# Rarest (standard) Troop Trait? **URL:** \ **Category:** Gameplay Chat (PC/Mobile)\ **Created:** [June 17, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450 "2024-06-17T22:14:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stratelier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Stratelier](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Stratelier)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/1 "2024-06-17T22:14:17Z")
Just a bit of a fun (and possibly quick) thought experiment, what are the rarest, most elusive traits that can appear on a “standard” troop? (“Standard” means excluding the signature 3rd traits on Legendary and Mythic Troops, also Guild Guardians, Dooms, and GW prize Troops whose 3rd traits are all but identical _within their own group_) Gold - These traits only appear on a single Troop currently: - Mage Hunter: Cernunnos - since [August 2020](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/winter-of-our-dreams/65511) - Death Sign: Fallen Satyr - since [May 2023](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/falling-for-you/79845) - Flurry: The Bestial Fey - since [November 2023](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/time-after-time/82194) Silver - These traits only appear on 2 Troops so far: - Big Teeth Anglerfin - [August 2022](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/try-a-different-angle/76641) Gorbil - [May 2018](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/weekly-event-hamster-dance/39834) - Gem Fragment (2 variations) Frozen Shieldbreaker (Ice Fragment) - [August 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/frozen-stiff/71586) Living Quartz (Stone Fragment) - [August 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/the-shining/71497) _(there could potentially be up to 6 color variations of this trait, but only two actually exist so far)_ - Temporal Daughter of Time - [November 2023](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/time-flies/82147) Tempurath - [November 2023](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/time-flies/82147) Bronze - These traits only appear on 3 Troops currently: - Brave Feyr, Strongman, The Midnight Queen - “Mount” traits (3 variations) Drake Rider (Loyal Mount) - [June 2017](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/the-odd-couple-pc-mobile/26355) Deep Hunstman (Spider Mount) - [October 2020](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/new-faction-eldrazhor/66287) Ogress (I’ve Got A Door!) - [February 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/bounty-weekend-ogress/68600) Banding Traits - 8 Troops if counted as the same group (excluding legendary Ulf Harrigan), otherwise: - Banding Attack - 1 Troop ever Quatramanus - [April 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/helping-hands/69618) - Banding Armor - 2 Troops total Forgemistress - [April 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/arts-crafts/69540) Ulf’s Mascot - [April 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/the-wolf-and-i/69705) - Banding Magic - 2 Troops total Baihu - [March 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/tiger-king/69119) Second Claw Anhur - [May 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/proud-as-punch/69813) - Banding Life - 3 Troops total Bahir - [March 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/the-prickly-pair/69251) Wereraven - ?? Willi the Anchor - [March 2021](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/anchors-aweigh/68910) But what are some other rare traits? ---
**Author:** ![Fourdottwoone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/fourdottwoone/32/66655_2.png) [@Fourdottwoone](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Fourdottwoone)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 9:19am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/2 "2024-06-20T09:19:37Z")
Check the Banding traits. Those were basically dead on arrival, quite thankfully the officials have entirely forgotten about them. ---
**Author:** ![Elfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/258eb7/32.png) [@Elfin](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Elfin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/3 "2024-06-23T19:33:54Z")
I don’t think I was playing yet when banding traits were released and I’ve never been able to find a good explanation. What is the deal with them? ---
**Author:** ![Graeme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@Graeme](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Graeme)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/4 "2024-06-23T19:55:29Z")
Thinking that the banding traits were implemented for a future abandoned game mode in which they might actually be useful by some kind of multiplier? Been more than 3 years since the brief period of adding these traits stopped. ---
**Author:** ![TheIdleOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@TheIdleOne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TheIdleOne)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/5 "2024-06-23T21:10:39Z")
Ive never bothered to look at those troops prior to your post. With exactly 9 banding troops, it almost feels like a campaign theme that they gave up on and decided to just release. The best part is that if the banding traits were changed for any other traits out of the blue, most people would be none the wiser. They “could” make banding traits work but if Ulf Harrigan’s 3rd trait is their idea of effective use of banding, it’ll never work. ---
