Tactical Overview

Introduction

Before moving on, it is important to keep in mind that there is no such thing as the "best" troop in the realm of Pendor. Each troop has their individual roles and purposes and if used wisely, they are extremely effective.

Unlike the extremely dry strategy of using the overpowered heavy cavalry one would commonly employ in Native, which almost everyone was guilty of, Prophesy of Pendor has vastly improved the aspects of each category of troops. Even light shock troops play an extremely important role in turning the tide of a battle. Using the right strategies and the right troops will grant you victory and enough denars to countinue building your mighty empire.

Kingdom of Sarleon

The Kingdom of Sarleon is the central power of Pendor. Their cities are situated at the very heart of Pendor, meaning that their borders reach many different kingdoms. The Heretics and Forest Bandits typically spawn within the kingdom's borders. It fields well-trained infantry and archers, and also has extremely strong cavalry in Pendor.

For Sarleon troop overviews, see the Sarleon Troop Tree.

Infantry: With well-fed commoners, Sarleon footmen are extremely strong soldiers that are well supplied by their lords with decent armor, heavy weapons and shields. Many of them are proficent with the use of the Sarleon Longsword and the feared Morningstar. The most elite troops are granted heavy mail and corrazina armor, and given the use of the extremely unwieldy halberd, which they use to cleave through the flesh and armor of anything that attempts to taint the splendor of the Sarleon kingdom.

Sarleon's footmen are extremely easy to train, at least until the Man-At-Arms tier, where they will slowly progress on to the Halberdier tier. Given the wide amount of shields that their foot soldiers carry, they are usually able to survive several barrage of missles, with the exception of the halberdiers. The Armored Footmen and Man-At-Arms are decently armored individuals capable of taking down halted cavalry and engaging against other heavily armored infantry, and the use of their shields generally ensure their survival in their march towards a firing line. However, their wooden shields do shatter pretty easily, so players should ensure that these troops manuever themselves to engage the enemy archers as quickly as possible.

The Halberdiers, on the other hand are completely vulnerable to archers, especially horse archers. One should keep them away from archers, either by hiding them behind shielded troops or hills, before sending them to engage their foes. The Halberdiers are the finest foot soldiers of Sarleon, and rightfully so. Their halberds can easily slice through armor and flesh. They can easily stop horses right in their tracks, before bearing the halberd for a finishing blow on the rider. Additionally, the halberdiers are surprisingly able to combat infantry, even in sieges. However, should an enemy get close to the halberdier, it usually spells disaster for them as they lack a short-range weapon to counter any attacks.

To use Sarleon's footmen effectively, carry a mix of Man-At-Arms and Halberdiers to ensure optimal effectiveness against any threats. Using the shielded Man-At-Arms to combat enemy archers and infantry and the halberdiers to engage any opposing cavalry will usually ensure victory with very light losses.

Archers: The archers of Sarleon make use of the longbow, a powerful and deadly bow that requires an experienced individual to maximize its effectiveness. Sarleon archers are extremely well trained soldiers in the art of archery. They make excellent siege defenders, due in large to the high damage output they can unleash with a single arrow. What they may lack in firing speed, they make up with raw power.

Inexperienced archers use the short bow, while Sarleon Longbowmen and Armored Longbowmen use the longbows, a deadly and powerful tool of war that is extremely difficult to master. They carry standard heraldic kite shields and longswords. In a pinch, they do make decent melee fighters. However, they fare horribly against cavalry in melee, and thus require the halberdiers to defend them from that threat.

Cavalry: Sarleon, without a doubt, fields the heaviest cavalry in Pendor. The Marleons Heavy Cavalry are decent horsemen that Duke Aelfwine fields, equipped with morningstars and lances. Their Knights are extremely deadly, and the sight of one bearing down on a hapless foot soldier, with their morningstars raised is enough to cause just about anyone to flee in terror. They also use longswords, the two-handed silver claymores and lances to great effect.

