Throwing Axeman (Age of Empires II)

The Throwing Axeman is the Frankish unique unit in Age of Empires II. Like most other unique units, they are available at the Castle beginning in the Castle Age. They are unique in the sense that their melee attack is actually at range (throwing their axe). Although they only have a short range they can be very useful, especially in destroying enemy siege. They can destroy Rams quickly, without having to compromise your defenses by opening a gate. They deal a lot of damage for a ranged unit, particularly towards buildings, and can take more hits than the average archer; they are also effective against Skirmishers since their attack is not piercing and they are not counted as archers. However, their inferior range means that Throwing Axemen are vulnerable against melee units, siege weapons, and hit-and-run tactics by archers.