🛡️ 🛡️ Counter Guide: Defeating Alexander + Achilles + La Hire
Alexander + Achilles + La Hire is one of the most popular Footmen powerhouse compositions in Rise of Castles. Based on extensive testing with different compositions, we've identified what works and what fails against this meta threat.
🎯 Understanding the Enemy Composition
🏛️ Alexander (Skin: Hero of Heroes) - The Immortal Tank
🔹 Skill 2: The Long March
⚡ Turns 1 & 3: Enemies take +325% damage when hit
🎯 Shock effect lasting until battle end
💥 Front-loads massive damage early
🔹 Skill 5: Complete Conquest (Skin)
🛡️ -60% damage taken
💚 +20% healing received
🔄 Position-based effects:
Front: 50% counterattack (120% damage)
Mid: -20% Fatal Blow/Destructive Strike chance
Back: +8% damage
🔹 Skill 8: Macedonian Phalanx
🩸 ALL enemies bleed: 260% damage per turn
🔒 Cannot be dispelled
💚 Restores 350% HP if Alexander loses 25% in one turn
⚠️ Alexander Threats:
🏰 Incredibly tanky (-60% damage taken)
🩸 Passive bleeding wears down all enemies
💚 Self-healing makes him hard to kill
⏰ Gets stronger the longer battle lasts
⚔️ Achilles - The Demigod Bruiser
🔹 Skill 2: Demigod
🛡️ -60% damage taken (Turns 1-4, 7-8)
💥 +30% damage dealt each turn (stacks)
⚠️ Vulnerable turns 5-6 (loses Demigod)
🔹 Skill 5: Blade of Judgment
💥 625% Skill Damage
💚 Heals 65% of damage to 2 allies
🔒 In Demigod: +1 target, 50% Silence chance
🔹 Skill 8: Sacred Realm
🛡️ ALL squads immune to Fatal Blow/Destructive Strike
💚 When ally <50% HP: Restore 500% (first time only)
⏰ Massive safety net
⚠️ Achilles Threats:
🛡️ Nearly unkillable turns 1-4 (Demigod)
💚 Provides healing to entire team
🔒 Fatal Blow immunity ruins burst strategies
⏰ Vulnerable window turns 5-6 is key
🗡️ La Hire - The Controller
🔹 Skill 2: Tenacity
🛡️ All Footmen -30% damage (both teams)
⚡ Turns 2 & 5: +50% Skill 5 cast chance
🔹 Skill 5: Shield Breaker
💥 60% chance: 325% damage to 2 enemies
🚫 Disarm 1 turn
✅ Turn 1: 100% chance + First to Attack
🔹 Skill 8: Advance
🔒 Binds 2 enemies: -100% damage modifiers
⏰ Effect decreases 10% per turn
🎯 Neutralizes buff/debuff strategies
⚠️ La Hire Threats:
⚡ First to Attack turn 1 (guaranteed)
🚫 Disarm disrupts early game
🔒 Bind neutralizes buff strategies
🛡️ -30% damage to all makes battles longer
🎯 Combined Threat Analysis
Why This Comp is Strong:
🏰 Triple Tank: All three have -60% damage reduction
💚 Sustain: Achilles heals, Alexander self-heals
🔒 Control: La Hire disarm + bind
🛡️ Fatal Blow Immunity: Ruins burst strategies
⏰ Time Advantage: Gets stronger over time (bleeding, Achilles stacks)
Key Weaknesses:
⚠️ Turns 5-6: Achilles vulnerable window
🐎 Cavalry Counter: Weak against cavalry type advantage
💥 Sustained Damage: Better than burst (Fatal Blow immune)
🔒 Control Immunity: Heroes with Sober/debuff clear
🏆 Tier S Counters: Perfect Performance
