Missionary (Age of Empires II)

For the related Age of Empires III unit, see Missionary. The Missionary in the Age of Empires II: The Conquerors expansion is a Spanish unique unit. It is the only unique unit that is created at the Monastery. Like its cousin, the Monk, the Missionary is capable of healing units as well as converting enemy units, but (unlike the Monk) the Missionary cannot pick up Relics. It can move quite fast, capable of keeping up with most cavalry units. Including several of these in a force of knights can considerably improve chances of winning a drawn-out battle. Missionaries also work well for converting the surviving villagers, buildings and units of a defeated enemy. They are affected by all Monk technologies. They only have 7 range, as opposed to 9 for a regular monk. Their healing rate is also decreased to half that of a monk.

Missionaries cost to train, the same as a Monk. Given its characteristics, the Missionary generally outperforms the Monk in most ways and so is the more desirable choice, especially during the mid-to end game where most of the Relics have been collected.

The Forgotten Changes

 * Missionaries affected by Bloodlines.
 * Spanish new unique Castle age Tech: Inquisition Improves conversion rate of missionaries

History
''As Europeans gradually came to understand that Columbus had opened the door to two complete continents, they awoke to the desirability of converting the potentially immense native population to Christianity. The Spanish, Portuguese, and other European nations sent monks called missionaries into the New World to bring about conversion and salvation. To be a missionary required great faith, a strong constitution, and great zeal. They often were required to plunge into the wilderness amongst peoples of radically different cultures and beliefs. Many missionaries suffered despair, torture, and death at the hands of natives who resisted the message being brought to them or identified the monks with the disease and conquest that accompanied them.''