| “ | Ranged anti-archer unit that cannot attack at close range. | ” |
| —Age of Empires II description | ||
The Elite Skirmisher is an anti-archer foot archer in Age of Empires II that can be upgraded from the Skirmisher at the Archery Range once the Castle Age is reached. They have an attack bonus against archers and, as opposed to its predecessor, an extra attack bonus against mounted archers. They also have increased hit points, attack power, and pierce armor. This makes Elite Skirmishers more useful against other ranged units even beyond the Castle Age.
The Elite Skirmisher is available to all civilizations except for the Turks.
The Imperial Skirmisher is the unique upgrade for the Vietnamese and their allies.
Upgradability[]
| Civilizations that can fully upgrade their Elite Skirmishers (Bracer, Ring Archer Armor, and Thumb Ring) | Civilizations with fully upgraded Elite Skirmishers and a civilization bonus that benefits them | Civilizations with a civilization bonus that benefits their Elite Skirmishers but cannot fully upgrade them |
|---|---|---|
Tactics[]
The Elite Skirmisher upgrade notably grants +1 attack, +1 anti-archer bonus damage, +2 anti-cavalry archer bonus damage, +1 pierce armor, and +1 range. Given the moderately low price of the upgrade, it is almost always worth obtaining early.
Most of the time, Skirmishers are very weak to everything except Archers, Hand Cannoneers, and Pikemen (to a degree). With a weak and slow attack, as well as a minimum range, they deal almost no damage to infantry and cavalry. Nevertheless, their attack bonus against archers and high pierce resilience can make them valuable against any archer-using opponent, especially if the player's civilization bonuses benefit infantry or heavy cavalry. Unless created to retaliate against enemy archers, each unit does poor damage. Elite Skirmishers also have a +4 attack bonus against Pikemen, allowing groups of them to quickly take out approaching Pikemen, but their minimum range still makes them vulnerable. However, they work great as support for cavalry because of this and their cheap cost.
While Elite Skirmishers make poor ranged support in small numbers, they are extremely cheap. As they cost no gold, they are considered trash units and can be easily massed in significant numbers enough to kill units with a single volley. The size of the mob of units should also prevent enemy units from coming close enough to all of the units, allowing them to continue to fire. Therefore the Elite Skirmisher becomes especially important in the late game when gold becomes scarce and players have to rely on a wood and food economy. In a trash war, their bonus against the Spearman line also becomes more useful.
Further statistics[]
| Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. | Archers, Spearman line |
| Weak vs. | Melee units, siege units |
| Upgrades | |
| Attack |  Fletching (+1) Bodkin Arrow (+1) Bracer (+1) Chemistry (+1) Atlatl (+1, Aztecs only) Hul'che Javelineers (Extra spear, Mayans only)
|
| Range | Fletching (+1) Bodkin Arrow (+1) Bracer (+1) Atlatl (+1, Aztecs only) Yeomen (+1, Britons only) Andean Sling (eliminates the minimum range, Incas only)
|
| Accuracy |  Thumb Ring (increases accuracy to 100%) Ballistics (hit moving targets)
|
| Armor |  Padded Archer Armor (+1/+1) Leather Archer Armor (+1/+1) Ring Archer Armor (+1/+2) Tower Shields (+2 pierce armor, Lithuanians only)
|
| Conversion defense |  Devotion (+1 min, +1 max) Faith (+4 min, +4 max) Heresy (die upon getting converted) First Crusade (+4 min, +4 max, Sicilians only)
|
| Creation cost | Kshatriyas (-25% food, Gurjaras only)
|
| Creation speed |  Conscription (+33%)
|
| Upgrades |  Imperial Skirmisher (Vietnamese and allies only)
|
Civilization bonuses[]
Aztecs: Elite Skirmishers are created 15% faster.- Bulgarians: Researching archer armor and attack upgrades at the Blacksmith costs -50% food.
- Burmese: Researching Devotion and Faith is 50% cheaper.
- Byzantines: Elite Skirmishers are 25% cheaper.
- Celts: Elite Skirmishers can convert herdable animals even if enemy units are next to them.
- Chinese: Technologies that benefit Elite Skirmishers are 5%/10%/15% cheaper in the Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
- Dravidians: Elite Skirmishers attack 25% faster.
- Georgians: Elite Skirmishers receive -20% damage (-40% instead of -25%) when fighting from higher elevation.
- Incas: Elite Skirmishers cost -20%/-25% food in the Castle/Imperial Age.
- Italians: Researching Ballistics and Chemistry is 33% cheaper.
- Koreans: Elite Skirmishers cost -50% wood. Armor upgrades are free.
- Lithuanians: Elite Skirmishers move 10% faster.
- Sicilians: Elite Skirmishers take -33% bonus damage.
- Spanish: Blacksmith technologies that benefit Elite Skirmishers cost no gold. Researching technologies that benefit Elite Skirmishers provides 20 gold each.