The only thing more fearsome than a Knight that Sarleon fields is a Knight of the Lion. They too, use morningstars, swords and lances to great effect. Each swing of their weapons can easily slaughter mid-tier troops and leave top-tier infantry on the brink of death.

Sarleon also fields Knights of the Clarion Call. They are among the best human horse archers, while also being effective with their claymores and black iron spears. They are slightly weaker in melee than the Knights of the lion, but are more versatile and are excellent at riding around an enemy formation, filling the enemy troops with arrows.

Their Knights make great siege defenders, and they aren't too shabby when it comes to assaulting a fortress. They especially excel in field battles, where they can take advantage of their mobility to decimate enemies with ease. A commander looking for cavalry forces to smash through hostile infantry formations need not look any further, as the Sarleon Knights can fulfill this role exceedingly well.

Kingdom of Ravenstern

The Ravenstern kingdom lies in the harsh mountains to the north of Pendor. Their kingdom has only two points of entrance, one of which is infested with Jatu and Mystmountain patrols and armies. Living under harsh conditions, Ravenstern citizens are hardy individuals who mine for iron and battle the Mystmountain barbarians regularly. It has effective foot and mounted archers and decent horsemen, infantry and knights.

For Ravenstern troop overviews, see the Ravenstern Troop Tree.

Infantry: Under the harsh climate of the mountains and facing the Mystmountain on a regular basis, Ravenstern men are extremely tough and strong-willed individuals. As an extra measure against the cold, most Ravenstern infantry wear some form of kilt with their armor.

Trained with the use of axes and swords, Ravenstern footmen are lethal forces to be reckoned with. They also use shields regularly, and all the infantry unit from the Ravenstern Footmen are all supplied with shields from their commanders. Their armor are pretty decent, donning Cuir Bouilli, Surcoat over Mail and the Kierguard Plate.

The Ravenstern Highlanders battalions are comprised of men living in the area around the city of Senderfall. They undergo harsher training, in order to strengthen both their bodies and minds to fight the hordes of the Mystmountain raiders. Unlike the kierguards, Highlanders also wield the Ravenstern Great Sword, an extremely essential tool to decapitate the Mystmountain steeds and raiders. In combat, the Highlanders are almost as tough as the Fierdsvain Huscarls, and can easily engage in melee combat with them. Their Great Swords grant the Highlanders extremely high assault prowess against infantry and cavalry. They are only fielded by Duke Alaric in large numbers.

Overall, their infantry are pretty decent soldiers, with their Kierguards being extremely easy to train. Their choice of weapons allows them to shatter shields easily. However, they lack any substantial infantry support against cavalry, with very few of the Man-At-Arms carrying polehammers. That being said, most of their infantry are well-shielded against ranged troops. Their Kierguards are reliable soldiers, although their fighting prowess cannot be compared to the Fierdsvain Huscarls. They are good troops to be placed as garrisons, due to their cheap upkeep and the short time to train them.

Archers: Due to the nature of their environment, even the village watch are well-trained with the use of the bow, allowing them to eliminate foes at range, especially the Mystmountain raiders. The villagers also commonly deploy hunters to capture moose, and thus many boys have perfected the use of the bow by the time they are ready to serve in their lord's warbands.

The Ravenstern Kingdom fields the most powerful archers among the major kingdoms. Their warbows enable their archers to fire rapidly, without sacrificing the bow's power. Coupled with the use of the bodkin arrows, even the Ravenstern Archers are extremely lethal against top-tier troops at range. The more experienced Wardens and Rangers don heavier armor and are not only more experienced with their bows, but also with their axes, longswords and greatswords. The only known archers that can fire as fast, if not faster than the Ravenstern archers are the Noldor.

