Mobile strategy games like the Age of Empires require the player to build the right troop type for each round of heroes to conquer the battlefield. With four prime troop types: Swordsman, Pikeman, Cavalry, and Archer, each has unique advantages in its own way, knowing hero builds is crucial for F2P as well as for the spenders. This guide includes the best heroes you should use when attacking as well as using which troops to defend and much more.

Heroes and Rank Progression in Age of Empires Mobile

In Age of Empires Mobile, there is a hero rank system that is extremely important for the army. There is a possibility to level up heroes and assign talents and gears to them, but the heroes’ power is mainly determined by ranks. Using medals, players can increase ranks, and rank 1, 3, and 5 rewards powerful boosts to provide skills for the higher-level strategies. For instance, concentrating on cheap rank-ups, and especially for free heroes, the player has a powerful team without spending too much money. Explore our Age of Empires Mobile Tier List for the Best Civilizations.

Swordsman Heroes: Leading the Charge

Free-to-Play Lineup

• Josephine: Josephine is a starting swordsman, she is best for the early fights due to her decent base stats.
• King Derek: One more powerful free-to-play swordsman hero that can be obtained during the Giants Roar event. By coupling Josephine and King Derek, there is a stable swordsman roster for the game.
• Hamurabi: Obtained on the seventh day of login, Hamurabi is a trustworthy addition, strengthening a solid list of free-to-play swordsman characters.

Low-Spender Option: For those who can spend a little, Mamoto, which comes in VIP bundles, provides a nice skill damage increase at rank 3. Alongside with free-to-play options such as King Derek and Hamurabi, Mamoto increases the power of your swordsman lineup, which is beneficial in fights with the early and mid-game opponents.

Pikeman Heroes: Counterattack Masters

Pikemen heroes are great for counterattacks and thus useful against swarms and anyone that relies heavily on the melee attack.

Free-to-Play Lineup

• Richard: Richard is a pikeman hero with counterattack available, and can be obtained from the Legendary Advent Wheel.
• Jon of Arc: Early game, Jon of Arc is a good teammate for Richard, and has a lot of content available for free players.
• Darius the Great: Acquired on the second day of login, Darius the Great is a pikeman who can also defend himself until players level up other heroes such as Boudica.

Upgrading for Strength: Available only once, Boudica is an excellent substitute for Darius since she provides improved skills for a pikeman army. For those interested in the pikemen, the formation of Richard, Jon of Arc, and Boudica gives both defense and offense to make a formidable team that is great for long fights.

Cavalry Heroes: Speed and Precision

Thus, Cavalry heroes may not be strong at the beginning but they grow into useful additions by the time such heroes as Lu Bu appear in the team. Cavalry heroes are characterized by the mobility attribute which enables them to move rapidly to different areas and surround the opponents.

Free-to-Play Lineup

• Guan Yu: One of the critical strike heroes that can be obtained in the Tavern, Guan Yu is a powerful cavalry for early-game players.
• Darius the Great: As an option that can be easily changed, Darius is also suitable for a cavalry formation when necessary.
• Atilla: Atilla is another hero, which can be obtained from the Legendary Advent Wheel; she increases Guan Yu’s critical damage making it possible to deal with a lot of damage in a short span.

Low-Spender Cavalry Upgrade: Lu Bu: When he comes, Cavalry lineups are incredibly strong. Lu Bu is a perfect hero to have due to the fact that his AOE skill deals high damage while Guan Yu and Atilla enhance critical hits. Cavalry then evolve from a basic troop formation into a high damage per second unit, perfect for outflanking and swift combat. Check out our Age of Empires Mobile Guide to Increase Your Power.

Archer Heroes: Precision and Power

Archer heroes are famous for their powerful ranged abilities, and there are choices for non-spenders and low spenders.

Free-to-Play Lineup

• Josephine: Josephine used to be a versatile character, and she is also an archer, which is convenient for free-to-play players.
• King Derek: King Derek is a perfect archer since he has a debuff ability that can reduce the amount of health an enemy has making it easy for allies to deal more damage.
• Atilla: You can get it from spins, Atilla’s double attack skill is good for archer heroes as it provides extra normal attack damage that supports Josephine and King Derek.

Low-Spender Addition: For those who want to spend a small amount of money Mulan is a great archer hero that can be unlocked for as low as $1. Her rapid fire can hurt and synergy with Atilla’s double attacks make her a perfect fit for an Archer army. Casting Mulan, King Derek and Atilla yields an impressive low-spender archer team that can dish out a lot of sustained damage. Finally, Bellevue is available as a replacement for Josephine or King Derek, and forces Archer to their maximum potential.

Conclusion

Age of Empires Mobile offers players a broad range of strategies and heroes to build the perfect army. With well-thought-out choices, players can create highly synergistic lineups to suit any budget or play style. From free-to-play heroes like Jon of Arc and King Derek to low-spender options like Mamoto and Mulan, there’s no shortage of powerful combinations to explore.

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