👑 Don Quixote(Skin) + Theodora(Skin) + Cyrus(Skin)
✅ Why This Dominates:
🐴 Don Quixote Advantages:
🎯 Cavalry type: +35% vs Footmen (counter advantage)
💪 Might steal: Steals 160% Might per hit (5 stacks)
🛡️ Bold status: Ignores damage modifiers (counters La Hire Skill 8)
💎 Theodora Contributions:
🏰 Absorbs 25% damage from other 2 heroes (Turns 1-2)
💚 Queen's Ambition: Buffs ally damage +50%
🔒 40% chance: AOE + Suppress/Silence/Disarm/Confuse
⚡ Cyrus Finisher:
💥 70% chance: 600% damage to 2 enemies
🚫 Ban healing 1 turn
⚡ 80% skip prep (burst opener)
🎯 Win Strategy:
⏰ Turn 1: Survive La Hire disarm (Theodora tanks)
💥 Turns 1-4: Cyrus burst + DQ Might steal
⚠️ Turns 5-6: Focus Achilles vulnerable window
🏆 Turns 7-8: Snowballed advantage finishes
📊 Key Factors:
✅ Type advantage (Cavalry vs Footmen)
✅ Theodora protection crucial early
✅ Cyrus anti-heal prevents recovery
✅ DQ ignores La Hire bind
🐎 Don Quixote + Percival + Cyrus(Skin)
✅ Why This Dominates:
🔹 Percival Contribution:
🛡️ 100% Dodging per turn (immune to 1 attack)
💥 300% damage + 80% recovery reduction
🎯 If already reduced: -200% Resistance (stack 4x)
🔗 Triple Cavalry Synergy:
🐎 All three: Type advantage vs Footmen
🛡️ Percival provides protection
💥 Cyrus provides burst
💪 DQ provides scaling
🎯 Win Strategy:
🛡️ Percival Dodge: Negates La Hire turn 1 disarm
💥 Cyrus Burst: Anti-heal prevents recovery
🔒 Recovery Reduction: Stacks with anti-heal
💪 DQ Scaling: Secures late game
📊 Key Success Factors:
✅ Percival dodge critical turn 1
✅ Recovery reduction devastating vs sustain comp
✅ Triple cavalry overwhelming
🥈 Tier A Counters: Strong Performance
🐉 Cyrus(Skin) + Ragnar(Skin) + Zhao Yun
✅ Why This Works:
🔹 Ragnar Debuff Engine:
📉 Enemies healing: -5% damage dealt, +5% taken (stack 10x)
💥 At 10 stacks: Enemies take +50% damage
🎯 Fatal Blow/Destructive +8% (stack 5x)
🐉 Zhao Yun Scaling:
🛡️ -60% damage taken (survives to scale)
📈 +30% damage per ally kill (stacks)
💥 600% AOE damage
⚡ Cyrus Opener:
💥 600% burst to 2 enemies
🚫 Ban healing
🎯 Win Strategy:
⏰ Survive Early: Zhao/Ragnar tank La Hire control
📉 Stack Debuffs: Ragnar weakens enemies
🐉 Zhao Scales: Accumulate Skill 8 stacks
🏆 Late Game: Overwhelming advantage
⚠️ The 1 Loss:
❌ If can't survive early pressure
❌ If Zhao doesn't get kills for stacks
⏰ Timing-dependent
🐴 Don Quixote(Skin) + Zhao Yun + Cyrus(Skin)
✅ Why This Works:
Similar to DQ + Theodora + Cyrus but:
🐉 Zhao instead of Theodora
❌ Less protection early
✅ More damage late
⚖️ Higher risk, higher reward
⚠️ The 1 Loss:
❌ Zhao dies before scaling
❌ Lack of early protection crucial
⏰ RNG-dependent survival
🏰 Harald III(Skin) + Geraint + Zhao Yun
✅ Why This Works:
🏰 Harald Tank Engine:
🎯 Taunt 2 enemies (55% chance)
💪 Steals 20% damage (stack 5x)
💥 550% damage turns 3/5/7
💚 Geraint Sustain:
💊 85% chance: Restore 75% HP when hit
