Phoenix Guard is a High Elves melee infantry unit in Total War: Warhammer II. At the heart of the battle, in the thickest fighting, highly-trained and utterly silent.
Description
The Phoenix Guard are the guardians of the Shrine of Asuryan, the great pyramid temple in the Sea of Dreams. Deep within lies the Chamber of Days. On its ancient walls, it is said, are the histories of past, present and future, etched in words of fire. Legend tells that any who behold that wall shall forever be cursed with the knowledge of their own death. Regiments of Phoenix Guard are always found where the fighting is fiercest and victory hardest won, for their gift allows them to see confluences and crux points upon the battlefield that lie hidden to mortal eyes. Each warrior knows his appointed hour of death, but none seek to delay that fatal moment. Whether battle brings victory or defeat, life or death, the Phoenix Guard fight on without fear.
Abilities
Halberd Infantry- ▲ Armoured: Armoured units can block damage from any source apart from Armour-Piercing damage.
- ▲ Armour-Piercing: The damage of armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.
- ▲ Anti-Large: Anti-Large: Anti-large units have an advantage against targets that are at least as large as a horse. This advantage can be a damage bonus against large targets or an attack that focuses on a very small area. However, some units are simply better against large targets because their attacks are slow and easy to dodge by skilled melee combatants.
- ▲ Charge Defence Against All: When standing and bracing against a charge this unit will negate the enemy's charge bonus.
armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.
Strategy
Although they are probably the strongest unit in the High Elves´ roster when it comes to taking down monsters or heavy cavalry in melee, Phoenix Guards are surprisingly versatile. Their expert charge defence allows them to stop charging infantry as well as large creatures, they cause fear and are highly resilient to non-magical damage. In short, they are a very efficient roadblock: place them where you absolutely do not want the enemy to break through and protect them from getting whittled down by missile fire. The only reason not to replace all your Spearmen with Phoenix Guards in late game is their exorbitant upkeep cost, but even that can be compensated for if your economy is very strong.
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