Pavise is a technology in Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten that is unique to the Italians and can be researched at the Castle. Once researched, it increases the armor of foot archers (except Skirmishers) and the Condottiero by +1/+1.
Strategy[]
Pavise works the same way as any other archer-based Blacksmith technology and should be acquired as soon as possible if the player relies mainly on Archers and Genoese Crossbowmen for defensive/offensive purposes.
Initially, Pavise only provided a benefit to the Genoese Crossbowman when researched. It has since been updated to affect all foot archers as of The African Kingdoms, which increases its usefulness. A few patches later, the Skirmisher-line was excluded from the effect too. Since update 39284 of the Definitive Edition, the technology affects the Condottiero as well, improving its durability. This means that which version of the game the player is using changes the priority Pavise should be given.
Originally in The Forgotten, Pavise is quite expensive and players should prefer to prioritize other upgrades or advancing to the Imperial Age. In The African Kingdoms and onwards, the cost is severely reduced, and it also benefits Crossbowmen (and Skirmishers in a few earlier patches). Therefore, in some situations, it is a valid option to research Pavise early. However, Leather Archer Armor is still cheaper and affects more types of units, and should be prioritized over Pavise.
Team bonuses[]
- Portuguese: Researching Pavise is 25% faster.
Changelog[]
The Forgotten[]
- Pavise costs 550 food, 300 gold.
- Pavise only affects Genoese Crossbowmen.
The African Kingdoms[]
- Pavise costs 300 food, 150 gold.
- Pavise now affects all foot archers (including Skirmishers) instead of just Genoese Crossbowmen.
- With patch 4.8, Pavise does not affect Skirmishers anymore.
Definitive Edition[]
- With update 39284, Pavise now also affects Condottieri.
Return of Rome[]
- With update 87863, Pavise cost changed from 300 food, 150 gold to 200 wood, 150 gold.
History[]
In reality, the pavise is a type of tall convex shield used by Medieval European bowmen as a sort of mobile cover for them to duck behind while not firing. Appearance-wise, the pavise much resembles the shield carried by the Genoese Crossbowman, though the unit never seems to duck behind it while engaging an enemy, thus somewhat defeating the shield's purpose when faced with ranged adversaries. The pavise was named after the city of Pavia, Italy. It helped protect crossbowmen and archers while they reloaded their weapons, thus keeping them safe. Smaller versions were also utilized by men-at-arms as hand-held and back-worn shields. Pavises were usually used during sieges. Crossbowmen were less vulnerable while using them. The pavise was held in place by the pavisier or sometimes deployed in the ground with a spike attached to the bottom.
The Genoese crossbowmen, an internationally-recognized elite corps, made use of the pavise, utilizing pavesarii (shield bearers). Having over three crossbowmen per pavise suggests that they took turns using the pavise as cover and were used primarily in static or defensive formations. Pavises were often painted with the coat of arms of the town where they were made, and sometimes stored in the town arsenal for when the town came under attack. Religious icons such as St. Barbara and St. George were featured on the front of pavises.