Part of the Troops Series (Hub):

Troop Types and Counters: The rock-paper-scissors that decides fights.

How to Unlock T5 Troops: The endgame military milestone.

Rise of Kingdoms Beginner Guide: The wider roadmap.

Quick Answer

Rise of Kingdoms has four troop types — infantry, cavalry, archers and siege — and five tiers within each. Higher tiers are strictly stronger, and they unlock through a combination of City Hall level (T2 at 8, T3 at 16, T4 at 21, T5 at 25) and per-type Academy research. Pick one troop type, commit your civilization, commanders and research to it, and keep your other types only as filler.

Overview

Troops are the part of your account you can lose, which makes them the part worth thinking hardest about. Everything else — buildings, research, commander levels — is permanent. A bad rally can delete a month of troop training in ninety seconds.

Two decisions matter: which type you specialise in, and when you upgrade tiers.

The Four Troop Types

Infantry — high defence and health, low damage. The line that holds. Best for garrison duty, holding alliance flags, and for newer players because it survives mistakes.

Cavalry — fast, high damage, fragile against infantry. The best barbarian farmers and the best at catching gatherers. Rewards aggression and punishes bad positioning.

Archers — the highest damage in the game, the softest when caught. Devastating in rallies and in the field with proper support. Demands better play than the other lines.

Siege — specialised for attacking structures and gathering. Not a front-line combat type; you build them for a job, not for fights.

The counter relationships between these are the single most important combat mechanic in the game — see troop types and counters.

Tiers T1 to T5

Each type has five tiers. A higher tier is not a small improvement — it is a decisive one. T5 troops beat T4 troops of equal quantity comfortably, and the gap widens further down.

Tier unlocks need both of:

A City Hall level. T2 at City Hall 8, T3 at 16, T4 at 21, T5 at 25.
The matching Academy research, which is expensive and takes real time.

This is why players say "T5 is a project, not an upgrade". Full walkthrough: how to unlock T5 troops.

Should You Upgrade Old Troops or Train New?

Both are options, and the answer depends on where you are:

Upgrading existing lower-tier troops costs resources and time but preserves the troop count you already have. It is usually the efficient path once a new tier unlocks.
Training fresh is better when you have surplus resources and idle training queues, or when your old troops died anyway.

The practical rule: stop mass-training a tier once the next one is within reach. Training thousands of T3 while T4 is two weeks away is a straightforward waste.

March Composition

A march carries a mix of troop types, and the composition matters:

A front line of infantry to absorb damage.
A damage core of your specialised type.
Enough of your commander's buffed type to actually benefit from its bonuses — a cavalry commander leading mostly archers is wasting its kit.

Your commander pair should match the composition, and your civilization should match the commander. Stacking bonuses in one direction beats spreading them.

Keeping Troops Alive

Hospital capacity first. Wounded troops that do not fit in the hospital die permanently. This is the most expensive lesson in the game.
Do not leave marches parked outside during a war.
Scout before attacking. Power tells you nothing about tier or commander investment — see power levels explained.
Shelter before logging off during active conflict.

Every Guide in This Series

Troop types and counters — the counter chart and how to use it.
How to unlock T5 troops — the City Hall 25 project.

FAQ

What are troops in Rise of Kingdoms?

The units that make up your marches — infantry, cavalry, archers and siege, each in five tiers. They fight, gather, and defend your city.

Which troop type is best?

None universally. Infantry is the most forgiving, cavalry the most aggressive, archers the highest damage. Pick one and commit — see troop types and counters.

How many troop types should I train?

Specialise in one, keep a supporting line of infantry, and train siege only when you need it for structures or gathering.

Should I upgrade troops or train new ones?

Upgrade when a new tier unlocks and you already have a large army. Train fresh when you have surplus resources and empty queues.

What is the highest troop tier?

T5, gated behind City Hall 25 and the matching Academy research.

Key Takeaways

Four types, five tiers; higher tiers win decisively.
Tier unlocks need City Hall level and Academy research.
Specialise in one type and align civilization, commanders and research behind it.
Stop mass-training a tier when the next one is close.
Hospital capacity is what turns losses into injuries.

Rise of Kingdoms Troops Guide: Types, Tiers and March Composition