Game Secrets: What defense is the best?

Welcome to the Game Secrets series!

Even though we called our blog post like that, we have to admit: in Travian: Legends, the question “What is the best defense?” doesn’t have a universal answer. It highly depends on own player development, current game situation and even how far the player is from others. Let’s just give few examples of players possible decisions:

• Have high production, gold and live quite far on the map? Then pick the fastest cavalry units to be in time everywhere.
• Limited in gold and resources but still want to support alliance with defence? Then cheapest infantry (highest defence/cost value) would be ideal.
• The gameworld is about to become a hot place with multiple battles? Then probably we can ignore crop consumption and focus on the units that gain the defence points fastest (highest defence/time parameter).
• Preparing for the world wonder or just do not have huge crop production? Then crop efficiency is one of the keys.
• Don’t want to make lots of def villages and prefer to train infantry and cavalry in one? Then it’s better to pick the tribe that provides such an option.

Defense units at one glance

Below, we’ve compiled a table of defensive units in the game. The data is based on a x1 speed game, with level 20 barracks and/or stables, and no other bonuses. The number of units shown is what can be trained over one week (~168 hours) on a x1 gameworld.

Tribe		Units		Number of units	Defence against infantry (k)	Defence against cavalry (k)	Total defence	Upkeep	Unit speed (x1)	Cost per hour (x1)	Defence /Time	Defence /Costs
			Legionnaires	2800	98	140	238	2800	6	6667	1417	0.213
			Praetoreans	2541	165	89	254	2541	5	6958	1513	0.217
			Spearmen	4005	140	240	380	4005	7	8106	2265	0.279
			Paladins	1866	187	75	262	3732	10	11167	1556	0.139
			Phalanxes	4320	173	216	389	4320	7	8100	2314	0.286
			Druidriders	1748	201	96	297	3496	16	11341	1769	0.156
			Haeduans	1436	86	237	323	4308	13	16803	1924	0.115
			Slave Militia	8400	252	168	420	8400	7	7500	2500	0.333
			Ash Wardens	3251	179	130	309	3251	6	8129	1839	0.226
			Anhur Guards	1748	192	87	279	3496	15	11341	1665	0.147
			Resheph Chariots	1380	166	207	373	4140	10	14795	2219	0.150
			Mercenaries	5548	222	166	388	5548	6	9578	2312	0.241
			Marksmen	1805	144	126	270	3610	15	11284	1612	0.143
			Shieldsmen	2308	196	104	300	2308	8	7282	1786	0.245
			Elpida Riders	1591	191	143	334	3182	16	13642	1989	0.146