Best Free to Play Cavalry Army in Age of Empires Mobile

Introduction: The Power of Cavalry in Age of Empires Mobile

In the dynamic world of Age of Empires Mobile, assembling a formidable army is crucial to conquering your enemies and achieving supremacy. While strategic resource management and base development are essential, the composition of your army ultimately dictates your success on the battlefield. Fortunately, even free-to-play (F2P) players can create powerful armies, particularly during the early and mid-game stages. This guide focuses on crafting the Best Free to Play Cavalry Army in Age of Empires Mobile, enabling you to dominate with speed and strategic prowess.

Cavalry units are known for their mobility and ability to flank enemy positions, making them invaluable for hit-and-run tactics. They can rapidly harass resource collectors, target vulnerable archers, or overwhelm slower, less mobile units. Moreover, cavalry is an excellent counter to other infantry and siege units, providing unmatched speed and flexibility. For F2P players, maximizing the potential of cavalry requires a careful selection of units, technologies, and strategies that leverage these strengths.

The best F2P Cavalry army focuses on versatility, speed, and cost-efficiency, all while taking advantage of cavalry’s high damage output against key targets. By strategically incorporating different cavalry units and supporting technologies, you can craft a well-rounded army capable of overwhelming opponents swiftly and decisively. Whether you’re engaging in raids, defending your territory, or launching full-scale attacks, cavalry can be the key to victory in Age of Empires Mobile.

Why Cavalry?

Cavalry units possess a distinct advantage over other unit types in Age of Empires Mobile: they are the fastest units in the game. While other unit types have a base movement speed of 75, Cavalry units boast a base movement speed of 90. This speed advantage remains consistent across all tiers of troops, ensuring that even at the highest tier, Cavalry units will still outmaneuver any other unit type on the battlefield.

This speed advantage translates to several strategic benefits:

Strategic Maneuvering: Cavalry’s superior speed allows you to quickly reposition them, respond to enemy movements, or capitalize on emerging opportunities before the enemy can react.

Flanking: Due to their mobility, Cavalry can easily outmaneuver slower enemy units, allowing for flanking tactics. By attacking from the sides or rear, Cavalry units can exploit vulnerabilities that other units cannot.

Stealth and Terrain Utilization: Cavalry can navigate through terrain like trees, enabling them to remain undetected and set up surprise attacks. This ability to move through various terrain types offers a tactical edge, allowing Cavalry to approach the enemy from unexpected angles.

Although Cavalry units may not be as dominant in the early stages of the game due to the limited availability of powerful Cavalry heroes, their true potential becomes evident as you progress. Unlocking heroes such as Lu Bu brings significant power to your Cavalry army. Lu Bu’s AoE skill, combined with other heroes that enhance critical strike damage, transforms Cavalry from a simple troop into a high-damage unit. With their speed and increased damage output, Cavalry becomes a top choice for players who prefer a swift, aggressive playstyle capable of overwhelming opponents quickly.

The F2P Cavalry Army: Guan Yu, Darius the Great, and Attila

This free-to-play (F2P) Cavalry army combines three readily obtainable Legendary heroes: Guan Yu, Darius the Great, and Attila the Hun. Each hero brings a unique set of skills to the battlefield, and when combined strategically, they form a potent force capable of overwhelming opponents. This army relies heavily on secondary strikes and critical strikes to deal significant damage, especially when enhanced by Attila’s double attack ability.

Important Note: Remember to utilize all three heroes within the Warrior military specialty to maximize stat bonuses. This shared specialty provides a significant boost to their overall attributes, making them even more formidable on the battlefield.

Guan Yu: The Critical Strike Specialist

Acquisition: Guan Yu is readily available through the Tavern, where you can summon him using Respect Medals. These medals are easy to acquire as an F2P player, making him an accessible option for your Cavalry army.

Role: Guan Yu shines as the primary damage dealer in this army, focusing heavily on critical strike damage. His skills revolve around increasing his critical strike rate and damage, allowing him to inflict devastating blows on his enemies.

Key Skills:

Commander Skill (Dragon’s Blade): Inflicts Might damage on enemy troops and significantly boosts Guan Yu’s critical strike rate for one turn. This skill, combined with his other abilities, makes him a formidable damage threat right from the start.

Signature Skill (Gallantry): Passively increases Guan Yu’s critical strike rate for the first 12 seconds of battle. This skill ensures that Guan Yu starts strong and has a higher chance of landing critical strikes from the outset.

Recommended Optional Skills:

Infuriation: This secondary strike skill deals Might damage to enemy troops and increases Guan Yu’s Might attribute. This further boosts his damage output, making him a consistent threat throughout the battle.

Fatal Blow: Another secondary strike skill that deals Might damage and has a chance to inflict a critical strike. This skill provides an additional way for Guan Yu to land critical strikes and inflict heavy damage.

