Part of the Troops Series:

Quick Answer

The counter triangle is: infantry beats cavalry, cavalry beats archers, archers beat infantry. Siege sits outside it — built for attacking structures and gathering, not for field fights. Winning a fight you should lose usually comes down to bringing the right counter, not the bigger army.

Overview

Troop counters are the most reliably ignored mechanic in Rise of Kingdoms, which is exactly why knowing them is such an edge. A well-countered march of lower power beats a mismatched stronger one routinely, and every experienced player has won that fight and lost it.

The Counter Triangle

Your troops Strong against Weak against
Infantry Cavalry Archers
Cavalry Archers Infantry
Archers Infantry Cavalry
Siege Structures, gathering Everything in a real fight

Read it as: bring infantry into a cavalry fight, bring cavalry to hunt archers, bring archers to break an infantry line.

The Four Types in Practice

Infantry — the line that holds

High health and defence, modest damage. Infantry absorbs the hits so the rest of your march can work.

  • Best for: garrison defence, holding alliance flags, new accounts.
  • Weakness: archers, and anything that outranges it.
  • Why beginners should start here: it survives your mistakes. You lose fewer troops learning the game, which matters when troops are the only thing you can permanently lose.

Cavalry — the hunter

Fast, hits hard, dies to infantry. Cavalry decides who gets to choose the engagement.

  • Best for: barbarian farming, catching gatherers, field skirmishing, and anything where march speed matters.
  • Weakness: infantry lines and being caught out of position.
  • Note: cavalry is the best barbarian farming line by a distance, which makes it valuable even to players who fight with something else.

Archers — the damage

The highest damage in the game and the least durable when they are reached.

  • Best for: rally damage, field fights with an infantry screen.
  • Weakness: cavalry, hard.
  • Requires: better play. Archers punish positioning errors immediately.

Siege — the specialist

Built for attacking structures and for gathering capacity, not for fighting players.

  • Best for: taking down structures, gathering loads.
  • Weakness: anything that shows up to a real battle.
  • Do not put siege in a field march expecting it to contribute.

Unlocking the Tiers

Each type runs from T1 to T5, and each tier needs a City Hall level plus Academy research:

Tier City Hall Notes
T2 8 Arrives naturally. Do not overthink it.
T3 16 Also the level that unlocks the Blacksmith.
T4 21 The milestone that changes your standing on the map.
T5 25 A months-long project — see how to unlock T5 troops.

Every tier needs the City Hall level and the matching Academy research, and the research is separate for each troop type.

Each unlock is per troop type. Doing all four in parallel gets you nowhere; commit to one.

Choosing Your Specialisation

Pick based on how you actually play:

  • You want to defend, hold flags and not lose troops learning → infantry.
  • You want to be on the map, hunting and farming → cavalry.
  • You want maximum damage and will pay attention to positioning → archers.

Then align everything behind it: civilization, commanders, Academy research and equipment. Stacked bonuses in one direction are worth far more than spread ones.

Using Counters in Practice

  • Scout before attacking. Scouting shows what you are walking into. Power alone tells you nothing — see power levels explained.
  • Garrison with the counter. If the incoming rally is cavalry, reinforce with infantry.
  • Mix marches deliberately. An infantry screen in front of an archer core survives far longer than pure archers.
  • Do not fight uphill. If you are countered and the fight is optional, do not take it. This is the discipline that keeps armies alive.

FAQ

What beats what in Rise of Kingdoms?

Infantry beats cavalry, cavalry beats archers, archers beat infantry. Siege is outside the triangle.

What is the best troop type in Rise of Kingdoms?

None outright. Infantry is the most forgiving, cavalry the most flexible, archers the highest damage.

How do I unlock level 3 or level 4 troops?

City Hall level plus the matching Academy research for that troop type. T3 lands at City Hall 16; T4 lands at City Hall 21, which is the number most guides get wrong.

Should I train all four troop types?

No. Specialise in one, keep infantry as a screen, and train siege only when a job requires it.

Does troop type matter more than power?

Frequently, yes. A countered march loses fights it should win on paper.

Key Takeaways

  • Infantry > cavalry > archers > infantry. Siege is for structures.
  • Specialise in one type and stack every bonus behind it.
  • Scout first — counters decide more fights than power does.
  • T2 at City Hall 8, T3 at 16, T4 at 21, T5 at 25 — each with its own per-type research.
  • An infantry screen makes every other line survive longer.