Introduction

Leonidas is a legendary Pikemen commander in Age of Empires Mobile, specializing in Warrior, Attack, and Counterattack roles. As a commander, he excels in dealing significant damage, particularly when his troops are under attack or suffer losses. This makes him a formidable hero for both PvE (Player versus Environment) and PvP (Player versus Player) battles. For detailed strategies and tips on maximizing Leonidas’ potential, check out the Age of Empires Mobile Leonidas Guide.

Leonidas’ Signature Skill, “Unyielding Soul,” gives him a 20% chance to counterattack when hit by a normal attack, dealing Might damage to the attacker. The damage increases as his troops lose more units, making him especially powerful in prolonged battles.

While he pairs well with other heroes like Joan of Arc and Frederick Barbarossa, Leonidas can also function effectively as a standalone hero due to his self-sustaining abilities and powerful counterattacks.

However, there is a catch: Leonidas is a pay-to-win hero. He is available for purchase through in-app transactions, starting with a $1 “intro pack,” which grants a one-star version of Leonidas along with additional abilities. To further improve his star rating, players must purchase more bundles containing Leonidas medals. This makes him harder to access for Free-to-Play (F2P) players, who may need to rely on other heroes.

Rarity: Legendary Specialties: Warrior Attack Counterattack Unit Type: Pikemen Select Level (1-120): Level: 1 Might: Armor: Strategy: Siege:

Leonidas Skills

In Age of Empires Mobile, Leonidas is a legendary hero known for his expertise in Pikemen units and his powerful counterattack capabilities. His skill set revolves around enhancing his ability to retaliate against enemy forces while dealing devastating damage, particularly as the battle progresses.

Leonidas’s Commander Skill, Firm Strike, allows him to unleash a fan-shaped attack that targets three enemy troops, with damage scaling up as his troops lose units. This skill rewards aggressive gameplay, making Leonidas more dangerous as the battle intensifies.

His Signature Skill, Unyielding Soul, gives him a 20% chance to counterattack when hit by a normal attack, dealing additional Might damage. This passive ability also scales with troop losses, further enhancing his offensive potential as his forces suffer casualties. Additionally, Unyielding Soul boosts damage against World Monsters, making him effective in both PvP and PvE scenarios.

Leonidas’s Flexible Skills allow players to tailor his abilities for optimal performance on the battlefield. Fearless Retribution enhances his counterattack capabilities by adding a chance for instant retaliation and a healing effect, improving his durability. Meanwhile, Whirlwind Sweep boosts his Might damage incrementally throughout the battle, stacking up to five times for increased offensive power.

By carefully selecting these skills, players can maximize Leonidas’s potential as a formidable front-line warrior, capable of absorbing damage while delivering powerful counterattacks.

Firm Strike

Commander skill
Leonidas’s Firm Strike skill deals Might damage to three enemy units in a fan-shaped area in front of him, with a damage rate of 116.22% plus a Might bonus. Additionally, the damage increases by 2% for every 1% of his units lost, up to a maximum of 100% extra damage.

Unyielding Soul

Signature skill
When Leonidas is struck by a normal attack, he has a 20% chance to retaliate with a Might damage counterattack against the attacker. The damage dealt by this counterattack increases as Leonidas’s troops suffer more losses. Additionally, this skill enhances the damage dealt by your troops against World Monsters.

Counterattack

When Leonidas is hit by a normal attack, he has a 15% chance to immediately counterattack, dealing Might damage to the attacker. The damage rate is 26.76%, with a Might bonus, and the counterattack can occur once per second.

Vigilance

When Leonidas is struck by a normal attack, he has a 15% chance to immediately counterattack, dealing Might damage to the attacker (18.95% damage rate, with a Might bonus). Additionally, there is a 50% chance to inflict the Rout effect, dealing Might damage every second (7.45% damage rate, with a Might bonus) for 3 seconds. This effect enhances his ability to both retaliate and apply sustained damage to the enemy

Tenacity

Recovers a portion of your troops’ units every 9 seconds, with a recovery rate of 65.65% and an armor bonus

Fearless Retribution

When Leonidas is hit by a normal attack, he has a 20% chance to immediately counterattack, dealing Might damage to the attacker once per second (24.24% damage rate with a Might bonus). Additionally, every 6 seconds, he triggers a recovery effect that restores a portion of his troops’ units, with a recovery rate of 7.45% and a Might bonus

King’s Blade

Every 9 seconds, Leonidas deals Might damage to an enemy troop (59.60% damage rate with a Might bonus). Additionally, there is a 46% chance to increase the damage of all your heroes by 6.06% for 3 seconds

Whirlwind Sweep

Increases Leonidas’s Might damage by 3.94% every 6 seconds, with the effect stacking up to 5 times​

Unit Pairings

Pairing Leonidas with Pikemen in Age of Empires Mobile creates a highly effective and synergistic combination that enhances both offensive and defensive capabilities on the battlefield. Leonidas is a Warrior hero who excels at counterattacks, especially when his troops sustain damage. His Unyielding Soul skill gives him a 20% chance to counterattack with Might damage whenever he’s struck by a normal attack, and the damage increases as more units are lost.

