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Lion bowman – Goodgame Empire

Lion bowman

Offensive Ranged Special

A solid attacking ranged unit with attack 98 and, for an attacking unit, high defense, 129 against ranged and 54 against melee. In the attack it belongs as the ranged part of the wave next to infantry, at home it is useful as an addition to your ranged defense. Since you receive it as reinforcement in the Battle for Berimond event and its numbers are not fully in your hands, treat it as a welcome addition to your army, not as its backbone.

98Attack
54Melee defense
129Ranged defense
25Speed
4Food upkeep

Quick overview

TypeOffensive, Ranged
SourceSpecial
Game stageSpecial
Cost180
RecommendationSituational

rating

Attack
Defensive
Cost
Speed

The Lion bowman is an attacking ranged unit of the lion faction from the Battle for Berimond event, which the player receives as reinforcement from their faction. The game lists it as an attacking unit and the numbers match that. It attacks at range and its attack 98 is the base level 1 value before bonuses, just like the Veteran crossbowman. Its melee attack is zero, but that goes for all ranged units, a ranged unit fights with its ranged attack. For an attacking unit it has unusually good defense, 129 against ranged and 54 against melee. Ordinary attacking ranged units like the Veteran crossbowman have only 26 against ranged, so the Lion bowman is no empty slot in the castle. Food upkeep is 4 per unit and the cost is 180.

How to use it

It belongs mainly in the attack wave as its ranged part. Attack 98 is measured against the target's ranged defense, so it hurts the most the defenders who built their walls mainly on infantry and neglected ranged defense. With loot of 26 per unit you can take it along for plundering too. Defense 129 against ranged comes into play when ranged units attack your castle and the Lion bowman happens to be at home. Against melee attackers it has only 54. In defense it is therefore a useful filler for the time when it isn't attacking, but not a replacement for melee defenders and not a reason to leave it on the walls permanently.

What to combine it with

It works best next to attacking infantry, because a mixed wave forces the defender to cover both melee and ranged defense. From the same faction the Lion warrior with attack 117 is the obvious pick, and you receive both in the Battle for Berimond event as reinforcement. Add attack tools to the wave according to what the spy report shows. In defense, put it next to defenders strong against melee, for example the Veteran spearman (142 against melee) or the Halberd (135), which cover the infantry while it covers the ranged units.

Weaknesses and what to avoid

Don't send it into the attack alone. Without infantry the defender gets by with ranged defense and the whole wave breaks on it. Don't make it the only type of defender in your castle either, a castle full of Lion bowmen looks good on paper, but against infantry defense 54 gets broken through. And don't try to farm more of it like an ordinary unit from the barracks, you receive it as reinforcement from your faction, so treat it as a scarcer resource. With large numbers watch your food, upkeep of 4 per unit shows in the hundreds.

Pro player tipBefore you send it into the attack, go through the spy report. Where the defender has little ranged defense, the Lion bowman does the most. Attack 98 and both defenses are base level 1 values before bonuses, so in a real fight add your own bonuses to them. The Bear bowman from the other faction has exactly the same values, so the side you fight for in Berimond changes nothing about the strength of the ranged unit. If you have more Lion bowmen than you need for the attack, leave part of them at home. With defense 129 against ranged they will help you against ranged raids, just always complement them with melee defenders.
Common mistakeThe most common mistake is to look only at the melee attack, which is zero for all ranged units, and write the Lion bowman off as a pure defender. Its real attack is ranged, at 98, so it normally belongs in the attack wave. Whoever leaves it sitting permanently on the wall loses its main strength. The second mistake is the opposite, sending only ranged units into the attack. Against a pure ranged wave strong ranged defense is enough for the defender and the wave falls. The third mistake is garrisoning the castle with bowmen only and thinking it is impregnable. Against infantry defense 54 gets broken through, so always complement them with melee defenders.

Related units

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