Arrow Knight
The Arrow Knight is Aztec long-range Infantry that brings siege pressure without conventional artillery. Its range lets it threaten buildings and distant targets from behind the army.
Recorded values
- Available
- Fortress Age · Nobles' Hut; Fort; American Citadel
- Training
- 34 sec · 2 population · 14 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 160 hit points · 40% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 32 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 6.5 damage · 1.5 attack interval
- Ranged attack
- 11 damage · 30 range · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 5.25x vs. Artillery; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 39 damage · 30 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Ship; 2.0x vs. Fixed Gun, 16; 1.25x vs. AbstractWall
Role & counters
Arrow Knights use the Aztec roster and upgrade access rather than the European Artillery Foundry. Their attack can damage structures, but they are vulnerable when Cavalry or melee Infantry closes the gap. A frontline is necessary to keep them firing.
When to field it
Position them behind a screen and focus fire on a key building or exposed unit group. Keep Coyote Runners or Puma Spearmen nearby to stop a rush from reaching them. Move the line when the opponent brings artillery or Cavalry that can outrange or close on it.
Long-range siege and anti-artillery profile
The Arrow Knight is an Aztec Fortress Age archer and siege unit introduced in The WarChiefs. It costs 55 Food and 80 Coin, takes 34 seconds to train, uses two population and has 160 hit points, 40 percent ranged resistance, speed 4 and sight 32. Its ranged attack deals 11 damage at range 30 every 1.5 seconds, with a 5.25 times multiplier against Artillery in the current Definitive Edition profile. It has only 0.75 damage against Cavalry and Shock troops. Its siege attack deals 39 damage at the same long range every three seconds, including two times damage against Ships and Fixed Guns and 1.25 times against Walls. The very long range lets Aztecs pressure artillery and structures without fielding a conventional artillery piece, while the hidden resistance interaction makes many artillery units deal reduced damage back. The unit still has Infantry classification and can be hit by anti-Infantry bonuses, so use distance and a screen rather than treating it as invulnerable. It is a specialist that fills an important role in an Aztec army, not a general answer to Cavalry or Shock troops.
Position the firing line and protect population
Arrow Knights move slowly and use two population, so keep them behind the main army and avoid spreading a large group across the map. Their 32 sight and range 30 allow them to begin firing before most units can respond, but they need a visible target and a protected route to reposition. Separate formation can keep the rear rows firing at artillery without the whole group walking forward into danger. Coyote Runners are useful escorts: they can intercept cavalry or Infantry that try to reach the Arrow Knights and can chase artillery if the enemy screen breaks. Jaguar Prowl Knights can protect them from melee threats, while Eagle Runner Knights provide mobility and anti-cavalry support. If the opponent has detection or ranged Infantry, keep the Arrow Knights from becoming a stationary target. Focus fire on artillery first when it threatens the Aztec Infantry army, then use the siege attack against buildings once the enemy guns are removed.
Home City cards, upgrades and late-game scaling
Aztec Knight shipments are important because Arrow Knights do not receive the ordinary Elite upgrade that would add a standard damage increase. The source recommends damage cards that improve their specialized role, including a 20 percent base damage improvement from Great Temple of Coatlicue Support and a 30 percent total attack boost from Aztec Knight shipments. Scorched Earth raises siege attack by 50 percent, making the unit far more effective against Forts, Trading Posts and other defenses. Their wall multiplier improves automatically in the Industrial Age. These bonuses do not alter their poor Cavalry and Shock troop multipliers. The Arrow Knight can also damage Ships at double siege damage, giving it a coastal role on water-heavy maps. Research or shipment investment should match the match state: if the opponent fields no artillery and is pressuring with Cavalry, spend on a better counter rather than massing Arrow Knights. Preserve enough population for the Coyote Runner screen and other Aztec units.
How the unit fits the Aztec army
The Arrow Knight fills a role that the Aztec army cannot cover with ordinary field artillery: it projects siege damage from a long distance while remaining an infantry unit. Its range of 30 lets it threaten artillery crews and defensive structures before a melee force reaches them. This range is especially useful when the opponent protects guns behind Heavy Cavalry or anti-cavalry Infantry. Coyote Runners can engage the screen or flank the artillery, while Arrow Knights keep firing from outside the screen. Separate formation can help the rear ranks maintain their line of fire instead of the whole group walking forward into danger. The unit is slow relative to cavalry and cannot safely chase retreating targets, so treat it as a ranged support core and reposition with the rest of the army. Its population cost of two is meaningful: a large Arrow Knight mass gives excellent pressure against guns but leaves fewer population slots for the Coyote Runners, Jaguar Prowl Knights or Eagle Runner Knights needed to protect it. A compact group often performs better than spending the entire army limit on archers.
Damage, resistance and target selection
The unit has two distinct attack profiles. Its ranged attack deals 11 damage at range 30 every 1.5 seconds, with a 5.25 multiplier against Artillery but only 0.75 against Cavalry and Shock troops. Its siege attack has 39 base damage at range 30 every three seconds; it deals double damage to Ships and Fixed Guns and 1.25 times damage to walls. This means the visual description of an artillery hunter is literal: use the ranged profile against mobile guns, and the siege profile against structures and ships. Do not assume the long-range arrow attack is effective against a cavalry charge just because the target is exposed. The Arrow Knight also has 40 percent ranged resistance and an artillery-specific hidden resistance interaction in its unit tags, reducing how easily enemy guns remove it. This durability does not make it a frontline unit: concentrated anti-infantry fire, cavalry contact and area damage can still break the formation. Focus on the opponent’s artillery or a structure whose loss changes control of the map, then pull the unit behind the frontline.
