Unit Guide: Lionroar Crew
Lionroar Crew — Mobile Light Artillery
1 | Overview
- Tier / Era: ★★★★★ Golden (Season XV Lionfire – Warfare Revolution)
- Unit type: Special ranged infantry (light cannon artillery)
- Unit size: 15 crewmen + 3–5 light cannons (varies with veterancy)
- Leadership: ≈ 320
- Battlefield role: Rapid‑deployment artillery that hammers tight formations with high blunt AoE, then limbers up to strike a new angle.
Lionroar Crew are Gustav II Adolf’s hand‑picked gunners. Their shortened cannon barrels and lightened carriages give them unheard‑of mobility for gunpowder artillery, letting commanders reposition fire support on the fly. Treat them as glass howitzers: devastating bursts followed by long reloads, and utterly doomed if enemy cavalry reaches them.
2 | Core Traits & Abilities
| Ability / Trait | What it does | Tactical value |
|---|---|---|
| Set Up Artillery (3 s CD) | Deploys cannons facing the cursor; crew auto‑mans guns. | Fast set‑up lets you drop firepower right behind a fresh breach. |
| Move Artillery (no CD) | Limbers guns and marches to target point. | Key to rotating flanks or avoiding counter‑barrage. |
| Attack Area (no CD) | Enter aim mode; left‑click to volley at selected spot; RMB cancels. | Precision strikes on shield walls, supply points, stairs. |
| Defence Shooting (8 s CD) | Crew pulls pistols, shoots nearest foes (40 m range). | Buys seconds against light cav or assassins while you retreat. |
| Builder | Can interact with ram / siege to speed construction. | Utility in siege offence when guns are reloading. |
| Light Artillery | Cannot fight in melee; massive damage drop if cannons destroyed. | Always keep a bodyguard nearby. |
3 | Strengths
- High burst blunt damage — cannonballs flatten clustered infantry and crack even shield walls.
- True mobility — unlike Falconettis, they can limber and redeploy in seconds.
- Long effective range (120 m) — pressure capture circles from outside most archer range.
- Pistol fallback provides minimal self‑defence versus lone heroes.
4 | Weaknesses
- Tiny model count — every loss hurts overall DPS.
- Lengthy reload cycle (~11 s at base) — wasted volleys punish hard.
- Fragile: no melee stats, low armour — cavalry or stealth heroes delete them instantly.
- Needs line‑of‑sight — terrain and walls can block arcs more than trebuchets.
5 | Recommended Doctrine
6 | Micro‑Play & Tactics
Standard Firing Cycle
- Set Up Artillery behind a shield wall or low cover.
- Quickly drag the Attack Area arc so shots skim just over friendly heads.
- As soon as volley lands, Move Artillery 15–20 m sideways; this breaks enemy memory targeting and avoids counter‑artillery.
- While reloading, consider helping nearby ram / ladders with the Builder trait.
Pro Tips
- Pistol kite: Trigger Defence Shooting, then immediately Move Artillery back toward allies; pistols fire while retreating.
- Use elevation: Even a small slope widens splash radius and clears low battlements.
- Count your ammo: 24 rounds vanish fast; resupply whenever your team rotates.
7 | Allies & Counters
Synergies
- Shield infantry soak arrows and keep melee off your guns.
- Stun lock heroes (Maul, Poleaxe) pin enemy blobs for perfect volleys.
- Scout cav / Outriders spot flanks and intercept assassin heroes.
Threats
- Fast shock cav (Hussars, Cataphracts) if they slip past screens.
- Long‑range gunpowder (Shenji Grenadiers) can counter‑battery from outside pistol range.
- Range burn the low‑HP crew before you can limber up.
8 | Commander Checklist
- Always park a pike brace or shield unit within 10 m.
- Fire, scoot, fire again — static guns get countered.
- Track cavalry on the mini‑map; pre‑limber when they vanish.
- Reload timer = opportunity to relocate or build siege.
9 | Conclusion
Lionroar Crew transform artillery from static emplacements into roaming shock pieces. Master their shoot‑scoot cadence and they’ll roar like lions, ripping holes in enemy lines wherever you direct them. Misjudge distance or neglect a bodyguard, and the king’s prized gunners will be trampled before their next volley ever fires.