Ashes of the Singularity II · Faction intelligence
The UEF, the Post-Human Coalition and the Substrate do not share a symmetrical roster. Compare their doctrines, signature mechanics and confirmed units before you pick a main.
The comparison
Ashes II is asymmetrical by design. The UEF wins by making numbers and combined arms work. The PHC wins by preserving expensive, powerful units. The Substrate wins by keeping the enemy under pressure while its shields recover.
That means the factions demand different habits. A UEF player who refuses to reinforce will run out of units. A PHC player who trades one expensive platform for a handful of cheap ones is losing. A Substrate player who attacks without an exit route is donating the army.
The campaign follows the UEF, but all three factions are playable in skirmish and multiplayer. Start with the doctrine that matches your instincts, not the one with the biggest single unit.
Side by side
There is no responsible launch tier list before the launch build exists. What we can compare is the design intent and confirmed roster.
| Faction | Core idea | Signature | Basic line | Heavy asset | Choose if… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEF | Mass and combined arms | Human infantry + conventional armour | Infantry / Leopard 4 | Goliath / God Slayer | You want the campaign faction and a readable military roster. |
| PHC | Quality and armour | Repair, armour and expensive constructs | Brute light tank | Hyperion aerial dreadnought | You prefer fewer, tougher units and high-stakes engagements. |
| Substrate | Pressure and regeneration | Regenerating shields + drone swarms | Hatchling swarm | Eye of Darkness | You want to dictate tempo and punish the enemy’s recovery time. |
The “choose if” column is editorial advice. Unit identities and mechanics come from official faction material.
The United Earth Forces are the new human faction in Ashes of the Singularity II and the faction players command in the single-player campaign. Where the Post-Human Coalition fields a small number of elite constructs and the Substrate relies on regenerating shields and drone swarms, the UEF answer is a conventional, combined-arms military backed by mass.
Read the dossierThe Post-Human Coalition is the faction of uploaded humans who left biological bodies behind and built a military out of constructs. Its battlefield identity is expensive, armoured and hard-hitting: fewer units, stronger individual platforms and a repair-and-attrition game rather than a swarm.
Read the dossierThe Substrate are the children of Haalee: fragments of a machine intelligence given independent existence. Their gameplay is built around two ideas Stardock has demonstrated repeatedly — shields that regenerate on their own, and drone swarms that reward aggressive, continuous pressure.
Read the dossierNew to the series?
The campaign teaches the systems from the human point of view. Their conventional roster is the easiest bridge from other RTS games.
Beginner’s guideWant fewer, bigger units?
Expensive armour and repair mean every loss matters. The Hyperion and Nemesis are clear examples of the faction’s high-value design.
PHC dossierWant to set the tempo?
Regenerating shields and drone swarms reward a constant attack, retreat and recover cycle. Do not outrun your escape route.
Substrate dossierEvidence log
Faction doctrines and named units are drawn from official reveals, developer videos and the developer interview below. The roster is not exhaustive: Stardock has said not every unit will be revealed before launch.
Last verified November 1, 2026