😨 2 enemies: Timid (70% skill fail)
🛡️ Absorbs 25% damage turns 1-2
🐉 Zhao Carry:
Protected environment to scale
Eventually overpowers
⚠️ The 1 Loss:
⏰ If battle goes too long (bleeding accumulates)
📉 If can't kill fast enough
🎯 Zhao scaling too slow
🌟 Al-Hawra(Skin) + Zhuge Liang + Oliver
✅ Why This Works:
🌟 Al-Hawra Control:
🚫 Weaken 1 enemy (can't deal damage)
✅ All-Ability Boost to 1 ally
🎯 Control + amplification
🎯 Zhuge Support:
💥 +50% damage to archers
😨 Hesitation on 2 enemies
⚡ 50% double attack chance
💎 Oliver Burst:
💥 725% to 2-3 enemies
📈 Amplified by both supports
⚠️ The 1 Loss:
🏹 Archer disadvantage vs Footmen
❌ If burst isn't enough
⏰ Bleeding wears down over time
🌸 Sakura(Skin) + Al-Hawra(Skin) + Oliver
✅ Why This Works:
Dual Control:
🌸 Sakura debuffs
🌟 Al-Hawra control
💎 Oliver finishes
Similar pattern to other archer comps
🏰 Gustav(Skin) + Ragnar(Skin) + Alexander(Skin)
✅ Mirror Match Advantage:
🏰 Gustav Super Tank:
🎯 80% enemies attack Gustav
📉 Attackers: -10% damage per hit
🛡️ -40% damage taken
💚 200% HP restore per turn
🌊 Ragnar Amplifier:
Same as before
🏛️ Alexander Mirror:
Same hero, same strengths
🩸 Bleeding on both sides
🎯 Win Strategy:
🏰 Gustav outlasts enemy
🌊 Ragnar debuffs tip balance
🏛️ Alexander mirror cancels out
🏰 Gustav(Skin) + Geraint + Alexander(Skin)
Similar to Gustav + Ragnar + Alexander but:
💚 Geraint sustain instead of Ragnar debuffs
🏰 Pure attrition strategy
⏰ Even longer battles
🥉 Tier B Counters: Performance
⚠️ Sakura(Skin) + Al-Hawra(Skin) + Henry II
❌ Why this failed:
Expected:
🌸 Sakura Control + Al-Hawra
🏹 Henry Spam
Reality:
⏰ Spam too slow
🩸 Bleeding decreases during spam
❌ Burst (Oliver) > Spam (Henry) confirmed
💰 Expensive fail
💡 Lesson: Oliver is consistently better than Henry II against this composition because Achilles prevents Henry II's Fatal Blow.
❌ Ramses(Skin) + Al-Hawra(Skin) + Henry II(Skin)
❌ Critical Discovery:
🛡️ Achilles Sacred Realm Problem:
🔒 ALL squads immune to Fatal Blow/Destructive Strike
🏛️ Ramses entire strategy = Fatal Blow
💥 Up to 60% Fatal Blow chance = USELESS
❌ Henry II can't proc Fatal Blows
📉 Massive damage loss
📊 Math:
🏛️ Ramses without Fatal Blow: ~40% damage loss
🏹 Henry without Fatal Blow: ~50% damage loss
❌ Combined: Comp completely neutered
💡 Critical Lesson: NEVER use Fatal Blow-dependent comps vs Achilles
Affected Heroes:
🏛️ Ramses (Fatal Blow engine)
🐉 Beowulf (Fatal Blow dependent)
🏹 Any Fatal Blow strategy
🎓 Final Recommendations
✅ DO Use:
🐎 Cavalry compositions (type advantage)
💥 Burst damage (Cyrus, Oliver)
🛡️ Protection heroes (Theodora, Percival)
⏰ Aggressive strategies (don't let it go late)
❌ DON'T Use:
🚫 Fatal Blow strategies (Achilles counters)
⏰ Passive/scaling comps (bleeding wins)
🏹 Pure archer without control (type disadvantage)
💰 Ramses comps (completely countered)