Ambiorix is the newest Commander to take charge in Total War: ARENA. He is a Barbarian Archer Commander who specialises in kiting tactics and providing a decent level of utility for his team. While he may lack the same burst potential as his Greek counterpart, that does not mean he can’t be a formidable force in battle. Ambiorix’s overall damage and ability combos definitely make him a worthy opponent. Let’s explore what this new Commander is capable of in Total War: ARENA.

Haste is an ability of dual purpose for Ambiorix. This Tier 1 ability increases your movement speed so that you can chase down your target, run away from danger, or simply relocate quicker. It also buffs your reload speed, increasing your damage output when you need it. Using this ability for any of these purposes is perfectly fine, but it’s best utilised when you combine them both by moving in between your volleys. Kiting is a tactic where you run away from an enemy that’s chasing you while still dealing damage to them. Haste is a perfect tool in this case, especially when combined with his Tier 3 ability, Crippling Shot. You can also use it to relocate to an optimal position, while still dealing damage on your way there.

Ambiorix’s Tier 3 ability, Crippling Shot, is very similar to the Focus Fire unit ability, which you should be familiar with if you’ve played any ranged units before. This ability targets an area on the ground, launching a powerful volley that is able to knock back anyone that stands in its path. These arrows will always fly very low above the ground, so make sure there are no allied units between you and your target. This ability also has quite a long cooldown, so instead of using it to maximise your damage per minute, you should use it mainly in defensive situations to save your life, such as disrupting a Cavalry charge, stopping Javelinmen that managed to get close to you, or interrupting Archers that are barraging you or your allies. It will also knock back units that manage to block the arrows and avoid damage, meaning that you can slow down enemy Testudos approaching you. Remember, you have three units at your disposal, and using one Crippling Shot is usually enough to achieve your goal. Having it off cooldown and available on at least one unit can be a matter of life and death for your troops.

From The Shadows is Ambiorix’s ultimate ability, which greatly increases his range, accuracy and penetration damage. As a trade off, you lose a lot of movement speed, making you vulnerable if you get spotted. From the Shadows is a togglable ability, meaning it will last until you disable it, which you can do at any time apart from the initial cooldown.

When From The Shadows is enabled, your archers will shoot at a very high arc that resembles mortar fire. Thanks to this characteristic and its increased accuracy, this ability is perfect for shooting at immobile targets, such as engaged melee units or artillery nests. Its high arc also means that you will be able to hit enemies that are hiding behind obstacles that would normally stand in the way of your arrows. Crippling Shot will also benefit from increased range, accuracy, and damage, so using this ability as soon as it is off of cooldown is a very good way to maximise your damage. Combining this ability with Haste will cause the skies to be filled with your arrows, which can be difficult for enemies to avoid even when they are actively dodging the barrage. Remember to turn it off if you’re shooting a moving target within normal range, as your arrows are very easy to dodge due to their long travel time.

Thanks to his speed and ability to defend himself, Ambiorix combines well with almost any troops. Your best buddies on the battlefield will be Miltiades spear players who can protect you no matter where you go, as well as Cavalry units who can scout for you when you want to ambush opponents from the shadows. Your greatest enemies are Slingers, who can deal high damage to your lightly armoured Archers from afar while easily dodging volleys from your From The Shadows ability or simply staying outside of your range.

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