Long Swordsman (Age of Empires II)

In Age of Empires II, the Long Swordsman is the second upgrade up from Militia, after the Man-at-Arms. It is a cheap Infantry Unit that has a goodly amount of hit points and attack. Long Swordsman are the basic Infantry unit in the Castle Age; In the Imperial Age, they can be upgraded to become Two-Handed Swordsmen. They are very strong units, able to defeat all standard Castle Age units but the knight in one on one combat. Like all basic infantry, long swordsmen also have a large attack bonus versus buildings, making them excellent raiders. They are weak against Cavalry Archers, Archers, Heavy Cavalry, and mangonels (if they are unable to close the distance), but good against Archers, Spearmen, Light Cavalry, Camels, Skirmishers, and most Siege Weapons.

Upgrades
Attack - Forging, Iron Casting, Blast Furnace (Blacksmith)

Armour - Scale Mail Armor, Chain Mail Armor, Plate Mail Armor (Blacksmith)

Sight - Tracking (Barracks)

Speed - Squires (Barracks)

Unit Creation Speed - Conscription (Castle), Perfusion (Goth Unique Technology)

Units more resistant to enemy Monks - Faith (Monastery)

Use
Long swordsmen are usually used in large groups. They are good building destroyers, but pale in comparasion to battering rams. Though they are a good staple in the early Castle Age, they are quickly supplanted by knights, many kinds of unique units, and archers. Their main advantage lies not in individual strength but their ease of creation and their inexpesiveness. Longswordsmen should be upgraded to Two handed swordsmen and then champions as soon as possible to make them even more cost effective.