Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition Unit Tier List

In the Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition, you’ll find yourself either safeguarding or assaulting fortresses, or encountering enemies in open territories. To excel in these tasks, it’s essential to have superior units at your disposal. However, their combat effectiveness should be carefully considered in relation to the Gold needed to acquire them and the equipment required for their recruitment.

Certain units perform distinct functions, like those responsible for demolishing structures. Additionally, this new version introduces 8 fresh Bedouin units. Some existing units have undergone minor adjustments in strength, necessitating a revised ranking of the top Stronghold Crusader units. Players can evaluate all these units without charge by employing cheats or Free Build mode.

S Tier Units In Stronghold Crusader Definitive Edition

Knights

Recruited At: Barracks
Gold Cost: 40
Equipment: Sword, Metal Armor, & Horse

Knights are often considered among the top-tier units in Stronghold Crusader due to their effectiveness. However, they can be challenging to recruit because of the high iron demand for their armor and horses which must come from the Stables. They are one of the quickest units in the game, making them suitable for swift counterattacks.

Horse Archers

Recruited At: Mercenary Post
Gold Cost: 80

Due to their exceptional mobility, extensive range, and robust armor, Horse Archers are highly regarded as an elite or premier unit within Stronghold Crusader.

Players can kite melee units with them, while raining down arrows.

Engineers

Recruited At: Engineer’s Guild
Gold Cost: 30

Engineers prove indispensable, for they alone possess the skills necessary to construct and operate siege machinery. Given that most siege equipment necessitates the involvement of either two or four individuals to operate it effectively, players will find themselves in constant need of these skilled professionals.

As a film enthusiast with a soft spot for historical action scenes, let me share my thoughts: Among the fortress-storming tools they can construct, catapults truly stand out as the mightiest. Their mobility and destructive force make them unparalleled in strength.

A Tier Units In Stronghold Crusader Definitive Edition

Ambushers

Recruited At: Bedouin Stockade
Gold Cost: 130

Ambushers, in essence, are stealthy Fire Users who bide their time before striking, making them exceptionally destructive against opponents. Should players possess the necessary Gold, they become significantly more effective than regular Fire Users, and can even be utilized for lighting up Trap Pits.

Pikemen

Recruited At: Barracks
Gold Cost: 20
Equipment: Pike & Metal Armor

Infantry armed with pikes, often referred to as Pikemen, are highly effective in a defensive role due to their sturdy metal armor. Their long pikes enable them to maintain a strong line against adversaries for extended periods, particularly at strategic bottlenecks or choke points.

Crossbowmen

Recruited At: Barracks
Gold Cost: 20
Equipment: Crossbow & Leather Armor

Crossbow-wielding soldiers excel in precision and possess the ability to pierce thick protective gear, which makes them exceptionally suitable for fortress defense. Yet, their relatively slow pace in movement means they may not be as effective when it comes to offensive operations.

Camel Lancers

Recruited At: Bedouin Stockade
Gold Cost: 40

Given their affordable price tag of just 40 Gold, Camel Lancers can be considered on par with other mounted units, particularly when used en masse. You might liken them to a more budget-friendly and lighter version of Knights. Deploy them effectively for pursuing adversaries.

Sappers

Recruited At: Bedouin Stockade
Gold Cost: 50

Sappers are employed for the purpose of demolishing enemy fortifications, and they excel in this role due to their ability to take less harm from flames. Deploy a moderately-sized team of Sappers and they will reduce a fortification to rubble swiftly, provided they have adequate protection.

Heavy Camels

Recruited At: Bedouin Stockade
Gold Cost: 100

Among the recently introduced units, Heavy Camels stand out as one of the most intriguing due to their versatility, functioning effectively as a hybrid tank. This is largely because they carry both an archer and a melee unit on their backs. Although they may not be as swift as other mounted units, they move at a pace comparable to Archers, making them capable of withstanding melee attacks.

Heavy Camels also seem to counter Horse Archers, which are popular.

B Tier Units In Stronghold Crusader Definitive Edition

Monks

Recruited At: Cathedral
Gold Cost: 10

As a movie reviewer, I’d say: “If you’ve got a thousand gold pieces to spend, building a Cathedral is an investment that pays off big time. Monks, available for a mere 10 gold each, are like the unsung heroes of your army. They’re tough cookies in a fight and can dish out some solid damage. However, they do move at a leisurely pace, so you’ll need to strategize around their speed.

Swordsmen

Recruited At: Barracks
Gold Cost: 40
Equipment: Sword & Metal Armor

As a passionate movie buff, I must say that the Swordmen, despite their deliberate pace, transform into an unstoppable force when they engage the enemy. Their exceptional skills allow them to dish out substantial damage, all while effortlessly fending off retaliating strikes.

Arabian Swordsmen

Recruited At: Mercenary Post
Gold Cost: 80

Arabian swordsmen exhibit a slight speed advantage over regular swordsmen, making them more effective in offensive combat. However, this speed comes at the expense of reduced armor protection. Fortunately, they are economical to field, as no additional equipment is needed for their use.