Pikemen, known for their durability and ability to counter cavalry, serve as a solid frontline unit to absorb damage, allowing Leonidas to trigger more counterattacks and increase his overall damage output as the battle progresses. This synergy is particularly potent since the longer the fight continues, the stronger Leonidas becomes, especially when Pikemen sustain damage and trigger his Firm Strike commander skill, which boosts his damage as his troops lose health.

In addition to Leonidas’s counterattack potential, Pikemen also help protect him from incoming threats. They are highly effective against cavalry, which would otherwise pose a significant threat to Leonidas. With Fearless Retribution, Leonidas can counterattack while also healing nearby troops, making him even more resilient in battle.

Pikemen’s ability to endure heavy damage while holding the line is critical in allowing Leonidas to maximize his Whirlwind Sweep, which boosts his Might damage over time. By pairing Leonidas with Pikemen, players can ensure that his damage output grows as the battle continues, while Pikemen continue to perform their role as a front-line tank. This pairing maximizes both the survivability of your troops and Leonidas’s devastating counterattacks, making them a formidable duo in both PvP and PvE situations.

Hero Pairings

When pairing heroes with Leonidas in Age of Empires Mobile, it is crucial to consider synergy between their skills, military specialties, and unit types. Leonidas excels with counterattack strategies, especially when paired with heroes who amplify his strengths. Below are two excellent pairings for him:

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc is an excellent hero to pair with Leonidas, particularly for players focused on maximizing counterattacks. Both heroes specialize in Pikemen, ensuring strong unit type synergy, which boosts their effectiveness when used together in battle. This synergy is further reinforced by their shared “Warrior” military specialty, providing a significant 30% stat bonus to all units in the march, enhancing their overall performance. Joan of Arc’s own counterattack skill works seamlessly with Leonidas’ abilities, offering additional opportunities for your troops to retaliate against enemies during engagements.

This synergy is particularly powerful in extended fights, as both heroes capitalize on their counterattack potential, dealing continuous damage while maintaining the defensive capability of their units. By strategically pairing these two, players can create a formidable, damage-dealing defense that thrives in prolonged skirmishes.

For Free-to-Play (F2P) players, Joan of Arc offers a great opportunity to build a strong and reliable team without requiring significant investment. Her accessibility, combined with her effectiveness in boosting Leonidas’ counterattack capabilities, makes her a key asset in creating a defensive-focused Pikemen army. Together, these heroes provide a solid foundation for players who want to dominate in both PvE and PvP, especially for those who may not have access to higher-star or paid heroes.

Frederick Barbarossa

Frederick Barbarossa is another excellent hero to pair with Leonidas, offering a combination of tanking power and defensive synergy that can enhance Leonidas’ effectiveness on the battlefield. As a tank hero, Frederick’s primary role is to protect other units, absorbing damage that would otherwise be directed at more vulnerable troops. This characteristic makes him a valuable support hero for Leonidas, whose strength lies in counterattacks and dealing damage over time. By pairing these two, players can create a strong frontline where Frederick absorbs incoming damage, allowing Leonidas to focus on dealing damage and triggering counterattacks.

Frederick’s skills, particularly his signature ability, become more powerful at higher star levels. His signature skill boosts the defense of all troops in the march, which directly complements Leonidas’ ability to endure in longer fights. The increased defense helps Leonidas’ forces withstand enemy assaults for a longer duration, giving them more opportunities to trigger counterattacks. This makes the pairing particularly effective in battles where the opponent uses multiple units or attempts to overwhelm your defenses with high damage or numbers. By reinforcing Leonidas’ survivability, Frederick ensures that the Pikemen hero remains a threat on the battlefield, even when outnumbered or under heavy attack.

For players looking to add Frederick Barbarossa to their roster, his medals are available through bundles and events, making him an accessible option for those willing to invest in these resources. This makes him a viable choice for players who want to maximize their Leonidas build and are looking for a solid, defensive hero to complement his counterattacking capabilities. With Frederick’s strong defensive presence and Leonidas’ offensive power, this pairing becomes a formidable combination capable of enduring prolonged engagements while dealing significant damage.

By combining Leonidas with either Joan of Arc or Frederick Barbarossa, players can maximize counterattack potential and create a Pikemen-focused march that excels in both offense and defense.

Leonidas Talent Tree

Leonidas’ talent tree in Age of Empires Mobile is designed to optimize his role as a strong Pikemen hero, focusing on enhancing both his damage output and survivability. His talent build prioritizes increasing his overall damage, especially for counterattacks and basic attacks.

This boost in damage ensures that Leonidas remains a powerful damage dealer in the front lines, enhancing the effectiveness of his Firm Strike and Unyielding Soul abilities. At the same time, the talent tree allocates significant points toward improving his survivability, focusing on reducing the damage he takes from basic attacks and skills.