Due to their rate of fire, they excel both on the field and in sieges. They can easily shatter shields, eliminate unshielded foes and dehorse incoming cavalry. Most foes that attempt to get within melee range of the archers usually end up as a bloodied heap of flesh on the ground, with arrows protruding out of their bodies from odd angles. That being said, once the archers run out of arrows, which is always the case, they are extremely vulnerable to calvary and shock infantry. Berserkers and horsemen riding on extremely powerful mounts like the Netherworld Chargers and Ironbred Stallions can usually eliminate them easily in melee combat. Be sure to keep them well protected with your own cavalry forces or some form of anti-cavalry infantry. That being said, Ravenstern archers can play an essential role in battles, and it is recommended for one to train some of them, even if one is not a mercenary or a vassal of the Ravenstern Kingdom.

Cavalry: The Kingdom of Ravenstern fields both noble and non-noble cavalry. This grants them exceptional tactical advantages over their foes, as their steeds are a mixture of agile hunters and powerful warhorses. With a larger cavalry force, not only are the Ravenstern Lords able to travel faster, but they are also much fearsome in battle.

The non-noble cavalry consist of the Mounted Rangers and Horsemen. Both ride on lighter hunters and are equipped with chain and mail. The Mounted Rangers use shorter composite bows to fire from horseback with ease. They also use a mix of longswords and great swords to great effect, using their mount's speed to slice through even the heaviest armor that the Sarleon kingdom can produce. The Horsemen use swords, one-handed and two-handed axes as well as cavalry lances. Given the variety of weapons they carry, the Horsemen can easily shatter shields on the first charge and follow up with a swing from their shorter weapons, which can usually eliminate or severly weaken dangerous foes. Both the Mounted Rangers and Horsemen are great troops to pursue routing troops.

The Knights are heavier cavalry riding on warhorses, using their steeds' powerful charge to smash through infantry shieldwalls. They don Coat of Plates, granting them great protection against enemy attacks. Unlike Horsemen, they don't use axes but completely focus on the use of swords and lances. As powerful as the Ravenstern Knights are, their fighting skills and endurance are of no match to the Sarleon heavy knights, and are usually decimated by them. Even the Knights of the Dragon are only barely able to match up with them, and are then, dominated by the skills of the Knights of the Lion. Thus, keep your Ravenstern cavalry forces well supported with the Ravenstern Rangers when facing superior foes.

Ravenstern's cavalry is a great choice for a mercenary or a vassal of Ravenstern, as their Horsemen are cheap to maintain and easy to train and their Mounted Rangers are extremely lethal with their skirmishing tactics. However, it is recommended to upgrade your Ravenstern Knights in the Order of the Dragon as soon as possible in order for them to combat foes easily.

Fierdsvain

Living along the western coast lies the hardy Fierdsvain citizens, along with their Vanskerry cousins. The Fierdsvain hail from an unnamed icy homeland who have travelled to Pendor in longboats seeking greener pastures. The Fierdsvain are exceptionally strong and hearty soldiers individually, who place emphasis on personal strength and endurance. They are frequently harassed by Vanskerry and Heretics, which spawn around and within their borders. The Fierdsvain fields extremely heavy and powerful infantry, light skirmishing cavalry but rather lackluster archers.

For Fierdsvain troop overviews, see the Fierdsvain Troop Tree.

Infantry: The men of the Fierdsvain kingdom are much stronger and larger than most Pendorians. This grants them physical advantage over the infantry of other kingdoms. Hardened by constant raids from the Vanskerries and their way of life, Fierdsvain men are already extremely strong individuals by the time they are old enough to serve in a lord's warband. In addition to their formidable physical poweress, Fierdsvain men generally carry axes, increasing their lethality. The infantry is the true powerhouse of the Fierdsvain kingdom, and allowing a battalion of them to reach your soldiers unscathed spells disaster for your troops.

