Resistance (previously Armor) represents how well a particular unit or building can absorb incoming damage from enemy units, basically the more Resistance a unit has the less damage it will take in combat.
There are three types of damage: hack, pierce and crush. Hack damage is typically dealt in melee combat by hand-to-hand infantry or cavalry. Pierce damage is typically dealt by ranged units at range, either infantry archers or skirmishers, mounted skirmishers on cavalry or even specific siege units such as Bolt Shooters. Crush damage is dealt by siege units such as Stone Throwers, Siege Rams or siege ships.
The combat system works by matching up attack type to Resistance type. For example, a unit that has resistance level 1 (10%) would take 90% of the damage otherwise dealt, if and only if both the attack and resistance types are the same.
So hack resistance only blocks damage from hack attacks, pierce Resistance only blocks damage from pierce attacks, and crush Resistance only blocks against crush attacks.
No matter what kind of resistance a unit has, it will always take at least 1 damage when attacked by any other unit.
Recent changes have changed resistance from a function that simply subtracts incoming damage to a minimum of 1 damage meaning even if a units Resistance level greatly outweighs an incoming attack, such as 20 hack resistance vs 3 hack attack - the unit will still suffer 1 hit point of damage. The new resistance system implemented recently is exponential resistance, where each point of resistance will successively multiply damage by 0.9 in effect reducing damage more and more but to a lesser extent each time. Each upgrade of resistance level will yield diminishing returns, gameplay-wise it rewards providing units with basic resistance protections since the early Resistance levels are yield the most protection.
Most units already have some resistance, low level Citizen Soldiers typical have the weakest while champion units and hero units have the strongest. Resistance levels on units can be improved via technologies available to different civilizations, often found in the blacksmith.
| Resistance Level | Damage Reduction |
|---|---|
| 1 | -10% |
| 2 | -19% |
| 3 | -27% |
| 4 | -34% |
| 5 | -41% |
| 6 | -47% |
| 7 | -52% |
| 8 | -57% |
| 9 | -61% |
| 10 | -65% |