# The Piechur and the Retainer are anti-everything units

**URL:** <https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-piechur-and-the-retainer-are-anti-everything-units/289866>\
**Category:** III - Discussion\
**Created:** [September 22, 2026, 11:35pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-piechur-and-the-retainer-are-anti-everything-units/289866 "2026-09-22T23:35:39Z")\
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**Author:** ![toaf](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/toaf/32/146888_2.png) [@toaf](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/toaf)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 11:35pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-piechur-and-the-retainer-are-anti-everything-units/289866/1 "2026-09-22T23:35:39Z")

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The Piechur has damage multipliers against at least three types of units. Essentially, it has the same amount of HP as a standard European skirmisher, but with a lower cost (5 fewer resources), higher movement speed, and higher base attack.

The real balance issue lies in its bonuses. In addition to the skirmisher’s classic counter bonuses against light cavalry and heavy infantry, it has a 1.5x bonus against other skirmishers. This translates into 24 raw damage in its base state (excluding ranged resistance, or RR, which varies). Although its initial range is intended to balance the unit, it scales with age upgrades until it exceeds the game’s standard 20 range, reaching a maximum of 22.

I consider both the anti-skirmisher bonus and its final range to be excessive, as they essentially guarantee that the Piechur will comfortably win any long-range skirmisher duel.

The Retainer, on the other hand, seems like a Cossack with bonuses against virtually everything. It performs decently against light infantry, has a multiplier against artillery, and also receives bonuses against all types of cavalry. On top of that, the “National Cavalry” card gives them a bonus against heavy infantry from the start. In short, it is a unit that, in theory, counters virtually every unit in the game.

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