Richard I of England (September 8, 1157 - April 6, 1199), known in Age of Empires II by his real life nickname Richard the Lionheart, was King of England, Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine, and Gascony, and Lord of other places in France and of Cyprus (by conquest) in the late 12th century. He is best known for his leading role in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) and his captivity in Germany while on his way home, which was incorporated into the legend of Robin Hood.
In the game, Richard is depicted as a cavalry hero unit with the appearance of a Paladin. Like other cavalry heroes, Richard the Lionheart is affected by all upgrades and bonuses that affect cavalry. As a hero, he cannot be converted and can regenerate health (since The Conquerors). He is also available at the Scenario Editor.
Campaign appearances[]
- Richard appears as an allied unit in the sixth Barbarossa Campaign scenario, The Emperor Sleeping. He leads a small force of Elite Longbowmen, Cavaliers, and two Trebuchets. Its AI player name is "Richard the Lionhearted" despite the unit being called Richard the Lionheart.
- Richard is an enemy in the sixth Saladin scenario The Lion and the Demon, where he is represented by the AI player "Richard" but not as his own unit. He has a base east and command over two hero Trebuchets, God's Own Sling and Bad Neighbor.
- In The Forgotten, Richard is playable as a must-survive hero in the scenario Cyprus of the Battles of the Forgotten campaign, which depicts his actions in Sicily and Cyprus before his arrival on the Holy Land. The Definitive Edition version does not have an objective about Richard surviving.
- In the original Honfoglalรกs scenario, Richard is present on the island of Cyprus, as a reference to the namesake scenario.
- The hero Robert Curthose in Bohemond in the East is a renamed Richard the Lionheart.
Trivia[]
- Despite his later incarnation as an English nationalist icon, Richard the Lionheart spent most of his life in France and spoke French and Occitan. It is debated if he had any knowledge of English, even though he was born in Oxford.
- Although portrayed as grey-haired in the game, he was only 35โ36 years old during his in-game appearances and 41 when he died. His natural hair was red or reddish blonde.