Fierdsvain infantry are already powerful fighters when they attain the rank of Light Infantry, proficent not only in melee but make do as decent skirmishers with their throwing axes as well. As compared to the other kingdoms' infantry, the Fierdsvain soldiers also have higher powerstrike, ironflesh and athletics attributes. Their weapon proficiencies are also higher, making them much more dangerous fighters as compared to other soldiers. Fierdsvain infantry branch out into two different specialities, namely the Fierdsvain Huscarls and the Berserkers. The heavily-armored and disciplined Huscarls make up the shieldwall, while lightly-armored and largely suicidal Berserkers are the shock troops of the Fierdsvain.

Using the Fierdsvain infantry is easy even for an inexperienced commander. Their large round shields can easily protect them from hails of missle fire, and their high endurance often grants them an edge over their foes. Using the Berserkers, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. The berserkers don light fur clothings, sometimes nothing at all, besides their pants to battle. While this makes them completely vulnerable to enemy ranged fire, it allows them to move and strike faster than other troops. Their two-handed weapons are extremely powerful, shattering shields and butchering their foes with ease. Berserkers that make it to an enemy infantry line often rake up kills single-handedly, even more so than the Huscarls. They also make short work of cavalry.

Granted that the Fierdsvain infantry are extremely strong fighters, usually winning battles even with the odds against them, it is ill-advised to send them into a fight that is heavily pitted against them. Even the Empire and D'Shar footmen can make short work of them if you send them in without any support. Despite that, a commander looking for strong infantry should employ a few of them to strengthen their infantry forces.

Archers: Fierdsvain does not field any powerful archers, as the men place great emphasis on personal strength and valor, which causes many of their men to engage heavily in melee combat and regard the bow as a weapon for the weak. However, in order to have some form of measure against enemy archers, the Fierdsvain have adopted the use of the bow into its military system. However, due to their disgust for the weapon, it is usually Fierdsvain men of lower stature and criminals who wield it.

The short bow they wield is not particularly impressive, as they lack the punch and range of the composite bow. Their powerdraw skill is not worth noting as well. In short, the bows only grant them slightly longer and more accurate shots against their enemies as compared to their more lethal throwing weapons. The only aspect worth noting about Fierdsvain Archers are their melee skills as compared to other archers fielded by the other factions. Their leaf swords and axes are suited for heavy melee combat. Despite their melee advantage, it is still pretty lackluster and they can only hold their own in melee combats against single enemies, unlike the Huscarls who can easily hold their own against multiple enemies at one time.

When playing as a Fierdsvain vassal or mercenary, save yourself the trouble and obtain archers from Sarleon or Ravenstern instead. The Heavy Archers can barely bring down any cavalry, and are almost entirely useless as ranged troops in sieges. In fact, the most powerful ranged weapon that the Fierdsvain equips their soldiers lie in the grasp of their infantry in the form of throwing axes and spears. However, as long as you have other archers to pick up the slack, these men would be a solid addition to your infantry formations because they are strong enough in melee to kill your enemies and weak enough that you wont be particularly bothered when they die.

Cavalry: By and far, a large portion of the Fierdsvain army is comprised of footmen, lacking any form of cavalry in their rank-and-file troops, due to their lack of horses and their disgust for enemies who fight on mounts. However, Fierdsvain are not entirely stubborn people and they have decreed for noble women with the funds to purchase her own mount, armor and arms the opportunity to join the Fierdsvain lords in battle, and the chance to be knighted as a prestigious Lady Valkyrie.

Due to their reliance on cavalry forces from the nobles, Fierdsvain warbands have a smaller cavalry forces as compared to the D'Shar or Ravenstern armies. The noble women also function as medium skirmishing cavalry armed with Jarids, axes and two-handed berserker swords. Their mounts are lightly-armored warhorses, faster than the steeds of the Ravenstern and Sarleon Knights. This grants them exceptional mobility, allowing them to reach an enemy line in record time. The Valkyries are rather lightly-armored individuals, and while this reduces their encumbrance, it makes them extremely vulnerable to archers and crossbowmen. Their shields are also extremely weak, usually shattering from just a volley of missle fire.

