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This week is a week of debate for fans of real-time strategy (RTS) games. A fun contest by PC Gamer to determine the greatest RTS unit in history has reached the semifinals. In an article published on October 16, 2026, author Fraser Brown reports that several favorite warriors have been eliminated, leaving only four contenders remaining.
(Image credit: Getty Images – Westend61, davit85)
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The journey so far
The competition began two weeks ago with 16 units. Last week, eight units faced off in the quarterfinals, and four were eliminated. The competition was fierce. In the two battles, the winning unit received only about 10 percent more votes than the losing one. The author’s two favorites, Dolphin and Peon, both lost in this round, a loss he deeply regrets.
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How accurate was the author’s prediction?
(Image credit: BracketHQ)
Before the quarterfinals, Fraser had picked four names he was looking for in the semifinals: Peon, Pride of Hiigara, Super Star Destroyer, and Priest. He predicted three of them were correct. Only the Peon prediction proved wrong, surprising him. The green-clad worker had soundly defeated Glass Dragon in the first round and was receiving a lot of love in the comments section. Yet, he was eliminated by a tank. The author jokingly said that calling Mammoth Tank “just a tank” might be an exaggeration, but Peon was treated unfairly.
The rest of the results were also interesting. The Mirage Tank, another favorite of the author’s, with its stealth capabilities, failed to stand against Darth Vader’s Executor Super Star Destroyer. Homeworld’s famous Pride of Hiigara defeated the Cavalry. And the Dolphin was defeated by the Priest. The author described it as a battle of nature versus organized religion, in which religion won.
Both semi-final matches
First Match: Mammoth Tank vs. Pride of Hiigara
The Mammoth Tank is the symbol of Soviet power in Command & Conquer: Red Alert. It’s extremely expensive and slow, but according to News Writer Joshua Wolens, a single Mammoth Tank could potentially win the entire Soviet campaign.
Opposite it is Homeworld 2’s Pride of Hiigara, which is essentially the mothership. It’s both a unit and your base, a massive mobile factory capable of housing an entire fleet. Its direct attack power is limited, but it consistently produces and produces large capital ships. Fraser Brown is so fond of its design that he ranks it alongside iconic designs like the Enterprise D and Star Destroyer. In Homeworld 2, it’s fully mobile, further enhancing its usefulness.
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Match 2: Executor Super Star Destroyer vs. Priest
The Executor Super Star Destroyer in Star Wars: Empire at War is Darth Vader’s personal ship. Senior Editor Wes Fenlon argues that while it may not be a great RTS unit, it’s unmatched in bringing the Star Wars fantasy to life. Almost the size of Manhattan, this ship makes even regular Star Destroyers look small, and it boasts enough turbolaser cannons to single-handedly threaten the entire Rebel fleet.
On the other hand, there’s the Priest from Age of Empires. Weekend Editor Jody Macgregor’s take on this is simply saying the famous “Wololo” and the battle is over. Those who have played the game will understand the meaning of this gesture: the Priest turns the enemy unit to his side.
How and when to vote?
Voting will be open until Tuesday night (BST, British Standard Time). The author says there are no strict rules. You don’t necessarily need to vote based on who would win a fight. You can vote for Priest’s style, or choose Star Destroyer because of your love of Star Wars. To vote, you’ll need to visit the PC Gamer website.
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The beauty of this entire competition is that it’s based more on memories and emotions than logic. For some, Mammoth Tank is a throwback to childhood Soviet campaigns, while for others, it’s the grand space adventures of Homeworld. That’s why units from so many different games face off on the same stage.
It’s also interesting to note that ships seem to be dominating this time around. Two of the four semifinalists are giant space ships. Who do you think will reach the finals?
Now the ball is in your court. Vote for your favorite unit and let us know your pick in the comments below.