Cards, upgrades and later Ages
Aztec Knight Home City shipments are valuable because Arrow Knights do not receive the ordinary Elite unit upgrade. The Aztec Knights shipment line improves the hit points and attack of the Aztec knight units, helping Arrow Knights retain usefulness as opponents advance. Great Temple of Coatlicue Support increases their base damage by 20 percent, and Scorched Earth raises their siege damage by 50 percent. These boosts have different purposes: the first strengthens combat arrows, while the second accelerates work against buildings. They can be combined with other valid bonuses, but the Fire Pit War Song does not increase Arrow Knight siege damage. Before investing in a large force, check which shipments have already been sent and whether the next Age supplies another damage or survivability upgrade. Without those supporting cards, the unit’s fixed upgrade path can fall behind fully upgraded standard troops. Its high base range and artillery multiplier still give it a specific late-game job, but the player should protect that job rather than expect a cardless group to win a direct infantry exchange.
Siege situations and practical positioning
Arrow Knights can attack from beyond many defensive lines, making them useful when a Fort, Trading Post or Town Center blocks an important route. They can pressure a structure during a Trade Monopoly attempt or force defenders to leave a protected position, but the slow firing cadence means sustained cover matters more than a brief volley. Against a water-heavy map, their double siege multiplier against Ships creates a niche land-based threat to vessels near shore. The same property applies to Fixed Guns, and the wall bonus improves their ability to open a breach. Keep the group spaced and avoid bunching it into area attacks. If enemy Cavalry moves to close the distance, pull the Arrow Knights back through friendly Coyote Runners or other screening units rather than ordering them to stand and shoot. A forward Outpost or allied vision can help them use their full range without walking into a blind approach. They are strongest when the Aztec player chooses the engagement distance and weakest when forced to retreat through a narrow choke under pursuit.
Unit tags, experience and unit preservation
The Arrow Knight grants 14 experience when trained and 14 experience when killed in the current Definitive Edition profile; older values were lower. These values matter in prolonged games because replacing a costly group repeatedly can also help an opponent advance through Home City shipments. The unit’s hidden tags also explain why its battlefield behavior does not follow a simple infantry-versus-artillery rule: most artillery receives a reduced damage multiplier against Arrow Knights, while the Arrow Knight still carries infantry tags that expose it to anti-infantry bonuses. Its 40 percent ranged resistance further helps against ordinary ranged fire but is not a universal shield. The practical result is a specialist that can endure some return fire while maintaining pressure on enemy guns, yet still needs protection from units that can close the distance. Keep the army grouped with a screen, retreat damaged Arrow Knights before they are lost, and avoid leaving a small remnant in range of a Town Center or anti-infantry force. Their long firing range is most valuable when the unit survives long enough to use it repeatedly.
Reading the artillery matchup
The artillery bonus should be understood as a specialized multiplier, not a promise that a single Arrow Knight instantly destroys every gun. Artillery units often have strong ranged resistance, and their health varies, so repeated volleys and safe firing time decide the result. The Arrow Knight’s long reach can force a gun to retreat or make its escort choose between protecting the artillery and fighting the Aztec frontline. If the opponent turns the guns toward the Arrow Knights, use their ranged resistance and artillery-specific protection to buy time while Coyote Runners approach from another angle. If the escort is still intact, attack the escort first rather than feeding the archers into a Cavalry charge.
Aztec long-range answer to artillery
The Arrow Knight is a unique Aztec ranged infantry unit that attacks artillery and buildings from long range. It helps fill the Aztec army’s lack of conventional artillery by threatening siege weapons before they can fire freely. A hidden unit tag also causes most artillery to deal reduced damage to Arrow Knights, making them harder for guns to remove than ordinary infantry. Use the range to focus enemy artillery and pressure exposed structures, while keeping the unit behind a screen.
Protect the archers from their counters
Arrow Knights do not replace a complete army. Heavy Cavalry and light infantry can close or trade efficiently into them, and an exposed group can be lost quickly despite its artillery resistance. Support them with units that stop cavalry and screen light infantry, then withdraw when the front line breaks. Their long-range siege pressure is most useful when the opponent’s artillery is a threat to the Aztec infantry mass or when a defended building must be weakened.
Resource, durability and attack changes
The current Arrow Knight costs 55 Food and 80 Coin, has 160 hit points and moves at speed 4.0. Before update 50830 it cost 50 Food and 75 Coin, had 150 hit points, dealt 6 melee damage and 10 ranged damage, and its siege attack dealt 36. Its current melee and ranged attacks are 6.5 and 11, while the siege attack is 39. Speed was 3.75 before update 15.59076. The anti-artillery ranged bonus is now 5.25×, up from 5.0× before that update. Against Cavalry and Shock Troops the current multiplier is 0.75×; historical values were 0.6× before update 15.59076 and 1.0× before update 14.43676. The XP awarded for training and kills also rose from 11 to 14 in update 50830.