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Burgundian unique infantry unit.
Age of Empires II description

The Flemish Militia is the second unique unit of the Burgundians in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Lords of the West. It is an infantry unit somewhere in between the Halberdier and the Champion.

Behind the scenes, the Flemish Militia are three statistically identical units. However, there exist minor differences. The unit trained at the Barracks is a regular military unit, whereas the (two - male and female) units which replace the Villagers counts towards Spies, costs 50 food (for the purposes of score and some capture-age statistics), and is also available in a female variant.

Unlike the Villager it upgrades from, Flemish Militia cannot build or repair buildings or gather resources. Unlike other upgrades, the unit being upgraded (Villagers in this case) can still be created. It can be thought that the unit is not an upgrade of a Villager, but replaces Villagers at the same spot with same percentage hit points remaining.

Tactics[]

The Flemish Militia becomes available after researching the Flemish Revolution unique technology at the Castle in the Imperial Age. It provides an immediate military advantage, as it turns all of the player's Villagers (except those converted from other players) into military units. The obvious drawback is that Flemish Militia can no longer build structures, repair, or gather resources, so Flemish Revolution disrupts the player's economy for a long period of time.

Because of this, choosing the proper moment to research Flemish Revolution would, in most cases, decide the outcome of a game. A strong Imperial Age economy relies on a large contingent of Villagers, so Flemish Militia can quickly swarm the battlefield in a final push attempting to break a resilient enemy or a desperate last stand in hopes of an eventual turnover.

Fishing Ships, Trade Cogs, and Trade Carts, if present, will continue to provide resource income after researching Flemish Revolution. This can aid in rebooming if the game continues much longer. However, a high proportion of those units in one's economy will lessen the size and thus effectiveness of the resulting army of Flemish Militia.

With 1 melee armor advantage over the Halberdiers (as well as a greater Rate of Fire), the Flemish Militia has a decisive edge, combat-wise, against foot units (except Monks) and siege units. On the other hand, Halberdiers provide better value per resource spent, due to the heavier cost of the Flemish Militia, both in the case of future income lost from the Villagers and the cost of new units if one were to keep producing them. Contrasted with the Halberdier, with weak stats and a slow fire rate of 3, the Halberdier does poorly against all non-mounted military units. Flemish Militia are also NOT affected by the damage bonuses that are dealt against the Spearmen armor class, i.e., they are not weak against Elite Skirmishers, and are less afflicted by arrow fire from Arbalesters and Heavy Cavalry Archers.

The Flemish Militia shares the common weakness of infantry against siege units, archers and fortifications. It is also ineffective against Cataphracts, who absorb all their bonus damage. Samurai are also very effective, as the Flemish Militia is treated as a unique unit. Slingers and Hand Cannoneers also deal with them relatively easily.

Comparison with similar units[]

Halberdier aoe2DE Halberdier Aoe2-icon-flemish-militia Flemish Militia Burgundians AoE2 Champion aoe2DE Champion
Cost 35 food, 25 wood 50 food, 15 gold 60 food, 20 gold
Melee Attack 6 11 13
Rate of Fire 3 2 2
Melee Armor 0 1 1
Pierce Armor 0* 0 1
Armor class Spearman Unique unit none
Attack vs cavalry 32 8 0
Attack vs camels 26 6 0
Attack vs elephants 28 8 0
Speed 1 0.9 0.9
* The Halberdier's pierce armor is deceptive since it regularly takes bonus damage from archer units and defenses.
Since Burgundians lack Supplies and Gambesons, their Champions perform worse than most civilizations.

