Monk (Age of Empires II)

"Slow and weak. Converts enemy units, ships, and some buildings to your civilization. Heals wounded villagers, military units." - Description

The Monk is a specialized unit. Lacking all means of an effective counter-attack, they still hold a position of power as the only unit to convert other units to the player's side. To convert a unit is to take any infantry or siege unit and some buildings and turn them into the player's own. In addition to this, the Monk can heal all allied units or their own as long as they are not buildings or Siege Weapons. However, they normally start out weak and can only unlock their full potential, such as converting other Monks or converting buildings, by researching all of their technologies at the Monastery, which is available to only a select few.

Out of all the civilizations, the Aztecs have easily the strongest monks due to their civilization bonuses.

In-game information
"Religion was a powerful force during the Middle Ages, whether it was Roman Catholicism of the West, Islam in the Middle East, or Buddhism in Asia. The missionaries and teachers of religion were mainly monks, men who took vows of poverty and who dedicated their lives to spreading their message. Middle Age conflicts often derived from religious differences and were led or supported by contingents of monks on each side. The Crusades, for example, were multiple attempts by European Christians to wrest control of the Holy Land from the hands of Islamic Arabs. Large numbers of monks accompanied the Christian crusading armies."

Civilizations bonuses

 * Celtic herdables cannot be stolen within a Monk's Line of Sight.
 * Chinese: Technologies that benefits monks are 10%/15%/20% cheaper in Feudal/Castle/Imperial age.
 * Teutons: Monks have double range for healing (this is fixed in The Forgotten expansion).
 * Aztecs: Monks gain +5 hp per each Monastery technology.

Team bonuses

 * A team containing Byzantines: Monks heals 50% faster.
 * A team containing Teutons: Monks are more resistant to conversion.

The Forgotten Changes

 * Monks holding Relics are now susceptible  to anti-monk damage.
 * Slavs: Castle Age unique technology Orthodoxy gives armor to Monks.
 * Spanish: Castle age unique technology Inquisition improves the conversion rate for Monks.
 * Saracens: Castle age unique technology Madrasah makes Monks return 33% of their cost on death.

Tactics
The first reason that Monks should be in the ranks is to heal units, most likely Archers or other Monks. Otherwise, they should be at a relatively safe distance, such as across a lake or on a cliff, to convert enemy units so as to avoid getting injured.

Alternatively, they could attempt to convert slow-moving units, such as the Teutonic Knight or a Champion. Monks could also attempt to collect all Relics on a map, which would yield gold every second as well as give the player a timer to an instant victory should they successfully collect all relics. However, the relics are often hidden in corners of the map or stored in an enemy Monastery, and collecting all makes the player a prime target.

Also, any monk that carries a relic is unable to convert or heal until it drops the relic. Bear in mind that against fast units, such as most cavalry units or Eagle Warriors, the Monk's effectiveness is severely limited.

Monk conversion
When an enemy unit is converted, the expense of that unit is lost to the enemy (replacing a monk, for example, is 100 gold from the player's stockpile). But usually there will be soldiers protecting weak units like monks, who must be destroyed if the monks are to be converted.

Healing
Players should have around two to ten monks depending on the size of their forces, to heal wounded units free of charge during battle. Monks heal rather slowly, meaning that more monks are needed to heal at a great rate. Monks should be kept out of danger and the wounded should come to the monks, not the other way around or they will be targeted.

Converting
Converting with the monk is difficult to use effectively. Monks should start conversions a long distance from the target and with friendly soldiers nearby. If large forces are approaching converting as many of them as possible will throw them in disarray as they must fight their former friends.

Heroes
This section lists all the so called "Monk Heroes" available only in the Scenario Editor of Age of Empires II. Each Monk Hero features different stats and attributes. These units can be upgraded with any Technology found at the Monastery as with an ordinary Monk. Civilization bonuses and unique technologies that benefit monks also affects the following heroes. Although each of these units can carry a Relic as with a Monk, this is not recommended since all the stats unique to it will be lost due to an unknown glitch that will transform it back to an ordinary Monk.

Archbishop
The Archbishop is nothing more than a pumped up version of an ordinary Monk. It is exclusive only in the Scenario Editor and cannot be found nor trained in normal games. A fully upgraded Archbishop can have as many as 105 hit Points with 12 Range points.


 * Attack: 0
 * Hit Points: 70
 * Armor: 0
 * Pierce Armor: 2
 * Range: 9

Friar Tuck
Friar Tuck is a Monk hero loosely based on a fictional character of the same name who is a companion of Robin Hood. It is similar to the Archbishop but has more Armor and a lower amount of Hit Points. It is exclusive only in the Scenario Editor and cannot be found nor trained in normal games. A fully upgraded Friar Tuck can have as many as 90 hit Points with 12 Range points.


 * Attack: 0
 * Hit Points: 60
 * Armor: 2
 * Pierce Armor: 4
 * Range: 9

Harold Haardraade
For more information, see Harold Haardraade.

Imam
The Imam is a Monk unique to the Conquerors Expansion and only appears in the El Cid Campaign, mission two, "Enemy of my Enemy", where the player meets the Imam on a secluded island, and he agrees to aid in the end of the rebellion in Toledo by bringing to him captured relics. He is also available in the Scenario Editor. He is almost identical to a normal Monk, except the icon, the only differences is that he sports 15 more hitpoints and has an armor of four Normal and four Pierce (4/4) compared to a typical monk of (0/0). He has mediocre conversion speed and Faith recharge time to that of the standard monk. He also has the range of a typical monk.


 * HP: 60
 * Range: 9
 * Armor: 4
 * Pierce Armor: 4

Pope Leo I
Pope Leo I is based on an Italian aristocrat and pope with the same name who is also known as Saint Leo the Great. In the game, Pope Leo is a unique monk whose abilities are no different from those of Friar Tuck other than having its own unique icon. Pope Leo is featured in the final scenario of the Attila the Hun campaign who appears at the end to talk to Attila privately to convince Attila to end his invasion of Italy and the papacy.