Garrisons flip the rules
Joining a garrison uses the same slot-1 rule as attack rallies (only your first hero's first expedition skill counts), but the goal inverts: the garrison scores by surviving. Damage reduction, enemy-stat debuffs, and squad health/defense are what keep a King's Castle held through turret volleys and synced enemy rallies. Scores below weight defense fully and offense at half, at max skill level (Lv 5).
Every viable garrison joiner, ranked
| # | Hero | Class | Rarity | First expedition skill | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gordon | cavalry | epic | Super Nutrients | — | +25.0% |
| 2 | Saul | archer | Mythic · Gen 1 | Taskforce Training | — | +25.0% |
| 3 | Long Fei | infantry | Mythic · Gen 5 | Mighty Paragon | — | +25.0% |
| 4 | Triton | infantry | Mythic · Gen 6 | Command of Power | — | +25.0% |
| 5 | Fahd | cavalry | epic | Desert Eclipse | — | +20.0% |
| 6 | Howard | infantry | epic | Defenders' Edge | — | +20.0% |
| 7 | Quinn | archer | epic | Sixth Sense | — | +20.0% |
| 8 | Jabel | cavalry | Mythic · Gen 1 | Rally Flag | — | +20.0% |
| 9 | Helga | infantry | Mythic · Gen 1 | Oath of Guardian | — | +20.0% |
| 10 | Eric | infantry | Mythic · Gen 3 | Holy Warrior | — | +20.0% |
| 11 | Sophia | cavalry | Mythic · Gen 6 | Arcane Pact | — | +20.0% |
| 12 | Charles | infantry | Mythic · Gen 7 | Intimidation | — | +20.0% |
| 13 | Alcar | infantry | Mythic · Gen 4 | Rescuing Hands | — | +18.7% |
| 14 | Hilde | cavalry | Mythic · Gen 2 | Noble Path | +15.0% | +10.0% |
| 15 | Thrud | cavalry | Mythic · Gen 5 | Battle Hunger | +15.0% | +10.0% |
| 16 | Amane | archer | epic | Tri-Phalanx | +25.0% | — |
| 17 | Yeonwoo | archer | epic | On Guard | +25.0% | — |
| 18 | Chenko | cavalry | epic | Stand of Arms | +25.0% | — |
| 19 | Amadeus | infantry | Mythic · Gen 1 | Battle Ready | +25.0% | — |
| 20 | Petra | cavalry | Mythic · Gen 3 | Evil Eye | +25.0% | — |
| 21 | Margot | cavalry | Mythic · Gen 4 | Warbringer | +25.0% | — |
| 22 | Vivian | archer | Mythic · Gen 5 | Crouching Tiger | +25.0% | — |
| 23 | Yang | archer | Mythic · Gen 6 | Avalanche | +25.0% | — |
| 24 | Ava | cavalry | Mythic · Gen 7 | Dissolution | +25.0% | — |
| 25 | Wee & Woo | archer | Mythic · Gen 7 | Artillerymen | +25.0% | — |
| 26 | Zoe | infantry | Mythic · Gen 2 | Sundering Wound | +24.0% | — |
| 27 | Jaeger | archer | Mythic · Gen 3 | The Tempest | +24.0% | — |
| 28 | Marlin | archer | Mythic · Gen 2 | Wild Card | +20.0% | — |
| 29 | Rosa | archer | Mythic · Gen 4 | Chaos Gambit | +20.0% | — |
The Saul math (and friends)
- Saul is the benchmark garrison joiner. His first skill carries two defensive stats at once (squad defense and health), which compounds: four Sauls multiply to roughly 2.24× effective defense versus 2.0× for four single-effect Gordons. Stacking one deep defensive skill type beats spreading across weak ones.
- Gordon, Howard, and Hilde fill the remaining seats, bringing health, damage-taken reduction, and mixed stats respectively.
- Garrison leads are a separate question (their whole kit counts). By generation: Eric · Jaeger · Hilde (Gen 3), Triton · Jaeger · Sophia (Gen 6), Charles · Jaeger · Sophia (Gen 7). Remember that defender-type gear skills (useless on offense) are exactly what you want here.
- Formation: infantry-heavy 60/20/20, keeping all three classes nonzero so every troop-type garrison skill stays active. Full context in the Castle Battle guide.
FAQ
Should I garrison with my strongest attack heroes?
No. Attack-skill heroes contribute their skill, but a defensive skill of equal level holds structures longer. Seat Saul-family heroes and send the attackers to rallies.
Does this apply to defending my own city?
The same defensive logic applies to reinforcement joining. City defense adds wall/trap layers on top, but the slot-1 skill rule is unchanged.
Why does the table show offense values at all?
Garrison combat still deals damage, and carnage scores points in Castle Battle. Offense counts at half weight, which is why hybrid kits rank above pure-utility ones.