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Elite Skirmishers, cavalry, Halberdiers, rams, Heavy Camel Riders, Elite Eagle Warriors
Weak vs. Archer units, Heavy Scorpions, Onagers, Cataphracts, Teutonic Knights, Samurai, Organ Guns, Jaguar Warriors
Upgrades
Attack Forging aoe2de Forging (+1)
IronCastingDE Iron Casting (+1)
BlastFurnaceDE Blast Furnace (+2)
ArsonDE Arson (+2 attack against standard buildings)
Armor ScaleMailArmorDE Scale Mail Armor (+1/+1)
ChainMailArmorDE Chain Mail Armor (+1/+1)
PlateMailArmorDE Plate Mail Armor (+1/+2)
Speed SquiresDE Squires (+10%)
Conversion defense Devotion icon AoE2DE Devotion (+1 min, +1 max)
FaithDE Faith (+4 min, +4 max)
Creation speed ConscriptionDE Conscription (+33%)
Regeneration UniqueTechCastle-DE Stronghold (30 HP/min when within 18 tiles square of a team Celts Castle)

Team bonuses[]

Changelog[]

AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the West[]

  • Initially, Flemish Militia have +12 attack vs cavalry and +8 attack vs camels and ships. With update 47820, they have +8 attack vs cavalry and +6 attack vs camels and ships.
  • Initially, Flemish Militia have +2 damage vs standard buildings. With update 50292, this bonus was removed.
  • Flemish Militia cost 60 food, 25 gold, are trained at the Town Center, have 75 hit points, 12 attack, and 1 pierce armor.

AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India[]

  • With update 81058, Flemish Militia cost 50 food, 15 gold, are trained at the Barracks, have 60 hit points, 11 attack, and 0 pierce armor.
  • With update 81058, Flemish Revolution costs 200 food + 10 food per Villager converted and 150 gold + 5 gold per Villager converted.

Trivia[]

  • The unit is armed with a goedendag, a weapon used by the Flemish army from the 12th century until the late 14th century.
    • The weapon was cheap to make and was effective against cavalry. The weapon is most of the time confused with the flail or the morningstar. No goedendags have survived, only a few archaeological remains have been found and are displayed at the Kortrijk 1302 Museum.
    • Most notable use of the weapon was in the Franco-Flemish war where the Flemish rebels led by William of Jülich and Guy of Dampierre assisted by Pieter De Coninck and Jan Breydel fought against King Philip IV of France. During the war at the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, the Flemish infantry (wielding pikes and goedendags) inflicted heavy casualties on the French cavalry.
    • Usually high ranking knights were captured and ransomed for large sums of money. But the Flemings had been given strict orders to spare no one. As a result, dead knights littered the battlefield and the Flemings found around 500 golden spurs on their corpses, giving the battle its name. Golden Spurs is also the name of the in-game achievement that can be obtained by transforming at least 50 Villagers into Flemish Militia by researching Flemish Revolution.
  • The Flemish Militia's outfit appears to be based on the Osprey published book "French Medieval Armies 1000–1300".
  • Both male and female Flemish Militia use the same icon, portraying the male version, unlike Villagers.
  • The Flemish town militia was decently protected for its time, wearing knee-length gambison and knee length hauberk, chainmail chausses, mail coif and a cerveliere, giving them almost the same level of protection as Military order knights.
  • The Flemish Militia is one of only four trainable land units to have multiple designs, the other being the Villager, the Monk, and the Trade Cart.
  • The female Flemish Militia is one of only three regular female units in the game, the other being the female Villager and the Gbeto. However, the female version cannot be trained, and only comes from Flemish Revolution.
  • The Flemish Militia is one of the only unique units that requires a unique technology to be unlocked, the other being the Flaming Camel with Timurid Siegecraft.
  • Before update 81058, the Flemish Militia was the only military unit that could be trained at the Town Center.
  • The Flemish Militia is the only unit upgrade to a regular unit which takes bonus damage from Samurai.
  • Before update 81058, the Flemish Militia was the only unit whose creation speed could never be improved.
  • Although there are female militias in the game, there is no historical proof or evidence that any women joined the militia.
  • Although the Flemish Militia speaks French, it would be more historically accurate if they spoke Flemish.
  • Since update 107882, the "grab your pitchforks" cheat code turns all of the player's Villagers into Flemish Militia.