Their household troop, the Valdis Huscarls are the opposite of the Valkyries, usually riding on heavier mounts like chargers and even the Ironbred Chargers. They are also heavily armored and tougher than the Valkyries. They are slower but they can easily ram down infantry and scatter even the most disciplined shield wall. They are only fielded by the Fierdsvain monarch in great numbers.

In an ideal army, it is good to keep a small force of skirmishing cavalry to slaughter fleeing soldiers or distract enemies long enough for the heavier Fierdsvain infantry to finish off their foes. A larger heavy cavalry force should still be under your command to complement the Valkyries. On a flat battleground, Valkyries are extremely lethal, easily eliminating their foes with a single swipe of their weapons. Their Jarids also enable them to engage their enemies from range. The Valkyries are vulnerable to archers, so don't send them riding towards their doom. Instead, flank the enemies with your cavalry, while your infantry soak up their volleys with their shields.

D'Shar Principalities

Coming from nomadic roots in the southern desert, the D'Shar are comprised of raiders and slavers whom have adapted to the harsh conditions of their home. Living in settlements of tents, most of them have settled down and begun trading with the other kingdoms. Those who refuse, termed as Singalians remain as slavers, attacking caravans of other kingdoms. They are often harassed by D'Shar Raiders and occasionally the Heretics. The D'Shar fields lightning fast infantry, fast medium and light cavalry but only rather average horse archers.

For D'Shar troop overviews, see the D'Shar Troop Tree.

Infantry: One would expect the D'Shar's horsemen to be the most powerful troops in their ranks, due to the nature of their homeland. Far from it, as the D'Shar's most powerful troops are the extremely lethal infantry. The D'Shar Blademasters and Scorpion Assassins are extremely dangerous swordsmen.

Swift as a cobra, lethal as a scorpion, these sabre-wielding shock troops are powerful warriors in combat. They use throwing darts as a skirmishing weapon, which may not be as effective as the broadhead throwing spears used by the Empire but are much more difficult to dodge. Facing a faceless-masked D'Shar Bladesmaster in combat is absolutely terrifying for even the most experienced mercenary. Even the Empire's disciplined infantry formations often get torn apart by swift strikes from the infantry. Their top-tier infantry consist of the Blademasters, Scorpion Assassins and Warriors.

Before they are granted the use of a saber, freshly-trained D'Shar Tribesmen are given polearms to wield. This is an excellent addition to their infantry ranks, as their saber-wielding superiors are helpless against cavalry. Poleaxes, glaives and awlpikes generally fill their shieldwall, alongside the Desert Shields used by their top-tier infantry troops. Their weapon variety allows them to halt cavalry, thus rendering them helpless against their Bladesmen and Warriors.

The Scorpion Assassins are even deadlier than the Blademasters, and they can easily hold their ground even against the elite Shadow Legion Centurions, a feat for non-nobles. They are extremely difficult to train, but a small squad of these mysterious agents can prove beneficial in battle. They can tear apart enemies that outnumber them, usually decimating enemies with a single swing of their sabers, although extremely hardy soldiers like the Sarleon Knights and Fierdsvain Huscarls may be able to survive a single slash. Throwing knives complete their arsenal, and even armor-plated soldiers can sustain no more than two of their deadly daggers. However, a lack of shields leaves them vulnerable to archers and cavalry, so support them with Windriders and some heavy infantry.

D'Shar infantry act as powerful light shock infantry, and being armed with shields, grant them some measure of protection against archers. They strike rapidly with their sabers, leaving multiple dead foes in their wake. D'Shar infantry are extremely useful against an unwary enemy group. Even their Scorpion Assassins can easily take down two Fierdsvain Huscarls with ease. As powerful as they are, D'Shar infantry are extremely susceptible to a cavalry charge or consistent hails of missle fire. A successful charge by Sarleon's heavy knights can lead to more than half of the D'Shar's infantry being trampled to the ground. Even the D'Shar spearsmen pale in comparison to the Empire Pikemen or the Sarleon Halberdiers. In order to use the D'Shar foot soldiers effectively, use them to flank the enemy while using heavier infantry and pikemen to absorb the impact of a cavalry charge.

