Armor class: Spearman

This article is about the Spearman armor class introduced in Age of Empires II: The Conquerors. For other uses of the term, see Spearman.

The Spearman armor class is an armor class introduced in Age of Empires II: The Conquerors. All units that have an attack bonus against this class deal bonus damage against units with this armor class. It was introduced to make archers (and especially Skirmishers) even stronger against the Spearman line.

Despite wielding similar weapons and performing a similar role, the Kamayuk is not included in this armor class, but the Flemish Militia is.

Spearman units

The following units have the Spearman armor class and take bonus damage from attacks against this class. The number in brackets indicates the amount of armor. If there is no number, the amount is 0.

• Spearman → Pikeman → Halberdier

Anti-Spearman units and buildings

The following units and buildings have an attack bonus against the Spearman armor class. They are sorted descending by the amount of bonus damage they deal. Generally speaking, most archer units have an attack bonus.

+4 bonus attack

• Heavy Cavalry Archer
• Elite Skirmisher → Imperial Skirmisher (the latter Vietnamese and allies only)

+3 bonus attack

• Archer → Crossbowman → Arbalester
• Skirmisher
• Genitour → Elite Genitour (Berbers and allies only)
• Xianbei Raider (Wei only)

+2 bonus attack

• Cavalry Archer
• Longbowman → Elite Longbowman (Britons only)
• Chu Ko Nu → Elite Chu Ko Nu (Chinese only)
• Plumed Archer → Elite Plumed Archer (Maya only)
• Rattan Archer → Elite Rattan Archer (Vietnamese only)
• Elite Ratha (Ranged) (Bengalis only)
• Composite Bowman → Elite Composite Bowman (Armenians only)
• Castle (main arrow only)
• Krepost (Bulgarians only, main arrow only)
• Watch Tower → Guard Tower → Keep (main arrow only)
• Donjon (Sicilians only, main arrow only)
• Fire Archer - Elite Fire Archer (Wu only)

+1 bonus attack

• Hand Cannoneer
• Slinger (Inca only)
• Mangudai → Elite Mangudai (Mongols only)
• Kipchak → Elite Kipchak (Cumans only)
• Mercenary Kipchak (Cumans and their allies with Cuman Mercenaries researched only)
• Ratha (Ranged) (Bengalis only)
• Grenadier (Jurchens only)

Technologies

• Parthian Tactics gives the following units an attack bonus against the Spearman armor class:
  • +2 bonus attack
    • Cavalry Archer → Heavy Cavalry Archer
    • Mangudai → Elite Mangudai (Mongols only)
    • Kipchak → Elite Kipchak (Cumans only)
    • Mercenary Kipchak (Cumans and their allies with Cuman Mercenaries researched only)
    • Arambai → Elite Arambai (Burmese only)

Civilization bonuses

• The following Gurjara units get an attack bonus against the Spearman armor class:
  • +1 bonus attack
    • Genitour → Elite Genitour (only available if allied with Berbers)