The Art of Defending – Goodgame Empire Strategy Guide
Are you currently being bullied by a higher level player? Are you constantly being defeated when enemy players attack your castle? Are you tired of losing your entire defensive army even though your defenses outnumbered the aggressor? If this sounds like you, chances are that you have likely been setting up your defenses entirely the wrong way. In my last post, Goodgame Empire Top 14 tips, I explained my top 14 Goodgame Empire tips for success. Today I’ll be giving you a brief but slightly detailed walkthrough into the art of defending in Goodgame Empire!
Goodgame Empire Defenders Guide – The Art of Preparation
Now the first thing you must ask yourself, “Am I providing my units with the defensive support they need?” What I mean by this question is, “Are YOU creating adequate amounts of defensive tools? Are you pumping out flaming arrows, and reinforced gates each time you log on?” No matter if your defensive army is roughly the size of the attacking army or larger, tools play an essential part in the way the battle is calculated. Tools allow defensive units to be buffed and ready for the onslaught at hand. You want to maintain a high balance of these tools at all times. I myself, usually try to equip at least 20-25 defensive tools per slot at all times. You never know when things can get tight and you need to support your troops in battle. You could go to war at anytime and some tools , i.e. wooden spikes, take well over an hour to complete.
Quick tip: Get into the habit of creating tools each day prior to logging off. Quick tip: Unless you buy rubies, NEVER spend rubies on tools.
Once we get past the initial lack of tools, we can move into another area of importance.
Goodgame Empire Defenders Guide – Selecting Unit Type
For some of you this comes natural, you understand the difference between offensive and defensive units. However, there have been instances where I was attack by an army of Longbow and Halberdier. I felt sad for the poor guy army. Despite the inevitable defeat, he learned a valuable lesson that day, attack with offensive units and defend with defensive.units. Now keep in mind there are a few hibrate units used earlier in the game but for the most part, the default defensive units are as followed:
- Spearman
- Bowman
- Archers
- Swordsman (Hiberate unit)
- Halberdier
- Longbowman
*I didn’t add any special type units to this guide
Quick tip: Unless you are early in the game, swordsman are really irrelevant as spearman have more defensive power than these units and macemen have more attack power. They are more so to be used when your in the in between stages of the game as they provide both offensive and defensive capabilities.
Goodgame studies tip: Which units are good at defending which type of units?
- Spearman > melee
- Bowman > range
- Archers > both melee and range (Best defensive unit until lvl 4 barracks)
- Swordsman > both melee and range
- Halberdier > melee
- Longbowman > range
Only these units should be used when defending.
Goodgame Empire Defenders Guide – The Magic Formula
There are multiple Goodgame Empire strategies available for defense setup and each defensive stance will be different but if you follow my steps, you will be able to quickly and efficiently rearrange your defenses as needed. What I will reveal now, if used properly, will almost guarantee a successful defensive stand unless you’re just tremendously outnumbered.
Flanks – the formula : ( flank / total ) * 100 =
This formula is used to calculate the % of units on each side of the flank, left, right, and middle. You will have to calculate this for each individual flank. Once you are complete, these 3 numbers should equal 100 or close to it. This number will tell you exactly how many units percentage wise is needed to defend that part of your castle.
Unit type – the formula : ( unit type / flank unit count ) =
This formula is used to calculate the unit type, range or melee within each flank that is needed to defend the incoming attack. For instance, if you had 10 units attacking the middle flank and 7 were range, you would plug in [ 7 (for range) / 10 (total unit count) ] . With this example you would need 70% range defenders to stop the range in the middle flank.
These two formulas will help with all of the strategic battles with Goodgame Empire.
So you’ve followed all the steps above and you are still outnumbered, what now?
Try focusing on defending 2 flanks instead of the entire wall. If you can successfully defend two of the three flanks, you hinder the opponent from gaining a damage buff once in the courtyard.
I hope that the information I included here in this Goodgame Empire strategies guide become second nature in your quest to gain power in Goodgame Empire! Subscribe to my blog for updates to this information in the ever changing game of Goodgame Empire.
Goodgame Empire 
Hi, this is a completely useless guide on how to defend, it has some useful tips like, only defend 2 of the flanks, or one flank i would suggest if you haven’t got level 4 walls. Firstly you haven’t mentioned the effect on the attackers tools. As you said tools are an essential part of defending, but are also an essential part of the attacking as well. So you also need to know what tools to use in different circumstances which you have not included. Also now there has been an update where you can equip your commanders and castellans with equipment to boost there attacking and defending qualities. I would not suggest anyone using this guide.
I apologize that the information I presented, although very basic, did not help you. There are some players, however, who do not possess this knowledge. If you are a seasoned veteran playing Goodgame Studios Empire, then yes, this guide may not be for you but for some of the newer or younger players , even this basic knowledge can be very helpful.
you re right i have even better strategy
I’ve been playing for one day (actually, less than 20 hours) and already know everything you said, except for the higher level units which are still locked to me of course. So i think Karl has a point. But rather than bitching, ill be constructive 😉 Can you tell me which units you prefer and why? And how you use these units and set them up with respect to a number of attacks? Thanks! 🙂
First of all, I thank you for writing this guid, however, use only melee defenders since. Your opponents can use siege tools and make your ranged defender totoly useless.
100perceht on left flank and 0 0 on middle and right. Than you shall stay undefeated
By the way, my username in goodgame empire is lionhearted21
Thank you this has helped allot i keep getting attacked by a player 15 levels above me who is right next to me, granted i have a little high honour but only because i was completing the quests given to me. My alliance cannot do much since their alliance is waaaaay to strong and double our numbers.
Thank you for responding. I am glad that I am able to assist you in your Empire journey. I am currently writing a mini update to this post as well as several others.
My strategy is:Make as much tools as you can,make longbowmen and halberdiers,no spearmen and other weak soliders see atacker`s equipment efects and try to defeat them with equipment of your own.
thank you man
i play this game on Agame
Waiting on that update….
tis all been very help full!
u on which server ?
I play on US 1
I found your guide very helpful. It helped me help an alliance member to repel and attack. I have shared the link to it with my alliance.
First, I’m a new player and i appreciate your tips. Next, I have a question:
When attacking, I’ve been including a few defensive units with my attack units thinking they helped defend my attacking army from the castles’ defenses. I take it from this guide that this is a flawed & useless tactic, correct?
This guide is not that useful but for beginners it is a start. as firstly in Outposts u will most likely need ruby tools from the armorer as high level players will not just send useless ladders they will send belfries of shield walls. Try defending 1 flank and buy 4 at least bulwarks or tar pitch kittles and when u detect someones attack coming check out the attack details and put them on. Secondly u need a good castellan with strong melee and range strength to win those battles. Anyway i play on Australia 1.
Hi, I don’t understand your first formula. Can you give an example of how this would be used.
Thanks for your helpful post. I am playing in Czech server and think many people can´t translat such these help.
I didnt understand the formula can any one tell me how to do that I have total 500 soldiers and tell me how to use it.
This is probably the best strategy source for GG Empire on the internet. Thank you!
Are the formula’s also appropriate when you attack some one?