Empire

The New Empire, under Marius Imperator has improved vastly. Despite being former invaders, they have quickly settled into their new home. However, their nightmares from Amala continue to haunt them, with the Snake Cult trying to take over the nobility of the Empire nobility and the Red Brotherhood slavers and assassins harassing the Empire and other Pendor Kingdoms to no end. The Empire fields a wide array of decent infantry, powerful crossbowmen and decent cavalry.

For Empire troop overviews, see the Empire Troop Tree.

Infantry: The Empire fields a wide variety of foot soldiers. Their top-tier infantry includes the steadfast Legionnaires, the disciplined Armored Pikemen and their iron-willed Gladiators. While they may be good soldiers individually, the Empire infantry functions at its peak in a formation.

Any sane commander will try to avoid sending his forces straight into a solid Empire infantry formation, as they are likely to be slaughtered. Even Hero Adventurers on Netherworld Chargers are likely to be eliminated before taking down any Empire infantry. Such is the effectiveness of an Empire shieldwall.

A typical Empire infantry battalion consists largely of the spear-wielding Light Infantry and Heavy Infantry armed with broadswords. Complementing them are pikemen, Legionnaires and Gladiators. This formation allows them to destroy anything that stands in their way. Cavalry will easily be halted by their halberds, pikes and spears before being slaughtered by the swords and halberds of the Gladiators. The Legionnaires and Heavy infantry will hold off enemy infantry with their broadhead throwing spears and if their enemies get too close for comfort, the broadswords are then unleashed on those foolish enough to stand in their way. Even archers face difficulty trying to disrupt their formations due to the shields that most of their soldiers carry.

The Immortals march together with the Empire infantry, carrying the signature Empire Broadswords and Broadhead Throwing Spears as well as a frightening new addition, the Zweihander. These deadly fighters are a force worthy of respect and fear, renowned for winning battles with odds stacked against them. The presence of these noblemen on the battlefield can turn the tide of a battle completely around. They are adaptable soldiers and can easily face off against cavalry, archer or infantry forces. Any Empire lords will field a few of these killing machines to strengthen their infantry force.

Empire infantry can perform their roles extremely well, but individually, they fare poorly against enemies. Empire Legionnaires are not the most powerful fighters, and fare poorly against Fierdsvain Huscarls and D'Shar Blademasters. However, complement them with Gladiators and it's a completely different scenario. Adding pikemen allows them to halt cavalry forces. Their shields can allow them to march safely against an archer firing line. Thus, the phrase "United we stand, divided we fall" holds extremely true for Empire foot soldiers. Keep the Empire infantry together and watch them rip apart enemy after enemy.

Crossbowmen: The Empire is an extremely advanced kingdom, perhaps nearly or even as advanced as Barclay in the art of war. Unlike the simple bow that the rest of the Pendor kingdoms use, the Empire's armories are well-stocked with powerful crossbows. Even their lightest crossbows are capable of felling a fully-armored knight. This allows even their fresh recruits to slay heavily armored foes that they might have trouble with in melee combat. The Empire fields extremely powerful crossbowmen in their ranks, and unlike most archers, their equipment makes them more suited for melee combat, although they should still be kept out of hand-to-hand combat if possible.

The crossbows are excellent tools for sieging, due to the devastating power of each volley, and their accuracy even in the hands of less-experienced sharpshooters. Moreover, crossbowmen are able to consistently fire volleys into the enemy's stronghold, while archers have usually ran out of arrows by then. They are not to be underestimated when used against enemy cavalry as well. The bolts can easily pierce through the heavy armor of both men and mounts. The drawback is an extremely long reload duration, that can make the crossbowmen extremely vulnerable. Despite that, crossbows are still useful even on the field, shattering shields and turning even militias into deadly killers.

