Could use some help with agents

[ShuriK]

So im pretty familiar with everything OTHER than the agents.
For example i just recruited a champion, what can he do?
If someone could explain what every agents does and how to use them id be very glad.

[Alabama Toothpick]

champions can train troops if put in a army it gives them xp every turn spies are mostly used for killing generals and poisoning troops and priest are used for spreading religion

[Ruswarr]

Champions can train your troops, weaken and sabotage (read: kill some people) in a unit or units or garrisions, kill other characters, destroy walls (for walled settlements).

Spies can enhance your army's movement, kill other characters, slow down enemy armies.

Priest can spread your religion, improve public order, make enemy's public order i na province worse, kill others (I think)? They are really good to deploy in freshly conquered provinces and in provinces where you religion is really low to boost its influence as long as they are there.

[Delacourt '27]

Go to each agents info screen. The lower left box tells you what the agents bonus/minus, and what they can do.

The left side of skill box has all the skills you can use at time of recruit. The rest of things they can do is all depends on what skills you choose for each agent, and how many points you put into it. The vanilla don't give you enough to get all skills to 2 points, so you have to pick for your self.

[Teh_Diplomat]

Also, the skill tree that you select your upgrades from, well it varies depending on the faction type you are: Desert Kingoms, Slavic, Germanic, Celtic, Eastern Empire, etc.

But the essence of their purpose was conveyed by Ruswarr quite well.

I would only add that Agents are best used to their strengths:


Spies should be hindering armies as often as possible, provided you can afford it. This is the best way to level them up, considering risk/reward; as nothing will provide that [relatively] low risk for the opportunity, not only to upgrade your agent, but as well as hinder the movement allottment for the upcoming turn (bonus points if you did it during winter).



Champions should sit with your most active armies as that will allow them to provide experience, and by extension better stats to your units within the army.

Later, as the Champion gets upgrades from his own experience, the abilities to assault an army, and breakdown walls, are very formidable skills, and worth taking your champion out of the army for a turn.

Also, feel free to 'bounce around' your champion to ensure nearby armies can recieve xp upgrades as well. While it's nice to have double silver chevron stacks patrolling, it can make a world of a difference to give an army just double bronze - effectively +4 to critical stats (Morale, Melee Defense, Melee Attack).



Priests are easily the most OP unit in the game, due to how much religious differences can reduce public order. Where as with Spies & Champions, you have to actively target the opposing faction's agents/settlements/buildings/Generals, and by extension will suffer diplomatic penalties.

However, placing a preist to convert the populace is not considered a direct action, and as a result, you don't run the risk of getting into war prematurely. Do note: the actions by preists to demoralize an army, or discourage the populace will have an affect on diplomacy.



Also, using spies to add squalor, or reduce wealth via corruption, will not overthrow settlements, nor cause their empire any serious strife in the long-term. Gone are the days of spreading plague within your opponent's empire to cripple them.


We can next turn to the Champion, who, while damaging settlements can prove useful with your champion say, delaying a higher tier military recruitment building from completing, the priest is doing work for you years down the road of your campaign.

[shiggies713]

the thing i struggle with agents, say I start as a horde, I play as Alans a lot.

I recruit a spy, literally the only action he can do is hinder army and it cost ridiculous gold to do it. I have no idea how to level him up, it says I could join him to an army if he leveled up, but I see no way of doing that aside from spending like 10k+ gold hindering armies....

funny thing is i play legendary mode in shogun 2, understand everything fully in that, but attila and rome 2 attempt to make everything less transparent for some reason. meh, just silly that an older version is quantifiably better. I can't even build stuff on my coop partners turn like i could in shogun 2, just so much of a downgrade in so many regards.

[Delacourt '27]

Originally posted by shiggies713:

I recruit a spy, literally the only action he can do is hinder army and it cost ridiculous gold to do it. I have no idea how to level him up, it says I could join him to an army if he leveled up, but I see no way of doing that aside from spending like 10k+ gold hindering armies....

I guess you didn't even look carefully. One of the first skill you can learn allows the spy to join the army to get experience point. Attila restricted agent actions in comparison to Rome 2, but has a lot of informative popup to help the players to decide what to get.

[Teh_Diplomat]

Originally posted by shiggies713:

the thing i struggle with agents, say I start as a horde, I play as Alans a lot.

I recruit a spy, literally the only action he can do is hinder army and it cost ridiculous gold to do it. I have no idea how to level him up, it says I could join him to an army if he leveled up, but I see no way of doing that aside from spending like 10k+ gold hindering armies....

funny thing is i play legendary mode in shogun 2, understand everything fully in that, but attila and rome 2 attempt to make everything less transparent for some reason. meh, just silly that an older version is quantifiably better. I can't even build stuff on my coop partners turn like i could in shogun 2, just so much of a downgrade in so many regards.

Most of the time, when you recruit a spy, Hinder is the only skill that provides any XP - even failing in the attempt offers half XP, as you progress down the skill tree, deployable skills can be unlocked/improved.

What you need to look for within your skill tree, is the first available passive skill (or deployed skill) that you can unlock. That way your agents are able to still gain XP even if there is nothing to target, or you lack the necessary funds.

[ShuriK]

Thank you all for your replies!
I still dont understand a thing with the champion: can he have some units with him?
like an army of some sort? And when he stays near other armies they get bonus xp?

[Reaver]

Champions are best used for training troops and countering spies. You are limited in how many Champions, Priests, and Spies you can recruit, but there is no limit on how many you can coerce to join your faction. An important Skill. So don't kill enemy agents, coerce them.

[Reaver]

Originally posted by この変態へんたい！:

Thank you all for your replies!
I still dont understand a thing with the champion: can he have some units with him?
like an army of some sort? And when he stays near other armies they get bonus xp?

Just select your Champion and select the army you wish him to join. He will begin training them and travel with them.

[ShuriK]

oh ok perfect, thank you!

[Farmermike]

i cannot get my champions to merge into armies or garrisons. Also theyre not being called champions for some reason. Theyre called asassins???