History[]

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Flemish cities became increasingly rich and attracted more and more people from the countryside. The cities were also beginning to organize themselves militarily and established city militias.

All able-bodied men could be called up to serve in the city army in times of trouble and the city government kept records of the names of the burgesses and craftsmen who were subject to military service. In the early 13th century they mainly organized themselves according to the neighborhood in which they lived, but towards the end of the century they grouped themselves according to the craft to which they belonged. The city provided equipment and weapons, but most people owned their own armor and kept it at home.

A city militia is divided into a number of folds. A fold is about 600 men strong and is proportionally composed of contingents of the burgesses (per district) and the craftsmen (per craft). The larger the own population group, the more warriors have to be supplied. The weavers traditionally form the largest group in a fold. In times of war, these folds are combined to form the militia. Depending on the size of the campaign, the city government can mobilize one or more folds. Bruges, for example, can deploy about 12 fold at the beginning of the fourteenth century, and is able to assemble a maximum force of more than 7,000 men.

The primary task of the urban militia is to defend the city walls against enemy attackers. The territorial monarch can claim the various city militias to defend his borders. However, he cannot deploy them abroad without the consent of the aldermen.

Gallery[]

Video[]

FLEMISH_MILITIA_vs_EVERY_UNIQUE_UNIT_-_AoE_II-_Definitive_Edition

FLEMISH MILITIA vs EVERY UNIQUE UNIT - AoE II- Definitive Edition

Units in Age of Empires II
CivilianMaleVillDE Villager · Tradecart aoe2DE Trade Cart · FishingShipDE Fishing Ship · Trade cog aoe2DE Trade Cog · King eu aoe2DE King
ReligiousMonk aoe2DE Monk
InfantryMilitiaDE Militia · Manatarms aoe2DE Man-at-Arms · Longswordsman aoe2DE Long Swordsman · Twohanded aoe2DE Two-Handed Swordsman · Champion aoe2DE Champion
Spearman aoe2DE Spearman · Aoe2-infantry-2-pikeman Pikeman · Halberdier aoe2DE Halberdier
ArcherArcher aoe2DE Archer · Crossbowman aoe2DE Crossbowman · Arbalester aoe2DE Arbalester
Skirmisher aoe2DE Skirmisher · Elite skirmisher aoe2DE Elite Skirmisher
Hand cannoneer aoe2DE Hand Cannoneer
Cavalryarcher aoe2DE Cavalry Archer · Heavycavalryarcher aoe2de Heavy Cavalry Archer
CavalryScoutcavalry aoe2DE Scout Cavalry · Lightcavalry aoe2DE Light Cavalry · Hussar aoe2DE Hussar
Knight aoe2DE Knight · Cavalier aoe2DE Cavalier · Paladin aoe2DE Paladin
Camelrider aoe2DE Camel Rider · Aoe2 heavycamelriderDE Heavy Camel Rider
SiegeBattering ram aoe2DE Battering Ram · Capped ram aoe2DE Capped Ram · Siege ram aoe2DE Siege Ram
Mangonel aoe2DE Mangonel · Onager aoe2DE Onager · Siege onager aoe2DE Siege Onager
Scorpion aoe2DE Scorpion · Heavyscorpion aoe2DE Heavy Scorpion
Bombard cannon aoe2DE Bombard Cannon
Trebuchet aoe2DE Trebuchet
Petard aoe2DE Petard
Siegetower aoe2DE Siege Tower
