Spearman
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.
Stop searching after the game
The coach calls out counters live, the moment the unit shows up.
Try it freeEvolution
The coach's briefing
The Spearman is your emergency button against Feudal Age cavalry. When Scouts come knocking, Spearmen answer. They're cheap, quick to produce, and their +15 bonus damage makes Scouts regret engaging. However, they're paper-thin against everything else. Never fight archers or infantry with them.
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 Spearman is your **Feudal Age panic button**. He exists for one purpose: stopping Scout rushes before they snowball. He's not a fighting unit - he's a deterrent.
Tactical Playbook
Scout Counter
Two Spearmen can kill a Scout. Keep them near your woodline or gold to deter raids. The threat alone often makes enemies rethink their aggression.
Tower Defense
Position a few Spearmen near your towers. If enemy cavalry tries to raid past your defenses, they'll run into your spears.
Minimal Investment
At 35F/25W, you can make 2-3 Spearmen without hurting your economy. This small investment can save dozens of villager deaths.
Critical Point
Absolutely useless against **Archers** and **Men-at-Arms**. Their 0/0 armor means even weak units shred them quickly.
Understanding The Stats
The Spearman has terrible base stats by design. He's a sacrificial unit meant to trade his life for enemy cavalry, not win fights on his own.
Anti-Scout Bonus
Against a Scout (0 armor), you deal 3+15 = 18 damage. A Scout has 45 HP. Three hits and he's dead.
Paper Thin
No armor whatsoever. An Archer deals full damage, Skirmishers get bonus damage. Stay away from ranged units.
Ultra Cheap
35 Food, 25 Wood. You can spam them without touching your gold reserves. Essential for early defense.
Low HP
Dies quickly to anything. They're meant to trade, not survive. Don't expect them to tank.
Coach's Tip
Your stats are designed to be bad. 3 Attack, 0 Armor, 45 HP - you're not meant to win fights. You're meant to THREATEN cavalry. Position yourself so Scouts can see you, and they'll think twice.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Cavalry | +15 |
| War Elephant | +15 |
| Camel | +12 |
Armor Classes
Infantry
Takes bonus damage from Hand Cannoneers, Slingers, and anti-infantry unique units.
Spearman
Weak to Skirmishers and Archers with Parthian Tactics.
Key Upgrades
Feudal Age
Castle Age
Civilizations
* 49 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Spearman is a Feudal Age Barracks infantry unit priced at 35 food and 25 wood, with 45 HP, 3 attack, 0/0 armor, 1.0 speed, 4 line of sight and no range. Its class tags are Infantry and Spearman, and the game gives it +15 attack versus Cavalry and War Elephants and +12 versus Camels. Training takes 22 seconds. It upgrades to Pikeman in Castle Age and Halberdier in Imperial Age, so it remains a low-cost answer to mounted pressure across the whole game. This is the first visible signal that a Stable is being answered.
History & balance
The Spearman is the clearest expression of the spear-line idea: give a basic infantryman a long weapon, a simple cost, and a strong answer to mounted units. That design makes the unit easy to understand but not disposable. Its 0/0 armor and 45 HP mean it needs numbers, terrain, or support, while its class bonus makes every cavalry raid a more expensive proposition. The line then grows through Pikeman and Halberdier, preserving the same battlefield identity while scaling into later ages. That continuity is the point.
In pro play
Use Spearmen as a visible commitment against cavalry, not as a lone patrol. Their 1.0 speed and 22-second training time let a Barracks answer a stable early, but 0 pierce armor leaves them exposed to ranged fire. Keep them between mounted units and villagers, then add numbers before taking an open fight. Castle Age Squires gives infantry +10% speed, improving contact and reinforcement. Research the Pikeman transition when cavalry remains central; do not spend food and wood on a line that your scouting says the opponent has already abandoned.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is answering a Spearman mass with cavalry alone, then wondering why every charge stalls. The official help gives the categories: Mounted Units, especially elephants, as strong against; Ranged Soldiers and Infantry as weak against. Use the named counters that the data supports: Slinger has +1 against Spearman, Elite Skirmisher +4, and Hand Cannoneer carries +1 against Spearman plus +10 against Infantry. Keep those ranged units protected, focus the line and avoid cavalry trades. If Spearmen are wrecking 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.