Decayed Bolt Slinger

Defensive Ranged Special

A narrowly specialized defensive ranged unit of the Halloween skeleton boss. Against ranged units it holds 290, against melee only 28, and that is exactly where you should attack it. You can't get it into your own army, it is an NPC unit, so it matters to you only as an opponent that has to be read correctly. Send melee attackers at the boss and keep your ranged units for other targets.

92Attack

28Melee defense

290Ranged defense

34Speed

—Food upkeep

Quick overview

Type	Defensive, Ranged
Source	Special
Game stage	Special
Cost	—
Recommendation	Cannot be recruited

rating

Attack

Defensive

Cost

Speed

The Decayed Bolt Slinger is a ranged unit of the Halloween skeleton boss. It is an NPC unit, so you can't recruit it or get it into your own army, you only meet it on the boss's side. The game lists it as a defensive unit and its profile is very one-sided. Ranged defense 290 is among the highest in the game, against melee it holds only 28. Its ranged attack is 92, so it is definitely not zero, but for a defender its defense numbers matter more to you.

How to use it

For you it is a unit that has to be broken through, not one to put on your own walls. When you go after a boss in whose defense these slingers stand, sending your own ranged units at them doesn't pay off, attacking ranged units are measured against ranged defense and 290 is a hard wall. Melee units on the other hand run into only 28, which is a very low value for a defensive unit. This applies in a mixed wave too, every melee unit in it runs into the weaker side of its defense. Melee attack is therefore the clear way to break this part of the boss's defense with the smallest possible losses.

What to combine it with

Build your boss attack wave mainly from melee attackers, against whom this slinger has only 28. Strong melee attackers such as the Glacial Amazon Warrior with attack 390 do the most work here. Save your own ranged units for other targets, against 290 they would run into the strongest side of its defense. Add attack tools according to what you have available. If scouting shows you that the boss is also defended by other units, adjust the ratio of attackers to their defense, so that you push where the garrison is weakest.

Weaknesses and what to avoid

Don't look for it in the barracks or in the offers, it is an NPC unit and you won't get it into your own army. When attacking the boss, avoid waves built on ranged units, against defense 290 they would suffer needlessly large losses. Don't count on breaking it with a mixed wave with a large share of ranged units either, every ranged unit in it leans on the stronger side of its defense. The more melee attack, the better.

Pro player tipTreat the numbers 290 and 28 as base level 1 values, the real defense in battle may be higher thanks to bonuses. But the difference between them is so large that the direction of the attack is clear, against melee it holds only a fraction of what it holds against ranged units. You need not bother with food upkeep 0 and other economic data for it, you will never feed it. If you are a new player and going after the Halloween boss for the first time, build the attack on melee units and leave your ranged units at home.

Common mistakeA common mistake is to send an army of ranged units at the boss just because answering a ranged unit with shooting seems logical. Against 290 ranged defense it goes badly. The second mistake is reading its melee attack of 0 as zero attack. A ranged unit attacks at range and its attack is 92, it just isn't the main thing for a defensive unit.

Related units

Scout of the Kingsguard

Shapeshifter sharpshooter

Back to Units.