Soldier
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 | |
| Unit Type | |
 Basic infantry, useful for capturing structures. Critical hit when adjacent to its commander. | |
| Information | |
| Recruited at Barracks | |
| Cost: |  100
|
| Combat type: | Ground |
| Movement: | 4 
|
| Range: | 1 |
| Sight: | 2 |
| Effective: |    |
| Vulnerable: |        |
| Capture: | Yes |
| “ | “Whether they’re undead, hidden behind a golden mask or even a terrifying plant-like predator, the soldier is always identifiable by their sword and shield.” |
| — Devblog |
Soldiers are the most basic ground unit type, being the cheapest in the game with a base level of combat and movement ability, but are weak to all enemy attacks. They can also capture buildings, and enter all transport units.
They're available to recruit from a Barracks for 100.
Soldier Units[edit]
| Unit Name | Faction | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Swordsman | Cherrystone Kingdom | Loyal and true, the Swordsman has been the bedrock of the Cherrystone army for many years. Swordsmen fight for their love of Cherrystone and its Queen. Though they are the most numerous of all units, each and every Swordsman has their name etched upon the walls of the hall of remembrance deep inside Cherrystone Castle. When not in battle, the Swordsman can be observed engaged in such activities as rescuing cats stuck in trees and hosting bingo tournaments for the Cherrystone mages.[1] |
 |
Dreadsword | Felheim Legion | Though poorly armed with rusted swords and splintered shields, the sheer rate at which Felheim is able to produce Dreadswords makes them a fearsome foe. The clatter of bones and the chatter of teeth foretells their coming as they swarm tirelessly over mountain and forest. During peacetime, the Dreadsword may turn their attention to pursuits they valued in life. Indeed, it is not uncommon to spot a Dreadsword painting, whittling or ice fishing among the desolate wastes of Felheim.[1] |
 |
Lionblade | Heavensong Empire | The Lionblades are elite footsoldiers trained for many years in the Gilded Desert. The harsh sun and burning sand make for brutal conditions, and many recruits fail to reach the end of their training. Fully trained Lionblades wear the 'mask of the lion,' a priceless mark of their ferocity shaped from solid gold by Heavensong's expert artisans. It is said that Heavensong's armies march sporting enough gold to purchase a kingdom.[1] |
 |
Slasher | Floran Tribes | Though the floran are lithe and beautiful, moving with other-worldly grace and agility, they also display terrifying aggression and a keen hunter's instinct. The Floran Slasher epitomizes this dichotomy. Armed with only jagged bone swords, claws and fangs, their savagery is unmatched. An army of Floran Slashers on the march resembles a breeze rustling through a field of grass.[1] |
Critical Hit[edit]
Critical Hit ratio: ×1.5
When a Soldier is adjacent to any ally Commander while attacking they'll perform a critical hit.
The Soldier is therefore unable to Critical Hit without a Commander nearby.
Strategy[edit]
| “ | “Whilst vulnerable, Soldiers are cheap and useful. The combination of low cost and decent movement range makes them particularly useful for efficiently capturing structures early in battle. A Soldier is also a cost-effective means of occupying key space on the battlefield.” |
| — Codex |
Soldiers have moderate movement, can capture buildings, and can take advantage of transport units like Wagons. This makes them the most effective first-response unit to capture buildings and hold territory until a larger flow of income is available. Their low cost means that they can be safe and cost-efficient to produce in great numbers.[2]
The greatest strength of the Soldier is its cost efficiency. At 100g, they deal the most damage per gold of any unit, and in large numbers can entirely minimise enemy attacks, as the enemy are limited in the number of units they can attack in one go. Like any inexpensive unit, Soldiers excel compared to other units when funds are scarce but recruiting buildings are abundant. It's often more useful to simultaneously recruit several Soldiers than recruit a single, more powerful unit for the same cost, while providing the ability to cover more ground and control buildings faster. Soldiers also offer an economical option while saving up for more expensive support tools such as Giants and Dragons.
Although Soldiers do little damage and take relatively more damage compared to other units, the mere presence of them on the battlefield can be game-changing. They excel at guarding more expensive units against immediate melee attacks. Surrounding a Trebuchet with Soldiers, for example, prevents the Trebuchet from being easily attacked by powerful melee units. Even if one surrounding Soldier falls, the Trebuchet may survive with more health than it otherwise would, then strike back with a powerful attack on the following turn. This "guarding" tactic works particularly well with your Commander thanks to the Soldier's critical hit, and the fact Soldiers have the same movement range as your Commander.
Because of their low damage dealt, and receiving high damage, Soldiers also have a uniquely effective capability for intentionally defeating themselves. If a powerful foe, such as a Commander or Giant, is within range of Soldiers, even healthy ones, it is possible for them to engage in an attack to deal damage and intentionally be defeated in the same action, dealing some damage to the target without taking up space for further attacks. This can allow for defeating valuable targets in a single turn which would otherwise not be possible.
Damage Matrix[edit]
- See also: Damage Matrix
| Attacking Unit |
Ground Units | Air Units | Water Units | Special | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villager | Soldier | Spearman | Dog | Mage | Archer | Giant | Cavalry | Wagon | Ballista | Trebuchet | Thief | Rifleman | Balloon | Aeronaut | Sky Rider | Dragon | Barge | Turtle | Harpoon Ship | Warship | Amphibian | Commander | Building | Stronghold | |
| Attacks | 60 90 |
60 90 |
40 60 |
50 75 |
60 90 |
70 105 |
10 15 |
20 30 |
40 60 |
40 60 |
35 53 |
100 150 |
70 105 |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 60 90 |
15 23 |
40 60 |
22 34 |
| Defends | -- | 60 90 |
80 120 |
80 120 |
90 135 |
75 101 |
135 338 |
95 142 |
-- | 45 68 |
105 158 |
-- | 125 188 |
-- | 70 82 |
-- | 125 250 |
-- | -- | -- | 105 120 |
40 80 |
95 | ? | ? |
Overall, the Soldier performs poorly in its damage matrix. It takes more damage than most and itself deals only moderate damage.
In terms of damage comparisons, Soldiers do not have any outright superior match-up against any other unit type, save for getting the first hit on those who can't counterattack: Trebuchets and Ballistas. A Soldier can still trade damage favorably if it gets the first attack against some cheaper or more vulnerable units, especially Archers.
Trivia[edit]
- Valder's Groove, Raise Dead, is used to quickly summon Soldiers to his aid.
- During development of Wargroove, Heavensong's Soldier unit was at one point named "Samurai" instead of Lionblade.
- The Cherrystone Soldier has the most cutscene animations of any unit (excluding Commanders) at 17.
- Many of these are variants for the Crownbearer seen throughout the campaign, who contributes 8 of these.
