Berserker Élite

The Berserk is a heavy infantry unit that is armed with an axe and shield, and has the ability to regenerate 40 hit points per minute. This allows them to last long between combats and makes them effective in pitched battles. Like most infantry, Berserks have a small attack bonus against and . The Viking civilization bonus gives them +20% hit points, so a Berserk will have 65 hit points, 14 attack, and 3/3 armor in the Castle Age. An Elite Berserk will have 74 hit points, 18 attack, and 5/5 armor when fully upgraded. They also have good speed for an infantry unit, making them decent at fighting small groups of foot archers. On land maps, a Viking player has to make a choice between training Elite Berserks or Champions. Due to the costs involved in upgrading both units and the role they fill, it is impractical to train both units. The Berserk's advantages over the Militia line lies in their regeneration and speed. On the downside, they have fewer hit points, less pierce armor (due to Gambesons), cost an additional (though the gold cost is the same), and are harder to mass at Castles compared to Barracks. The Viking Militia line has superior hit points compared to Berserks, since both units are equally affected by the Viking hit point bonus, but the Berserks still have more hit points compared to the Militia line of other civilizations bar the Armenians. Both unit lines, along with the Spearman line, are equally affected by Chieftains as well. === Counters === Berserks share all the weaknesses of most infantry, but to a lesser extent. Berserks can catch up with foot archers, but they still should not be used against them, especially in mass battles. Hand Cannoneers and Slingers absolutely devastate Berserks. Massed Scorpions can also inflict massive losses against Berserks. Samurai (unlike Champions) and Jaguar Warriors are the melee units that threaten Berserks. Cataphracts counter Berserks as well. Like against almost all melee units, Teutonic Knights and Boyars are also effective against Berserks, though the former's slow speed is even starker compared to the Berserk's. Berserks should avoid battles against Leitis, as their attack ignores melee armor, but their regeneration can give them a slight advantage. However, the Leitis' attack can be very devastating with all 4 Relics collected, dealing 22 damage per hit. Despite the regeneration giving an advantage, prolonged combat against Obuchs may leave Berserks prone to the attacks of other units, especially against archers, because the Obuch's attacks remove armor. What is more, the Berserks are near evenly-matched with Obuchs in equal numbers, while the latter is cheaper. Monaspas can quickly overwhelm Berserks due to their high attack when massed, and their own regeneration helps them last longer. The regeneration is not enough to overcome the Liao Dao's bleeding damage. As a result, Liao Daos are extremely effective against Berserks.