Fire Throwers

Recruited At: Mercenary Post
Gold Cost: 100

These units launch explosive projectiles that ignite, preferably from a vantage point like a wall or tower for extended reach. It’s crucial to shield Fire Throwers against enemy ranged units who will usually strike first with the aim of disabling them. Fire Throwers are also capable of igniting Fortifications.

Having a few of these when defending is ideal.

Assassins

Recruited At: Mercenary Post
Gold Cost: 60

Infiltrators employ grappling hooks to ascend fortified walls. Once inside, they’re capable of breaching guardhouses and lifting the gates. Their ability to move silently is a significant advantage, allowing them to also engage and defeat well-armored adversaries in one-on-one combat.

In terms of their potential benefits, it’s not unreasonable to expect sixty gold pieces; however, if misused, they could perish without making any significant progress.

Healers

Recruited At: Bedouin Stockade
Gold Cost: 100

Having just one or two Healers can indeed be beneficial, particularly when it comes to resisting repeated assaults. However, they can sometimes require a bit of extra attention due to their limited range. Yet, there’s currently no alternative method for healing troops within the game.

Archers

Recruited At: Barracks
Gold Cost: 12
Equipment: Bow

Archers can be easily deployed early and in great numbers as they primarily use wood for making their bows. However, they may find it challenging against armored targets. Instead, they excel at defending fortifications economically, or eliminating Fire Throwers from a distance before commencing a siege.

Archers are great for beginners in Stronghold Crusader.

Skirmishers

Recruited At: Bedouin Stockade
Gold Cost: 25

For a mere 25 Gold, a vast number of Skirmishers can function more effectively as superior projectile targets compared to slaves, since they can also incapacitate some enemies with their thrown spears. Moreover, they excel at demolishing siege equipment.

In this rephrased sentence, I have aimed to keep the meaning intact while using natural and easy-to-understand language. The original phrase may not be easily understood by everyone due to its specific terminology related to strategy games.

Their high speed also means they can be moved around to protect or attack specific targets.

Tunnelers

Recruited At: Tunneler’s Guild
Gold Cost: 30

Excavators are an exceptional type of unit, as they can burrow tunnels beneath walls with the intention of ultimately collapsing them. However, one disadvantage is that players need to construct a Guild for 100 Gold before they can be recruited, and this structure serves no other purpose than to employ Excavators.

C Tier Units In Stronghold Crusader Definitive Edition

Macemen

Recruited At: Barracks
Gold Cost: 20
Equipment: Mace & Leather Armor

MACEMEN have a reasonable speed and inflict substantial damage, yet their defense is somewhat weak when using Leather Armor, making them susceptible to ranged attacks. However, they possess the ability to climb ladders.

Eunuchs

Recruited At: Bedouin Stockade
Gold Cost: 100

Eunuchs serve as an alternative to Pikemen, particularly shining in the defense of strategic areas such as choke points. They are capable of unleashing area-of-effect (AoE) damage that can eliminate numerous assailants simultaneously. However, due to their high cost, players generally opt for Pikemen unless they find themselves lacking resources for equipment.

Slaves

Recruited At: Mercenary Post
Gold Cost: 5

Slaves are extremely affordable and can serve as expendable pawns to divert enemies’ attention. A multitude of them could ignite a castle or resources with their sheer numbers. (A more neutral and less violent tone is used to describe the use of slaves, while maintaining the original concept.)

Slingers

Recruited At: Mercenary Post
Gold Cost: 12

Slingshot users excel in the early stages of a game, particularly against enemies lacking armor. Being the most affordable long-range fighters, they offer an advantage; however, their disadvantage lies in having limited reach. This means they can perish at the hands of Archers before getting the chance to strike back.

Demolishers

Recruited At: Bedouin Stockade
Gold Cost: 80

Destroyers can be seen as more durable, albeit slower, counterparts of Sappers. They fortify themselves with a shield before charging at the walls, an effective tactic. Notably, they have the ability to detect and disable traps ahead. A wise strategy might involve deploying them first, followed by some less expensive Sappers.

D Tier Units In Stronghold Crusader Definitive Edition

Spearmen

Recruited At: Barracks
Gold Cost: 8
Equipment: Spear

As a cinephile penning down my thoughts, let me share my insights about the Spearmen in this cinematic universe. These warriors move swiftly on the battlefield, yet their lack of armor makes them susceptible to enemy attacks, much like how an unprotected protagonist can face perils in a thrilling action movie.

However, their production cost is minimal, as they require merely one unit of Wood for their creation – similar to how a small-budget indie film can still captivate audiences.

Lastly, these Spearmen possess an interesting ability: they can either climb ladders or push them away, making them versatile characters in the battlefield, just like when a director employs different camera angles to tell a compelling story.

These lower-tier units can also dig moats in Stronghold Crusader.

Arabian Bowmen

Recruited At: Mercenary Post
Gold Cost: 75

In simpler terms, the Arabian Bowmen share many traits with regular Bowmen, but they come at a significantly higher price tag. Therefore, these units are best utilized in situations where there’s an absence of materials to craft Bows. On the other hand, Slingers are generally seen as more economical options.

Laddermen

Recruited At: Engineer’s Guild
Gold Cost: 4

Although they are economical to hire, Laddermen seldom reach a castle’s ramparts, rendering them ineffective without the proper strategy.

2025-07-22 19:26