Veteran Empire crossbowmen carry large wooden board shields. These towering shields are extremely cumbersome to carry about and use in melee, but allows its users to take plenty of punishment, especially against ranged attacks from enemy rangers. They use the cross-hilt sword and Empire Broadswords as defensive melee weapons. Overall, they can defend defend themselves pretty decently, and with the aid of their heavy armor, they can last longer in a battle. However, poweful warriors like Fierdsvain Huscarls and Sarleon Knights have no problem taking them down, so be sure to keep them well defended with infantry and cavalry. A wise commander should only use the crossbowmen in melee if the enemy is on the verge of being overwhelmed and use them as a supplement for the infantry to take down exhausted foes.

You can't go wrong using them. Place them behind your infantry and watch them mow down ranks after ranks of enemies. If a player is looking for well-trained and efficient sharpshooters, one should always head to the south of Pendor and train a few of these versatile sharpshooters.

Cavalry: Horses are a luxury that only the nobles can afford. Any commander with half a brain can easily distinguish between the nobles and the commoners, and usually try to take them alive for hefty ransom. It comes to no surprise that the cavalry force of the Empire is smaller as compared to their neighbours, the D'Shar Principalities. Another reason for their smaller cavalry force could also be attributed to the Empire's use of Jatu mercenaries when they first invaded Pendor. The use of the Jatu mercenaries allowed the Empire to train more of their troops into much efficient foot soldiers.

The Empire fields both light and heavy cavalry. They can only be trained from noblemen, which may initially be expensive to field. Their light Horsemen carry broadswords and lances, but are also equipped with light crossbows for ranged superiority. While their ranged prowess is lacking as compared to the Ravenstern Mounted Rangers or the D'Shar Dervish Raiders, their bolts can pack a punch, and this allows them to kill lightly armored troops and occasionally, even Sarleon Knights without risking a close quarter confrontation, which the Empire Horsemen would very likely be slaughtered if such a scenario occured. The Empire Horsemen ride on hunter mounts, which are fast and rather durable horses, allowing them to outrun heavy cavalry and infantry, as well as using their swords and lances for hit-and-run attacks. Never send them riding into an infantry formation, especially not one lined with pikes and halberds.

Empire Knights ride on heavier mounts, the Imperial Dark Stallion, although a fair few still utilize the lighter Empire Hunters. They use Broadswords and Broadhead Throwing Spears. Like the Valkyries, this allows the Empire Knights to use their throwing spears against an enemy formation, before charging straight into the fray, allowing them to deal some damage before putting themselves in harm's way. Their spears also allow them to take down routing cavalry, by slaying their foe's mounts before coming back for the finishing blow or allowing one of their allies to catch up and prevent their escape. Despite their skill and valor, Empire Knights aren't as efficient as the Sarleon Knights in smashing apart enemy formations and they also lack the staying power of the Sarleon Knights. Try not to send the Knights into dense infantry formations or they will be ripped apart before they can deal any substantial damage. Let the crossbowmen disrupt the enemies and send your infantry to distract them, while using your cavalry to flank and hammer them in. Guardian Empire Knights, decked in white armor are basically souped up Empire Knights who also arm themselves with broadswords and spears, both the melee and throwing variants. They are slightly tougher heavy cavalry, but still lack the punch of a Sarleon Knight. They aren't too shabby when it comes to melee combat, although you shouldn't count on them to disperse an enemy infantry shieldwall with a single charge.

