Trash unit

Trash units are cheap military units that costs no gold or other rare resources. In all games of the Age of Empires series, there are several units that are considered "trash units". These units can be massed easily, and for the most part, they are useful for defending a location or countering certain enemy units. Most of the trash units are weak compared to their standard unit equivalent. The term "trash" refers to the fact that most of these units only cost the most common resources (usually Wood and Food in all of the games).

When a player is using trash units they are usually trying to overwhelm their opponents with quantity instead of quality, or using them as cannon fodder to occupy the enemy troops to give the player time to create a more powerful army.

Age of Empires
Unlike the other games there are several trash units in Age of Empires, and two of of them ar eeven considered " elite" by the game (scythe chariot and trireme). Here is the complete list of Trash units of Age of Empires:
 * Clubman -> Axeman
 * Bowman
 * Scout
 * Chariot -> Scythe Chariot
 * Chariot Archer
 * Scout Ship -> War Galley -> Trireme

Age of Empires II
In Age of Empires II, there are only three main lines of trash units: Skirmishers, which have attack bonus against archers, Halberdiers, which have attack bonus vs cavalry, and Light cavalry units, which are used as scouts early in the game and have attack bonus against monks. In the Forgotten, there is also a unique unit, the Magyar Huszar, that can turn into a Trash unit after the Mercenaries technology is researched. Here is the complete list:
 * Spearman -> Pikeman -> Halberdier
 * Skirmisher -> Elite Skirmisher
 * Scout Cavalry -> Light Cavalry -> Hussar
 * Magyar Huszar ( and its elite counterpart)