Overview: The Battlefield in Ikariam
A land battle occurs when one player wants to occupy or plunder another. Each battle is divided into rounds, with one round lasting 15 minutes. The battle continues until one side wins.
A battle ends through one of three events: One side has no main battle line anymore (no units except ranged combat, artillery, air, supply train), one of the sides surrenders, or the morale of one side drops to a minimum, causing their units to flee.
The size of the battlefield and thus the number of units on the battlefield depends on the size of the city. Space for a flank is only found from city size 5 onwards.
Structure of the Battlefield
The battlefield consists of the following lines:
- Supply train/Support
- Air defence
- Artillery
- Ranged combat line
- Main battle line
- Flank
- Bombers
- Reserve
Supply Train/Support
The supply train contains doctors and cooks. They do not participate in direct combat and cannot be killed. They keep the health and morale of the troops high. Since they are not on the battlefield, the slot size does not matter.
Air Defence
In air defence, gyrocopters fly. They first attack enemy bombers, then air defence. There are 10 gyrocopters in one air defence slot.
Artillery
The artillery stands in the back row of the battlefield and initially consists of battering rams, then catapults and later mortars. During a plunder, the artillery first destroys the wall. It then attacks the main battle line first and subsequently the flanks. An artillery slot holds 6 units.
Ranged Combat Line (RCL)
The RCL is protected behind the shields of the main battle line. Stone slinger, archers and sulphur musketeer occupy this line. Per slot, the RCL contains 7 sulphur musketeers or 30 stone slingers/archers.
Main Battle Line (MBL)
In the MBL stand hoplites or steam giants. On the defence side, the MBL is initially formed by the city wall; if a wall segment falls, combat units advance. Swordsmen are completely unsuitable for the MBL. Each slot contains 30 hoplites or 10 steam giants.
Flanks
The flanks protect the main battle line and ranged combat line from attacks from the side and are used for fast attacks on the enemy flank. Swordsmen or spearmen are deployed here. If the flank has a free play, it first attacks the enemy RCL, then the artillery and lastly the MBL. Normally 30 units fit in a flank slot, from cities of size 25 onwards it is 40 swordsmen.
Bombers
The Balloon Bombardiers serve as bombers. They first attack enemy artillery, then RCL, then MBL and finally the flank. There are 5 Balloon Bombardiers in a bomber slot.
Reserve
All units that no longer fit on the battlefield are in the reserve. They advance as needed in the next round to replace fallen units.
Attack Order
There are six unit classes on the battlefield. The same classes from both sides attack simultaneously. The order is:
- Air defence: Gyrocopters
- Bombers: Balloon Bombardiers
- Artillery: Mortars → Catapults → Battering rams
- Ranged combat line: Sulphur musketeers → Archers → Stone slingers
- Main battle line: City wall → Hoplites → Steam giants; Swordsmen → Spearmen; Stone slingers → Archers → Sulphur musketeers
- Flank: Swordsmen → Spearmen
Strategy and Unit Selection
The main battle line is the foundation of every battle. Without MBL, no battle takes place; whoever loses their MBL also loses the battle. Therefore, it should be filled first.
Swordsmen form the flank. If you can break through the enemy flank with them, you inflict great damage on the enemy RCL/artillery. If your own flank falls, you lose your own RCL and probably the battle.
For the ranged combat line, you should rely on sulphur musketeers. If gunpowder has not yet been researched, you either do without the RCL entirely or use improved stone slingers. Archers are less efficient.
Gyrocopters attack enemy bombers first and only then enemy gyrocopters. If one side has no bombers, the gyrocopters are attacked directly without being able to defend themselves, which causes them heavy losses.
Long and resource-intensive battles cannot be fought without doctors and cooks. If you rely on steam giants in the MBL, you can do without doctors, since steam giants cannot be healed. With 30 cooks, you can keep morale constantly at 100%.
Close Combat Units Compared
For the close combat line, spearmen, hoplites, swordsmen and steam giants are available. Swordsmen belong exclusively in the flank, not in the MBL, as they are defeated there.
The hoplite is a robust unit, endures a lot, hits fairly well and deals good damage. The steam giant is probably the strongest close combat unit in the game. However, in terms of cost, you can train 3 hoplites instead of one steam giant, and in a 3 to 1 ratio, the hoplite wins.
Ranged Combat Units Compared
| Unit | Hit Rate | Damage | Shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone slinger | 20 % | 3 | 5 |
| Archer | 40 % | 5 | 3 |
| Sulphur musketeer | 65 % | 29 | 3 |
The sulphur musketeer is the best ranged combat unit in the game. If you do not yet have it, turn to the stone slinger, as it is somewhat better than the archer and also cheaper.
FAQ
How long does a combat round last?
One round lasts 15 minutes. The battle continues for as many rounds as it takes until one side wins.
When is a battle lost?
If one side no longer has a main battle line (no units except ranged combat, artillery, air, supply train), if it surrenders, or if its morale drops to a minimum and the units flee.
How can I keep morale high?
With 30 cooks, you can keep morale constantly at 100%. Doctors also prevent health from decreasing. If you rely on steam giants in the MBL, you can do without doctors, as they cannot be healed.