The truly dangerous mounted warriors that the Empire fields is the elusive and well-trained Shadow Legion Centurions. You can't miss them. They ride on Ironbred Stallions and don a distinguishable Shadow Legion armor. Their offensive weapons are almost the same as the Knights, but they also use lances and are equipped with stronger shields. The Centurions are to be feared when they charge towards you. Leave yourself vulnerable for just a second and a spear can find its way to your head. The Centurions are the most powerful honor troops one can find, being able to take on Knights of the Dawn and Eventide with ease. Converting them to your cause would be beneficial to your rise to kinghood. Unlike Empire Knights, the Centurions can literally plow their way through a heavy infantry formation and survive the charge. Having a large group of Centurions charging into an enemy formation can leave many of the enemy dead, and the surviving ones running for their lives. If a player is carrying Empire Knights, it is recommended to induct them into the Order. Having a small squadron of these centurions can ensure an easy victory. Despite their superiority, they do face difficulty when combating Vanskerry Jarls, which several Fierdsvain lords field. Keep in mind that these powerful noblemen are extremely reliable, but not invincible. Do not send them against impossible odds unless it's a last stand. These men can change the tide of a battle, so it remains essential to keep them alive for as long as possible. Kyros Dux fields Shadow Legion Centurions in great numbers.

Kingdom of Pendor

The Pendor kingdom, under the new rule of the player will rise to stand up against the common enemies of Pendor and to unite the entire realm under one rule. It is advised to make the Noldor allies, so that there is one less enemy to worry about. Pendor's soldiers come from the commoners, so they have the ability to be both recruited from villagers, and easily trained up to the fearsome soldiers they are. Their soldiers are generalists to a key, with their Man-At-Arms wielding a Great Sword in lieu of a Halberd, still having the same effectiveness that any other Halberd-wielding soldier would. Pendor fields average infantry, decent archers and pretty strong medium and heavy cavalry. Pendor's troops make great garrisons for castles and quickly built armies, due to their quickness in training and low upkeep cost.

For Pendor troop overviews, see the Pendor Troop Tree.

Pendor's noble troop line supplies the elite troops. Use the noble line to access all of the different knighthood orders availible to this kingdom, or even just make use of the fantastic infantry, knights, and archers it provides. The highest tier units on the main troop tree all display a lack of shields, so if you want to keep your units from being decimated by enemy archers you need to keep some Pendor Swordsman to be the front of your shield wall or heavy infantry from another faction. As Pendor, Your Pendor Man-at-Arms are mainly a shock unit, they can do fantastic damage with their great swords but despite having fairly good armor will get killed often, due to their lack of shields and lower health as compared to top tier infantry units from any other faction. Dont expect your Pendor Armored Bowman to hold their own against Ravenstern, Sarleon, or Empire archers.

However they do fire fairly fast and put out a constant stream of arrow to suppress your enemy. Make good use of them, but keep them protected as a cavalry charge will wipe them out. Your archer line will be more deadly and more resistant to a cavalry charge with a few Pendor Grey Archers in it. The War Spears that some of them use will halt cavalry that attempt to run down your archers, and the expert sharpshooting you will see from them will be welcome as well. If you want your archer line to be really deadly however, you should upgrade your greys into Silvermist Rangers and your Pendor Foot Knights into Knights of the ebony gauntlet.

With these men in your archer line you will be virtually unstoppable, with them mowing down any enemies foolish enough to oppose you. While they still need to be protected to prevent losses, if they are forced into a melee situation they can be expected to hold their own very well. Spread out in an archer line they will be somewhat vulnerable to cavalry charges, but the squire units of these two knighthood orders, the Silvermist Halberdiers and the Ebony Gauntlet Hammers are perfect for protecting them from such threats. Pendor has good non-noble cavalry, that does its job of supporting the knights very well. It's Pendor Mtd. Man-at-Arms are nearly able to to their own against Ravenstern Knights, and certainly can destroy the Ravenstern Horseman with ease. They can't be relied upon to destroy all enemy cavalry on their own, but can make your cavalry force much more effective with some of them supporting the knights.