**Author:** ![Kezef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Kezef](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Kezef)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/6 "2024-06-23T21:40:06Z")
According to the “lore”, most of those banding troops were the supporters/army of the deposed Emperor that the Hero was helping regain his throne during that campaign. I’ve always had the impression that there was meant to be something more to the banding troops, like maybe each of those traits was meant to activate at the start of each turn as opposed to just once in battle. Something akin to a _“we’re used to fighting together and drawing strength from one another”_ sort of thing. And even that would be of the same limited utility that the 3rd trait from things like Mambasira, Champion of Anu, Champion of Gaard, Bard (Hero), et cetera. Even the “upgraded” version wouldn’t be tremendously powerful outside of early-game players and would require really long matches to really mean something. ---
**Author:** ![Elfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/258eb7/32.png) [@Elfin](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Elfin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/7 "2024-06-23T22:19:41Z")
Next Journey - troops with Banding trait ---
**Author:** ![Darkborne](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/darkborne/32/95796_2.png) [@Darkborne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Darkborne)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/8 "2024-06-23T23:29:40Z")
Banding traits were introduced during the leonis empire campaign, which had us fight with Emperor Korvash to regain the throne. This was before they added heroic gems to campaigns (you guys remember the lycanthropy gem nightmare?), and they were probably experimenting with a new mechanic to make troops important to the campaign more powerful. Banding traits also show how much power creep this game has gotten over the years. They probably need to make Ulf Harrington’s final trait give 10 to all his skills for each ally with a banding trait, and even then it wouldn’t be overpowered. If u guys look at the incoming immortal troops and guardians…this game is becoming quite ridiculous and probably a “pay some more money to destroy everything” kind of game. I wouldn’t be surprised if Stellarix is left behind during the holidays when they release Super-Sayin-Omega-Blaster-Basher-5000.🤣 ---
**Author:** ![TheIdleOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@TheIdleOne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TheIdleOne)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 12:37am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/9 "2024-06-24T00:37:50Z")
> [@Darkborne](#): > > Banding traits also show how much power creep this game has gotten over the years. They probably need to make Ulf Harrington’s final trait give 10 to all his skills for each ally with a banding trait, and even then it wouldn’t be overpowered. To be fair, these current banding traits would never be good. they are very similar to Accursed/Color Brand/Troop Bond traits etc. and those weren’t impactful since maybe… literal day 1 of traits (just a reminder that the game didnt actually launch with traits). ---
**Author:** ![Darkborne](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/darkborne/32/95796_2.png) [@Darkborne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Darkborne)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 12:52am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/10 "2024-06-24T00:52:05Z")
It’s just that troops keep getting more and more powerful, so we look at bonding traits (like troop types that give 1 life for each ally) as weak. The devs would probably have to rework all of those traits to something more meaningful or replace them with already existing traits that would make more of an impact, but that is a dream that will die along with Gollum in the fires of Mount Doom.🌋 ---
**Author:** ![TheIdleOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@TheIdleOne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TheIdleOne)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 1:02am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/11 "2024-06-24T01:02:13Z")
As an outsider looking in, I feel like these Banding/Bond/Brand traits would need an extra 0 at the end to make them more viable than just throwaway traits in the current state of the game. (not including Mambasira/Champion of Anu type 3rd traits) Having a +10 would have a very meaningful use at the beginning of the game to seek out similar synergies and want to trait them while not being a complete dud at the current top end of the game. Granted, of all the things that could use adjustments in Gems of War, Banding changes would be near my bottom. ---
