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Bodkin Arrow is a technology in Age of Empires II that can be researched at the Blacksmith once the Castle Age is reached. Once researched, it increases the range and attack of units and buildings that attack with arrows, most notably archers, Castles, and towers, by +1. Town Centers receive +1 attack and Line of Sight, but no range bonus.

Galleys, Longboats, Caravels, Harbors, and Kreposts also benefit from Bodkin Arrow as well as Skirmishers, Genitours, and Bombard Towers, even though the latter three do not use arrows.

Bracer is the further upgrade of this technology.

Civilization bonuses[]

  • CivIcon-Bulgarians Bulgarians: Bodkin Arrow costs 50% less food.
  • CivIcon-Chinese Chinese: Bodkin Arrow is 10%/15% cheaper in the Castle/Imperial Age.
  • CivIcon-Spanish Spanish: Bodkin Arrow costs no gold. Receive 20 gold after researching Bodkin Arrow.

Team bonuses[]

  • CivIcon-Bulgarians Bulgarians: Researching Bodkin Arrow is 80% faster.
  • CivIcon-Portuguese Portuguese: Researching Bodkin Arrow is 25% faster.

Trivia[]

  • The icon for the Bodkin Arrow technology does not show a bodkin arrowhead, but the triangle pointed version that it superseded, as mentioned in the History section below. This is corrected in the Definitive Edition and is the only icon that varies significantly between both versions.

History[]

The bodkin arrow was an innovation that made archers of all types more effective against men wearing armor. The bodkin was simply a straight point intended to puncture, rather than a typical broad point intended to slice as it penetrated. The broad point was fine for hunting or use against unarmored targets, but armor effectively dissipated its energy. The bodkin concentrated its power in the point and could penetrate any armor at a sufficiently short range. The English longbowmen at Agincourt lofted barrages of bodkin arrows down upon the dense ranks of French Knights. The bodkins, aided by the force of gravity, penetrated helmets, shoulders, legs, and arms when they struck perpendicularly to the face of armor.

Changelog[]

AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition[]

Technologies in Age of Empires II
Economic technologies
MaleVillDEFEMALEVILLDE VillagerWheelbarrowDE Wheelbarrow · HandcartDE Hand Cart
Aoe2de food FoodHorseCollarDE Horse Collar · HeavyPlowDE Heavy Plow · CropRotationDE Crop Rotation
GillnetsDE Gillnets
Aoe2de wood WoodDoubleBitAxe aoe2DE Double-Bit Axe · BowSawDE Bow Saw · TwoManSawDE Two-Man Saw
Aoe2de gold GoldGoldMiningDE Gold Mining · GoldShaftMiningDE Gold Shaft Mining
CaravanDE Caravan
Aoe2de stone StoneStoneMiningDE Stone Mining · StoneShaftMiningDE Stone Shaft Mining
Civilian shipsDryDockDE Dry Dock · ShipwrightDE Shipwright
Market aoe2DE MarketCoinageDE Coinage · BankingDE Banking
GuildsDE Guilds
Military technologies
GeneralConscriptionDE Conscription
HeresyDE Heresy · Devotion icon AoE2DE Devotion · FaithDE Faith
Melee unitsForging aoe2de Forging · IronCastingDE Iron Casting · BlastFurnaceDE Blast Furnace
CavalryBloodlinesDE Bloodlines · HusbandryDE Husbandry
ScaleBardingArmorDE Scale Barding Armor · ChainBardingDE Chain Barding Armor · PlateBardingArmorDE Plate Barding Armor
InfantrySuplliesicon Supplies · AoE2 Gambesons Gambesons · SquiresDE Squires · ArsonDE Arson
ScaleMailArmorDE Scale Mail Armor · ChainMailArmorDE Chain Mail Armor · PlateMailArmorDE Plate Mail Armor
Ranged unitsBallisticsDE Ballistics · ChemistryDE Chemistry
FletchingDE Fletching · BodkinArrowDE Bodkin Arrow · BracerDE Bracer
ArchersPaddedArcherArmorDE Padded Archer Armor · LeatherArcherArmorDE Leather Archer Armor · RingArcherArmorDE Ring Archer Armor
ThumbRingDE Thumb Ring · ParthianTacticsDE Parthian Tactics
SiegeSiegeEngineersDE Siege Engineers
ShipCareeningDE Careening · DryDockDE Dry Dock
ShipwrightDE Shipwright
WarGalleyDE War Galley
BuildingTownWatchDE Town Watch · TownPatrolDE Town Patrol
Masonry aoe2de Masonry · ArchitectureDE Architecture
HeatedShotDE Heated Shot · ArrowSlitsDE Arrowslits · MurderHolesDE Murder Holes · TreadmillCraneDE Treadmill Crane · HoardingsDE Hoardings · BombardTower aoe2DE Bombard Tower
HerbalDE Herbal Medicine
MonkRedemptionDE Redemption · AtonementDE Atonement · SanctityDE Sanctity · FervorDE Fervor · IlluminationDE Illumination · BlockPrintingDE Block Printing · TheocracyDE Theocracy
MaleVillDEFEMALEVILLDE VillagerLoomDE Loom · SapperDE Sappers
Miscellaneous technologies
SpiesDE Spies · SpiesDE Treason · Unique tech aoe2de mixed Unique technologies
Removed/cut generic technologies
Bombardcannonresearch Bombard Cannon · CannongalleonresearchDE Cannon Galleon · Cartography aoe2de Cartography · Handcannon Hand Cannon · Huntingdogs Hunting Dogs · Revetments · TrackingDE Tracking
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