Renegade saber warrior

Offensive Melee

Mid-game infantry that the game leads as offensive, but in reality, due to its melee defense of 137 (against an attack of 111), it is a cheap wall defender for 98 coins. An open weakness is its defense against ranged units 48 - death against archers if you do not cover it with someone. A speed of 25 is slow, but that applies to infantry in general, so it only bothers you on raids, not on defense. The attack is average. When you need to defend walls cheaply against melee attacks, it is a good choice - just never let it go alone against ranged units.

111Attack

137Melee defense

48Ranged defense

25Speed

4Food upkeep

Quick overview

Type	Offensive, Melee
Source	Barracks level 5
Cost	98
Recommendation	Situational

rating

Attack

Defensive

Cost

Speed

Be careful right from the start - the Rebel Swordsman is classified as an offensive unit, but its numbers tell a different story. It has an attack of only 111, while its defense against melee is 137. In practice, this means you will want to use it more as a melee defender, even though it is officially offensive - its strongest statistic is defensive. You unlock it in the Barracks at level 5, so it is a mid-game affair. A major weakness is its defense against ranged units, where it has a poor 48 - against archers and artillery, these units fall by the dozens.

How to use it

Its main role awaits on the walls as a defender against melee attacks - there its 137 is worth it and it will survive longer than cheaper infantry. If you want to use it offensively (which the game formally designates it for), consider it as cheap meat for a full formation, not as a strike unit - an attack of 111 is insufficient for breaking through a well-defended castle. The food consumption is 4, which is standard for mid-game infantry, but once you build it in hundreds, expect your supplies to dwindle quickly. A speed of 25 is slow, but infantry is generally slow - for quick raids across the map, you use cavalry, not this. For defending your own castle, where it doesn't move, its speed doesn't matter at all.

What to combine it with

Distinguish between two situations. On DEFENSE, place it in the front line against melee and put units with high defense against ranged units next to it - it has only 48 against ranged units and you need to cover that gap with someone, otherwise the enemy will shoot it down. In OFFENSE, throw it completely forward as a tank that will take the first hits instead of your more expensive offensive units, and place real hitters with high attack behind it. In both roles, complement it with tools and a commander focused on melee - this will boost its strength, whether you are attacking or defending.

Weaknesses and what to avoid

Do not place it where you expect an overwhelming number of ranged units - with a defense of 48 against ranged, archers will take it out before it can do anything, and you are just feeding the enemy. Do not use it as the main offensive force against well-defended castles; an attack of 111 is simply not enough for that, save units with higher attack for that. And do not send it on quick long-range raids - a speed of 25 makes it a bottleneck for the entire army, rather take cavalry. If you are a new player and do not yet have Barracks at level 5, there is no point in eyeing it, you will only get to it in mid-game.

Pro player tipBuild it in larger numbers purely as a defensive block against melee - for 98 coins you get a defense of 137, which is a decent value for money for mid-game infantry (regular cheap infantry at this stage won't give you that much melee defense for this price). Always mix it with anti-ranged units, otherwise its only weakness (that 48) can be exploited on the first try. And remember, even though the game classifies it as offensive, its advantage is in defense - send it there.

Common mistakeThe most common mistake is to take it literally as an attacker because the game labels it that way and send it on raids. An attack of 3 stars (111) is weak for that - its strength lies in melee defense, not in attack. Another classic: deploying it against archers and losing an entire batch because its defense against ranged 48 is its open wound. And third: not monitoring food - a consumption of 4 per unit adds up with a large army of these units, and before you know it, you have a negative in supplies.

Related units

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