From Inside The Studio

Defeating computer-controlled opponents is one thing, but how do you edge out live opponents during dynamic multiplayer matches? This chapter offers detailed tips, tactics, and preferred methods straight from the people who developed the game.

Bastian Hartmann, QA

Tips for Warfare

Essential Resources

Iron Ore, Coal: Important for Weapon production!
Wood: Important for both Planks and Weapon production.
Coin: To pay your soldiers.

Strategies for the Initial Phase

Construct the Stronghold and a Noble Residence (with a Butcher’s, Blacksmith, and Mint) as soon as possible.
Set the Residence to Fancy Food so that the initial resources can be used for Weapons and Coin.
Hire a new General with your first Weapon and 10 Coins.
Produce soldiers (Pikemen or Musketeers, depending on your General) and expand.
Look for sectors that have Iron Ore and Coal sources first.
Choose Coal and Gold from Rewards to keep Coin and Iron production running. It’s best to use three work yards for each mine, along with three Iron Smelters.
Locate a source of Gold.
Establish Food and Tool production. Food production can be established earlier, but hold off on the Toolmaker to save Iron for Weapon production.

Middle Phase

Develop strategies! Consider which Victory Points you can achieve. Is an opponent sector unguarded and unfortified?

If an opponent has no fortifications or soldiers, a quick rush can be advantageous. You should have 13 to 14 soldiers and a specialized General after the initial phase. These soldiers ensure you’re strong enough to eliminate other opponents, especially weak ones.
Locate Special Sectors. They must be acquired during the middle phase because it takes time to fortify them.
Keep an eye on your opponent! If the opponent is upgrading fortifications, include some Cannons in your soldier production. This helps launch an attack in the final phase.

Final Phase

This is the most difficult phase for players favoring Warfare because opponents have had time to upgrade fortifications and build a small army. Overcoming upgraded fortifications takes a lot of soldiers (and that means a lot of resources).
When opponents play defensively, plan ahead to produce Musketeers and Cannons. These units can be used to destroy fortifications.

Other Branch Building Recommendations

The Export Office! The Export Office is mainly used to provide Coin to your Stronghold. Players using Warfare can get plenty of Coin and Prestige with an Export Office. On some maps, this also provides access to more Victory Points. The Export Office can help you get Victory Points that may otherwise be out of reach (such as Banker, Sun King, and many Event Location Victory Points).
Additionally, it’s useful to establish Garment production during the early phases of the game. Garments can be easily exchanged for Coin later on. Use Coin to purchase soldiers and Generals. Extra Coin is also handy to hire new soldiers from the Tavern during an Iron shortage.

Generals

Three Generals are highly recommended: Bertram, Theobald, and Siegfried. They give a 50 percent boost to close combat (Bertram), ranged combat (Theobald), and siege attack (Siegfried). If you hire these Generals, be sure to adapt your strategy and army accordingly. For example:
Bertram: He boosts Pikemen and Cavaliers. He is unmatched in close combat. Only Theobald with a complement of Cannons poses any danger. He also improves your defenses because his boost reduces soldier casualties.
Theobald: His army should include Musketeers and Cannons. Theobald is very good against neutral sectors and Event Locations, especially when used along with a group of Pikemen. While the Pikemen focus on each other, the boosted Musketeers attack from a safe distance. When pitting Bertram (with 35 Cavaliers) against Theobald (with 35 Cannons), Theobald wins with at least five Cannons surviving the battle.
Siegfried: Hire him when you have to attack an opponent or get past their fortifications. He is also useful in conquering fortified Special Sectors.
It’s helpful to have two or more Generals in your army. Keeping your default General allows you to use two Generals, even without a Stronghold Upgrade! The ideal combination would be Bertram and Theobald because both are nearly invincible with the right configuration of soldiers. The only concern is that an opponent with a Stronghold may hire one of them first.
Typically, your choice of Generals determines your play style and strategy! Develop specific tactics early in the game.

Xenia Hartleb, Game Design

For maps with a large number of Victory Points, it’s best not to focus on a single branch because another player may choose to develop the same one. I always focus on a combination of Technology and Warfare. Though this makes me rather weak in the beginning, my strength begins to show later on. This is most effective when you use fortifications to protect yourself at the start of the game.

