The last age at which champions were really useful is Tomorrow. The "auto-battle" button and the ability to increase the high attack is what killed special units. Including in AF. It also killed the opportunity to use the brain in battle, and not just the muscular strength of the index fingerActually champions are decently strong in some more advanced ages. Progressive era is a little bit of a doubtful scenario for me. Though industrial age some players making use from it. In AF specifically the strongest champion exist. Combing a decent movement, fairly strong stats and even stronger on the common plain tiles, it is a strong unit. Resilient and hitting hard. It can be used strategically by using only 1 to activate its ability to become stronger or in a group of 8. Strengthen the others when any is lost. While not as resilient as the battle fortress, it remains a strong unit in AF. While camping in OF the champions find sometimes use. In VF I think they're also at times a decent choice. Space ages however generally don't offer good champions as the heavies are nerfed into oblivion since Space age: copy paste1, also known as SAAB. In those ages the champions are pretty useless for combat indeed.
I'm aware of the space ages: copy paste saga. Though SA:M is just the only grey area imho, even though force field and keen eye are stronger. AF is still generally a fairly strong pick imho. Champions in general however age like milk when it comes down to high attrition battles. In that regards the battle fortress is aging like fine wine as reactive armour is unaffected by attrition. Either way champions ain't really completely useless, except for the space age: copy paste saga unless they're granting them sometime keen eye.The last age at which champions were really useful is Tomorrow. The "auto-battle" button and the ability to increase the high attack is what killed special units. Including in AF. It also killed the opportunity to use the brain in battle, and not just the muscular strength of the index finger
OF/VF Champs also had stats so bad they weren't worth considering - they were at that point just heavies without the special ability. With not even any extra stats to make up for it. And AF Champs were never preferred to any extent over the battle fortress as far as I can remember. FE champs had a role before the Hover Tank buff-nerf and stat proliferation as they outfought hovers against many things in GvG. Same for TE Champs - they used to be the most general purpose GvG unit before attacking stealth tanks got so many stats that abilities trumped stats.I'm aware of the space ages: copy paste saga. Though SA:M is just the only grey area imho, even though force field and keen eye are stronger. AF is still generally a fairly strong pick imho. Champions in general however age like milk when it comes down to high attrition battles. In that regards the battle fortress is aging like fine wine as reactive armour is unaffected by attrition. Either way champions ain't really completely useless, except for the space age: copy paste saga unless they're granting them sometime keen eye.
With the players I've been in AF, years ago before OF, they were pretty happy with the AF champs and disappointed in the OF champs. Also the FoE YouTube channel FoElite if I'm not mistaken was actually really positive about them. It's worth looking for on YouTube, FoElite - Forge of empires: best military units tier list (AF-SAJM). So, I'm unsure how you've missed the potential of AF champs but there's potential in them.And AF Champs were never preferred to any extent over the battle fortress as far as I can remember.
I'm currently camping in OF for about 2yrs and have to disagreed. Their stats are not the greatest in the world, sure. Their call of duty special ability however can make them worthwhile when I don't want to use more valuable units. VF champs might have a greater purpose to though as I'm hesitant to age up due to the worse units pool in VF and the annoying keen eye ability beyond, I'm not really sure what to think of the VF champs. Either way they can serve a purpose.OF/VF Champs also had stats so bad they weren't worth considering - they were at that point just heavies without the special ability
I agreed as I've said before, since they've nerfed heavies since copy page1 into oblivion, poor range, poor movement, etc. making them barely useful. If however by chance they make a good heavy stats wise in copy paste4, the champs might have something worth going for. As you said with sufficient defence to tank keen eye.SAV/SAJM they've started trying to give some potential motivation to choose the champ over the ability-laden heavy again - offering ~25% more defense on the champ than the base heavy - which if you're a defense stacker can scale better against Keen Eye procs than Force Field. The main problem: you don't use either heavy because of their terrible range, so being competitive against the base heavy isn't enough to make it lucrative.
Call of Duty is certainly *not* what is making them worthwhile! In OF Call of Duty = 13. As it's a flat bonus it is not scaled by your boost. meaning that after the first dead champ, your units get ~10% extra attack bonus (additive with all your city bonus). That's not even 1 building's worth!I'm currently camping in OF for about 2yrs and have to disagreed. Their stats are not the greatest in the world, sure. Their call of duty special ability however can make them worthwhile when I don't want to use more valuable units. VF champs might have a greater purpose to though as I'm hesitant to age up due to the worse units pool in VF and the annoying keen eye ability beyond, I'm not really sure what to think of the VF champs. Either way they can serve a purpose.