CORE
The Counter Triangle
MEMORIZE THIS
Every army boils down to three roles. Each beats one, loses to one.
Mental shortcut: Spears stop horses. Horses run down archers. Archers shred spears. That's the whole game.
REF.01
Unit Legend
FIVE ROLES
Worker
/ eco
Spearman
/ anti-cav
Archer
/ ranged DPS
Cavalry
/ scout + raid
Siege
/ anti-building
REF.02
The Full Roster
WHO COUNTERS WHO
| Unit | Role | Strong vs | Weak vs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spearman | Cheap anti-cav | Cavalry, Elephants | Archers, Swordsmen |
| Pikeman | Elite frontline | Cavalry (huge bonus) | Swordsmen, Ranged, Siege |
| Swordsman | Heavy melee DPS | Spearmen, Pikemen, Buildings | Cavalry, Skirmishers (kited) |
| Archer | Mass ranged DPS | Melee infantry | Cavalry charges |
| Skirmisher | Mobile harasser | Swordsmen, Slow melee | Archers (outranged), Cavalry |
| Slinger | Anti-building / anti-ranged | Buildings, other Ranged | Cavalry, Melee close-up |
| Cav (Spear) | Anti-cav harasser | Other Cavalry, Ranged | Pikemen, Spearmen |
| Cav (Sword) | Raid & flank | Ranged, Workers, Skirmishers | Pikemen, Spearmen |
| Cav (Javelin) | Hit-and-run | Workers, isolated units | Mass Archers, Pikemen |
| War Elephant | Tank / building crusher | Melee blobs, Buildings | Pikemen, Mass Ranged, Fire |
| Champion | Elite anything | Their counter-type's citizen units | Their own role's counter, cost |
| Siege | Anti-building | Walls, Towers, Buildings | EVERYTHING ELSE — esp. Cav |
REF.03
When is Cavalry Useful?
FOUR JOBS
Cavalry is not your main combat unit. It's a tool. Use it for specific jobs.
// JOB 01 — SCOUTING
Find their base, expansions, idle armies. Always have 1-2 horses on patrol. Replace instantly if killed.
// JOB 02 — RAID WORKERS
Fastest unit, picks off villagers far from base. The single biggest source of "why am I losing" if you don't do this.
// JOB 03 — SNIPE SIEGE
Their ram rolls up. Your cav charges from behind. Siege has zero melee defense. Free kill.
// JOB 04 — FLANK RANGED
Ride around the pike wall and crash into the archer line behind it. Kills the DPS, the pikes become harmless.
NEVER: charge cav into pikes. You will lose 80% of them in 5 seconds.
SCENARIOS
I See X — What Do I Do?
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
// SEE: Cavalry approaching base
- Garrison workers immediately — houses, towers, CC. One hotkey saves your eco.
- Train spearmen / pikemen NOW. Even 5-6 spears in a clump scares cav off.
- Pull them under a tower. Towers + spears = cav graveyard.
- Don't chase. Cav is faster. They'll kite back and re-raid elsewhere.
// SEE: Wave of archers / skirmishers
- Send cavalry around the flank — never engage ranged from the front, they kite.
- No cav? Charge with swordsmen through them; ranged melts in melee.
- Don't fight with spearmen head-on — archers eat spears alive.
- Towers help. Ranged has to stop to shoot, towers out-DPS them.
// SEE: Pikeman block / phalanx pushing in
- Don't melee them. Pikes hit first and hard.
- Slingers + skirmishers at range — pikes are slow, kite them while you shoot.
- Swordsmen or elephants for a head-on break if you must.
- Look for siege behind the pikes — that's the real threat. Pikes are bodyguard.
// SEE: Siege (rams, helepolis, towers)
- Cavalry charge — NOW. Siege has no melee defense. Your cav deletes it.
- If already at wall, sally out a small squad from a gate. Don't let it work.
- Garrison the wall section being attacked — archers inside towers shoot back.
- After siege dies, retreat. Don't get drawn into the full engagement.
// SEE: War elephants lumbering at you
- Pikemen, lots of them. Pikes have huge bonus damage vs elephants.
- Mass ranged from distance — slingers especially.
- Don't bunch up. Elephants do splash/trample damage. Spread out.
- Towers do bonus damage to elephants. Use them.
// SEE: Mixed army (the realistic case)
Real armies are combined arms: pikes front, archers back, cav on wings, siege in rear. You can't counter all of it. Pick a role to win:
- Kill the siege first if your walls are at stake
- Flank the archers with cav — kills the DPS, pikes become harmless
- Retreat into kill zone (towers + chokes) and attrition them
Fundamental defense move: let them attack into your towers + walls + garrisoned ranged. You win the trade just by existing there.
ENDPLATE
Rules to Remember
MEMORIZE
- Spears stop horses. Pikes stop them harder.
- Cavalry kills anything that can't kill it back fast.
- Ranged beats melee — unless melee gets in their face.
- Siege dies to anything but walls.
- Garrisoning workers is free defense. Use it every time.
- Towers triple the value of whatever's inside them.
- The army that fights on its own terrain wins.
- Real armies are mixed. Pick a role to win, not the whole fight.