• Arena's Guides: The Commanders


    The purpose of this guide is to help noobs get started in arena, specifically by learning how to use the commanders' abilities, using correct units, and so forth. It is intended to cover up to about tier 5 gameplay.

    Arena's Guides: The Commanders As a far warning, Arena has a deceptively harsh learning curve. Although Total War or World of X vets should easily be able to pick up the controls and theme, most still lose – horribly – at first, even with good tactical play. For example, when I first started, I was averaging about 220 kills per game (maybe in the top 5% on the server) yet was getting crushed, something like 42% win rate. This is because I failed to realize the importance of commander and unit skills. Learn from my mistakes and the lower tiers will be a lot less harsh!

    Arena commanders are essential to your success. Note that you level commanders independently from leveling your units. Commanders level up with "free exp" and can be used with any unit (although certain commanders' skills are much more useful with some units than others). Its important to use your free exp to level up your favorite commander's abilities or else you will fall behind, even if you are using high tier units.


    Note: High rank players can bring a level 10 commander into a game using a level 1 unit and have a massive advantage (more skills, better stats). This is the reason why sometimes you see a level 2 unit kick out multiple tier 3s, etc. Hopefully WG will address the seal clubbing problem by capping commander level at the unit level you are playing to keep the field level, but...wargaming.

    STARTER COMMANDERS:

    GERMANICUS
    Roman – Melee Specialist


    Germanicus is an extremely powerful commander, but he takes some time to become so. Roman infantry is a bit underpowered in low tiers right now in my opinion, plus his skills need to be at least level 5 before they come into their own. This leads a lot of players to think Germanicus is weak, when nothing could be further from the truth. Germanicus is a generalist infantry commander who is primarily useful as a basic defensive unit (bodygaurd your archers/arty), slaughtering dogs, and who can generally hold your own against most opponents if you have numbers or a good flank. You are most vulnerable to specialist infantry (pikes/spears head on, falxes).

    HEAVY INFANTRY CHARGE – HIC is a hard hitting melee charge that can also be used as a mobility skill to help your slow units get about. Its a basic, useful skill.
    TESTUDO – Unlike old RTW games, testudo does not give you immunity to missiles, it merely increases your block some. At first, its not terribly strong (and it also does NOTHING if they fire on you from behind), but its very useful when you are trying to tank missiles. Note the vision reduction – if you are spotting your your archers, be sure you leave one unit able to see far.
    VENGANCE – Vengance gives you a massive buff to melee stats that should give you a major edge on almost any melee opponent. You will probably only get to use it once a game, so use it in a major clash to punch through a key battle!

    Recommended Units: 3 Sword infantry / 2 sword + 1 spear infantry

    Its tempting to want to bring a velite, but germanicus has no synergy with those units so its best not to. Instead, use 3 melee to fix and flank, spread out and defend your allies, and overwhelm isolated or weak units.

    Throw Pila: Roman swords get 2 javelins. These are best used thrown at the back of a target (no blocking), but are useful to soften up any opponent.
    Formed Combat: Formed combat rotates your units to the front and provides a good buff to melee at the cost of speed. It takes more space as well. Its best used in any head to head fight, but leave it off for flanking manuvers.

    Recommended Consumables: Stakes

    Stakes are highly useful both as a defensive tool and as a sneaky offensive tool. I will talk more about this on future roman commanders, but they are too good not to use.

    BASIC TIPS:

    – Germanicus is perhaps the premier brawler in the game, get in there and hit them from multiple directions and watch them wilt.
    – A big mistake rookie Germanicus players make is in engaging greek infantry head on. A greek spear/pike unit in phalanx will CRUSH your infantry, even when heavily outnumbered. Instead, if you have numbers hit him from the sides/back or if he is in a chokepoint, avoid the engagement.
    – Don't be discouraged by a low kill rate or even more losses than kills. Germanicus will not always be a high kill commander. Do your job on protecting your weaker allies and overpowering the opposing melee and you will win.


    6v1 = easy roman victory right? Nope. My greeks slaughtered all 600 of them with few casualties. NEVER attack a phalanx from the front.

    CYNANAE
    Greek – Archer Specialist


    Cynane is perhaps the best commander in the game. She specializes in ranged attacks, hit and run tactics, and support fire. Bows when well played are devastating to any opponent and Barrage makes her clearly the best missile commander. She is particularly lethal in winning the ranged v. ranged duels that dictate who controls the map early game. However, its easy to accidentally kill a lot of allies with friendly fire and sometimes noobs aren't sure how to get shots and be productive.

    RAPID ADVANCE – A basic speed/manuverability skill which is always useful
    HUNT – Hunt is not terribly useful at first, but it can be helpful in archer v archer duels by keeping your opponent lit even if they try to hide in soft cover.
    BARRAGE – Reduces reload by 80%+, enabling you to sometimes volley an opponent to death before they can react. Best used against soft targets, especially other archers.


    Footage from '300', showing Leonidas use 'Fight in the Shade' against Barrage

    Recommended units: 3 archers / 2 archer and 1 spearman

    Cynane is an archer specialist and should never run anything else. In low tier games or if you don't trust your allies, sometimes its ok to run one unit of spearmen to help protect yourself from cavalry, but in general 3x archers is the strongest combination. She is a servicable javelin or slinger commander (or pike exploiter), but neither get to use the peerless barrage skill so I recommend sticking with bows and letting other commanders use those units.