Rank Upgrades: While all rank upgrades offer valuable enhancements to Guan Yu’s abilities, prioritize upgrading to Star 1. This upgrade extends the duration of his critical strike rate boost from his Commander skill, allowing him to maintain a high critical strike chance for an even longer period.

Darius the Great: The Temporary Placeholder

Acquisition: Darius the Great is available for free on the second day of the 7-day login event, making him an easily accessible Legendary hero.

Role: Darius the Great serves as a temporary placeholder in this F2P army. While he doesn’t offer exceptional synergy with the other heroes, he provides general attribute boosts and a chance to ignore enemy defense. These benefits offer some support to Guan Yu, enhancing his overall damage output, especially during the early game when stronger alternatives are not yet available.

Key Limitation: Darius the Great is not a long-term solution for this army composition. As you progress and acquire stronger Warrior Cavalry heroes, such as Lu Bu, you’ll want to replace Darius to maximize the army’s potential.

Attila the Hun: The Double Attack Enabler

Acquisition: Attila the Hun is acquired through the Legendary Advent Wheel. While spins can be earned daily, you may need to invest some Empire Coins to acquire enough of his Respect Medals to unlock and upgrade him.

Role: Attila the Hun acts as a crucial support hero, amplifying the damage potential of Guan Yu through his double attack ability and Might increase. His skills are designed to enhance the frequency of secondary strikes and critical strikes, making him an ideal partner for Guan Yu.

Key Skills:

Signature Skill (Annihilator): This skill grants all heroes in the army a chance to enter the double attack state, enabling them to launch two normal attacks in a single turn. This significantly increases the chances of triggering secondary strike skills, such as Guan Yu’s Infuriation and Fatal Blow, and boosts the chances of landing critical strikes.

Additional Benefits: Attila’s skills provide a Might bonus to the entire army, further amplifying Guan Yu’s damage output. This synergy between Attila and Guan Yu forms the backbone of this F2P Cavalry army’s offensive power.

Rank Upgrades: Prioritize investing in Attila’s rank upgrades. His signature skill upgrade at rank 3, increasing the chance of triggering double attack by 5%, and his rank 5 upgrade, boosting the Might damage by 35%, dramatically increase the army’s overall damage output.

This army composition, with Guan Yu’s critical strikes enhanced by Attila’s double attacks and Might bonuses, forms a solid foundation for your F2P Cavalry journey in Age of Empires Mobile.

Mid to Late-Game Transition: Replacing Darius the Great

As you progress through the game and reach the mid- to late-game stages, you’ll have access to more powerful Cavalry heroes, particularly Lu Bu. This marks a crucial turning point for your F2P Cavalry army, transforming it from a solid foundation into a formidable force capable of dominating the battlefield.

Lu Bu’s Acquisition: Lu Bu is typically a late-game hero and becomes available later in your server’s progression. However, once you unlock him, he becomes a game-changer for your Cavalry army. You can acquire him through the Legendary Advent event, which makes him accessible to F2P players who save Empire Coins strategically.

Transforming Your Army: The arrival of Lu Bu shifts the dynamics of your Cavalry army. He becomes the primary damage dealer, pushing Guan Yu into a more supportive role. This transition allows you to take advantage of Lu Bu’s exceptional damage output while still benefiting from Guan Yu’s critical strike potential, creating a more balanced and potent force.

Rani Durgavati: The Low-Spender Option: For low spenders or those willing to make strategic purchases, Rani Durgavati offers a valuable upgrade over Darius the Great. She can be acquired through the Kingdom’s Horde Battle Pass or Daily Special Offers. Her signature skill focuses on double attacks, which synergizes well with both Guan Yu and Lu Bu, further amplifying their damage potential. Rani also provides a Might boost to the next hero in line, directly benefiting Guan Yu’s effectiveness.

Attila Remains Essential: Attila the Hun continues to play a vital role in this upgraded army. His double attack ability remains crucial, benefiting both Lu Bu’s AoE skills and Guan Yu’s critical strike damage. Attila’s consistent synergy with both heroes solidifies his position as a cornerstone of the army.

Maximizing Synergy: In the late game, this F2P Cavalry army thrives on the combined strengths of Lu Bu’s high-damage AoE skills, Guan Yu’s critical strike potential, and either Attila or Rani’s double attack enhancements. This synergy enables your Cavalry units to strike quickly and powerfully, overwhelming opponents with a barrage of potent attacks.

Flexibility: While Lu Bu replaces Darius as the primary damage dealer, Guan Yu maintains his role as a strong supporting hero with his critical strike focus. Attila continues to enhance both heroes by ensuring frequent double attacks, which maximize damage output. If you acquire Rani, she offers similar benefits with her own double attack skill, further boosting the army’s offensive capabilities.

By strategically upgrading your F2P Cavalry army with the acquisition of Lu Bu and either Attila or Rani, you will form a powerful force capable of dominating the mid- to late-game stages of Age of Empires Mobile.

