The Verdict: Spearmen are the cheapest unit in the game. They will lose to Swordsmen and Archers in a straight fight. However, a wall of 50 Spearmen in "defensive stance" will stop a charge of Knights cold. Use them to protect your Archers.
The Verdict: The ultimate melee unit. A swordsman can defeat two Arabian Swordsmen in a brawl. Their armor reduces incoming damage from Archers (8 damage) to almost zero. The only threats to Swordsmen are Crossbowmen (piercing), Assassins (critical hits), and Trebuchets.
| Unit | HP | Armor | Damage | Speed | Notes | |------|----|-------|--------|-------|-------| | Spearman | 20 | 2 | 5 (pierce) | Fast | Cheap, good vs. horses; weak vs. archers | | Maceman | 35 | 8 | 11 (crush) | Medium | Effective vs. archers and armored units | | Pikeman | 28 | 6 | 6 (pierce) | Medium | Anti-cavalry; longer reach | | Swordsman | 50 | 20 | 16 (slash) | Slow | Heavy armor, good all-around | | Knight | 80 | 22 | 25 (slash) | Fast (horse) | Powerful charge; costly | | Slave | 12 | 0 | 6 (pierce, throwing dagger) | Fast | Ranged melee hybrid; low HP | | Assassin | 35 | 6 | 20 (slash, backstab) | Fast | Invisible; bonus damage from behind |
| Unit | HP | Damage | Cost | Crew | Best against | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Mangonel | 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 |
Key Siege Tip: The Ballista is underrated. A single Ballista bolt will pierce through 5 Knights lined up, killing all of them. It is the ultimate anti-cavalry siege weapon.
Stronghold Crusader , unit stats like Health Points (HP) and Damage Per Second (DPS) are often hidden, but community testing and game files reveal how these troops truly stack up. Core Unit Statistics Comparison stronghold crusader unit stats
The following table summarizes the primary combat units available in the Barracks and Mercenary Post. Health (approx.) Special Traits Heavy Infantry Extreme armor; high damage reduction Defensive Tank Highest HP; great for holding choke points Fast Attacker High speed; best for raiding and wall clearing Elite Heavy Mounted version of swordsmen; high durability Crossbowman Heavy Ranged High armor penetration; best for armored units Arabian Archer Elite Ranged Higher HP and damage than European Archers Invisible to enemies from a distance; can climb walls Low-Cost Heavy High melee damage for their low cost Harassment Used for burning buildings or digging moats Key Strategic Takeaways The Tanking Meta
are the ultimate "soak" units due to their massive 50,000 HP, making them nearly impossible to kill quickly with standard arrows. Armored Resilience
have high damage reduction against arrows (up to 96.5% for Knights), meaning range units without armor-piercing capabilities (like Archers) are ineffective against them. Ranged Superiority European Archers are cheap, Arabian Archers
have significantly better survival stats and damage output, often winning head-to-head trades. Siege Tactics : For wall-clearing,
are frequently preferred over Swordsmen because their speed allows them to overwhelm defenders before they can be picked off by towers. stats or a comparison of the unit preferences? The Verdict: Spearmen are the cheapest unit in the game
The Ultimate Unit Breakdown for Stronghold Crusader In the sun-drenched sands of Stronghold Crusader
, choosing the right soldier isn't just about gold; it’s about understanding the raw data behind their steel. Whether you’re defending a mountain pass or launching a desert blitz, mastering unit stats is your key to victory.
