Elite Fire Lancer

Overview

An upgraded Fire Lancer with improved combat strength for close-range charges.

Availability and investment

Elite Fire Lancer becomes available in Imperial Age. Its listed production context is Chinese. The listed cost is 45 Wood, 45 Gold and the training time is 25 seconds. This tells you when it can first join an army and which resources must be reserved alongside Villager production, upgrades, and other military lines.

Combat profile

The available combat values are included here so the numbers can be read as a profile rather than an isolated list. Hit points and armor describe how long the unit can remain exposed; attack and any bonus damage describe what it threatens; range, reload, accuracy, and movement describe how reliably it can engage or disengage. A value shown for a whole upgrade line applies to the listed stages as recorded, so compare the stage names instead of treating the line as one base unit.

• Hit points: 85
• Melee armor: 2
• Pierce armor: 1
• Line of sight: 8
• Reload time: 2 seconds
• Movement speed: 0.96

Field use

Use the listed role, range, movement, and class bonuses to choose a favorable fight; the same unit can be valuable as a screen or specialist even when it is not the army’s main damage source.

Armor classes and counters

Armor-class bonuses are separate from base attack and the target’s melee or pierce armor. The class list below shows the unit’s documented combat categories and bonus-damage relationships; use it to judge matchups instead of relying on the unit label alone.

• Armor class: Shock infantry
• Armor class: Infantry
• Armor class: Gunpowder unit
• Elite Fire Lancer deals +15 bonus damage to units in the Cavalry class
• Elite Fire Lancer deals +12 bonus damage to units in the Camel Units class
• Elite Fire Lancer deals +15 bonus damage to units in the Elephant Units class
• Elite Fire Lancer deals +12 bonus damage to units in the Ship class
• Elite Fire Lancer deals +2 bonus damage to units in the Ram class
• Elite Fire Lancer deals +1 bonus damage to units in the Standard building class

Related unit plan: Elite Fire Lancer charged-line attack

Elite Fire Lancer: Elite Fire Lancers can alternate between a charged ranged strike and close combat, giving them a burst against slower or grouped enemies before they commit to melee. Use the ability to shape the engagement, not as a substitute for a screen Approach behind a frontline, fire the charged attack into a compact target group, then follow with melee only if the opponent’s formation is already pressured. Keep the unit near support and retreat when ranged counters begin focusing it Archers and Hand Cannoneers can threaten the unit, and other infantry counters may win a prolonged close fight. Avoid charging into a ranged formation or spending the ability on a target that can simply disperse