Varangian Guard

Overview

Shock infantry used by the Vikings, Varangians, and Byzantines; it can earn gold while fighting.

Availability and investment

Varangian Guard becomes available in Castle Age. Its listed production context is Regional roster. The listed cost is 65 Food, 45 Gold and the training time is 30 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.

• Upgrade path: Varangian Guard → Elite Varangian Guard

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: 70
• Melee armor: 2
• Pierce armor: 1
• Line of sight: 5
• Reload time: 2 seconds
• Movement speed: 1.05

Field use

Use it to hold space, protect support units, or pressure an opponent that cannot kite it safely. The listed armor and bonus-attack classes determine which opponents it can trade with efficiently.

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

Related unit plan: Varangian Guard sustained-frontline plan

Varangian Guard: Varangian Guards serve as a durable heavy infantry frontline that can trade well over a sustained fight. Their combat ability supports an army that needs a reliable melee core rather than a narrow counter unit Group the Guards with ranged support and use them to hold a lane while the backline deals damage. Keep them in contact with the main fight long enough to benefit from their combat mechanic, but rotate wounded units out when pressure eases They cost more than the basic Militia line and do not solve ranged pressure by themselves. Avoid chasing cavalry or leaving the Guards without support against archers and siege