Quick overview
| Type | Offensive, Melee |
|---|---|
| Source | Special |
| Game stage | Special |
| Cost | 400 |
| Recommendation | Rather yes |
rating
The Demonic Grin is a purely offensive melee unit with a base attack of 185 - a number that regular soldiers from the barracks will never give you. Additionally, this base value is further multiplied by bonuses from the castle, commander, and siege equipment plus stars (1-5*), so it actually attacks significantly more than the 185 on paper. Defense, on the other hand, is negligible (19 melee, 5 against ranged), but that is normal and expected for an offensive unit - do not touch its defense, it is not built for that. You take it as an offensive striker against the opponent's melee defense, nothing more, nothing less.
How to use it
Deploy it in attack and direct it to the wave (front) where the opponent has the most melee defenders - there its attack will make the biggest dent and save you a bunch of regular soldiers. The food consumption of 5 and the cost of 400 are not small, so consider it as elite, not as material for the first wave to sacrifice. A speed of 28 is decent for a foot melee unit (cavalry is faster, but don't worry about that, you won't be using the grin for quick raids) - it does not slow down the column. Important: fallen units go to the infirmary after the attack and heal back, so it is not a one-time consumption like food. Just keep an eye on the capacity and healing time.
What to combine it with
It works best in an offensive wedge supplemented by offensive archers - they cover what the grin cannot, namely the opponent's defense against ranged attacks. The idea is to split the waves so that each front has the right type of unit against the correct defense: grin where melee defenders prevail, archers for the rest. On its own, it will not win any wave, but as the tip of the attack, which you support with a commander with bonuses for melee combat and siege equipment, it is excellent - those bonuses make the difference between an average and a devastating attack.
Weaknesses and what to avoid
Do not place it in castle defense - with a defense of 19/5, it cannot guard anything there, and it is a wasted special unit. Another thing: do not add another melee attacker (including the grin) to a wave where you already have melee attack covered and lack something against ranged units - there you do not need more of the same, but to supplement with archers. This is not in conflict with mixing into the composition, it is just about placing it where melee attack is truly lacking, not where you already have enough. And do not squander it on small, unimportant attacks where regular soldiers would suffice.
Related units
Back to Units.