In today’s article, we are going to take a look at all the troop types in Rise of Kingdoms. We will talk about the regular troops (the ones that are available to all characters, not just the unique ones – that’s a topic for another, future article).
So hopefully you’ll learn everything about the in-game units in today’s guide to the Rise of Kingdoms troops.
It is good to know, before we start, that there are four types of units in Rise of Kingdoms: Melee units, Ranged units, Cavalry units and Siege Units.
All the troops in the game work based on a rock – paper – scissors mechanic, meaning that one is strong against another and weak against a third.
The only exception to the rule is the Siege Unit, which is weak against all types of other units, but is strong against city defenses and perfect for gathering resources on the map.
Apart from this, each civilization has a specific, unique unit. This all depends on the nation you play as – and it will always be a troop for the 4th Age of the Game, the Dark Age.
Each unique unit has some extra stats compared to the base troop that everybody else has, usually translating in added bonuses in attack or defense, but also increased speed.
With these in mind, let’s check out the different types of units available in Rise of Kingdoms:
Rise of Kingdoms: Infantry Troops
These are the first troops that you get access to in the game. These are the melee units in RoK.
Infantry units are fast and better suited for defensive purposes than offensive ones. They are strong against cavalry units, but weak against archers.
As you upgrade them through the ages, they become more powerful and more focused on attack, get increased carry capacity, but also become slower (following the same trend of all the other units).
Here is a short overview of the different upgrades they get through the ages (note that I took these screenshots early on – the boosts they get to various stats increase as you research more):
Warrior
Swordsman
Spearman
Rise of Kingdoms: Archers / Ranged Units
The ranged units in Rise of Kingdoms are among the worst units to choose when it comes to carrying loot, but they are good against Infantry and weak against Cavalry.
They are good for both offense and defense, although not too great for gathering resources.
Here are some images of the first three levels of ranged units. Notice how their attack increases constantly, while the speed decreases (as it is the case with all high level troops):
Slinger
Bowman
Composite Bowman
Rise of Kingdoms: Cavalry Troops
The most offensive units in the game and usually considered the foundation of a solid army, the cavalry is strong against Archers and weak against Infantry units.
They grow nicely through the ages, just like the other troops, evening up pretty much eventually and becoming slower, but just as powerful.
Let’s check them out through the ages, to get an idea of how they grow in all areas:
Horseman
Light Cavalry
Heavy Cavalry
Rise of Kingdoms: Siege Units
The Siege Units are the special units of the game. They are weak against all other types of units, but strong against city defenses, so you only want to bring them to battle when attacking other players.
They also have the highest load of all troops, meaning that they are perfect for gathering resources – again, you should only send this type of unit to gather resources on the world map.
They are made in a smart way, so that you don’t leave your city not defended when you’re not in the game and you have armies out, gathering resources.
Check out the Siege Units across the early ages to see how they progress:
Battering Ram
Arcuballista
Mangonel
RoK Units Tips & Thoughts
Having a balanced army is key in Rise of Kingdoms and I believe that everybody will have such an army, since you will train all four types of units constantly and the numbers are equal as long as you have the resources.
There are few occasions when you will actually have to look at the composition of your armies, and that is usually when you’re attacking an enemy that has more of a specific type of units.
Let’s say that you want to attack a player in PvP and they only have archers defending the city. In this case, you should mix Siege Units (if the Watchtower is intact) with Cavalry units only.
Also, when you send Generals to gather resources on the map, you will usually send Siege Units only because they have the highest load.
If you worry about being attacked, you can send other troops as well, but I personally consider it overkill and not safe. If you are gathering during wars or kill events, it’s dangerous with any amount of troops.
The most important thing when creating your army and giving orders to them is looking at the strengths and preferences of your Commanders.
This means that if you have a commander that’s specialized in Cavalry (and you have worked on those skills in the skill tree), you normally want to have as many Cavalry units as possible in that particular army – or even nothing but cavalry units in order to maximize bonuses.
But apart from that, having a balanced amount of troops in all categories is the key to victory, since this way you are prepared for all potential situations.
And this will conclude our guide to regular troops in Rise of Kingdoms – one dedicated to all the unique units in the game is also published, so make sure to check back often to check that out as well!