Bruce Shelley, Consultant

Opening Moves

On most maps, I have four early goals: set up basic production chains; begin sector expansion; choose between Warfare, Trade, and Technology; and begin Fancy Food production.
My basic production chains include Stone, Plank, and Tools. A lack of living space and Tools often stifles an economy. Stone and Plank production makes it easy to increase living space by building Residences.
I like to have one Quarry, but provide it with Fancy Food to maximize Stone production. If Hunting Grounds are available, I set up at least one Hunter and Butcher’s. I then provide Fancy Food to Hunters and Butchers to maximize production and conserve Plain Food.
Conquering neutral sectors is useful for Prestige and Conquest Rewards.
How to spend the 10 Coins that are usually provided is one of the most interesting decisions a player faces when beginning a game. My usual strategy is to use eight Coins to buy two Pikemen, who reinforce my army before attacking at least one adjacent sector. I use the remaining two Coins to build two Prestige Objects. The two Prestige points are enough to reach a new Prestige Level and unlock the Stronghold, Export Office, and Church, allowing me to build one or more branch buildings.
An alternative use for the 10 Coins is to hold on to them until you have a Stronghold or Export Office constructed, and then use the Coins to buy a better General.

Toolmaker

I build a Residence next to my Storehouse and attach a Toolmaker to it. I set the Toolmaker to “On Demand” and assign it Fancy Food. If I run out of Tools, my Toolmaker is primed to quickly produce multiple Tools. By setting the Toolmaker to “On Demand,” I’m keeping unneeded Tools from being produced, which would use up Iron and Fancy Food that could be more useful elsewhere.

Early Fancy Food

I like to use Fancy Food early in the game to boost Stone production mainly, but often Plank production as well. For each Butcher’s consuming Fancy Food, I can provide Fancy Food to one additional work yard. How best to spend surplus Fancy Food depends on my expansion strategy: Books and Jewelry for Technology, Garments and Jewelry for Trade, or Weapons for Warfare.
I prime Fancy Food production by giving Hunters Fancy Food to triple Animal gathering. Then I place a Noble Residence close to my Hunter and attach two or three Butchers to it. I give my Butchers a Fancy Food boost. I avoid gathering Wood near Hunting Grounds, or I replant trees I cut down. Because Hunting Grounds deplete quickly but replenish slowly, I often set up a Piggery near Grain Barns and give it a Food boost.

Launching Technology Expansion

As soon as my Church is built, I train five Novices with my starting resources. By training five, I can respond if an opponent attempts to take over my first Technology. My favorite first Technologies are Ornamentation (boosts Prestige) and Hygiene (boosts living space). To continue Technology research, I set up a Farm to produce Flour (for a Bakery) and Grain to send to a Brewery.

Launching Trade Expansion

As soon as my Export Office is built, I train five Hawkers with my starting resources. I send two to open a Trading Outpost and use the rest for trading until I train enough to reach additional outposts. My favorite first Trading Outpost allows me to trade Cloth for Stone. Once I have that outpost and a steady supply of Cloth, I never lack for Stone and can easily upgrade important streets to improve resource deliveries.

Attacking Fortified Sectors

These attacks require a big investment in soldiers and result in heavy casualties. I prefer to have at least 12 Musketeers to attack wood towers and 15 to attack wood palisades. A better General or military Technologies can reduce those numbers slightly. I want at least 10 Cannons and a Standard Bearer to attack stone fortifications.
Because any army attacking fortifications will take losses, lose some morale, and use ammunition, it is vulnerable to attack when it gets past fortifications. For that reason, I prefer to have two armies available when attacking an sector if a defending army is nearby.

Beer Production

Making Beer is essential to pursue Technology expansion and useful in any case because it can be traded for Coin at the Tavern,

Prestige Options

My Prestige options are usually taken in this order: branch buildings, Constructor, Street Upgrade, and Storehouse Upgrade. Most of these are good for improving the overall efficiency of my economy. A Geologist is a good alternative if my mines are exhausted. Another alternative would be a branch building upgrade to quickly advance in branch expansion, particularly Trade or Technology.

Trade Expansion Vulnerability

Trade is vulnerable because you need a clear path from your Export Office to a trade sector. When I am trading, I use fortifications and soldiers to secure a trade path. When playing against an opponent who is trading, I look for opportunities to capture a sector that blocks their trade path, or one that holds their Export Office or Shepherds.

