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Infantry units are foot soldiers which usually have no range. Most of them are trained at the Barracks, but some may also be trained at Castles.

There are two main line of infantry units: the sword infantry and the pike infantry. In the final age, Champions appear.

Sword infantry[]

Militia[]

Militia (Age of Empires- Age of Kings)

The first infantry unit and only one available in the first age. Militia are very weak and are even threatened by Scout Cavalry. Since they are a starting unit, the player can use them to seek map treasures.

Stats

  • Age: 1
  • Food cost: 75
  • Gold cost: 25
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 100
  • Defence: 100
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Civilization discounts or premiums - Not applicable for this unit

Men-at-Arms[]

Men-at-Arms (Age of Empires-Age of Kings)

Men-at-Arms are slightly stronger than militia but still very vulnerable to Light Cavalry. They also struggle to defeat Spearmen. If starting in age 2, the player begin with Men-at-Arms so can use them to seek the map for treasures.

Stats

Age: 2
  • Food cost: 95
  • Gold cost: 30
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 150
  • Defence: 150
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Civilization discounts or premiums - Not applicable for this unit

Longswordsman[]

Longswordsmen (Age of Empires- Age of Kings)

Longswordmen are an improvement over Men-at-Arms and are bit sturdier. They can also be trained at Castles making them excellent at reinforcing while away from the player's towns. They also excel at destroying buildings. If starting in the Castle Age, the player begin with Longswordsmen, so they can be used to seek map treasures.

Possibly due a technical oversight, the sword infantry that join from random map ruins interactions are Long Swordsmen in the Imperial Age instead of Two-Handed Swordsmen as would be expected.

Stats

Age: 3
  • Food cost: 130
  • Gold cost: 45
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 200
  • Defence: 200
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Civilization discounts or premiums

  • Britons: -10 food, -10 gold
  • Saracens: +20 food, +20 gold

Two Handed Swordsman[]

Two Handed Swordsmen (Age of Empires- Age of Kings)

As the final upgrade of the swordsman unit line, Two Handed Swordsmen are powerful units, but are often shadowed by Champions which fill a similar role. They can also be trained at Castles making them excellent at reinforcing while away from the player's towns. They are effective at destroying buildings. If starting in age 4, the player begin with Two Handed Swordsmen so the player can use them to seek the map for treasures.

Stats

Age: 4
  • Food cost: 175
  • Gold cost: 50
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 250
  • Defence: 250
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Civilization discounts or premiums

Britons: -10 food and -10 gold

Saracens: +20 food and +20 gold

Pike infantry[]

Spearman[]

Spearmen (Age of Empires- Age of Kings)

Available in the Feudal Age, Spearmen are intended as a strong counter to cavalry, but are surprisingly durable against Men-at-Arms, who are supposed to be their direct counter. Spearmen are an impressive defensive unit.

Stats

Age: 2
  • Food cost: 115
  • Gold cost: 40
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 100
  • Defence: 150
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Special Abilities

  • Anti-Cavalry: While fighting cavalry, this unit gets a +83% attack and defence bonus and gains the first strike skill

Civilization discounts or premiums

  • Japanese: -10 food and -10 gold

Pikeman[]

Pikemen (Age of Empires- Age of Kings)

Pikemen continue to be a hard counter to cavalry and remain durable against Longswordmen, who are technically should be their direct hard counter. Pikemen are an impressive defensive unit since they don't really have an obvious weakness, especially when combined with terrain or building defensive bonuses.

Stats

Age: 3
  • Food cost: 215
  • Gold cost: 60
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 200
  • Defence: 250
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Special Abilities

  • Anti-Cavalry: While fighting cavalry, this unit gets a +83% attack and defence bonus and gains the first strike skill

Civilization discounts or premiums

  • Japanese: -10 food and -10 gold

Elite Pikeman[]

Elite Pikemen (Age of Empires- Age of Kings)

Elite Pikemen continue to be a hard counter to cavalry and are competitive against Two-Handed Swordsmen, but do poorly against Champions. Pikemen are still an important unit, especially for dealing with Paladins. The portrait and models of Elite Pikemen are the same as Pikemen, but they are technically separate units.

Stats

Age: 4
  • Food cost: 160
  • Gold cost: 55
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 150
  • Defence: 200
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Special Abilities

  • Anti-Cavalry: While fighting cavalry, this unit gets a +83% attack and defence bonus and gains the first strike skill

Civilization discounts or premiums

  • Japanese: -10 food and -10 gold

Champion[]

Champions (Age of Empires- Age of Kings)

Champions are the most powerful non-unique infantry unit in the game, having the same immense attack and defence as the Elite Samurai. The player must research the technology "Arena" before they are available. These units are similar Two-Handed Swordsmen, but are more expensive and stronger. Champions are able to deal quickly with Pikemen and buildings.

Research requirements: Arena

Stats

Age: 4
  • Food cost: 235
  • Gold cost: 70
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 300
  • Defence: 300
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Civilization discounts or premiums

Britons: -10 food and -10 gold

Saracens: +20 food and +20 gold

Unlockable infantry options[]

The following infantry can be trained at the Barracks after the player purchases them in the game settings using experience points.

Swiss Pikeman[]

Swiss Pikemen- (Age of Empires- Age of Kings)

Based on the famous European mercenaries of the late middle ages, Swiss Pikemen are an improvement over regular Castle Age Pikemen, but with additional cost. They are roughly 13% more expensive and 13% better in combat. Upon reaching the Imperial Age, Swiss Pikemen will automatically become generic Elite Pikemen and adopting their owner's civilization portrait and model. Swiss Pikemen share the model of European Pikemen, but they are affected by each civilization's secondary color schemes.

In-game empire points cost: 100

Stats

Age: 3
  • Food cost: 185
  • Gold cost: 60
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 175
  • Defence: 225
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Special Abilities

  • Anti-Cavalry: While fighting cavalry, this unit gets a +83% attack and defence bonus and gains the first strike skill

Civilization discounts or premiums- N/A

Dopple-hรคnder[]

Dopple-hรคnders (Age of Empires- Age of Kings)

Dopple-hรคnders are an elite fighting force of German-speaking mercenaries who are named for their immense two-handed swords they wield. They can also be trained at the Barracks as well as Castles, making them excellent at reinforcing while away from the player's towns. They are effective at destroying buildings. These units are roughly 15% more expensive, but only 9% stronger in combat than standard Two-Handed Swordsmen, making them one of the less efficient unlockable units.

In-game empire points cost: 100

Stats

Age: 4
  • Food cost: 175
  • Gold cost: 50
  • Health: 100
  • Movement: 7
  • Attack: 250
  • Defence: 250
  • Sight: 7
  • Attack range: 1
  • Attack bonus: +33% damage to buildings, +33 damage to siege units

Civilization discounts or premiums- N/A

Strategy[]

The computer player often trains pike infantry at a higher ratio, preferring it over the sword infantry line. This is likely because pike infantry are often a better investment due to their comparable stats to those of the sword infantry line, but without the obvious weakness against cavalry.

Age of Empires: The Age of Kings
Gameplay elementsBuilding ยท Unit ยท Terrain ยท Map object ยท Technology tree
CivilizationsBritons ยท Franks ยท Japanese ยท Mongols ยท Saracens
Unit typesInfantry ยท Archer ยท Cavalry ยท Siege ยท Unique ยท Mercenary ยท Hero ยท Non-combatant
CampaignsJoan of Arc ยท Minamoto Yoshitsune ยท Genghis Khan ยท Saladin ยท Richard the Lionheart
CategoriesImages
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