This article is about the unit in Age of Empires. For the technology in Age of Empires IV, see Phalanx. |
“ | Upgrade of Hoplite. The Phalanx has more attack strength and armor. | ” |
—In-game description in the Definitive Edition |
The Phalangite (called Phalanx before Return of Rome) is a heavy infantry unit in Age of Empires that can be trained at the Academy.
Civilizations[]
Available | Unavailable |
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Gameplay[]
The middle of the Academy's trio of units, the Phalangite is an Iron Age upgrade of the Hoplite, and can be further upgraded to the Centurion.
As a heavy infantry unit, the Phalangite is one of the game's most powerful melee combatants, but is vulnerable to ranged attacks, especially those of Priests, Ballistae, and Horse Archers.
Like other units in its line, the Phalangite starts out slightly slower than other infantry, but becomes slightly faster after researching Aristocracy (or playing as the Greeks). It has no pierce armor at all by default (unless playing as the Macedonians), so requires shield upgrades to provide resistance to arrows and Ballista bolts.
Upgrading from the Hoplite to the Phalangite provides a +2 bonus to melee armor, and a +3 bonus to melee attack. Note that the melee armor bonus also applies to Stone Thrower-line projectiles, giving the Phalangite especially high resistance to these siege weapons - but not to Catapult Triremes, which ignore all armor.
For the Palmyrans and (since Return of Rome) the Hittites, the Phalangite is the most advanced heavy infantry unit available, but other civilizations with access to Phalangites can upgrade them to Centurions. This is an elite technology, so is extremely expensive (30 Phalangites can be trained with its food cost, or 17 with its gold cost), but yields 50% more melee damage, 33% more hit points, and a further +1 melee armor bonus.
Further statistics[]
Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
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Strong vs. | Cavalry, infantry, buildings |
Weak vs. | Archers, Priests, siege weapons |
Upgrades | |
Attack | Toolworking (+2) Metalworking (+2) Metallurgy (+3) |
Armor | Leather Armor Infantry (+2/+0) Scale Armor Infantry (+2/+0) Chain Mail Infantry (+2/+0) Bronze Shield (+0/+1) Iron Shield (+0/+1) Tower Shield (+0/+1) |
Speed | Aristocracy (+25%) |
Upgrades | Centurion |
Civilization bonuses[]
- Carthaginians: Phalangites have +25% hit points.
- Greeks: Phalangites have +30% speed and cost -20%.
- Macedonians: Phalangites have +2 pierce armor, +2 Line of Sight, and are four times more resistant to conversion.
Team bonuses[]
- Carthaginians: Phalangites are created and upgraded 20% faster.
- Palmyrans: Upgrading Phalangites to Centurions and researching technologies that benefit Phalangites are 30% faster.
Changelog[]
Age of Empires[]
- The unit is named Phalanx.
- Phalanxes can be upgraded to Centurions only if Aristocracy is researched.
- Phalanxes have 1.5 reload time.
- Greeks: Phalanxes have +33% speed.
Definitive Edition[]
- Greeks: Phalanxes have +30% speed and cost -20%.
Return of Rome[]
- The unit is named Phalangite.
- Researching Aristocracy is no longer required to upgrade Phalangites to Centurions.
- Upon release, Phalangites had 2.0 reload time. With update 87863, they have 1.5 reload time again.
- Palmyrans (team bonus): Technologies benefiting Phalangites are researched 30% faster.
History[]
“ | The phalanx was a Greek heavy infantry formation used from about 800 BC to the conquest of Greece by the Romans in the Second Century BC. The Greek infantry, called hoplites, formed a square that could quickly face in any of four directions. Each man carried a pike or spear up to 12 feet in length. As the formation advanced, it presented an imposing wall of spear points to its front. Hoplites carried a large round shield and wore a bronze helmet, breastplate (cuirass), and greaves. All free men in the Greek city-states trained in the phalanx. The discipline and drill required to make the phalanx work permeated the entire Greek culture. Greek infantry fighting in the phalanx was the finest in the western world for several centuries. No other infantry faced it in hand-to-hand combat and won until the new tactics of combined arms made it obsolete. The last great success of the phalanx was in Alexander's campaign against the Persians, although in that army it fought as part of a combined arms army. | ” |
Gallery[]
Video[]
Stable |
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→ | → | → | ||||||
→ | → |
Units in Age of Empires | |
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Civilian | Villager · Trade Cart |
Other | Priest · Slinger · Artifact |
Civilian ship | Fishing Boat · Fishing Ship Trade Boat · Merchant Ship Light Transport · Heavy Transport |
Infantry | Clubman · Axeman Short Swordsman · Broad Swordsman · Long Swordsmen · Legionary Hoplite · Phalangite · Centurion |
Archer | Bowman Improved Bowman · Composite Bowman Chariot Archer Horse Archer · Heavy Horse Archer Elephant Archer |
Cavalry | Scout Chariot · Scythe Chariot Cavalry · Heavy Cavalry · Cataphract War Elephant · Armored Elephant Camel Rider |
Siege | Stone Thrower · Catapult · Heavy Catapult Ballista · Helepolis |
War Ship | Scout Ship · War Galley · Trireme Catapult Trireme · Juggernaut Fire Galley |
Scenario Editor-only units | |
Chieftain · Donkey · Explorer · General · High Priest · Horse · Mercenary (removed) · Penguin · Pharaoh · Raft · War Chest |