- Tatars: Elite Skirmishers deal +20% damage (+50% instead of +25%) from cliffs and elevations. Thumb Ring is free.
- Vietnamese: Elite Skirmishers have +20% hit points. Conscription is free.
Team bonuses[]
- Britons: Elite Skirmishers are created and upgraded 10% faster. Researching Thumb Ring is 10% faster.
- Bulgarians: Researching archer armor and attack upgrades at the Blacksmith is 80% faster.
- Lithuanians: Researching Devotion, Faith and Heresy is 20% faster.
- Malians: Researching Ballistics and Chemistry is 80% faster.
- Portuguese: Upgrades that benefit Elite Skirmishers are researched 25% faster.
- Saracens: Elite Skirmishers have +3 attack against standard buildings.
- Teutons: Elite Skirmishers are more resistant to conversion.
- Vietnamese: Elite Skirmishers can be upgraded to Imperial Skirmishers.
Changelog[]
The Age of Kings[]
- Elite Skirmishers do not have special attack bonuses against Spearmen and cavalry archers.
- Saracens (team bonus): Elite Skirmishers have +2 attack against standard buildings.
The Conquerors[]
- Elite Skirmishers receive an attack bonus of +2 against Spearmen. With patch 1.0b, it was increased to +3.
- Elite Skirmishers receive an attack bonus of +2 against cavalry archers.
- Heresy introduced.
- Thumb Ring introduced.
- Britons: Yeomen introduced. It is only available in the Imperial Age.
The Forgotten[]
The African Kingdoms[]
- Ethiopians: Initially, all foot archers fired 15% faster. With patch 4.8, Elite Skirmishers no longer have an decreased Rate of Fire.
- Italians: Before patch 4.8, Pavise affects Elite Skirmishers. With patch 4.8, Pavise does not affect Elite Skirmishers anymore.
Rise of the Rajas[]
- Vietnamese: Initially, Elite Skirmishers have +15%/+20% HP in the Castle/Imperial Age. With patch 5.8, they have +20% HP.
Definitive Edition[]
- Bulgarians: Initially, Team Blacksmiths work 50% faster. With update 42848, researching archer armor and attack upgrades at the Blacksmith costs -50% food, and Team Blacksmiths work 80% faster.
- Koreans: Initially, Archers cost -15% wood. With update 39284, they cost -20% wood. With update 42848, Archer Armor upgrades are free.
- Lithuanians: With update 36906, Tower Shields grants +2 pierce armor instead of +1.
- Portuguese: With update 42848, as a civilization bonus, technologies that benefit Elite Skirmishers are researched 30% faster.
Lords of the West[]
- Mayans: Hul'che Javelineers is introduced to replace Obsidian Arrows; Hul'che Javelineers improves Skirmishers by making them throw a second projectile.
Dynasties of India[]
- Incas: With update 61321, the new team bonus gives Elite Skirmishers +2 Line of Sight.
- Portuguese: With update 73855, as a team bonus, technologies that benefit Elite Skirmishers are researched 25% faster.
- Incas: With update 81058, the team bonus is replaced and, as a new civilization bonus, Elite Skirmishers cost -25%/-30% food in the Castle/Imperial Age.
- With update 81058, Elite Skirmishers receive a new Skirmisher armor class.
Return of Rome[]
- Chinese: With update 87863, technologies that benefit Elite Skirmishers are 5%/10%/15% cheaper in the Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
- Koreans: With update 87863, Elite Skirmishers cost -50% wood.
- With update 87863, Imperial Skirmisher upgrade cost reduced from 300 wood, 450 gold to 300 wood, 300 gold.
The Mountain Royals[]
- With update 95810, Elite Skirmisher bonus attack vs. spearman armor class increased from 3 to 4.
- Incas: With update 99311, they cost -20%/-25% food in the Castle/Imperial Age.
History[]
| “ | In many Middle Age armies skirmishers were the rabble that was thrown in at the start of a battle and then often overrun by the heavy cavalry of both sides. A few armies trained elite skirmishers who could disrupt enemy formations, fall back, and support the main friendly fighting force from the sides. An army that could put elite skirmishers in the field to support its main army had an advantage over an army that did not. The Swiss, for example, often employed up to a quarter of their force in a skirmish role. Elite Swiss skirmishers supported the dense phalanxes of Swiss pikemen by disrupting enemy troops before the pikes made their attack. In an emergency, the skirmishers could take cover under the rows of pointed pikes and then stand up once more to engage a withdrawing enemy. | ” |
| —Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings manual | ||
Trivia[]
- Skirmishers are the second cheapest of all military units, tied with the Spearman line, costing only 60 resources and no gold, only behind the Karambit Warrior (which costs 40 resources but is not a trash unit).
- With update 44725, all Native American civilizations have a Castle Age unique technology that benefits the combat strength of Skirmishers.
Gallery[]
