Legionary
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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Legionary
ImperialThe coach's briefing
Commander, the Legionary is Rome's answer to enemy infantry. With +4 vs infantry and +8 vs Eagle Warriors, they dominate melee combat against foot soldiers. At 75 HP with solid armor, they're durable frontline fighters. Pair them with Centurions for healing and you have an unstoppable push. The Legionary is cheap at 50F/20G - spam them relentlessly.
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
Anti-infantry specialist with high bonus damage
Tactical Playbook
Infantry Destroyer
+4 bonus vs infantry means Legionaries kill enemy infantry almost instantly. Champions, Halberdiers, and even Huskarls fall quickly to Legionary spam.
Meso Counter
+8 vs Eagle Warriors makes Legionaries excellent against Meso civilizations. They hard-counter the Eagle line.
Cost Efficiency
At 50F/20G, Legionaries are extremely cheap. You can mass them quickly and overwhelm with numbers.
Critical Point
Weak against cavalry and archers. Legionaries need protection from ranged units - pair with Centurions or use siege to clear archers.
Understanding The Stats
Legionaries combine solid stats with devastating anti-infantry bonuses. Their low cost enables mass production to swarm enemies.
Base + Bonus Attack
Base 12 attack with massive bonuses against infantry
Roman Armor
Balanced protection against both damage types
Solid HP
Respectable health for a barracks unit
Cheap Cost
Very affordable, enabling mass production
Coach's Tip
75 HP and 2/2 armor is solid. You can brawl and win against most infantry. Your cheap cost means you can afford losses.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Infantry | +4 |
| Eagle Warrior | +8 |
| Standard Building | +4 |
Armor Classes
Infantry
Takes bonus damage from Hand Cannoneers, Slingers, and anti-infantry unique units.
Key Upgrades
Feudal Age
Castle Age
Civilizations
* 1 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Legionary is the Roman unique Imperial Age infantry unit: 50 food and 20 gold, 21 seconds to train, 75 HP, 12 attack, 2 melee and 2 pierce armor, 0.96 speed, 5 line of sight and no range. Its classes are Infantry and Unique Unit; the game gives it +4 attack against Infantry and +8 against Eagle Warrior. Romans double the effects of Infantry armor upgrades, so the Legionary rewards a complete armor plan more than a bare unit count. This is a frontline unit whose value compounds with upgrades.
History & balance
The Legionary is presented as an all-purpose infantryman, and that broad identity matters more than a single trick. It is a Roman unit that can stand in the middle of a fight, pressure structures and meet several common ground units without becoming a ranged answer. The design also carries a clear limit: 0.96 speed and no range make long-distance fire a problem. Romans solve part of the durability question through doubled infantry armor upgrade effects, turning the Legionary into a unit that grows more reliable as the blacksmith plan catches up.
In pro play
Build Legionaries when you need a durable melee core that can also threaten buildings and absorb a first contact. Their 75 HP, 2/2 armor and 12 attack are meaningful only when the army reaches the target, so use Squires for +10% infantry speed and keep ranged support close enough to punish the response. The 50 food and 20 gold cost is manageable, but a pure Legionary mass still needs food and upgrades. Romans gather, build and repair 5% faster, which supports the infrastructure behind the unit; spend that economic edge on production and armor before taking an open-field fight against long-range fire.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is walking Legionaries into a ranged wall and calling the lost HP a bad matchup, instead of changing the composition. The official help gives the categories: Infantry as strong against; buildings, Scout Cavalry-line and Skirmisher-line as strong targets; Ranged Soldiers at long range as the weakness. Hand Cannoneer has +10 against Infantry and Heavy Scorpion +2 against Infantry, so both are real ranged answers when protected. Keep distance and focus the Legionaries. If Legionaries keep breaking your army and you do not know what to produce or when, that is exactly what AoE Coach does: it reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.