Counter Guide

Tip: Knights beat the Militia line at every stage, including Champions against Paladins. Archers counter them in Feudal and Castle Age; in Imperial Age, Hand Cannoneers do bonus damage to them. They win against trash units: Skirmishers, Spearmen and Scouts.

Tip: Spearmen do bonus damage to cavalry from Feudal Age, but one Spearman still loses to one Knight. Pikemen (Castle Age) and Halberdiers (Imperial Age) carry enough bonus damage to win those fights for less resources. Against archers and infantry they lose.

Tip: Scouts do bonus damage to Monks and resist conversion. Spearmen and the Militia line beat them. In Imperial Age, Hussars cost no gold, so they are often kept in the army to absorb arrows and chase down Monks and siege.

Tip: Knights win most even fights against units without anti-cavalry bonuses. Monks convert them from range, and each conversion swaps a 135-resource unit to the other side. Pikemen and Halberdiers cost far less and have bonus damage against them. Archers only beat Knights once they outnumber them, usually as Crossbowmen or Arbalesters.

Tip: Camels are built in response to enemy cavalry. Their bonus damage applies to Knights, Scouts and Cavalry Archers. Against infantry and archers they have no bonus and lose to the standard counters.

Tip: Skirmishers do bonus damage to archers and have high pierce armour, so archers lose to them. In small numbers, Knights reach archers quickly and kill them. In larger groups — usually as Crossbowmen or Arbalesters — archers beat Knights before they connect.

Tip: Skirmishers are trained when the enemy has archers. They have a minimum range and no melee armour, so cavalry and infantry that reach them win easily. In late-game trash fights they beat Spearmen and lose to Scouts.

Tip: Skirmishers counter Cavalry Archers whatever the numbers. Spearmen have bonus damage against them but are slow, so Cavalry Archers can keep their distance while shooting. They cost wood and gold and train slowly, so they take time to mass.

Tip: Low accuracy means a few Hand Cannoneers miss often; they work in groups. Skirmishers have bonus damage against them and cost no gold. Cavalry also beats them once it reaches them.

Tip: Rams have -3 melee armour, so any melee unit damages them quickly. Arrows do almost nothing to them, so archers that target a Ram are not shooting your army. Infantry garrisoned inside make them faster.

Tip: Mangonels do most damage when the enemy army is grouped together, so spreading out reduces their effect. Scouts and Hussars reach them quickly and they are weak in melee. Bombard Cannons outrange them in Imperial Age.

Tip: Scorpions do the most damage when infantry is lined up or packed close. Cavalry moves out of the line of fire and closes the gap quickly, so Scorpions need melee units in front of them.

Tip: Bombard Cannons outrange Onagers and Scorpions and do bonus damage to them. Like other siege, they are slow and weak up close, so Hussars and cavalry are the counter. They move faster than Trebuchets and don’t need to pack up.

Tip: Monks convert one unit at a time from range, so they trade best against expensive units such as Knights and Elephants. Scouts do bonus damage to them and resist conversion. With Redemption researched, Monks can also convert siege weapons.

Tip: Eagle Scouts are weak early on. The Eagle Warrior upgrade in Castle Age adds HP and attack, and from then on they win against archers, Monks and siege. Knights and the Militia line beat them in melee.

Tip: Unlike Spearmen, Fire Lancers take no bonus damage from archers, but their pierce armour is low, so archers and Hand Cannoneers still beat them. The blast fires before melee starts. They cost wood and gold.

Tip: Champi Runners are weak early, like Eagle Scouts. The Warrior and Elite upgrades add HP and attack, and their speed and siege bonus suit raiding and attacking siege. Knights and heavy infantry beat them in straight fights.

Tip: Condottieri need no upgrade chain and train quickly, so they are a fast answer to Hand Cannoneers and other gunpowder units. Archers and cavalry still beat them.

Tip: The gold it earns in fights offsets its cost. It is still infantry, so archers, Hand Cannoneers and heavy cavalry beat it. Varangians get extra bonuses for it, including thrown axes.

Tip: Battle Elephants win most one-on-one fights, including against single Spearmen. Being slow, they can be kited by archers and can’t chase. Monks convert them, Faith (which slows conversion) is expensive, and most elephant civs don’t get Heresy. Pikemen and Halberdiers trade well against them for the cost.

Tip: One Steppe Lancer loses to one Knight. Their extra reach lets several Lancers attack the same target at once, so they do best in a group. Pikemen and Halberdiers beat them, and splash damage from siege hits them hard when bunched.

Tip: It plays the same role as a Hussar: raiding, killing Monks and siege, and soaking arrows. Halberdiers are the cheapest counter. Neither civ gets every upgrade for it — Poles lack the last cavalry armour, Lithuanians the last melee attack.

Tip: It fills the Knight’s role and the same counters apply: Pikemen and Halberdiers for the cost, and Monks against an expensive unit. Its stats differ from Knights, and each of the three civs has its own bonuses for it.

Tip: Slingers fill the same slot as Skirmishers but target infantry rather than archers. They have no melee armour, so cavalry beats them. Keep melee units in front of them.

Tip: It has the same weaknesses as other Skirmishers — minimum range and no melee armour. Because it costs no gold, it matters most late in the game, when gold is running out.

Tip: Skirmishers have large bonus damage against Elephant Archers and cost far less. Monks convert them, and most elephant civs don’t get Heresy. They hold up better on closed maps, where they are harder to kite.

Tip: Genitours are faster than foot Skirmishers, so they can follow archers and pull back from cavalry. They have slightly less range and attack than the Elite Skirmisher.

Tip: It is used like a Cavalry Archer: shoot, move, shoot again. Skirmishers counter it. Not every civ that gets it can upgrade to Heavy Mounted Crossbowman.

Tip: Unlike Rams, they count as cavalry, so Pikemen and Halberdiers do bonus damage to them and Monks can convert them. Escort them with melee units.

Tip: Because the damage ignores armour, Rocket Carts suit heavily armoured, grouped units. Hussars and other fast units close the gap, as with any siege. They are available from Castle Age, earlier than Bombard Cannons.