Best Units in Command An Army: Picks by Role and Budget

How do you pick the best unit in Command An Army?

There is no single best unit, because the answer depends on the job you need filled and the stars you have to spend. What is consistent is the ranking within each role: three dated third-party guides agree that Samurai and Lancer are the only units that belong in S tier unanimously, with Flame Archer and Mace close behind at a star less.

Two constraints decide more games than any individual unit pick. Your Star Limit caps the combined star value of everything you field, and your evolution progress decides whether a cheap starter is on its way to becoming something much better. A 4-star unit you cannot afford to field alongside anything else is worse than a 3-star S-tier unit plus two useful starters.

The full ranking of all 25 units lives on the unit tier list, and the evolution guide explains which cheap units are worth holding.

Best unit by role

Why Samurai is the best frontline

Samurai is the most consistent frontline unit in the game. It counters shield stacking, holds up against both ranged and melee pressure, and delivers reliable damage without needing a specific setup around it. No other 4-star unit does its job this cleanly across this many situations, which is why all three guides put it in S.

Why Lancer is the best mounted unit

Lancer has the highest charge damage of any unit in the game, which makes it a fight-ender on open terrain. It can be punished if cornered, so controlling the pace of engagements before that happens is part of using it correctly. Reaching it through the Scout Rider evolution line rather than a 4-star banner is the cheapest route to an S-tier unit in the game.

Why Flame Archer is the best value

Flame Archer sits at 3 stars and punches well above that cost. The arced shot trajectory opens positioning options no other ranged unit has, and the damage over time effect on hit means every landed shot keeps working after impact. It is the strongest ranged pick in the roster and it costs a full star less than the 4-star units.

Why Mace is the quiet overperformer

Three stars for a unit with no obvious stat weakness and genuine value against shield-heavy compositions is a strong deal. Even in matchups where shields are not the main problem, the balanced stats keep it useful.

Best units on a budget

If your Star Limit is tight, the goal is the most combat value per star rather than the highest-tier unit you own.

The trap to avoid is spending on a 4-star banner you cannot field. A 4-star unit plus nothing useful is a worse squad than two 3-star units and a starter, and the Star Limit is the constraint that decides it — not the tier letter.

What is the best class in Command An Army?

Command An Army has no player class system. The game is built around units you field and formations you order, so “best class” searches are really asking which unit fills which role. The role table above is the direct answer, and the formation planning guide covers how to arrange whatever you pick.

How do the guides rank the best units?

Three dated third-party guides were checked for this page. Recording where they disagree is part of the answer, because it tells you which picks are safe.

Samurai and Lancer are the only units with an unbroken S across all three sources. Flame Archer, Mace and Spartan each hold S in two of three. Immortal is the one unit where the top rating comes from a single source, which is why it sits in A here despite its high offensive ceiling.

What changed in Update 2?

Update 2, which went live on September 19, 2026, added Rapier and Rapier Knight with a new Parry trait and raised Spearman and Pikeman squad sizes from 24 to 28 troops. That last change matters most here, because it makes the spear line better at controlling battlefield space in Ranked than it was at launch.

Rapier Knight is a fast melee unit built for flanking rather than holding a frontline, with community-tested stats of 205 HP, 19 damage, 20% Parry, 6 range and fast speed. Those numbers come from one testing session rather than an official stat card, so confirm them in the live unit panel. The Update 2 patch page has the full change list.

What should I read next?

The unit tier list ranks all 25 units with star costs and counters. The evolution guide shows which cheap starters are worth holding, the formation planning guide turns a unit pick into a squad you can test, and the codes page funds the Gems side of it.