Owl

Description
The Matriark, or more commonly known as the "Owl" is a very unusual Tier-3 siege unit, capable of spawning other units, specifically the Wretches, or "mice". Every 5 seconds, the owl spits out zombie mice with 12 hp and 3 melee attack with swift to a maximum of 6 total out on the field at a given time as they die out automatically after 30 seconds. Additionally, upon her death 6 more mice spawn in a last ditch effort to avenge their Matriark.

Strategy
The owl's main purpose is to use to her wretches to lay siege upon the enemy base or use her mice as meat-shields in a fight. In either case, without her mice, she doesn't offer anything else except on her death, when she spawns more mice.

Playing with Owls
Owls are a sort of flying, mobile warren, spawning a max of 6 mice, and then exploding into another 6 on death. At full capacity plus death, a single owl can produce 144 health worth of units, each doing as much damage as a lizard. You can play her much like how you would play using the fox, i.e. occasionally sending in multiple mice to wreak havoc at no additional food cost to you. Even in a normal head-on fight, the mice offer a good amount of damage and serve as a meat-shield for your other units. Here, the Matriark can double as a meat-shield as well as a source of constant reinforcement. Even on her death, your opponent would have to suddenly deal with 6 mice.

Playing against Owls
Being sieged upon by an Owl is a bit like playing tower defense where the harassment comes in waves as opposed to being constantly present à la fox. The Owl is at her most dangerous when she has all her wretches out on the field, itching to do something. As a result, the Matriark is the most vulnerable when she firsts spawn or when all of her goonies are gone. Pick a fight when you first notice that she's spawned, or soon after uses her mice in a round of siege. In a big fight, avoid killing her, using your focus fire to target other units, to prevent her from giving your opponent a sudden number's advantage. Using falcons is ideal against an owl as their high dps can quickly rid of any mice without any retaliation, or even take out the Matriark herself.

Changelog

 * Pre-Alpha 24:
 * Mice are now 12 DEF, down from 15
 * Pre-Alpha 23:
 * now has 40 DEF, down from 50
 * Pre-Alpha 22
 * Owl:
 * Spawns 6 mice on death
 * Mice:
 * Can no longer be controlled
 * Will follow the Outlaw until they find a target and then chase that target forever
 * Now have Swift
 * Are now 15 DEF, up from 10
 * Produce 1 every 5 seconds
 * Expire and die 30 seconds after being spawned
 * Pre-Alpha 17:
 * Mice now follow your commander’s orders
 * Pre-Alpha 15:
 * Mice now have 30 hitpoints (was 15)
 * Pre-Alpha 14:
 * + 10 hitpoints
 * Pre-Alpha 12:
 * Mice now deal 3 damage (was 4)
 * Pre-Alpha 11:
 * This patch changed the “damage per 5 seconds” system to a “damage per second” system.Therefore, damage values have to be divided by 5 before they are comparable.
 * Mice no longer have the trait “swift”
 * Pre-Alpha 4:
 * Mice have the trait “swift” now
 * Mice now deal 20 damage (was 10)
 * Mice now have 15 hitpoints (was 25)
 * Cooldown is now 5 seconds (was 10)
 * Pre-Alpha 3:
 * Spawns only 2 wretches now (was 3)
 * Mice now spawn with poison status effect
 * Mice have 25 hitpoints now