| “ | Ranged Infantry effective against other ranged units. | ” |
| —Age of Empires IV description | ||
The Javelin Thrower is a unique light ranged infantry unit in Age of Empires IV unique to the Malians, effective against other ranged units. It can be trained at the Archery Range or the Farimba Garrison landmark. It is also available to the Byzantines as a mercenary unit.
Tactics[]
Javelin Throwers fill the role of an anti-ranged counter, similar to a Horseman. Instead of doing so with high speed and hit points, Javelin Throwers instead utilize a ranged attack. This means the two units are utilized in different ways and have a variety of pros and cons depending on the scenario.
Javelin Throwers have a very long range compared to other units, only outranged by Genitours, Longbowmen and Wynguard Rangers. This gives them the edge in most ranged engagements. Against mounted archers, while they lack the ability to force an engagement due to their slower speed, they are much more dangerous to approach considering they will always be able to attack first.
As a more generalized unit, Javelin Throwers have comparable stats to a Crossbowman, and can serve as ranged support as long as heavy units are not a concern. In the Feudal Age in particular, they are a good high-damage ranged option.
Being light ranged infantry, Javelin Throwers are countered by units serving in their own anti-ranged role, such as Horsemen. They also do not hold up well against heavy melee units that can close in and engage them.
Mansa Javelineers[]
Advancing to the Castle Age with the Farimba Garrison enables the player to upgrade their Javelin Throwers to Mansa Javelineers. This increases their base speed to 1.31 tiles per second and grants their attack a poison effect (3 damage over 6 seconds). While this speed increase is not enough to outrun cavalry, it does make it much easier to hit-and-run slower infantry, and the unblockable extra damage significantly increases their performance against units with high ranged armor, such as Men-at-Arms.
Further statistics[]
| Strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. | Ranged units |
| Weak vs. | Horsemen, Knight, Mangonel |
| Technologies | |
|---|---|
| Attack |  Steeled Arrow (+1) Balanced Projectiles (+1) Platecutter Point (+1) Precision Training (+3)  Enlist Mansa Javelineers (+3 damage over 6 seconds)
|
| Armor |  Fitted Leatherwork (+1 melee) Insulated Helm (+1 melee) Master Smiths (+1 melee) Iron Undermesh (+1 ranged) Wedge Rivets (+1 ranged) Angled Surfaces (+1 ranged)
|
 Movement speed
|
Enlist Mansa Javelineers (+5%)
|
| Creation speed |  Military Academy (+33%)
|
| Ability |  Siege Engineering (Can build Battering Rams and Siege Towers)
|
| Aura and ability enhancements | |
|---|---|
 Range
|
 Wall Defense (+1)
|
| Damage resistance | Wall Defense (-25% ranged, -50% siege)
|
| Movement speed
|
 Farima Leadership (+15%)
|
| Creation speed |  Military Festival (+100% for 90 seconds)
|
| Ability |  Huntress Stealth (Gain stealth)
|
Mercenary Javelin Throwers[]
The Byzantines can purchase Javelin Throwers with Olive Oil from a Mercenary House after researching Silk Road Mercenary Contract. Once unlocked, they can train automatically from the Golden Horn Tower. In addition to generic upgrades, they benefit from the following Byzantine unique bonuses:
| Aura and ability enhancements | |
|---|---|
 Regeneration
|
 Pilgrim Flask (25 hp/s for 6 seconds, requires Cistern of the First Hill)
|
| Attack |  Foreign Engineering Company (+3, grants Precision Training)
|
| Armor |  Camel Support (+2 melee/ranged, requires Foreign Engineering Company)
|
| Movement speed
|
 Naval Deployment (+50% speed for 12 seconds after unloading from a Transport Ship)
|
| Creation speed |   Conscriptio Influence (+20% per Cistern water level) Trade Post (+50%)
|
Dialogue lines[]
- Main article: /Dialogue lines
Changelog[]
- With update 12.0.1974, Javelin Throwers can be upgraded to Mansa Javelineers at the Farimba Garrison, granting them poison-tipped javelins (extra damage per second) and increasing their speed.
- Originally, Mercenary Javelin Throwers cost 460 olive oil to hire. With patch 12.1.2454, they cost 480 olive oil.
- Originally, Mansa Javalineers had a speed of 1.38 tiles per second. With update 14.0.4963, it is 1.31 tiles per second.
Trivia[]
- The Javelin Thrower unit design, especially the distinctive headpiece, is derived from Beninese armor and clothing. There is no direct evidence of relations between the Malian Empire and Kingdom of Benin, although there is some speculation that one source of Malian gold was from the region known as the Gold Coast, which is closer to where the Kingdom of Benin was located.
Gallery[]
