Two-Handed Swordsman

"Stronger than Long Swordsman. Cheap and quick to create."

- Age of Empires II description

The Two-Handed Swordsman is an infantry unit in Age of Empires II that can be trained at the Barracks once the Imperial Age is reached. It is the fourth tier upgrade of the Militia line.

The Two-Handed Swordsman is available to all civilizations except for the Persians.

Tactics
There really is not much to elaborate about the Two-Handed Swordsman as performance-wise it is very similar to its predecessor; despite the substantial improvements to stats it is not that big of a step up, and the same general strategies still apply.

With that said, however, the Two-Handed Swordsman is still one of the stronger non-unique Imperial Age units the player can train, only being particularly weak against heavy cavalry and massed archers. Their relative cheapness also helps when a large number of them is needed in a pinch.

In long games, this unit does not get used very often because the Champion upgrade is available as soon as the Two-Handed Swordsmen technology is researched. It is mostly used in certain situations where the player has a shortage of gold or food for the final upgrade, or at the early Imperial Age. For the Huns, Ethiopians and Mayans, this is the most they can get out of the Militia line since they lack the Champion upgrade.

Further Statistics
Civilization Bonuses=
 * Aztecs: Two-Handed Swordsmen are created 15% faster.
 * Celts: Two-Handed Swordsmen move 15% faster. Herdables cannot be stolen within a Two-Handed Swordsman's Line of Sight.
 * Chinese: Technologies that benefit Two-Handed Swordsmen are 20% cheaper.
 * Goths: Two-Handed Swordsmen are 35% cheaper and have +1 attack against buildings. With Perfusion researched, researching Tracking, Squires, and Arson and upgrading to Champion is 100% faster.
 * Japanese: Two-Handed Swordsmen attack 25% faster.
 * Magyars: Forging, Iron Casting and Blast Furnace is free.
 * Malians: Two-Handed Swordsmen have +3 pierce armor.
 * Portuguese: Two-Handed Swordsmen cost 15% less gold.
 * Slavs: Tracking is free.
 * Spanish: Blacksmith upgrades that benefit Two-Handed Swordsmen don't cost gold.
 * Vikings: Two-Handed Swordsmen have 20% more hit points.
 * -|Team Bonuses=
 * A team containing Goths: Two-Handed Swordsmen are created and upgraded 20% faster. Researching Tracking, Squires, and Arson is 20% faster.
 * A team containing Teutons: Two-Handed Swordsmen are more resistant to conversion.
 * -|The Forgotten Changes=
 * Base attack for Two-Handed Swordsmen increased from 11 to 12.
 * Two-Handed Swordsmen have +1 attack against buildings.
 * Two-Handed Swordsmen have +2 attack against Eagles.

Trivia

 * The Militia line is the only unit line in the game with more than three stages.

History
"As armor improved, so did weapons. The two-handed sword was an innovation that allowed a man to swing with the power of both arms, not just one. This was a long and heavy sword, and it required a strong and well-trained man. The two-handed swordsman was a formidable adversary in hand-to-hand combat. Two-handed swordsmen used no shield and relied on the power of their attack to overcome an opponent's shield and armor. Although he struck fewer times, each swing had the potential of being a mortal blow, regardless of the armor and weapons of the defender."