Slinger
ArcherBase 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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Slinger
CastleThe coach's briefing
The Slinger is Inca's answer to infantry rushes. With +4 bonus damage against Infantry, you hard-counter Eagles, Champions, and enemy unique infantry. You're cheap at 50 food 25 wood and train fast. Available from Castle Age, you can punish infantry plays early. However, Skirmishers and cavalry will destroy you. Stay behind your Kamayuks and let them handle melee while you delete infantry. Class: Archer.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
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Your coach names the counters during the match — not once the game is over.
Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
The Slinger is Inca's **anti-infantry specialist** available much earlier than Hand Cannoneers. They allow Incas to dominate infantry matchups from Castle Age onwards.
Tactical Playbook
Castle Age Power Spike
Unlike Hand Cannoneers, Slingers are available in Castle Age. This means you can punish Eagle Warrior and infantry openings before Imperial.
Kamayuk Synergy
Pair Slingers behind Kamayuks. Kamayuks handle cavalry with their anti-cavalry bonus, while Slingers delete any infantry trying to fight your pike wall.
Meso Counter
Against Aztecs or Mayans, Slingers are devastating. They shred Eagles and even touch the tanky Jaguar Warriors effectively.
Critical Point
Vulnerable to **Elite Skirmishers** (they counter your Archer class hard) and **Cavalry** (you have no bonus against them and they close the gap fast).
Understanding The Stats
The Slinger has modest base stats but his +4 infantry bonus makes him a specialized killer. His low cost enables mass production to overwhelm infantry armies.
Anti-Infantry Focus
4 attack + 4 bonus = 8 damage per shot to infantry. Eagles (60 HP) die in 7 shots.
Ram Chip Damage
Minor but useful. Slingers can help chip down Rams while your main army fights. Every bit helps.
Cheap Production
Cheaper than Crossbowmen (25W 45G). You can mass them easily while saving wood for Kamayuks.
Low HP Trade-off
Just 35 HP, five fewer than a Hand Cannoneer. You're fragile, so positioning behind your melee line is critical.
Coach's Tip
5 base attack looks weak, but with archer upgrades (+3 from Bodkin/Bracer) you hit 8. Add +4 vs infantry for 12 total damage. Mass 15+ Slingers and watch infantry armies disappear.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Infantry | +4 |
| Spearman | +1 |
Armor Classes
Archer
Vulnerable to Skirmishers and Huskarls.
Key Upgrades
Feudal Age
Castle Age
Imperial Age
Civilizations
* 1 civilizations have access to this unit.
Other Units
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Slinger is the Inca unique Castle Age ranged unit: 50 food and 25 wood, 25 seconds to train, 35 HP, 4 attack, 0/0 armor, 5 range, 0.96 speed and 7 line of sight. It carries the Archer class and has bonuses of +4 against Infantry, +1 against Spearman and +4 against Monks. The official help calls it an anti-infantry Skirmisher that cannot attack at close range. Its cost and short range reward careful spacing rather than a blind front-line fight. Its best trades begin before contact.
History & balance
The Slinger turns a simple ranged weapon into a specialized answer to dense foot armies. Its identity is deliberately narrower than that of a normal Archer: it trades general-purpose damage for a clear Infantry, Monk and Siege role, while the inability to attack at close range creates a positioning test. As an Inca unique unit, it also gives the civilization a distinct Castle Age way to punish exposed melee formations. The result is a unit that feels strongest when the player creates distance and weakest when the player lets the enemy touch it.
In pro play
Use Slingers behind a screen and make the range-five limit visible in every move. Their +4 Infantry bonus makes them efficient into foot soldiers, while +1 versus Spearman and +4 versus Monks reward focused volleys rather than scattered fire. Thumb Ring, Fletching, Bodkin Arrow and Bracer are listed upgrades, but none replaces the basic rule: never let a cavalry unit or melee line collapse the gap. With 35 HP and no armor, a Slinger mass needs terrain, a front line or a retreat path. Scout first, mass second, take the fight only when the path to contact is controlled.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is sending Infantry into Slingers or chasing them with a slow formation, where their +4 Infantry bonus and range-five volleys matter. The official help gives the categories: Infantry, Monks and Siege Weapons as strong against; Ranged Soldiers and Cavalry as weak against. Elite Skirmisher has +4 against the Slinger class Archer. Winged Hussar closes at 1.5 speed against a Slinger at 0.96; the Slinger has no melee or pierce armor. Force contact rather than trading ranged fire. If Slingers keep controlling your fights 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.