Shaolin Master

The Shaolin Master is an infantry Monk unique to the Chinese in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties.

Overview
The Shaolin Master is the one of the three Asian monks introduced in the Asian Dynasties. The Shaolin Master lacks a ranged attack. It is also able to do roundhouse kicks and strengthen nearby Disciples when upgraded. The Shaolin Master, unlike the other Asian Monks, begins with a disciple, rather than another Monk. A second monk is only available by shipment from the Home City. The Shaolin Master has the highest hit points and attack of all Asian monks. He is equipped with nothing but a pair of fists and a critical strike ability which has a chance to inflict extra damage. He can also train Disciples, which are cheap units with some of the master's special abilities. The Shaolin master has a small chance of converting defeated enemies into disciples.

Usefulness

 * In unpatched versions of the game the conversion rate is very frequent, in patched versions however the chance of a conversion has been greatly reduced.

Disciples
The Shaolin Master is able to train Disciples, which are infantry units. Disciples are unusually quick-footed for foot soldiers and are a weaker version of their master. Any enemy soldier that is killed by the Shaolin Master or its Disciples has a small chance of being converted to a Disciple, though the chance of a Disciple converting another unit is smaller than the Shaolin Master's.

History
"One of the most famous Buddhist monasteries is the Shaolin Monastery, located in the Henan province of China, founded in 495 CE. The edifice is associated specifically with Chan Buddhism and the martial art of Kung Fu. Monastery legend states that the Indian monk Bodhidharma visited the temple in 527 CE. During his time meditating on the mountain overlooking the monastery, Bodhidharma taught himself a form of martial arts to defend against wild animals and bandits. He stayed at the temple for nine years, and before his departure he taught his disciples the skills he had learned, creating the martial arts legend that surrounds the Shaolin monks to this day."