Hunters and Foresters

Foresters get no boost from Food, so a Forester can be attached to a Lodge using Fancy Food with no cost. If I need to cut trees near Hunters, I like to place a Forester to maintain the Hunting Grounds. Or similarly I might attach a Forester to a Lodge with an existing Sawmill. Any Food boost I assign to increase Plank production would not apply to the Forester.

Work Yards per Residence

I prefer to assign one work yard per Residence to maximize living space while giving me the most flexibility when assigning Food boosts. I prefer to put the work yard behind the Residence, allowing me to place more buildings along a street. This may not be possible due to terrain. In this case, I often concentrate work yards, such as three Bakers or three Butchers.
Space for construction is a resource to be managed like any other, especially if I want multiple Farms to produce Grain, Flour, Wool, Horses, and Animal. Allowing space to squeeze additional Residences into a sector can be very helpful.

Duplicate Residence Work Yards

I usually prefer to build no more than one of each work yard and place it near its required resources or buildings that use its finished goods. For example, the Blacksmith should either be close to an Iron Smelter (the source of Iron) or close to a Stronghold (which uses Weapons made by the Blacksmith). Exceptions might be the Butcher’s (I place up to three on a single Noble Residence close to a Hunter or Piggery), Bakeries, and Weaving Mills (close to Shepherds or a Tailor). Building unnecessary work yards can be useful, however, if you are contesting the Metropolis Victory Point.

Extra Victory Points

In a very competitive game, just reaching the required number of Victory Points may not be enough to win because your opponents can gang up on you and try to take several away in time to prevent your victory. If possible, strive for seven Victory Points when you need six, or five if you need four, to give you a better chance of holding on to enough to win.

Andreas Nitsche, Lead Game Designer

Storehouses are the backbone of your economy. Because you are responsible for the storage and transport of all resources, the efficiency of your economy is closely linked to your Storehouses. So, players should not be stingy in Storehouse construction. A Storehouse can be helpful in replenishing your goods and boosting your economy at every Farm, Lodge, and Mountain Shelter; every line of Residences; every Well and branch building; every fork in the road; every long path; and each sector boundary.
The ability to upgrade your Storehouses is also a great help. It’s a Prestige option that can be unlocked with an appropriate Prestige Level. This is important because your Storehouses begin with limited capacity and only two Carriers. If the Storehouse is filled with a specific good, the related work yard cannot function without more storage space. Capacity is more than doubled with the first upgrade, and another Carrier will help speed production. The second upgrade gives you another Carrier and unlimited storage capacity.
However, the most significant advantage of a fully upgraded Storehouse is something else entirely: After the second upgrade, you can transfer specific resources. One click and your Carriers begin transporting the desired resource straight to your Storehouse, provided they aren’t required by a work yard. This option is especially helpful if smaller Storehouses have reached capacity or if you want to transport resources from a remote or vulnerable sector to your town.
However, Storehouses don’t merely help you get your economy running. They also can contribute to Victory Points: Because Storehouses need less space than work yards, employ more Settlers, and can be upgraded easily, they are well suited to increase your working population during a final push to gain the Metropolis Victory Point.

Wolf Reitsamer, Programmer

Beer—your solution to any problem! Use it to train clerics and research useful Technologies, or let your Carriers bring it to the Tavern and trade it for Coin to invest in Pikemen and Musketeers.

Tobias Sandkuhl, QA

Food Boost

Confucius said: “Master the Food boost and you master Settlers 7!”
Work yards can be assigned Food boosts to increase their production. If you assign a building Plain Food, production doubles. If you assign it Fancy Food, production will triple. Noble Residences always require Plain Food. If you assign Fancy Food to a Noble Residence, it doubles production. If you set a Butcher’s on Fancy Food, it will need one unit of Fancy Food per production cycle and produce two. This eliminates its Plain Food requirement.
But be careful, if you don’t have the assigned Food or it’s claimed by other Settlers, the work yard won’t produce anything!

Storehouses

The Storehouses function in the way flags did in previous games. Initially, every Storehouse provides two Carriers who can deliver five units each. With the first upgrade of the Storehouse, you can store a maximum of 20 units of each resource. The number of Carriers and the storage capacity increase when you upgrade your Storehouses, so it’s good to construct plenty of Storehouses. For instance, there should be a Storehouse next to every work yard and at regular intervals to support work yards. This ensures quick and reliable resource deliveries.