**Author:** ![Stratelier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Stratelier](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Stratelier)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 3:42am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/12 "2024-07-04T03:42:51Z")
> [@TheIdleOne](#): > > As an outsider looking in, I feel like these Banding/Bond/Brand traits would need an extra 0 at the end to make them more viable than just throwaway traits in the current state of the game. I would rather let them be _percentage_ increases, because then you don’t have to worry about the trait becoming weaker relative to high player stat bonuses. Like +5% per ally (with a minimum +1 x # allies), i.e. a full Banding team totals a +20% bonus to the relevant stat(s). Anyway, I recently acquired The Bestial Fey and immediately noticed its second trait is unique: - _Flurry: 25% chance to create a Freeze Gem at the start of my turn._ At first this seems like a simple variation to The Fallen Satyr’s “Death Sign” (which is also unique), except that Death Mark Gems are non-matching and must be Destroyed to activate. “Flurry” is really more a variation of “Embers”, the signature (but shared) trait of the Fire Rift faction. ---
**Author:** ![TheIdleOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@TheIdleOne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TheIdleOne)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 5:11am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/13 "2024-07-04T05:11:04Z")
> [@Stratelier](#): > > I would rather let them be _percentage_ increases, because then you don’t have to worry about the trait becoming weaker relative to high player stat bonuses. The problem with letting it be percentage is that they’re basically still negligible when they would/should be most beneficial (early game) and would be dire to deal with in the late game, particularly versus scaling content like Blood Frenzy and Journey. ---
**Author:** ![Stratelier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Stratelier](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Stratelier)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/14 "2024-09-18T21:21:29Z")
Well, our new Weekly Event troop (Houndsmater Gor) has an ostensibly unique trait with “Blight Master” - 25% chance to summon a Blight Hound when defeated. But the trait itself is functionally the same as: - Nature Pact (summons Dryad) - 2 Troops - Pack Master (summons Dire Wolf) - 2 Troops - Stone Pact (summons Stone Mefyt) - 3 Troops, Hellcrag exclusive - Dragon Boon (summons Dragonette) - 5 Troops - Terror Pact (summons Night Terror) - 6 Troops, Zhul’Kari exclusive - Daemonic Pact (summons Ancient Horror) - 21 Troops …and if we count all of these as a single group, they wouldn’t even remotely make the list. (Also of some note is Regent Khalif’s Legendary Trait giving a 25% chance to summon the Dao on death) This is distinct from the “Mount” traits (e.g. Drake Rider and Deep Hunstman), which is a 100% chance to summon a specific Troop when they are defeated. Again, _technically_ unique effects but following an identical pattern. ---
**Author:** ![G0blin0verL0rd7](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/g0blin0verl0rd7/32/72891_2.png) [@G0blin0verL0rd7](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/G0blin0verL0rd7)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/15 "2024-09-18T21:32:17Z")
This Campaign’s Mythic, Blackwood will also have the Nature Pact trait. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Tatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/sister_tatz/32/100718_2.png) [@Sister\_Tatz](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Sister_Tatz)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 5:12am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/16 "2024-09-19T05:12:04Z")
> [@Stratelier](#): > > This is distinct from the two “Mount” traits (Drake Rider and Deep Hunstman), which is a 100% chance to summon a specific Troop when they are defeated. Ogress’ last trait _I’ve Got A Door!_ is also unique and has a 100% chance to summon another troop. ---
**Author:** ![Kezef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Kezef](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Kezef)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 4:52pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/17 "2024-09-20T16:52:15Z")
> [@Stratelier](#): > > Well, our new Weekly Event troop (Houndsmater Gor) has an ostensibly unique trait with “Blight Master” - 25% chance to summon a Blight Hound when defeated. > > But the trait itself is functionally the same as: If you’re trying to tabulate a thorough list in these spaces, you can include Regent Khalif (Dao’s Puppet) in the list of 25% summon-on-death troops. ---
**Author:** ![Sinnycool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sinnycool](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Sinnycool)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 7:47pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/18 "2024-09-20T19:47:20Z")
Slightly off topic but i was using mammoth in arena today and wondered if any other troops hit hp and armor separately but at the same time like that? There are some that remove armor then hit but mammoth hits on armor and hp at same time. Just curious ---
**Author:** ![Stratelier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Stratelier](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Stratelier)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 10:06pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/rarest-standard-troop-trait/84450/19 "2024-09-20T22:06:21Z")
> [@Kezef](#): > > If you’re trying to tabulate a thorough list in these spaces, you can include Regent Khalif (Dao’s Puppet) in the list of 25% summon-on-death troops. Valid point, but Regent Khalif is a base Legendary Troop which I’ve been categorically excluding from consideration.