Elite Temple Guard
InfantryBase values, before Blacksmith upgrades. The Blacksmith raises attack and armour for infantry, cavalry and archers — Blast Furnace, for instance, gives "+2 Attack for infantry & cavalry". Late in a game, the real numbers are higher.
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Temple Guard
Castle Elite Temple Guard
ImperialThe coach's briefing
Commander, the Elite Temple Guard is the pinnacle of Muisca martial tradition. With 115 HP, 14 attack, 2/2 armor, and devastating +8 vs Cavalry, this warrior is an absolute menace in melee combat. The attack speed acceleration continues to ramp, meaning a fully spun-up Elite Temple Guard attacks every 1.4 seconds with 14 base damage plus bonuses. In Imperial Age, these warriors can solo cavalry formations and even trade favorably against Paladins when given time to ramp.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
Just lost against this unit?
Your coach names the counters during the match — not once the game is over.
Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
The Elite Temple Guard is the **melee DPS king** of Imperial Age infantry, combining high base damage, cavalry bonuses, and attack speed ramping into an unstoppable melee force.
Tactical Playbook
Cavalry Killer
+8 vs Cavalry means 22 damage per hit to mounted units. With ramped attack speed (1.4s), that's nearly 15 DPS against cavalry — higher than Halberdiers.
Dual Production Rush
Train from both Barracks and Monastery simultaneously. In a fully boomed Imperial Age, you can flood 4+ production buildings with Temple Guards.
Elephant Counter
+8 vs Elephants with high DPS makes Elite Temple Guards a surprising counter to Battle Elephants and War Elephants.
Wall of Steel
With 2/2 armor and 115 HP, Elite Temple Guards can absorb significant punishment. Use them as the melee core of a Muisca army.
Critical Point
Still only 0.95 speed. Archers remain the primary counter. Onagers will devastate grouped Temple Guards. Always pair with anti-archer support.
Understanding The Stats
The Elite upgrade adds +15 HP, +2 attack, +1/+1 armor, and raises the cavalry bonus from +5 to +8, making the Elite Temple Guard one of the strongest melee infantry units.
Cavalry Annihilator
With 14 base attack, that's 22 damage per hit to cavalry. Paladins melt against ramped-up Elite Temple Guards.
Improved Armor
From 1/1 to 2/2 armor. Every point matters — this reduces archer damage significantly and improves melee trading.
Tank HP
115 HP with 2/2 armor means Elite Temple Guards can sustain extended fights, which is exactly what the ramping mechanic needs.
Ramped DPS
At minimum reload (1.4s) with 14 attack, that's ~10 base DPS. Against cavalry, it's ~14.3 DPS. Champions only manage ~6.7 DPS.
Coach's Tip
With 14 attack ramping to 1.4s reload, your sustained DPS is insane. Stay in melee, tank hits, and watch enemies melt. The longer the fight, the stronger you get.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Cavalry | +8 |
| Camel | +6 |
| War Elephant | +8 |
| Ship | +6 |
Armor Classes
Infantry
Takes bonus damage from Hand Cannoneers, Slingers, and anti-infantry unique units.
Unique Unit
Vulnerable to units with bonus damage vs this class.
Key Upgrades
Feudal Age
Castle Age
Civilizations
* 1 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Elite Temple Guard is the Muisca unique Shock Infantry, a 70-food/45-gold melee unit with 115 HP, 14 attack, 2/2 armor, 0.95 speed and 6 line of sight. The official help gives the categories: strong versus buildings and Mounted Units, weak versus the Militia-line. Its attack accelerates the longer it remains in combat, so the unit becomes more dangerous when a player allows a clean, uninterrupted engagement. The 24-second train time and Infantry class make it a front-line investment, not a fast raider. Its value is the pressure of sustained contact: it threatens cavalry and structures while asking the opponent to answer before the attack speed ramps.
History & balance
The Elite Temple Guard gives the Muisca roster a durable melee identity beside its ranged and Monk profile. The official description frames it as Shock Infantry, with damage that rises while it remains in combat; its strong categories are buildings and Mounted Units, while the Militia-line is the weakness. Muisca bonuses to Archery Range units and Champi Warriors help create a combined army in which ranged support covers the approach while Guards hold the center. The design is deliberately binary: a stable fight makes the Guard more efficient, but range or the Militia-line makes its food-and-gold cost harder to justify.
In pro play
Place Elite Temple Guards where the fight must stay in contact: a choke, a forward Settlement or beside Muisca ranged units. Their 0.95 speed is not a raiding tool, and the attack-speed ramp means the first seconds should secure the engagement instead of switching targets. They are useful against Knights, Camels and buildings, matching the official strong categories. Add ranged support to punish the Militia-line and stop the Guards being surrounded. The right timing is a planned Castle-Age pressure with enough bodies to survive the first volley; a tiny group dies before its mechanic matters.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is sending Cavalry into Elite Temple Guards because they look like ordinary slow Infantry. The official help gives the categories: strong versus buildings and Mounted Units, weak versus the Militia-line. Hand Cannoneers have +10 versus Infantry and Slingers have +4; these answers attack the correct layer instead of feeding the Guard a sustained melee. Keep the fight at range, focus one unit before its attack speed ramps and use terrain to deny a permanent front line. If you keep losing to Elite Temple Guards without knowing what to produce or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.