Light Cavalry (Age of Empires II)

"Fast with greater line of sight than Scout Cavalry; resistant to conversion." - Age of Empires II Description

The Light Cavalry is a cavalry unit that is featured in Age of Empires II. The Light Cavalry is a fast unit with a greater line of sight than Scout Cavalry; resistant to conversion, excellent at riding down Archers and Monks, though its combat abilities on other melee units such as other cavalry units or infantry, is severely limited. It is a weak unit used mainly for reconassance and supporting other units.

Statistics
"As Middle Age armies grew larger and campaigned farther afield, the importance of scouting grew. Many civilizations developed light cavalry, an improvement on scout cavalry, for this role. Light cavalry were better trained and better equipped for fighting. In battle they could be used to harass or charge enemy infantry or support their own knights in a charge. Light cavalry wore only partial armor and a shield and fought most commonly with a spear. Civilizations that could not afford extensive armor for warriors, such as barbarian groups from the East, put large contingents of light cavalry into the field. Light Calvary are able to strike quickly and then retreat, unlike Heavy Calvary. Some Light Calvary used the bow instead of the spear.

Cost: 80F HP: 60 ATK: 7 Armor/Pierce Armor: 0/2 Range: 0 Speed: Fast Upgrades: Forging, Iron Casting, Blast Furnace, Scale Barding Armor, Chain Barding Armor, Plate Barding Armor, Bloodlines, Husbandry, Conscription, Faith, Heresy, Herbal Medicine Weaknesses: Spearman, Pikeman, Halberdier, Camel, Heavy Camel, Mameluke

Tactics
The Light Cavalry have an exceptionally high Line of Sight and moderately better combat skills in comparison to their predecessor. Against groups of Siege Weapons or Archers, they have the speed and attack needed to run down and kill groups, though combat with other melee units should be avoided at all costs. As stated in the manual, a group of Light Cavalry will make an ample replacement in any cavalry division, but the Knight and Camel far exceed their attack abilities. Light cavalry have an attack bonus versus Monks, and may often kill two before being converted.