The Geologist

The Prestige Tree (accessed through the crown icon; not immediately available in the campaign, but is in Multiplayer/Skirmish games), can unlock a lot of options for you. One of these is the Geologist.
The Geologist is a speleologist and replenishes depleted mines.
You can set every Miner to “Geologist” as soon as you unlock the option. One of the following three things can happen without depleting a mine:
The Geologist produces a unit of that mine’s resource
The Geologist produces Stone from the mine

Victory Points

You have different options for victory in a Skirmish or Multiplayer game. You can beat your opponent by conquering his town sector with soldiers or earn the required number of Victory Points. Click on the star icon for a list of available Victory Points. This also explains the requirements for each Victory Point.
There are two types of Victory Points: static and dynamic. If a Victory Point shows a star with a padlock, it means that it cannot be lost once it has been won. It’s a good idea to move quickly in this case.
Stars without a padlock mean that the Victory Point will be claimed by the player who meets the specific conditions at that time.

Special Victory Point Details

Cathedral: Bring Tools to the Cathedral construction site (the Event Location) to get this. However, you will need traders. You can train them at the Export Office.
Bishop’s See: You get this if you fully upgrade your Church.
Genius: Requires a Church; research the central Technology to claim this Victory Point.
Fountain of Knowledge: When you’ve researched the most Technologies (at least three), you are awarded this Victory Point.
Tutorial for Expanding through Trade
The player who focuses on Trade differs from other players in the sense that he does not need an extensive economy, but, as the name suggests, lives off Trade.
Trade begins with the Shepherd. The Wool produced there is processed into Cloth by the Weaver (Weaving Mills are attached to Residences). Tailors attached to Noble Residences process the Cloth into Garments.
You can train Hawkers at the Export Office. To unlock and build it, use the Prestige Tree (crown icon). When you upgrade an Export Office, you can produce advanced traders (Salesmen and Merchants).
To trade with your traders, you will need free access to a Port or Marketplace (highlighted on the mini-map with green dots). Your traders can travel through neutral sectors to reach them. But if another player blocks your path to a trade sector, you can no longer trade! Don’t let it come to that…

Trade Menu

You can develop Trading Outposts on the Trade menu (globe icon). Basically, this works like Technology research.
The Trade menu opens when you click on the globe. You will see a world map if you have the required number of traders. Click on a Trading Outpost to start an expedition. As soon as your traders arrive, you can access that trade in the Port/Marketplace. The traders used will remain on site and will be removed from your population.
If a competitor has snatched a Trading Outpost from under your nose, you may not claim it, but you may pass through it to secure the area beyond it by paying a small toll.
Remember that you always need at least one trader to be able to trade. Also, you need a trader to deliver goods to Event Locations.
If you are clever in your trading, your Storehouse will fill quickly.

How Do I Get Tools?

You can get Tools in the Multiplayer and Skirmish modes either as Population Rewards (20 and 40 Settlers) or by conquering sectors.
You can purchase Tools with Coin in the Tavern. However, it is most practical to establish Tool production.
You will require Coal and Iron Ore to quickly establish Tool production. The following buildings are required to produce Tools:
Mountain Shelter + Coal Mine
Mountain Shelter + Iron Mine + Iron Smelter
Residence + Toolmaker
Lodge + Woodcutter
When you have enough Tools, you can set your Toolmaker to “On Demand.” Additional Tools may not be needed.
With an additional Noble Residence and Blacksmith, you can also establish Weapon production.
Assign Construction and Production Priorities
To ensure that production and production shortfalls don’t drive you mad and chase you from the game, use the Logistics panel to specify the tasks you wish to complete first. Click on the box icon at the bottom of the screen.
In this panel, you can drag and drop items to change the production sequence, as well as prioritize panels.
For instance, in the construction panel, you can specify the next building to be constructed. Drag and drop the most urgent building to ensure that it is built next.
If you urgently need to acquire soldiers, for example, and nothing else is as important, you can put Warfare above construction.
Simply click on the appropriate panel and drag it up. This will make sure that all tasks related to Warfare are given preference. This can be used to speed things up.
If you have enough space, build at least two Mountain Shelters and six work yards at every mine. Use three Miners to gather resources and set three as Geologists to replenish the mine. You may have to switch to four Geologists and two Miners or vice versa, depending on the situation and location.