The talent tree for Leonidas significantly enhances his durability and combat effectiveness, making him a formidable presence on the battlefield. By investing in talent nodes that boost his defense, health, and damage reduction, players can ensure that Leonidas is able to withstand extended engagements, absorbing incoming damage without being easily eliminated. This durability is crucial for a hero like Leonidas, whose strength lies in his counterattack abilities and sustained presence in fights. With the right talent investments, Leonidas can continue to deal damage even as his troops take hits, allowing him to maintain constant pressure on enemies throughout a battle.

Additionally, the talent tree provides significant boosts to Leonidas’ passive abilities, particularly Unyielding Soul, which enhances his counterattack potential. As Leonidas absorbs damage, his Unyielding Soul passive skill activates, giving him a chance to retaliate with Might damage to attackers. Talents that increase this passive damage allow Leonidas to become even more dangerous the longer a fight lasts. The more damage he takes, the more his counterattacks ramp up, making him a continuous threat that enemies cannot easily ignore. These passive boosts ensure that Leonidas doesn’t just survive in combat but thrives as he absorbs hits, punishing enemies with each attack.

By carefully selecting talent tree nodes, players can tailor Leonidas’ abilities to suit their preferred strategy, whether it’s maximizing his tanking capacity or amplifying his counterattack potential. However, this requires careful investment, as resetting and re-allocating talent points becomes increasingly expensive as the hero progresses. Therefore, players must weigh their options carefully to optimize Leonidas’ potential, considering both his role as a durable front-line fighter and his capacity to deal significant damage over time. With the right approach, Leonidas becomes an indispensable asset in any battle, able to sustain himself through long engagements while continuing to deal substantial damage.

Gear Recommendations

Leonidas’ talent tree in Age of Empires Mobile is built to enhance his role as a powerful damage dealer while maintaining his durability in battle. His talent tree prioritizes increasing his offensive capabilities, survivability, and the effectiveness of his passive skills.

Increasing Damage Output: A key focus of Leonidas’ talent tree is boosting his damage. Talents that increase his basic attack damage, hero ability damage, and might damage are selected, ensuring he remains a formidable front-line fighter. This aligns with his role as a primary damage dealer in a Pikemen-focused lineup, where maximizing his offensive potential is crucial.

Enhancing Survivability: In addition to offense, the talent tree also emphasizes making Leonidas more resilient. Talents that reduce the damage he takes from both basic attacks and skills are included, helping him survive longer in battles. This is particularly important for a hero like Leonidas, who thrives in prolonged engagements where he can leverage his counterattacks.

Boosting Passive Abilities: Recognizing the importance of his signature skill, Unyielding Soul, the talent tree further invests in amplifying his passive abilities. This increases the damage output of his counterattacks, allowing him to deal significant damage in response to enemy attacks, especially as his troops sustain losses.

Conclusion

Leonidas is a standout Pikemen commander in Age of Empires Mobile, excelling in counterattacks. His ability to retaliate when hit by basic attacks makes him a potent force, especially in both Player versus Environment (PvE) and Player versus Player (PvP) battles. His signature skill, Unyielding Soul, allows him to deal significant damage in response to enemy strikes, rewarding aggressive tactics and prolonged engagements.

While Leonidas is effective on his own, he reaches his full potential when paired with complementary heroes. Key synergies—such as unit type synergy, military specialty synergy, and skill synergy—are crucial for optimizing his role in battle. For free-to-play (F2P) players, Joan of Arc is a solid choice, as she enhances his counterattack abilities. Players who are willing to invest can pair him with other powerful heroes like Frederick Barbarossa or Richard I, each offering unique benefits and synergies that require careful consideration.

In the early stages of the game, Leonidas’ counterattack-focused abilities make him a powerful option. Many players may not yet have the resources or hero roster to counter a well-built Pikemen march, which gives Leonidas a strong advantage. As the game progresses, however, it is important to adjust strategies to stay competitive. New heroes and evolving metas will require adapting your tactics to maintain Leonidas’ effectiveness on the battlefield.

While Leonidas excels in combat and can be a powerhouse on the battlefield, his effectiveness outside of direct engagement, such as in resource gathering or other strategic areas, is less clear. In Age of Empires Mobile, heroes like Leonidas are typically more specialized in combat scenarios. His abilities and talents are primarily geared toward dealing damage and surviving longer battles, making him a standout choice in PvP and PvE confrontations. However, his skills don’t translate as seamlessly into non-combat roles, such as managing resources or boosting economic development, which are crucial for long-term progression.

Focusing solely on battle-oriented heroes like Leonidas might offer immediate advantages in combat, but to truly progress through the game, balancing your strategy is essential. Resource gathering, city building, and troop training are just as important to advancing, and heroes that specialize in those areas are better suited to maximize efficiency. As with many strategic games, a diversified approach is key. Having heroes who can provide boosts to your economy, gather resources more effectively, or contribute to building advancements will help ensure that your progression in the game isn’t stunted by focusing too heavily on combat.

In the context of Age of Empires Mobile, it’s crucial to remember that not every hero’s utility will be applicable across all areas of the game. Therefore, players should carefully consider their hero selections based on the task at hand, whether it’s battle or resource management. Balancing combat prowess with economic strategy will help players create a more robust and sustainable approach to growth.