He drew reserves he had kept in shadow. The catapult, last repaired in a fevered night, fired a payload that crashed into a trebuchet and sent timber and rope tumbling. The defenders unleashed a chain of boiling oil and pitch that turned a narrow approach into a river of fire. Up on the walls, archers and crossbowmen found their aim, and the Crusader ranks broke in a pattern Salim had taught his men to expect: first the banners fell, then the riders, then the will.

Mercenaries are the "quick-fix" warriors of the desert. They require , making them perfect for emergency defenses or rapid-response strikes, though they will drain your gold reserves quickly.

If you'd like, I can provide a more detailed breakdown comparing specific , or perhaps you'd like a strategy for using Arabian units ?

Excellent for pushing ladders off walls or acting as "meat shields" to absorb initial arrow fire. Cost: 20 Gold + 1 Mace + 1 Leather Armor Speed: Fast Armor: Medium Attack: High

Shock troops, breaching gates, flanking slow-moving armies. Crossbowman Cost: 20 Gold, 1 Crossbow, 1 Leather Armor Health: Medium Damage: High (Ranged, high armor penetration) Speed: Slow

Sneaking past castle defenses, capturing enemy gatehouses, and assassinating the enemy Lord. 5. Horse Archer

The backbone of early-game defense. They are cheap and effective when stationed on high towers. Cost: 8 Gold + 1 Spear Speed: Medium Armor: Low Attack: Low

Shock troops, flanking maneuvers, castle economy raiding. Crossbowman Cost: 20 Gold, 1 Crossbow, 1 Leather Armor Health: Medium (Approx. 250) Damage: High (Approx. 40 ranged, pierces plate armor) Speed: Slow (Approx. 2)

Placing ladders against enemy walls for infantry access. Cost: 30 Gold (Hired at Tunneler's Guild) Health: Low (Approx. 120) Damage: Structural (Collapses walls from underground) Speed: Medium (Approx. 3)

Your castle’s popularity and layout alter your units' performance. Building execution blocks, dungeons, and gibbets increases your . While this lowers your population's happiness, it grants up to a +25% attack damage bonus to all your military units. Conversely, building gardens, shrines, and entertainment centers increases your Kindness Rating , boosting worker productivity but reducing your units' combat capabilities by up to -25% . To help plan your next siege, let me know: Which AI Lord you are currently struggling to defeat? Do you prefer a heavy economy or fast mercenary rushes ? Are you playing a specific Historical Campaign mission ? Share public link

| Unit | HP | Damage | Cost | Crew | Best against | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | 100 | 60 (AoE) | 600 Gold + 5 Wood | 6 | Clustered archers, towers | | Trebuchet | 120 | 150 (Single target) | 800 Gold + 10 Wood + 10 Stone | 8 | Walls, Lord's castle | | Ballista | 80 | 40 (Piercing line) | 400 Gold + 5 Wood | 4 | Enemy siege, elephants, knights | | Battering Ram | 200 | 50 (Gate only) | 300 Gold + 10 Wood | 4 | Gatehouses | | Fire Ballista | 80 | 25 (Fire AoE) | 500 Gold + 5 Wood + Oil | 4 | Enemy siege towers, pitch ditches |