CASTLE UNITS
 
 
Level 1
 
Basic unit
Pikeman
Halberdier
Upgrade
 
4

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

6
5
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
5
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
1-3
Damage
Damage
2-3
10
Health
Health
10
4
Speed
Speed
5
60 gold
Cost
Cost
75 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 14 per week
Special Abilities
Resist Joust: Pikemen are immune to the Jousting Bonus extra damage of Cavaliers and Champions
Resist Joust: Halberdiers are immune to the Jousting Bonus extra damage of Cavaliers and Champions
Tips
Upgrade Value = Optional
Tips
Pikemen have great Health and good Defense. Early on, they perform well offensively against enemy low level units, but as enemies grow stronger, just use them to protect fragile ranged attackers such as Archers/Marksmen. They are a bit expensive for level 1 units.
Halberdiers are a beneficial upgrade for the already good Pikemen; they get decent Attack, Damage, and unfortunately, Cost increases. However, they can protect allies and attack enemies equally well.
 
 
Level 2
 
Basic unit
Archer
Marksman
Upgrade
 
6

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

6
3
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
3
12
Shots
Shots
24
2-3
Damage
Damage
2-3
10
Health
Health
10
4
Speed
Speed
6
100 gold
Cost
Cost
150 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 9 per week
Special Abilities
Ranged
Ranged - Double Shot
Tips
Upgrade Value = Essential
Tips
Archers are plain, simple ranged attackers with so-so stats and good Damage. Low Defense promises that they do not stand well under strong attacks, but that is where Pikemen and Halberdiers help the most during tough battles.
Marksmen are faster than normal Archers and can shoot twice in a row. To help further this significant advantage, they also have double the ammo. They are still as fragile as the basic Archer, though.
 
 
Level 3
 
Basic unit
Griffin
Royal Griffin
Upgrade
 
8

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

9
8
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
9
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
3-6
Damage
Damage
3-6
25
Health
Health
25
6
Speed
Speed
9
200 gold
Cost
Cost
240 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 7 per week (Horde +3)
Special Abilities
One Extra Retaliation - Flying
Unlimited Retaliations - Flying
Tips
Upgrade Value = Important
Tips
Griffins are able flyers in combat. They have decent Damage and Attack, but low Defense. This weakness often causes them to be picked off by ranged enemies with some ease, but Griffins find it easier to handle melee attackers than some other flyers can, which balances their effectiveness out. There is a good horde building out there for adding on to your massive Griffin forces.
Royal Griffins are great at taking on groups of enemies, mostly because they can retaliate infinitely. This helps when fighting a siege battle, because if the Royal Griffins fly over the wall towards enemy troops, enemies will swarm over them, provoking many retaliations. A small increase in Attack and a boost to their Speed aids in their safe travel across the battlefield.
 
 
Level 4
 
Basic unit
Swordsman
Crusader
Upgrade
 
10

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

12
12
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
12
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
6-9
Damage
Damage
7-10
35
Health
Health
35
5
Speed
Speed
6
300 gold
Cost
Cost
400 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 4 per week
Special Abilities
None
Double Strike
Tips
Upgrade Value = Essential
Tips
Swordsmen, somewhat ironically, have less Attack than Defense, though both stats are above-average. While Swordsmen are slightly slow compared to other 4th level creatures, they pack a punch damage-wise. Always move them out to take on enemy forces right away.
Crusaders even out the Attack-Defense difference in Swordsmen, making them more balanced. In addition, they get a bit faster, and they have the ability to attack twice in a row. While the price jump is a bit steep, Crusaders are extremely important. They have good movement for getting around the battlefield as they slice things to pieces in the process. Crusaders often do well while backing up Champions; if not, they can protect Monks/Zealots for some extra safety.
 