    Archers

    Focus Fire: FF targets a small circle and gives a small damage bonus, which is best used to avoid friendly fire (aim at the back of an engaged unit to reduce FF).
    Rapid Shot: RS is a basic reload toggle, which doesn't appear to stack with barrage. Its got a short reload and is useful at any time.

    Spearmen

    Phalanx: All a Cynanae specialist needs to know about her spearman escort is that if they are in phalanx, they are virtually indestructable from the front, but will tire quickly. Not in formation, they are just bad infantry (ie, fodder). More will be said about them with spear focused commanders.

    Recommended consumables: Archemedies Counsel

    I prefer the small range buff (just enough to give me first shot against a base archer) and agility to dodge opponents volleys. I also like broadhead arrow for the alpha.

    BASIC TIPS:

    – Don't be like Rickon – zig zag side to side to make it harder for opposing missile units to hit you.
    – ALWAYS prioritize eliminating the opposing team's archers. Barrage them to oblivion and your team will gain a huge advantage.
    – Support your team! Unsupported archers will quickly be eaten alive by cav, so stick close to friendly melee to protect you. Don't forget to cover your rear, as well!



    ARMINIUS
    Barbarian – Speed Specialist

    Unlike the other two starting commanders, Arminius is not a clear cut specialist. Most people prefer to use him as a cavalry commander, but he is perfectly viable as an infantry commander as well. His skills provide speed, charge attack, a berserker attack, and deception.

    MOMENTUM – Momentum provides a nice overall agility/speed buff toggle that ends if you stand still. Its primarily useful for getting around the map in a hurry.
    FRENZY – Frenzy gives a large buff to melee attack/damage at a huge penalty to melee defense. Its useful against units you overmatch (such as meleeing cavalry v. Archers) or in attacks from the rear or against routing units. Avoid using this in a head to head fight with anything that can fight back or you will hemmorage damage!
    INFILTRATION – This odd skill makes you appear to the on the other team (ie blue to them) while also buffing your speed and charge. Only idiots will fall for the false flag, so this is basically another speed buff that sometimes surprises people. Its best used in forest combat.

    Recommended units: 3 horses / 3 melee / 2 horses + 1 melee

    Arminius is all about speed. You need to avoid head to head or prolonged combat with any unit and focus on hitting soft targets (archers, peltasts, arty) or surprise/blob attacks from the rear. Its tempting to play in forests, but the limited view range cuts both ways – you can just as easily stumble into a frontal engagement against germanicus that rips you apart as ambush an unsuspecting pikeman with his back to you.

    Cavalry

    CHARGE: This is a basic charge to run down the enemy. Note you cannot turn during the charge, so be sure you don't get dodged.
    Mount Kick: This fantastic skill knocks down and damages opponents in melee. It can be used both defensively (KD them then extract) or offensively (KD and trample them).

    Swordsmen

    Harass: This is a basic charge/mobility attack.
    Throw Pila: Similar to the roman version, but with 3 javs.

    Recommended consumables: Swear Oaths

    Charge and speed, what more can a savage want?

    BASIC TIPS:

    – Barbarian cavalry are very fast, decently tough, but lacking in melee skills. Sometimes even archers take forever to kill in melee, and charging infantry – even from behind – will often result in massive casualties for you. Be very picky about who and where you hit. Hunt archers, slingers, and arty with extreme prejudice; engage javelinmen, pikemen, or barbarian infantry only when it favors you; and avoid roman infantry, dogs, spears frontally, or heavy cavalary like the plague.
    – Barbarian Swordsmen are faster than all other infantry, which when combined with your speed buffs allows them to reasonably keep up with your cav. Sometimes I run 2 cav + 1 infantry, so that I initially cav charge a softy, then follow it in with my infantry. My cav then extract (reducing casualties and they are not that good in melee anyhow) while my infantry stays on top of them, letting my cav loop around for another hit if needed. The infantry can also serve as a screen to tie up defenders, allowing your cav a chance to get to the missile units. Just be aware that one melee unit alone is fodder against a blob.
    – The key to successful flank attacks is to leverage the morale system. You want to place your attacks so ideally your opponent gets the back attack, side attack penalty and routs quickly. While routed you will massacre them with speed and high attack, but if the flank doesn't collapse them quickly you will suffer in the melee.

    CONCLUSION:

    So which is best? That really depends on what you want to do. I suggest noobs try out lots of unit types as a low tier and see which type fits their style most. Once you know which unit you want to play, pick the commander that gives the best skills for that type. For example, if you prefer missile units you might pick Cynanae with three archers or Leonidas with 2 slingers and one pikeman. Each of those gives good synergy with what you want to do. A poor choice would be something like Germanicus using cavalry, as none of his skills work with cav.

    Written By: Garbad

    Comments 3 Comments
    1. Flinn's Avatar
      Flinn -
      The ES usually doesn't post guides, but as Arena is a very peculiar game compared to the other TW titles, we decided to implement this new section to help people know and understand the game! More to come in the (hopefully) near future!
    1. Commissar Caligula_'s Avatar
      Commissar Caligula_ -
      Cool guide fellas. You forgot pictures of Armininus though?
    1. Owlparrot3's Avatar
      Owlparrot3 -
      Great review.I liked the 300 part.Seemed almost funny to me.
      you have taken a lot of time and effort to meticulously explain the game..

      Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
      Plus i even got to use the rep button after a long time.