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This article is about the unit in Age of Empires II. For other uses of the term, see Pikeman.

Anti-cavalry infantry unit.
—In-game description

Stronger than Spearman. Attack bonus vs. cavalry, especially War Elephants.
—In-game description

The Pikeman is an infantry unit in Age of Empires II that can be upgraded from the Spearman at the Barracks once the Castle Age is reached. They can be trained at the Barracks and also at Donjons by the Sicilians. They are an excellent cavalry-counter. They are weak against anything outside the cavalry section, particularly archers, but make up for it by being one of the cheapest military units in the game. Additionally, no gold is required to train them, making them trash units.

Pikemen are available to all civilizations except for the Turks and the Gurjaras.

Tactics[]

The Pikeman performs outstandingly against cavalry, doing +22 bonus damage to Knights, +18 to Camel Riders, and +47 to War Elephants. This is more than a 45% increase in attack (Spearman deal +15/+12/+30 respectively), which, when combined with a solid +10 hit points, makes their upgrade from Spearmen extremely important to get. However, they still retain the Spearman's inability to force engagements against enemy cavalry (apart from elephants). Because of this, Camel Riders are preferable for the civilizations who have access to them against Knights.

Due to their frailty, however, they should operate in groups. Pikemen are useful when attacking players who are basing their army on cavalry units or when defending against cavalry raids. They make an excellent complement for siege weapons, as they can protect them against enemy melee cavalry. Though they might lack offensive power to defeat enemy units outside of the cavalry sector, they can serve as cannon fodder since they are as cheap as a military unit can be.

Further statistics[]

Strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Cavalry
Weak vs. Archers, Scorpions, Cataphracts, infantry
Technologies
Regeneration Stronghold (regenerate 30 HP/min when within 18 tiles square of a team Celts Castle)
Attack Forging (+1, +2 for the Khitans)
Iron Casting (+1, +2 for the Khitans)
Blast Furnace (+2)
Arson (+2 against standard buildings)
Garland Wars (+4, Aztecs only)
Chieftains (+5 against cavalry and +4 against camels, Vikings only)
Armor Scale Mail Armor (+1/+1, +2/+2 for the Romans)
Chain Mail Armor (+1/+1, +2/+2 for the Romans)
Plate Mail Armor (+1/+2)
Tower Shields (+2 pierce armor, Lithuanians only)
Conversion resistance Devotion (+1 min, +1 max)
Faith (+4 min, +4 max)
Heresy (die upon getting converted)
First Crusade (+4 min, +4 max, Sicilians only)
Movement speed Squires (+10%)
Creation speed Conscription (+33%)
Perfusion (+100%, Goths only)
Ability Chieftains (generates gold when killing Villagers, trade units, and Monks, Vikings only)
Druzhina (gives trample damage in 0.5 tiles radius, Slavs only)
Wootz Steel (attack ignores armor, Dravidians only)
Lamellar Armor (25% non-projectile damage reflection, Khitans only)
Coiled Serpent Array (Gain +0.5% HP (max +15%) per Spearman and White Feather Guard in 15 radius, Shu only)
Tuntian (Passively generate 1.2 food/min, Wei only)

Civilization bonuses[]

  • Armenians: Pikeman are available in the Feudal Age. Halberdier can be researched in the Castle Age.
  • Aztecs: Pikemen are created 15% faster.
  • Bohemians: Pikemen deal +25% bonus damage.
  • Bulgarians: Blacksmith technologies that benefit Pikemen cost -50% food.
  • Burmese: Pikemen have +2/+3 attack in the Castle/Imperial Age. Researching Devotion and Faith is 50% cheaper.
  • Byzantines: Pikemen are 25% cheaper.
  • Celts: Pikemen move 15%/20% faster in the Castle/Imperial Age. Pikemen can convert herdable animals even if enemy units are next to them.
  • Chinese: Technologies that benefit Pikemen are 5%/10%/15% cheaper in the Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
  • Dravidians: Researching Arson and Squires and upgrading to Halberdier is 50% cheaper.
  • Georgians: Pikemen receive -20% damage (-40% instead of -25%) when fighting from higher elevation.
  • Goths: Pikemen are 25%/30% cheaper in the Castle/Imperial Age, and have +2/+3 in the Castle/Imperial Age attack against standard buildings.
  • Inca: Pikemen cost -20%/-25% food in the Castle/Imperial Age.
  • Japanese: Pikemen attack 33% faster.
  • Jurchens: Pikemen receive -50% friendly fire damage.
  • Khitans: Pikemen are trained 25% faster. Upgrading to Halberdier is 25% faster. Pikemen receive double the effect from melee attack upgrades.
  • Koreans: Pikemen cost -50% wood.
  • Lithuanians: Pikemen move 10% faster.
  • Magyars: Forging, Iron Casting, and Blast Furnace are free.
  • Malians: Pikemen have +2/+3 pierce armor in the Castle/Imperial Age.
  • Romans: Pikemen receive double the effect from armor upgrades.
  • Sicilians: Pikemen take -33% bonus damage.
  • Spanish: Blacksmith technologies that benefit Pikemen cost no gold. Researching technologies that benefit Pikemen provides 20 gold each.
  • Tatars: Pikemen deal +20% damage (+50% instead of +25%) from a cliff or an elevation.
  • Teutons: Pikemen have +1 armor in the Castle Age and +2 armor in the Imperial Age.
  • Vietnamese: Conscription is free.
  • Vikings: Pikemen have +20% hit points.

Team bonuses[]

Changelog[]

The Age of Kings[]

  • Pikemen deal no attack bonus against ships.
  • Pikemen receive standard anti-infantry bonus damage.
  • Goths: Pikemen are 15%/25% cheaper in the Castle/Imperial Age and have an extra +1 attack against standard buildings.
  • Vikings: Pikemen have +15%/+20% hit points in the Castle/Imperial Age.