 
Level 5
 
Basic unit
Monk
Zealot
Upgrade
 
12

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

12
7
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
10
12
Shots
Shots
24
10-12
Damage
Damage
10-12
30
Health
Health
30
5
Speed
Speed
7
400 gold
Cost
Cost
450 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 3 per week
Special Abilities
Ranged
Ranged - No Melee Penalty
Tips
Upgrade Value = Important
Tips
Monks are a little sub-par for a level 5 unit. Very low Defense and low Health ruins their otherwise good-looking game plan, and low Speed does not allow them to unleash their full potential very well. They deal average damage compared to other 5th level units, but deal high damage for a shooter itself.
Zealots grant a potent boost to the weak Monk, with a nice boost of Speed and Defense, and No Melee Penalty equips them for close combat when necessary. Zealots are much better than Monks, and a second good shooter is invaluable to the Castle army.
 
 
Level 6
 
Basic unit
Cavalier
Champion
Upgrade
 
15

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

16
15
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
16
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
15-25
Damage
Damage
20-25
100
Health
Health
100
7
Speed
Speed
9
1,000 gold
Cost
Cost
1,200 gold
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 2 per week
Special Abilities
Jousting Bonus: Cavalier's attack deals an extra 5% damage per hex traveled before attack
Jousting Bonus: Champion's attack deals an extra 5% damage per hex traveled before attack
Tips
Upgrade Value = Important
Tips
Everything about the Cavalier is the exact middle of the Good vs. Bad scale. Even Health and Damage are average, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. All average stats allows for no real Cavalier weaknesses to be exploited during combat. Cavaliers can move extremely far to launch brutal attacks with its Jousting Bonus special ability.
Much of the Cavalier improves a little bit, making the Champion a better unit all-around. With relatively high Defense, the Champion can charge into the fray and tear open enemy front-lines with their good Damage bonus without taking too much wear. Champions do not cost much for their worth compared to other level 6 units, which is surprising for their effectiveness in battle.
 
 
Level 7
 
Basic unit
Angel
Archangel
Upgrade
 
20

Attack Skill

Attack Skill

30
20
Defence Skill
Defence Skill
30
n/a
Shots
Shots
n/a
50
Damage
Damage
50
200
Health
Health
250
12
Speed
Speed
18
3,000 gold + 1 gem
Cost
Cost
5,000 gold + 3 gems
 
 
Special Abilities
Weekly Growth = 1 per week
Special Abilities
Flying - 150% damage against Devils and Archdevils - +1 morale to friendly troops
Flying - 150% damage against Devils and Archdevils - Resurrection: Can revive a number of creatures from a dead/living stack; number of creatures revived is based on number of Archangels - +1 morale to friendly troops
Tips
Upgrade Value = Essential
Tips
Angels are the strongest of any basic level 7 unit. They have very high Damage and very good Health, which makes them extremely formidable against any enemy. A high cost comes with these special warriors, so make sure your stores are ready for the shot.
Archangels are probably the strongest level 7 unit. With high Health and great Attack and Defense skills, Archangels seem somewhat over-powered compared to other units at their level. Their Resurrection ability lets them revive their fallen allies in battle; use this on fallen Marksmen and Zealots to turn the tide against your enemies. The Archangel is very expensive, but a very strong unit nonetheless.
 Level 8
Supreme Archangel
Stats
 

Attack Skill

40
Defence Skill
40
Shots
n/a
Damage
75
Health
500
Speed
18
Cost
10,000 gold + 4 gems
 
 
Weekly Growth
Special Abilities
Can cast Resurrection twice per battle - +1 Morale bonus for all friendly troops - Immune to Fear - No Retaliation - Flying - Additional +1 Morale for friendly troops if Supreme Archangel is in a hero's army
1 per week
Tips
The Supreme Archangel is one of the best level 8 units, both through stats and abilities. The Supreme Archangel deals massive damage on every strike, and it can cast Resurrection twice per battle instead of once. The Supreme Archangel's effective uses are still basically the same as a regular Archangel - stick with offensive manuevers and nail enemy ranged attackers quickly. Supreme Archangels cost a great deal, so if you lose a few, do not hesitate to use one of those Resurrection spells to save your poor treasury. (Note that the Supreme Archangel is only available in the Wake of Gods add-on to Heroes III)

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