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Lancer – Goodgame Empire

Lancer

Defensive Melee Special

A solid defensive special unit that you take whenever the game offers it to you from special offers or events. Zero food and high melee defense make it a great filler for the garrison at the gate, but keep in mind that it is only half of the defense - you need to address the other half, against ranged attackers on the walls, with other units.

13Attack
150Melee defense
34Ranged defense
25Speed
—Food upkeep

Quick overview

TypeDefensive, Melee
SourceSpecial
Game stageSpecial
Cost—
RecommendationRather yes

rating

Attack
Defensive
Cost
Speed

The Pikeman is purely a defensive infantry for your castle - with 150 defense against melee combat, it makes one of the toughest walls you can place at the gate. It has an attack of only 13, so never take it into raids; it belongs in the trash. Its food consumption is zero, which is fantastic for an event unit, as it doesn't consume supplies, and you can let it sit in the garrison indefinitely.

How to use it

In practice, you use it exclusively for the defense of your castle or an important base that you don't want to lose. It belongs at the gate because that is where enemy infantry and melee attacks are aimed - and your Pikeman is there to absorb them. That 150 melee defense is really high, so each Pikeman can withstand a hefty portion of attack before falling. However, be careful, as it has only 34 defense against ranged units, and they target walls and towers - there, the Pikeman won't help you, and you'll need to supplement your defensive units that are strong against ranged attackers.

What to combine it with

By itself, it is one-dimensional, so mix it with a defensive unit strong against ranged attackers to cover both sides of the attack. A classic setup is a Pikeman at the gate against infantry plus some defensive archer or a unit with high defense against ranged attackers on the walls and towers. Also, don't forget about defensive tools (boiling oil, drawbridges, castle moats) - they multiply the defense of units, and only together does your defense really hold. Of course, for defensive flags and castle upgrades as well.

Weaknesses and what to avoid

Never take it into attack or raids - with an attack of 13, it is a wasted unit; it will fall before it can even scratch. Don't use it as the only type of defense either; a purely Pikeman garrison will crumble as soon as the enemy sends a ranged army against the walls. And don't overestimate it in large defenses against strong players - as a supplement, it's great, but as the backbone of defense, it is not enough.

Pro player tipInvest stars into defense - leveling up defense (4 stars) will raise that main value of 150 even higher, and that's exactly why you want the Pikeman. Investing in attack (1 star) makes no sense; it is a defensive unit, and you will never use it for attack anyway. Also, don't invest in price reduction (0) - you get the unit for free from the event, so it doesn't matter at all. Zero food consumption means you can stack as many of them in your garrison as you want without stressing about supplies.
Common mistakeA common mistake is placing the Pikeman in the wrong position in defense - it belongs at the gate against infantry, not on the walls where ranged attackers hit. The second classic mistake is relying solely on it: newcomers fill the gate with Pikemen, get a ranged army on the walls, and wonder why the defense fell. The third mistake is bringing it in an attacking army because "you have the unit" - it is useless in attack.

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