Unit Overview

  • Unit Type: Special cavalry (Fire Lance)
  • Era: ★★★★★ Golden Era (Season VI – Scourge of Winter)
  • Leadership Cost: 315
  • Unit Size: 16 riders
  • Max Level: 30

Liao’s Rangers ride horses and wield versatile fire lances, delivering strong ranged and melee burst damage while maintaining solid survivability.

Traits & Formations

  • Fire Lance: Hybrid spear-gun weapon – fire bolt then strike in melee
  • Ranged Resistant: High resistance to ranged attacks
  • Fire‑Resistant: Improved defense vs flame attacks
  • Drains: Heal 500 HP per hit; upon 2,500 healing they gain knockdown buff, +10% MS, +20% DR for

Formations

  • Dispersed: Reduces ranged damage
  • Hawk: Wide-winged stance, optimized for ranged efficiency
  • Wedge: Narrow charge formation to pierce lines

Unit Orders / Abilities

  1. Gun Charge (30 s CD): Charge forward, fire a volley mid-charge (sticks to aggression)
  2. Bludgeon (15 s CD): Use lance like a heavy club with AoE knockback and CC immunity
  3. Blast (unlockable): Fires 3 volleys while stationary—effective vs cavalry
  4. Devastation (unlockable, 43 s CD): Approach target, fire lance, then melee with strong knockback and break

Community Feedback

Reddit consensus positions Liao’s Rangers among top Tier 5 cavalry units:

“As far as cavalry, Liao Rangers are the favorite.”

They’re praised for their balance of ranged burst and cavalry speed, making them a go-to choice in Golden Era. Videos often note recent buffs further enhancing their viability .

Tactical Role & Tips

Strengths

  • Burst Versatility: Combine fire-charge with heavy melee follow-up for flank destruction
  • Sustainability: Built-in heal keeps them resilient in prolonged skirmishes
  • Ranged Pressure + Mobility: Fire while riding early, mount a charge, then pull back
  • CC Power: Knockbacks from Devastation and Bludgeon control enemy momentum

Weaknesses

  • Elevation Sensitivity: Top-line veterancy (ranged boosts) falters on uneven terrain
  • Cooldown Reliance: Their impact hinges on ability timing
  • Vulnerable Without Support: Against strong heavy cavalry or heavily armored infantry, they underperform solo

⚔️ Ideal Use Cases

  • Flanking Maneuvers: Strike fr Enemy rear, drain key targets, then escape
  • Mobile Disruptor: Cycle between spear shots and bludgeon knockbacks to break formations
  • Hero Targeting: Make use of mobility to burst heroes, leveraging healing to tank hits
  • Cavalry Counter: Blast ability and knockbacks make them effective at stopping enemy raids

Build Recommendations

Top: Range | Anti Cav | Bad at aiming to ground units
Bottom: Meele | Breaking formations high blunt dmg

Summary

Liao’s Rangers are a premier Tier 5 cavalry choice, combining ranged reach, heavy melee bursts, and healing resilience, all on a fast mount. They shine in coordinated flanks and hero-targeting roles, though require good terrain awareness to avoid elevation drawbacks. For players who enjoy combining striking speed with tactical flexibility, they can be a game-changer in Golden Era cavalry matchups.