Alternative

Rani Durgavati serves as a strong alternative to Darius the Great in the mid- to late-game, particularly for low spenders or those willing to make small investments. She can be acquired through the Daily Special Offers or the Kingdom’s Horde Battle Pass. While Darius the Great can temporarily fill a role in your army until Rani becomes available, Rani offers better synergy with Guan Yu and Lu Bu, making her a more valuable addition to your F2P Cavalry army.

Double Attack Focus: Rani’s signature skill, Warrior’s Queen, gives the next hero in the lineup a chance to enter the double attack state. This directly benefits Guan Yu, who is positioned after her in the army. The double attack chance stacks with Attila’s double attack ability, significantly increasing the likelihood of triggering Guan Yu’s secondary strike skills, Infuriation and Fatal Blow, which leads to more critical strikes and higher damage output.

Might Boost: Rani’s skill also provides a Might boost to the next hero in line. This enhancement, combined with the increased frequency of attacks from the double attack state, substantially boosts Guan Yu’s damage potential, making her a crucial part of the army’s offensive strategy.

Optional Skill Synergy: Rani’s recommended optional skills, King’s Blade and Warrior’s Hymn, further increase the army’s damage output. King’s Blade raises the overall damage of all heroes, while Warrior’s Hymn improves the Might and critical strike rate of the next hero, providing an additional benefit to Guan Yu.

Prioritize Rank 3: Rani’s rank 3 upgrade is key, as it enhances the activation chance of her signature skill, Warrior’s Queen. This increases the probability that Guan Yu will enter the double attack state, along with receiving the Might boost, which leads to more frequent and powerful attacks throughout the battle.

Budget-Friendly Enhancement: Rani provides a notable damage boost without requiring heavy investment, making her an ideal choice for low spenders or those looking to enhance their army’s strength without significant expenditure.

Flexibility: Rani is versatile and can be used in both Archer and Cavalry formations. If you’re running an Archer formation with Attila and heroes like Josephine or Mulan, you can easily switch to a Cavalry formation with Guan Yu, Lu Bu, and Rani when needed. This adaptability gives you strategic flexibility, allowing you to adjust your army composition depending on the battlefield situation or your opponents’ formations.

By incorporating Rani Durgavati into your mid- to late-game F2P Cavalry army, you can build a powerful force that stands up well against higher-spending players, making your army more competitive and effective.

Conclusion

Constructing a formidable free-to-play Cavalry army in Age of Empires Mobile revolves around strategically combining accessible heroes and maximizing their strengths to dominate the battlefield. The key focus is leveraging critical strikes, secondary strike skills, and double attack enhancements to unleash devastating damage against opponents.

Your journey begins by forming a solid foundation with Guan Yu, Darius the Great, and Attila the Hun. Guan Yu serves as the critical strike specialist, dealing heavy damage with his secondary strike skills. Darius the Great acts as a temporary placeholder, offering basic support until stronger heroes become available. Attila the Hun provides essential double attack capabilities, significantly amplifying Guan Yu’s damage potential through frequent skill activations and increased Might. This combination allows you to overcome early-game challenges while preparing for future upgrades.

In the mid- to late-game, Lu Bu becomes a game-changing addition to your Cavalry army. Lu Bu steps in as the primary damage dealer, replacing Darius the Great and transforming your army into a far more powerful and efficient force. His ability to deal immense area-of-effect damage complements Guan Yu’s critical strikes and Attila’s double attack abilities, creating a well-rounded offensive powerhouse.

At this stage, you have two primary options for further strengthening your army:

Sticking with Attila the Hun – Attila’s double attack support remains vital for increasing the frequency of Lu Bu and Guan Yu’s devastating strikes, ensuring consistent and high damage output throughout the battle.

Incorporating Rani Durgavati – Rani offers a strong alternative for players seeking additional Might boosts and double attack synergy. Her skills amplify Guan Yu’s damage potential by stacking her double attack chance with Attila’s, providing flexibility and an overall boost to the army’s offensive capabilities.

The choice between Attila and Rani depends on your progress and spending strategy. Attila remains a cornerstone of the army for pure F2P players, while Rani serves as an effective, budget-friendly enhancement for those willing to invest modestly.

To maximize the potential of your Cavalry army, focus on hero placement, rank upgrades, and optional skill combinations that enhance your heroes’ core strengths. Prioritize upgrades that extend skill durations, boost activation rates, or provide valuable stat bonuses. Understanding hero synergy and adapting to battlefield conditions are crucial for overcoming challenges and defeating stronger opponents.

By strategically upgrading heroes like Guan Yu, Lu Bu, and Attila or Rani, you can create a dominant F2P Cavalry army capable of holding its own against even high-powered enemies. With careful planning, smart skill choices, and an emphasis on synergy, you’ll be well-equipped to conquer battles and establish yourself as a formidable force in Age of Empires Mobile.