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Arbalester

Imperial Age upgrade of the Crossbowman. The pinnacle of the Archer line, Arbalesters are deadly in mass and form the core of many late-game army compositions.

Tactical Briefing

The Arbalester is your Imperial Age ranged killer. 40 HP, 6 attack, and 5 range make you devastating in mass. Your job is simple: stay behind your meatshield and fire non-stop. Halberdiers protect you from cavalry, you protect them from infantry. Watch out for Siege Onagers - one shot wipes your entire army. Elite Skirmishers and Huskarls are also death sentences. Pair with siege of your own to push and always have Bracer researched for maximum power.

Statistics

HP
40
Attack
6
Melee Armor
0
Pierce Armor
0
Range
5
Speed
0.96

Cost

  • Wood: 25
  • Gold: 45

Strong Against

Weak Against

Strategic Analysis

The Arbalester is the **Imperial Age ranged backbone**. In mass, they shred infantry and villagers. Combined with Halberdiers and Siege, they form the classic 'Arb/Halb/Siege' death ball that dominates many late-game scenarios.

  • Arb/Halb/Siege: The holy trinity: Halbs block cavalry, Arbs kill infantry and siege operators, Siege breaks buildings. This composition beats most armies in straight fights.
  • Micro Dodging: Against Onagers, split your Arbalesters into small groups. A single blob dies to one shot - spread formations survive multiple volleys.
  • Trade Push: In late game, push with mass Arbs toward enemy trade. Delete trade carts to starve their gold while your trash units sustain.

Warning: Siege Onager and Huskarls are **instant army deletions**. Huskarls have 10 pierce armor - your arrows deal 1 damage each. Never engage Goths without infantry support.

Attack Bonuses

  • +3 vs Spearman

Available Civilizations

Armenians, Aztecs, Bengalis, Bohemians, Britons, Byzantines, Chinese, Dravidians, Ethiopians, Incas, Italians, Japanese, Khmer, Koreans, Magyars, Malay, Malians, Mayans, Mongols, Poles, Portuguese, Saracens, Shu, Sicilians, Vietnamese, Vikings, Wu