
A solid anti-cavalry unit in the early-mid game
Spear Guards is a medium spear infantry unit in Total War: Three Kingdoms. They are best when recruited in Champion retinues and are designed to protect against mounted units while being resilient under archer fire.
Overview[]
In army engagements when the enemy has mounted units it is essential to deploy spear infantry to defend the battle line, especially to thwart flanking attacks on archers or siege weapons. Spear Guards are designed for this purpose and as a bonus they are one of the few spear units that carries a shield that protects well against archer volleys. When braced (stationary) these units have a major bonus called Charge Reflection vs. Mounted that redirects massive damage onto charging cavalry.
These units are not especially good on offense against other infantry due to a low charge bonus, low melee stats and slow attack rate. On the brighter side, they are reasonably well armored, have good morale and a shield that adds to their staying power. Even if there is no cavalry to engage, they are good at holding an enemy line in place while you attend to other actions around the battlefield.
Champion characters with the Trust Skill will automatically buff the armor of their retinues of Spear Guard units by 10%. This is a principle reason to recruit these Wood class units in Champion retinues whenever possible. These units can use the Spear Wall and Turtle formations if the army is commanded by a Strategist or Commander that has these formations available to them.
- Type: Medium Spear Infantry
- Base cost to recruit: 550
- Base unit upkeep: 160
Description[]

In-game (vanilla units in spear wall formation)
Spear Guard units are regular troops rather than part-time militia. They receive regular formal drilling, adequate armor and weapon training that includes both the spear and the large wooden shield they bear. They are well equipped to successfully engage archers, cavalry and infantry in the early and mid-game.
Total War: Three Kingdoms Units | |
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Earth | Bandit Warriors・Chen Peacekeepers・Dao Swordguard Cavalry・Handmaid Guard・Imperial Household Cavalry・Jaizi Raiders・Jian Cavalry Captain・Jian Sword Guard Cavalry (Total War: Three Kingdoms)・Messengers of Heaven・Mounted Sabre Defectors・Mounted Sabre Militia・Northern Sabre Cavalry・Northern Sabre Cavalry Captain・Northern Veteran Sabre Cavalry・Qiang Raiders・Sabre Cavalry・Tiger Cubs・Virtuous Noblemen・White Wave Horsemen・Xiongnu Noble Cavalry・Yellow Dragons・Yellow Turban Horsemen |
Fire | Bandit Raiders・Cataphracts・Destroyers of Treachery・Heavy Cataphracts・Heavy Tiger and Leopard Cavalry・Heavy Xiliang Cavalry・Imperial Lancer Cavalry・Jade Dragons・Lance Cavalry Captain・Lancer Cavalry・Mercenary Cavalry・Mercenary Cavalry Captain・Mounted Lancer Defectors・Mounted Lancer Militia・Northern Lancer Cavalry・Northern Lancer Cavalry Captain・Northern Veteran Lancers・Peasant Raiders・Qiang Marauders・Raider Cavalry・Righteous Vanguards・Southern Elephants・Tiger and Leopard Cavalry・Tyrant Slayers・War Elephants・Xianbei Riders・Xiliang Cavalry・Xiongnu Cataphracts・Xiongnu Cavalry |
Metal | Arm of the Supreme Peace・Axe Band・Axe Throwers・Bandit Warriors・Black Mountain Marauders・Bringers of Peace・Camp Crushers・Chanters・Chosen of the Eight Immortals・Chu Infantry・Dao Swordguard Captain・Dao Swordguards・Exemplars of the Tao・Fists of the Bandit Queen・Followers of the Flame・Hidden Axes・Huanglao's Paragons・Imperial Guard Captain・Imperial Guards・Imperial Sword Guard・Jian Infantry Captain・Jian Sword Guards・Liyang Daring Infantry・Mercenary Infantry・Mercenary Infantry Captain・Might of the Valley・Nanman Warriors・Nanman Warriors Captain・Nanzhong Champions・Northern Sabre Infantry・Northern Sabre Infantry Captain・Northern Veteran Sabre Infantry・Pearl Dragons・Peasant Volunteers・Peasant Warriors・People's Warband・Qiang Warriors・Qingzhou Assault Infantry・Rapid Tiger Infantry・Ravine Warriors・Redeemed Outlaws・Sabre Defectors・Sabre Infantry・Sabre Militia・Scholar-Warriors・Tiger Warriors・Valley Tribesmen・Venerable Wu・Warriors of Xu・Warriors of the Left・White Tiger Warriors・White Wave Veterans・Wuguo Axe Throwers・Wuling Fighters・Xu Raiders・Yellow Sky Heralds・Yellow Turban Warriors・Yellow Turban Warriors Captain・Youxia・Yue Remnant Warriors・Zhanmajian Infantry |
Water | Archer Captain・Archer Defectors・Archer Gang・Archer Militia・Archers・Archers of Jing・Archery Masters・Bandit Hunters・Black Mountain Hunters・Chen Royal Guard・Crossbowmen・Defenders of Earth・Dongzhoubing Marksmen・Fire Archers・Fury of Beihai・Heavy Crossbowmen・Heavy Mounted Archers・Heavy Repeating Crossbowmen・Hidden Vipers・Horseback Huntsmen・Imperial Palace Cavalry・Imperial Palace Crossbowmen・Javelin Throwers・Juggernaut・Men of the Forest・Mercenary Archers・Mercenary Archers Captain・Mounted Crossbows・Mounted Marksmen・Multiple Bolt Crossbow・Nanman Slingers・Nanzhong Elephants・Northern Mounted Archers・Northern Mounted Raiders・Onyx Dragons・Peasant Archers・Poachers・Qi Crossbowmen・Qiang Archers・Qiang Hunters・Repeating Crossbowmen・Sanjiang Poison Darts・Territorial Archers・The Land's Chosen・Thunder of Jian'an・Tiger Slingers・Trebuchet・Watchmen of the Peace・White Horse Fellows・White Horse Raiders・White Tiger Raiders・Wuling Slingers・Xianbei Horse Archers・Yaoguai Hunters・Ye Vanguard Crossbows・Yellow Turban Archers・Yellow Turban Archers Captain・Yi Archers・Yi Marksmen |
Wood | Azure Dragons・Bandit Gang・Black Mountain Outlaws・Bringers of Righteousness・Chu Spearmen・Defenders of Hebei・Defenders of the Empire・Dongzhoubing Defenders・Fervent Defenders・Gallants of the People・Guardians of the Land・Heavy Ji Infantry・Heavy Spear Guards・Imperial Defenders・Imperial Gate Guards・Infantry of Jing・Javelin Spear Guards・Javelin Spearmen・Ji Defectors・Ji Infantry・Ji Infantry Captain・Ji Militia・Militia of Virtue・Nanman Spearmen・Northern Ji Infantry・Northern Ji Infantry Captain・Northern Spear Guard Captain・Northern Spear Guards・Northern Veteran Ji Infantry・Northern Veteran Spears・Peasant Band・Peasant Spearmen・Protectors of Heaven・Qi Guardsmen・Qiang Polearms・Qingzhou Halberds・Qingzhou Spears・Reclaimers・Sanjiang Poison Spears・Shields of the South・Spear Guards・Spear Warriors・Spearmen Gang・Stalwart Shields・Territorial Spearmen・Tiger Guard・Warriors of Ye・Wolf Pack・Ye Vanguard Spearmen・Yellow Turban Spearmen・Yellow Turban Spearmen Captain・Yue Tribesmen・Zealots of the Way |