The Conquerors[]

The Forgotten[]

The African Kingdoms[]

Rise of the Rajas[]

  • With patch 5.7, Pikemen deal +18 damage against camel units.
  • Ethiopians: With patch 5.7, the Halberdier upgrade is no longer free.
  • Vikings: With patch 5.7, Chieftains gives Pikemen an extra +4 attack against camels.

Definitive Edition[]

Dawn of the Dukes[]

Dynasties of India[]

Return of Rome[]

  • Chinese: With update 87863, technologies that benefit Pikemen are 5%/10%/15% cheaper in the Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
  • Koreans: With update 87863, Pikemen cost -50% wood.

The Mountain Royals[]

Chronicles: Battle for Greece[]

History[]

The success of spearmen against cavalry led to innovation in the equipment and tactics they used. Pikemen were an innovation of towns and communities that did not have the resources to field large armies of heavy cavalry. Pikes were cheap and could be quite effective in training. One important change was the lengthening of the weapon shaft. Where the spear had been 6 to 8 feet long, the pike had a shaft up to 18 feet long. The longer weapon meant that more spear points could be extended beyond the bodies of the men in the front rank. Pikemen combined with crossbowmen or hand cannoneers to make a useful combined arms unit. The pikemen prevented cavalry from overrunning the group, while the missile troops caused casualties to the enemy at range. Working together, this combination dominated battlefields at the end of the age. As firearms improved after the Middle Ages, the pikeman component became less necessary. The bayonet made the pike component obsolete and allowed the musketeer to defend himself against cavalry.
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings manual

Trivia[]

  • The Spearman line units are the second cheapest of all military units, tied with the Skirmisher line, costing only 60 resources and no gold, only behind the Karambit Warrior (which costs 40 resources but is not a trash unit).
  • The Spearman line units are the only trash units and also only common infantry units that do not have any base pierce armor.
  • Even though the Pikeman is a Castle Age unit, it loses outright to a Villager with Loom if it has no upgrades itself.
  • Even though their name is Pikeman, their weapon is actually a glaive-guisarme not a pike, as evident by the weapon's broad blade and hook. Actual pikes resemble spears but are significantly longer.
  • Pikemen deal bonus damage against the cheat unit Saboteur (since The Conquerors) because it is in the same armor class as ships.
  • Spearmen and Pikemen use the same attack animation as Villagers in the Iron Age in Age of Empires.
  • The fully upgraded Malian Pikeman can be defeated by the fully upgraded Turkish Spearman.

Gallery[]

Video[]

Units in Age of Empires II
Civilian Villager · Trade Cart · Fishing Ship · Trade Cog · King
Miscellaneous Transport Ship · Monk · Petard
Infantry Militia Man-at-Arms Long Swordsman Two-Handed Swordsman Champion
Spearman Pikeman Halberdier
Archer Archer Crossbowman Arbalester
Skirmisher Elite Skirmisher
Hand Cannoneer
Cavalry Archer Heavy Cavalry Archer
Cavalry Scout Cavalry Light Cavalry Hussar
Knight Cavalier Paladin
Siege weapon Battering Ram Capped Ram Siege Ram
Mangonel Onager Siege Onager
Scorpion Heavy Scorpion
Bombard Cannon
Trebuchet
Siege Tower
War ship Galley War Galley Galleon
Fire Galley Fire Ship Fast Fire Ship
Demolition Raft Demolition Ship Heavy Demolition Ship
Cannon Galleon Elite Cannon Galleon
Regional
Infantry Eagle Scout Eagle Warrior Elite Eagle Warrior
Fire Lancer Elite Fire Lancer
Archer Elephant Archer Elite Elephant Archer
Cavalry Camel Rider Heavy Camel Rider
Battle Elephant Elite Battle Elephant
Steppe Lancer Elite Steppe Lancer
Xolotl Warrior
Armored Elephant Siege Elephant
Hei Guang Cavalry Heavy Hei Guang Cavalry
War ship Dromon
Lou Chuan
Siege weapon Rocket Cart Heavy Rocket Cart
Traction Trebuchet
Unique
Monk Missionary · Warrior Priest
Infantry Berserk · Chakram Thrower · Condottiero · Dismounted Konnik · Flemish Militia · Gbeto · Ghulam · Huskarl · Jaguar Warrior · Jian Swordsman · Kamayuk · Karambit Warrior · Legionary · Liao Dao · Obuch · Samurai · Serjeant · Shotel Warrior · Teutonic Knight · Throwing Axeman · Urumi Swordsman · Warrior Priest · White Feather Guard · Woad Raider
Archer Arambai · Camel Archer · Chu Ko Nu · Composite Bowman · Conquistador · Genitour · Genoese Crossbowman · Grenadier · Fire Archer · Imperial Skirmisher · Janissary · Kipchak · Longbowman · Mangudai · Plumed Archer · Ranged Ratha · Rattan Archer · Slinger · Xianbei Raider · War Wagon
Cavalry Ballista Elephant · Boyar · Camel Scout · Cataphract · Centurion · Coustillier · Imperial Camel Rider · Iron Pagoda · Keshik · Konnik · Leitis · Magyar Huszar · Mameluke · Monaspa · Melee Ratha · Mounted Trebuchet · Savar · Shrivamsha Rider · Tarkan · Tiger Cavalry · War Chariot · War Elephant · Winged Hussar
Siege weapon Houfnice · Hussite Wagon · Organ Gun
War ship Caravel · Dragon Ship · Longboat · Thirisadai · Turtle Ship
Hero Cao Cao · Liu Bei · Sun Jian
Miscellaneous Flaming Camel
For different types of units, see Category:Unit types (Age of Empires II).