Jochen Peketz, Lead Level Designer

Do not hesitate to knock down inefficient buildings to replace them with new ones. Keep in mind that a work yard requires a Tool and a Settler, and both could be needed somewhere else.
Here’s just one example: A Fisher without Fishing Grounds is of no use to anyone.

Volker Stuckmann, Game Designer

Event Locations are always worth visiting! Be it an Enchanted Tower, a Dark Fortress, or the Misty Swamp, these special places are not just for sightseeing—they have something to offer!
You can get a variety of Rewards here by completing Quests that may help you become the most powerful kingdom. You can get Rewards that may help fill the gaps in your economy, useful Technologies if you don’t want to place bids on the Technology board, or Free Passage through an Event Location to attack your opponents from behind. The Dark Fortress is home to a General who would be willing, under specific conditions, to join you without a vacancy in the Stronghold or Export Office.
But the most interesting are Victory Points and disasters.
Though the former demand the largest investment of the three options, you’ll find it impossible to stay away from them! The latter delivers events that will strike at your enemy with great gusto. Regardless of whether it is a Marauding Army, disastrous Earthquake, devastating Thunderstorm, or Heavenly Wrath, a disaster can ultimately determine victory or defeat.

You will find one Quest each for Warfare, Trade, and Technology at every Event Location. So each player should find something of interest.
It never hurts to have a look at the closest Event Location at the beginning of the game and then decide on a branch building. A Stronghold can be advantageous if the Victory Point calls for a battle because opponents may have to struggle to reach the Event Sector.
You must also consider the costs involved: The number of required soldiers, resources, and clerics will adjust to your current number of Victory Points! It’s essential that you factor this into your strategy and decide when you want to finish which Quest.

Daniel Sawitzki, Programmer

In a sense, your Settlers are to be envied! The little guys don’t have to worry about choosing a profession. They simply perform the tasks assigned to them. And there are times where there is nothing to do, like when there is no Iron for the Blacksmith. In the Tandrian planned economy, no one needs to file for insolvency or run to the unemployment office. Instead, the Blacksmith hangs around and occupies valuable space in his beautiful kingdom. His work yard also takes up valuable space. Sometimes resources like Wood are reserved for him in the Storehouse and are unavailable to the Sawmill.
If there is a temporary shortage of resources, consider changing the production mode of the work yard (for example, set it to “On Demand”). If you can’t acquire the required resources, you should knock down the work yard. The Settlers are altruistic in this case: For example, if you have three Blacksmiths next to each other, but your economy can only provide enough Wood and Iron for two Blacksmiths, then two of them will work at 100 percent efficiency and one with almost none. You can quickly identify this problem and remove the third Blacksmith. No worries, your Blacksmith won’t launch a works council, but will totter along to the Castle instead and wait for your next order!

Alan Au Yeung, QA

Tips for Technology

Keep your economy as small as possible. Initially, production of Plank, Stone, Bread, Fish, and Beer are enough. Upgrade the Church and place Prestige Extensions around it. You can then unlock the next upgrade for the Church. Research Forced March or Geology, then research Ballistics and Dictionary. Starting resources (five Iron and three units of Jewelry) and three Fathers are sufficient for the second Church upgrade. Then research Architecture and Engineering after establishing Paper and Book production. Upgrades now cost much less and workers require no Tools, so you save on a production chain. Because all Technologies cost fewer Novices, you can research the remaining Technologies with sufficient Beer and Food.
Now upgrade your economy. The more Prestige Extensions you place around your Church, the more Prestige Levels you gain. You receive Rewards like five pieces of Jewelry after Prestige Level 14. You can use these for more Fathers, so you save another production chain and valuable resources.
Keep an eye on your enemies. Try to explore the Technology board completely, right up to the Victory Point. Save it.
Keep enough Novices on hand complete Event Location Quests.
You can even save on the Cathedral upgrade. When you unlock everything, you receive three to four Victory Points.
If no Brothers or Fathers are needed, set work yards for Paper and Books to “On Demand.”
Outwit other opponents focusing on Technology. Outbid an opponent if they are researching Technology. It is very likely that they will then outbid you. Now you can research another Technology, while your opponent has to pay more for the other one.
If you have space, build two Mountain Shelters at a mine and build six appropriate Miners. Set two on “Always.” The other four on “Geologist.” This will allow resources to replenish and produce Stone. If you only have enough space for one Mountain Shelter, place three Miners, one on “Always” and two on “Geologist.”
Try to explore the Technology board as much as you can. You can then move on to the Event Locations.
Try to send a Father to all bordering sectors so that you get an additional Apologia bonus for your army.
Depending on the map, spread your Grain Barns across Fertile Ground. Work yards like the Bakery or Brewery can be placed on infertile ground. Fertile Ground is especially important for the players using Technology.

