 Mission 3
The Fell Lord, Valder, is introduced early on in Wargroove and players just know he's going to be tough later on. The issue with Valder is his groove - it allows him to summon a ridiculous amount of Dreadsword units. If players aren't aggressive, then they can quickly be overwhelmed.
Since the game only gives you limited units for this Mission, being outnumbered is a one-way road to failure. Once players come face to face with Valder, it becomes a game of sacrificing their least powerful units to mitigate Valder's groove. The difficulty with this boss and mission is their reliance on quick decisions. If you sacrifice the wrong unit at the wrong time or lose a powerful unit early on, a success or an S-rank can quickly evaporate.
6 (Weakest) Ragna, Act 6 Mission 1
This mission is focused entirely on naval units, but the AI doesn't know that. Once players realize that, it's one of the easiest fights in the game. Over time, Ragna will start spending resources on land units, when the battle is entirely won on the sea. In essence, the AI wastes their resources without the player needing to do anything.
By focusing resources on naval units, players can quickly overwhelm Ragna. Throw in a witch unit for good measure, and this boss is a pushover.
5 (Toughest) Ragna, Act 3 Mission 1
Act 3 starts out difficult and stays difficult. The boss is made easier by investing in pikemen and ranged units, but micro-managing Mercia and Caesar can be difficult for players. This is probably the first point in the game where players are really tested and begins Act 3's infamous status for being the steepest part of the learning curve. Instead of stretching themselves too thin, players should focus on the north side of the map.
It's easy to spin too many plates on this boss - it demands that the player knows what units to prioritize. It captures that Advance Wars itch perfectly (which is well overdue for a new entry).
4 (Weakest) Sigrid, Act 7 Mission 1
As the conclusion to the major narrative thread of Wargroove, Act 7 Mission 1 with Sigrid should be suitably tough as nails. However, a running theme through Wargroove is that some of its biggest moments story-wise are just too easy. Sure, the game doesn't have the longest story in the world, but the motivation is there for this to be a tough fight.
Sigrid is aggressive in this boss battle, but this makes it too easy to rush towards the middle of the map and whittle her down. It's a boss battle that is posed as being a grand affair, but the easiest way to beat it is by focusing down the boss as fast as possible. For a character of Sigrid's standing, the battle comes across as too easy.
3 (Toughest) Mercival's Ghost, Act 3 Mission 2
Act 3, on the whole, is full of tough missions. Mission 2 is the hardest of the lot, with the mission's commander, Mercival (or his ghost rather) being surrounded by a matrix of incredibly frustrating units.
The mission tasks players with speaking to Mercival's ghost at key parts of the map, but each time a conversation happens, the ghost moves. After each conversation, more enemy units spawn. The mission makes losing units early a major problem, so players need to carefully manage their losses early on. In the end, it's a rush to the final ghost. Even if you're good at Wargroove, or if you've played the toughest RTS games ever, you'll finish this one feeling like you only just about made it.
2 (Weakest) Dark Mercia, Epilogue
It may seem strange to put the final boss of as one of the weakest, but compared to the penultimate fight, the epilogue of the game feels flat. Dark Mercia should be the cream of the Wargroove crop, but she just feels like a pushover.
Her healing groove is weak. Not only does she not do enough healing, but her damage is also weak. This is all enveloped in a boss battle that is too drawn out and anti-climatic. Not only is the boss a drag, but the fight takes a good while, too. If you're looking for an S-rank with minimum moves, you're still looking at roughly an hour-long boss fight. After the pandemonium that is the boss fight before, Dark Mercia's ease feels disappointing. It's a long boss battle of attrition when it should be putting players under pressure, and feels like something you'd play in some of the worst turn-based strategy games.
1 (Toughest) Elodie, Act 7 Mission 2
Now, this is a boss battle. Elodie is legendary in the Wargroove community for being incredibly difficult. Mainly, the boss is difficult due to her groove's ability to mind control friendly commanders. Fighting her alone would be difficult enough, but she also has numerous units such as trebuchets that make it consistently difficult.
It's one of those fights where the player feels constantly overwhelmed, akin to some of the toughest fights in Dark Souls. To S-rank this fight, you need to play perfectly, but to even make it out of the other end alive is an achievement.