Rattan Shield

The Rattan Shield is an infantry unit that can be trained at the Shaolin Temple (after a Trading Post is constructed), it is armed with a sword and a shield. It lacks any multipliers making it more of a fodder unit rather than an essential part of an army.

Overview
The Rattan Shields are cheap and can get rid of light infantry and the artillery with ease.

When playing as the Japanese (Level 40 Home City required) these units perform well when mixed with Spanish Rodeleros from the Consulate, which are nearly as fast despite being Heavy Infantry. This is also due to the fact the Shaolin unit upgrades effect the Rodeleros. Combine the two units speed with the Golden Pavilion hit point and speed aura bonuses and they can respond quickly to threats and hold off the enemy if not kill them due to their durability.

Shipments
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%; margin-bottom:0px; margin-top:1px;" ! sab="1148"| Click for a list of Rattan Shield related home city cards
 * - sab="1147"
 * - sab="1149"
 * sab="1150"|

Chinese

 * }

History
"The practice of rattan shield fighting is an art form consisting of six distinct fighting methods that is still practiced in parts of Taiwan. During the Chinese battles of Formosa in the seventeenth century, Ming military leader Koxinga expected every member of his army, from the generals to the foot soldiers, to be versed in the methods of the rattan shield. Rattan shields were widely used for a variety of reasons. Palms blanketed the regions of Taiwan and Hokkien, China, making rattan readily available. The shields were extremely light but uncommonly strong, able to block incoming projectiles, including bullets. They were even so buoyant as to be used by soldiers as flotation devices when crossing shallow bodies of water."

Trivia

 * While the history section hints that the Rattan Shield is a unit that is meant to represent south Chinese Ming loyalist troops, they instead represent Shaolin monks.
 * Also, as with the Iron Troops, they speak Mandarin rather than Hokkien or Wu Chinese.