Below is the definitive data breakdown for your next campaign. Crusader (Barracks) Units
European troops are the backbone of a stable economy. While they require an upfront investment in weapon production (Blacksmiths, Armorers, etc.), their gold cost per unit is significantly lower than their Arabian counterparts. HP (Approx) Recruitment Cost Archer Fast (110) 12 Gold + 1 Bow Spearman Medium (80) 8 Gold + 1 Spear Maceman Medium (80) 20 Gold + 1 Mace & Leather Crossbowman 20 Gold + 1 Crossbow & Leather Pikeman 20 Gold + 1 Pike & Armor Swordsman Very Slow (10) 20 Gold + 1 Sword & Armor Knight Very Fast (110) 40 Gold + 1 Sword, Armor & Horse
Pro Tip: Pikemen are the ultimate "tank" unit, boasting the highest HP in the game to soak up arrow fire while your Crossbowmen pick off enemies from the towers. Arabian (Mercenary) Units | Unit | HP | Damage | Cost
Mercenaries are the "quick-fix" warriors of the desert. They require no weapons from your armory, making them perfect for emergency defenses or rapid-response strikes, though they will drain your gold reserves quickly.
Here is the story behind the unit stats in Stronghold Crusader, told from a designer’s and player’s perspective.
Rather than just a dry table of numbers, the stats tell the tale of medieval warfare on the Crusader trail.
The Story: You play as the Caliph. Your stats are inverted. Where the Crusader swordsman has 40 HP, yours has 50. Where he costs 20 gold, yours costs 12. But—your unit is slower. The stat comparison tells a story of defensive patience. You do not need to attack Europe. You let them break on your swords like waves on a black stone fortress.
| Hero | HP | Melee Dmg | Ranged Dmg | Special | |------|----|-----------|------------|---------| | Richard Lionheart | 200 | 40 | 20 (crossbow) | High armor, morale boost | | Saladin | 180 | 35 | 15 (bow) | Fast, horse archer style | | The Rat | 80 | 8 | none | Weak; low morale | | The Snake | 90 | 10 | 7 (poison) | Poison arrows | | The Wolf | 250 | 45 | 25 (heavy crossbow) | Immune to fear |
| Unit | HP | Attack (Melee/Ranged) | Defense (Armor) | Speed | Range | Recruit Cost (Gold) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Archer | 30 | 4 (Ranged) | 0 (Leather) | Fast | Medium | 12 | | Crossbowman | 25 | 5 (Ranged) | 2 (Metal) | Slow | Long | 20 | | Spearman | 40 | 7 (Melee) | 0 (Leather) | Fast | Melee | 12 | | Pikeman | 100 | 8 (Melee) | 7 (Metal) | Slow | Melee | 20 | | Maceman | 60 | 12 (Melee) | 1 (Leather) | Fast | Melee | 20 | | Swordsman | 150 | 12 (Melee) | 10 (Metal) | Slow | Melee | 40 | | Knight | 150 | 12 (Melee) | 10 (Metal) | Very Fast | Melee | 40 (+Horse) | | Tunnelers | 55 | 9 (Melee) | 0 (None) | Fast | Melee | 15 | | Ladderman | 25 | 0 | 0 (None) | Fast | N/A | 4 | | Engineer | 30 | 0 | 0 (None) | Slow | N/A | 30 | | Monk | 75 | 12 (Melee) | 5 (Metal) | Slow | Melee | 10 | | Arabian Archer | 30 | 5 (Ranged) | 0 (Leather) | Fast | Medium | 15 | | Slave | 30 | 3 (Melee) | 0 (None) | Very Fast | Melee | 5 | | Slinger | 35 | 3 (Ranged) | 0 (None) | Fast | Short | 7 | | Assassin | 60 | 10 (Melee) | 0 (Leather) | Very Fast | Melee | 30 | | Horse Archer | 60 | 6 (Ranged) | 0 (Leather) | Very Fast | Medium | 40 | | Arabian Swordsman| 120 | 12 (Melee) | 8 (Metal) | Medium | Melee | 40 | | Fire Thrower | 40 | 6 (Ranged)* | 1 (Leather) | Medium | Short | 25 | | Spearmen (Arab) | 50 | 6 (Melee) | 0 (None) | Fast | Melee | 15 |
*Fire Throwers deal "area of effect" damage, meaning they can hit multiple units at once and are highly effective against wooden structures.