Men-at-arms are the professional core of your army — small, expensive, and far more effective per soldier than levies. The difference between a good MAA stack and a bad one is almost entirely about counters: field the right units against your enemy's and you win battles you are numerically losing. This guide explains how counters work and gives you an interactive tool to plan against any enemy composition.
Counter Calculator
Select the men-at-arms types your enemy fields. The calculator ranks your units by how well they counter that composition.
Pick one or more enemy unit types above to see recommended counters.
How men-at-arms counters work
Each men-at-arms type counters at least one other type. When a countering unit fights the unit it counters, it reduces that unit's effectiveness proportional to the size difference — roughly -45% at a 1:1 ratio, up to a maximum of -90% at 2:1 or greater. In battle, countered units glow red, countering units glow green, and units both countering and being countered glow yellow. A countering unit reduces the countered unit's effectiveness by up to -45% at 1:1 size ratio and up to -90% at 2:1.
The counter relationship forms a loop, a slightly expanded rock-paper-scissors: Skirmishers beat Heavy Infantry, which beat Spearmen and Pikemen, which beat Cavalry, which beats Archers, which beat Skirmishers, closing the circle. A few special units sit outside it — camel cavalry, elephant cavalry, and horse archers have their own explicit counters. The practical rule is never to field a single type: a monolithic stack of one unit is hard-countered by whatever beats it, while a balanced stack cannot be cleanly countered by any one enemy build.
Choosing men-at-arms
Three things decide whether a unit is worth its slot. Counters come first: a unit that counters what your neighbours actually field is worth more than one with higher raw stats that counters nothing relevant. Cost and maintenance come second: men-at-arms carry an ongoing monthly maintenance cost whether or not they fight, so a stack you cannot afford is worse than a smaller one you can — see the money guide for keeping them funded. Terrain comes third: many units gain bonuses in specific terrain, so the best composition for a mountainous realm differs from one fighting on plains. Look at your likely battlefields and your rivals' armies, then build to beat both.
Regiment limits and upgrades
You can only field a limited number of men-at-arms regiments, starting at a base of two as a count and rising with your title rank — a duke, king, or emperor fields progressively more. Each era's military innovations also raise both the regiment cap and each regiment's maximum size, so advancing through the eras strengthens your army in two ways at once. Because regiments over your limit cost 20% extra maintenance each, it rarely pays to overfield; instead, fill your available slots with the units that best counter your rivals and suit your terrain.