---
title: Battalions
description: Troop count, type, training, armament, morale, heroes, and the battalion lifecycle.
---

Battalions are Eagle's organized troop formations and become units in [Shardok battles](/concepts/shardok-battles/) when attached to heroes.

## Reading a battalion

- **Troops** are its current soldiers. Casualties and starvation reduce this number; reaching zero destroys the battalion.
- **Type** determines movement, damage, battlefield limits, and whether an attached hero can cast or use stealth.
- **TRN (training)** increases the damage the battalion delivers. It is raised with [Train](/commands/#train).
- **ARM (armament)** reduces normal damage the battalion takes. It is raised with [Arm Troops](/commands/#arm-troops) and cannot exceed the province's effective infrastructure.
- **Morale** affects combat performance and gates many tactical actions. It changes through battle effects.

## How the combat factors work

These values do different jobs; they are not interchangeable ratings that simply add into one combat score.

- **Training** scales the battalion type's melee and missile damage bonuses. Higher training therefore means more damage per troop. It also affects some command-specific odds, including the chance to stun on a [Charge](/shardok-commands/#charge).
- **Armament** scales the battalion type's resistances and reduces incoming normal damage. Each type and damage category has its own resistance profile, so the same ARM value does not protect every battalion equally. Penetrating damage bypasses this normal armament reduction. If the unit can use [Archery](/shardok-commands/#archery), armament also determines its starting volleys: currently one volley per 10 ARM, rounded down, plus any bonus from its battalion type.
- **Morale** changes the battalion's damage swing. Most units also need at least 10 morale to use normal tactical commands.
- **Hero vigor** is an action constraint and current energy reserve, not battalion armor. It affects maximum AP and command access; at zero vigor, the hero-led unit is captured and removed from active battle. See [Vigor](/heroes/#vigor).
- **Troop count** multiplies battalion damage: more surviving troops deliver more total battalion damage. It also determines how many soldiers remain available to absorb casualties.
- **Battalion type** supplies the base damage, training bonus, resistance profile, armament benefit, movement costs, charge multiplier, and special capabilities.
- **Hero stats** contribute separately. Charisma and bravery affect battalion combat swings, while a hero also contributes personal damage and enables stat- or profession-based commands.

Exact enemy training, armament, hero stats, or other details may be hidden. Use only the information your faction has revealed; the game does not promise that an unknown value is zero.

## Battalion types

### Light Infantry

The basic flexible foot formation. It is inexpensive, has the largest normal infantry capacity, can carry casting heroes, and allows [Ranger](/heroes/#ranger) stealth. Its protection gains from ARM are useful but lower than those of heavy formations.

### Heavy Infantry

Slower and more expensive to train and equip, with fewer troops per full battalion. Heavy Infantry starts with substantial physical resistance and generally gains more protection from ARM than light formations. It also delivers heavier melee damage, but cannot cast or hide.

### Light Cavalry

Fast on open terrain and especially effective when charging: its charge deals 1.2 times normal unit damage. A charge spends only the terrain-entry cost, so Light Cavalry may move or use another available command afterward when it retains AP.

### Heavy Cavalry

The most expensive normal formation, with the smallest capacity and highest food cost. It combines strong built-in resistance and armament scaling with the largest charge multiplier, 1.5. Like Light Cavalry, it can sometimes act again after charging if AP remains.

### Longbowmen

A ranged specialist that is always [archery](/shardok-commands/#archery)-capable and receives two bonus volleys in addition to those provided by ARM. It can also support casting and stealth-capable heroes. Longbow attacks include penetrating missile damage. Because penetrating damage bypasses normal armament reduction, trained Longbowmen can inflict heavy casualties even on well-armed troops. They are comparatively poorly protected by their own ARM.

### Undead

An exceptional formation created through necromantic effects rather than ordinary recruitment. Undead have high capacity, do not consume food or use normal morale, can cross ocean terrain, and are vulnerable to [Holy Wave](/shardok-commands/#holy-wave). Their combat and movement rules differ enough that they should not be evaluated like a normal recruitable battalion.

## Heroes and units

A Shardok unit normally combines one hero and one battalion. The hero supplies stats, [vigor](/heroes/#vigor), profession commands, personal damage, and special capabilities; the battalion supplies troops, type, training, armament, movement, morale, and its damage profile. The hero's Charisma and Bravery also affect the battalion's combat swing. A profession alone may not be enough: casting requires a casting-capable battalion, and Ranger stealth requires a stealth-capable one.

The two parts remain one tactical unit. If the battalion reaches zero troops, it is destroyed. If the attached hero reaches zero vigor, the hero-led unit is captured and removed from active battle; the surviving battalion does not detach and continue fighting independently.

## Creating and changing battalions

[**Organize Troops**](/commands/#organize-troops) creates, resizes, merges, transfers, or dismisses battalions. New troops cost gold and begin without training or armament. Transfers preserve weighted training and armament. Empty battalions are removed.

Use [**Train**](/commands/#train) to improve eligible battalions in the province and [**Arm Troops**](/commands/#arm-troops) while visiting town to buy higher armament. Province economy and agriculture affect which types can be raised; effective infrastructure limits equipment.

## Movement, food, and battle

[March](/commands/#march) moves selected battalions with their heroes and supplies. Stationed and moving battalions consume food. A shortage spends the remaining food and can reduce battalions by up to 20 percent in one consumption event.

Battle results return surviving troop counts and statuses to Eagle. Battalions may survive with casualties, be destroyed, flee with their heroes, be captured/secured, or become the new garrison after conquest.

See [Organize Troops](/commands/#organize-troops), [Train](/commands/#train), [Arm Troops](/commands/#arm-troops), and [Shardok Battles](/concepts/shardok-battles/#units).
