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This article is about the unit in Age of Empires IV: The Sultans Ascend. For other uses, see Shinobi. |
| โ | Melee infantry with abilities that specialise in scouting, sabotage, and assassination. | โ |
| —Age of Empires IV description | ||
The Shinobi is a unique light melee infantry unit in Age of Empires IV: The Sultans Ascend. They are only available to the Japanese at the Koka Township landmark and are used for espionage and sabotage. They are upgraded for free by advancing to the next Age.
Ability[]
Spy (Active): Target a visible enemy unit or structure to disguise the Shinobi as a Villager of that player. Enemy Scouts and Town Centers can unveil a disguised Shinobi. A disguised Shinobi is indicated by a floating icon above him. This ability has a 60 second cooldown.- Sabotage (Active): Target a visible enemy building to deal 200 damage, disable its production, and set it on fire for 30 seconds. This ability has a 60-second cooldown and a 1.25 second cast time.
- Shunshin (Active): Drop a smoke bomb and reappear at a selected location within a 4-tile radius. If the ability is targeted outside of this radius, the Shinobi will travel to within 4-tiles of the location and then use the ability. The ability ignores walls and other obstacles which may prevent the unit to move to the selected location by walking. It can even be used to teleport on top of walls. The ability can also be used to disengage from unfavorable engagements when needed. It has a 30 second cooldown and a 0.4 second cast time.
Tactics[]
The Shinobi is primarily used as a raiding and harassment unit. They have very high damage, especially in the Feudal Age, and a fast movement speed for an infantry unit. Combined with the ability to stealth and teleport past walls and cliffs, the Shinobi can sneak into enemy bases and kill isolated Villagers or disable building production temporarily. They are especially effective on hybrid maps, with their ability to disable enemy Docks and allow the Japanese player to gain control of the water.
Shinobi can be expensive and difficult to mass in the early game, so require careful micromanagement. Their disguises can be revealed by Scouts and Town Centers, and if caught in a fight, can die very quickly due to their low hit points and lack of armor.
In a late-game army, Shinobi contribute very high damage for their cost, albeit with low durability, similar to a Landsknecht. If used as military, Shinobi should be protected with stronger units, or make use of their unique abilities to avoid unfavorable engagements. Shinobi are highly vulnerable to ranged units, especially Archers who deal bonus damage against them.
Further statistics[]
| Technologies | |
|---|---|
 Hit points
|
 Oda Tactics (+15%)
|
| Attack |  Tatara (+1) Hizukuri (+1) Kobuse-gitae (+1) Yaki-ire (+1) Oda Tactics (+15% melee and torch)
|
| 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)
|
| Creation speed |  Military Academy (+33%)
|
| Ability |  Siege Engineering (Can build Battering Rams and Siege Towers)
|
| Abilities and Enhancements | |
|---|---|
| Attack |  Katana Bannerman Aura (+15%) Buddhist Conversion (+20% for 20 seconds)
|
| Damage resistance |  Wall Defense (-25% ranged, -50% siege)
|
 Movement speed
|
 Nehan Conversion (+25% for 20 seconds)
|
Dialogue lines[]
- Main article: /Dialogue lines
Trivia[]
- A ninja (Japanese: ๅฟ่ ) or shinobi (ๅฟใณ) was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, serving as bodyguards, and were renowned for their fighting skills in martial arts, called ninjutsu. Their covert methods of waging irregular warfare were deemed dishonorable and beneath the honor of the Samurai. Though shinobi proper, as specially trained spies and mercenaries, appeared in the 15th century during the Sengoku Jidai (1467-1568) and were used extensively, antecedents may have existed as early as the 12th century.
- Shunshin means "body flicker".
Changelog[]
- With patch 9.1.370, Shinobi can now use Shunshin to get on top of Stone Walls.
- With patch 9.2.628, Shinobi now share a formation with Onna-Bugeisha instead of Men-at-Arms.
- Originally, the Shunshin and Sabotage cast times were 0.85 and 2 seconds, respectively. With update 11.0.782, they were decreased to 0.4 and 1.25 seconds.
- Originally, Shinobi cost 60 food, 60 gold and trained in 22.5 seconds. With patch 11.1.1201, they cost 50 food, 50 gold and train in 20 seconds.