War shipTransportship aoe2DE Transport Ship
Galley aoe2DE Galley · War galley aoe2DE War Galley · Galleon aoe2DE Galleon
Fire galley aoe2DE Fire Galley · Fireship aoe2DE Fire Ship · Fastfireship aoe2DE Fast Fire Ship
Demoraft aoe2DE Demolition Raft · Demoship aoe2DE Demolition Ship · Heavydemoship aoe2de Heavy Demolition Ship
Cannon galleon aoe2DE Cannon Galleon · Elite cannon galleon aoe2de Elite Cannon Galleon
Regional
InfantryEaglescout aoe2DE Eagle Scout · Eaglewarrior aoe2DE Eagle Warrior · EliteEaglewarrior aoe2DE Elite Eagle Warrior
ArcherAoe2de DOI elephant archer icon Elephant Archer · ElephantArcherIcon-DE Elite Elephant Archer
CavalryBattle elephant aoe2DE Battle Elephant · Elite battle elephant aoe2DE Elite Battle Elephant
Steppelancericon Steppe Lancer · Elitesteppelancericon Elite Steppe Lancer
Xolotlicon Xolotl Warrior
AoE2DE Armored Elephant icon Armored Elephant · AoE2DE Siege Elephant icon Siege Elephant
War shipAoE2 Dromon Dromon
Unique
ReligiousMissionaryIcon-DE Missionary · AoE2 WarriorPriest Warrior Priest
InfantryBerserkIcon-DE Berserk · Aoe2de Chakram Chakram Thrower · CondottieroIcon-DE Condottiero · Aoe2-icon-flemish-militia Flemish Militia · GbetoIcon-DE Gbeto · Aoe2de Ghulam Ghulam · HuskarlIcon-DE Huskarl · JaguarWarriorIcon-DE Jaguar Warrior · KamayukIcon-DE Kamayuk · Karambitwarrioricon-DE Karambit Warrior · AoE2 DE Legionary new icon Legionary · Aoe2-icon--obuch Obuch · SamuraiIcon-DE Samurai · Aoe2-icon-serjeant Serjeant · Shotelwarrioricon-DE Shotel Warrior · TeutonicKnightIcon-DE Teutonic Knight · ThrowingAxemanIcon-DE Throwing Axeman · Aoe2de Urumi Urumi Swordsman · AoE2 WarriorPriest Warrior Priest · WoadRaiderIcon-DE Woad Raider
ArcherArambaiicon-DE Arambai · CamelArcherIcon-DE Camel Archer · ChukoNuIcon-DE Chu Ko Nu · AoE2 CompositeBowman Composite Bowman · ConquistadorIcon-DE Conquistador · GenitourIcon-DE Genitour · GenoeseCrossbowmanIcon-DE Genoese Crossbowman · Imperialskirmishericon-DE Imperial Skirmisher · JanissaryIcon-DE Janissary · Kipchakicon Kipchak · LongbowmanIcon-DE Longbowman · MangudaiIcon-DE Mangudai · PlumedArcherIcon-DE Plumed Archer · Aoe2de ratha ranged Ranged Ratha · Rattanarchericon-DE Rattan Archer · SlingerIcon-DE Slinger · WarWagonIcon-DE War Wagon
CavalryBallistaelephanticon-DE Ballista Elephant · BoyarIcon-DE Boyar · Aoe2de camel scout Camel Scout · CataphractIcon-DE Cataphract · Aoe2de roman unique centurion icon Centurion · Aoe2-icon-coustillier Coustillier · Flaming camel icon Flaming Camel · ImperialCamelRiderIcon-DE Imperial Camel Rider · Keshikicon Keshik · Konnikicon Konnik · Leitisicon Leitis · MagyarHuszarIcon-DE Magyar Huszar · MamelukeIcon-DE Mameluke · AoE2 Monaspa Monaspa · Aoe2de ratha melee Melee Ratha · AoE2 Savar Savar · Aoe2de shrivamsha rider Shrivamsha Rider · TarkanIcon-DE Tarkan · WarElephantIcon-DE War Elephant · Aoe2-icon-winged-hussar Winged Hussar
SiegeAoe2-icon--houfnice Houfnice · Aoe2-icon-hussite-wagon Hussite Wagon · OrganGunIcon-DE Organ Gun
War shipCaravelIcon-DE Caravel · LongboatIcon-DE Longboat · Aoe2de Thirisadai Thirisadai · TurtleShipIcon-DE Turtle Ship
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