Gustav Pavlou, QA

Special Trading Economy

My trick for success is well-running Garment production assisted by Fancy Food boosts. This will help you manage resources with no problems.
Purchase two Musketeers in the Tavern for expansion
Build two Noble Residences to increase living space (don’t build any work yards)
Three Quarries at a Mountain Shelter
One Lodge with a Woodcutter, Forester, and Sawmill
When your Pikemen arrive, capture your first sectors. Head toward Gold and Coal Mines.
If you have Fishing Grounds, build one Lodge with three Fishermen
If you have Hunting Grounds (almost always available in your town sector), use a Lodge with a Forester and a Hunter. Quickly switch to Fancy Food using the Food menu in the Overview map. (You can see it after placing construction sites before the building has been constructed.)
Build one Noble Residence with three Butchers. Quickly switch to Fancy Food using the Food menu in the Overview map. (You can see it after placing construction sites before the building has been constructed.)
Set up an Export Office. Remember to place it at the sector exit nearest the Marketplace or Port. You must have enough space around the Export Office to build a large Prestige Extension.
Build a Residence with a Toolmaker and Wheelwright. Quickly switch to Fancy Food using the Food menu in the Overview map. (You can see it after placing construction sites before the building has been constructed.) Important: Set both buildings to “On Demand” as soon as they are constructed; otherwise, valuable Iron will be quickly consumed.
Build a Farm with three Shepherds. If possible build it directly across from the Storehouse and place a Well on each side.
Build a Residence with three Weaving Mills

Build a Noble Residence with three Tailors. Quickly switch to Fancy Food using the Food menu in the Overview map. (You can see it after placing construction sites before the building has been constructed.)
Upgrade the Export Office once you establish the Trading Outpost “Coin for Iron.”

First Trading Outposts

Cloth for Stone: Trade if required. Helps with Prestige Extensions, building and road upgrades.
Back to starting point
Coin for Planks: Trade if required. Helps in construction.
Gold for Iron: Trade if required. Helps in upgrading the Export Office, building Small Prestige Objects, and producing Tools, Weapons, Wheels, and Jewelry.
Trade Reward: These offer Jewelry. You will need them for traders.
Wool for Tools: Lies on the way to the next Trading Outpost, but I don’t use it.
Gold for Fancy Food: The most important Trading Outpost for the player using Trade. All the Coin you collect, you should invest here. If you have enough Fancy Food available, you can boost your entire economy and increase production at all work yards. This is the advantage of pursuing the Trade strategy. No one else can get so much Fancy Food using other methods. Use this advantage!
Wool for Coal: Can be traded if Coal is required.
Trade Reward: These offer Jewelry. You need them for traders.
Coin for Wood: Trade if required. Needed for producing Tools, Weapons, and Wheels.
Trade Reward: These offer Jewelry. You need them for traders.
Gold for Horses: You will need them for Merchants and Cavaliers.
You will naturally need Garments to produce new traders in the beginning. You must exchange them for Coin to have some liquidity. Use this Coin to trade for everything you need to expand your economy.
Once you have reached the Fancy Food Trading Outpost, I advise you to boost your Weaving Mills with it, build six additional Tailors and boost them with Fancy Food, as well. So, you’ve created a money-printing machine with very little space used.
After reaching the Coin for Horses Trading Outpost, you have everything you need to proceed on the Trade menu. Claim the Special Trading Outpost Victory Points and any other needed outposts. Now you’re near the end of your path to victory.
As soon as you have set up the specified Trade empire, build and upgrade a Stronghold to produce soldiers. Use traded resources or, if you prefer, self-produced resources to produce soldiers. There is no other way to build up an army!

Hannes Wengenroth, Programmer

Always bring enough melee units to protect your Musketeers and Cannons!
Ranged units are usually more effective than their close combat counterparts—unless they are tied up in hand-to-hand combat. The ideal ratio depends on your opponent’s soldiers and the nature of the battlefield. Trapping the enemy’s Cavaliers on a narrow mountain path can tip the