Skull Knight

Skull Knight
Unit information
Introduced in	The WarChiefs
Type	Infantry Heavy infantry Melee infantry
Civilization	Aztecs
Age	Industrial Age
Abilities	Regeneration*
Special ability	Obsidian Storm*
Training
Trained at	Community Plaza (Garland War Ceremony)
Coin	250
Training time	See Garland War Ceremony
Statistics
Hit points	320
Resists	20% vs. Melee
Speed	4
Line of Sight	12
Population	2
XP bounty	25
Melee attack
Damage	20
Multipliers	x3.0 vs. Cavalry x2.2 vs. Shock infantry
Area of Effect	2
Rate of Fire	1.5
Siege attack
Damage	72
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0

“	Aztec elite berserker.	”
—In-game description

The Skull Knight is a melee heavy infantry in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs that is unique to the Aztecs and can only be obtained through Garland War Ceremony and Tezcatlipoca Worship, or shipped from the Home City. It is the strongest infantry unit of Native American civilizations.

Overview

Similar to the German Doppelsoldner and the Japanese Samurai, the Skull Knight possesses high hit points, deals Area of Effect damage, has a massive siege damage against buildings, and has multipliers against cavalry. Although highly effective in melee combat, its low speed renders it vulnerable to artillery.

Skull Knights work well when used in numbers due to effects of their splash damage and resists against melee damage, but it is recommended to support them with Arrow Knights, since the latter's high range deals increased damage to counter artillery. Another strong combination is with the Coyote Runner, since they reach and attack ranged units more quickly, not only artillery but also infantry.

Special abilities

Obsidian Storm (automatically activated when attacking with a cooldown of 15 seconds): The Skull Knight performs a sweeping hand attack that does +50% of their normal hand attack, with 4 AOE. This is always based on their hand attack, meaning the Great Temple of Huiztilopochtli Support card increases the area of effect of this ability, as well as any attack increases boosting its damage, notable their War Ceremony at the Community Plaza, making this a devastating melee ability if well utilized.

Strategies

• When they are marching to enemy artillery it is highly recommended to use "In cover" mode against shots, and then change to normal mode once they are in melee range.
• Another form to avoid too much range damage from artillery and infantry is placing only one unit in front, as units automatically attack the enemy units closer to them, leading to the artillery wasting shots.
  • Remember to place them a good distance or in a different way from the army because artillery has AOE attacks, which could lead to the Skull Knights' deaths.
  • Against professionals, this strategy is less effective, as they will use their artillery more efficiently.
• Try a Coyote and Arrow Knight combination with the Skull Knight army, making a more versatile composition.
• With the Arrow Knight composition, it is preferable to place them in front. In that form, if the player sees artillery, they will attack as soon as possible. Otherwise, it is not necessary, because it makes the Arrow Knights too exposed.
  • Protect them from infantry and cavalry attacks with the Skull Knight army.
  • If the enemy uses their cavalry or infantry to kill the Arrow Knights, carry a Coyote army to ambush the artillery and long range infantry.
• With the Coyote Runner composition, guide them in the front and the flanks of the Skull Knight army.
  • When the Skull army sees the enemy's army, retreat them a short distance and try to see if there are enemy artillery or skirmisher units with a Coyote or with a Knight. if there are, don't attack first with Skull Knights, but if there is, let them attack first and retreat the Skull Knight army, waiting for the cavalry or infantry to pursue it. Once they get close, ambush with Coyotes.
    • This tactic won't work if the enemy doesn't move their cavalry or infantry, but the Arrow Knight composition will help.
• Always make tactic compositions.

Upgrades

The Skull Knight is automatically upgraded in every Age from the Fortress Age.

Elite Skull Knight (+25% hit points and attack)

Champion Skull Knight (+25% hit points and attack)

Legendary Skull Knight (+50% hit points and attack)

Further statistics

As Skull Knights are unique to the Aztecs, only technologies that they have access to are shown in the following table:

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Most units, buildings
Weak vs.	Artillery
Improvements
Hit points	Cree Tanning (+5%) Maya Cotton Armor (+20%) Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Attack	Carib Kasiri Beer (+10%) Mapuche Tactics (+50% siege attack) Zapotec Cult of the Dead (+20%) Yoga (+5%) Master Lessons (+10%)
Speed	Quechuan Mountaineering (+20%) Apache Endurance (+5%)
Creation speed	Quechuan Diet (-25%)
Other	Tezcatlipoca Worship (ships 1 Skull Knight for every 4 minutes of the game time, up to 30 minutes)

Home City Cards

As Skull Knights are unique to the Aztecs, only their cards and other civilizations' TEAM cards are shown in the following tables:

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Skull Knight

Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team Aztecs Card Description Age HC level Knight Hitpoints Arrow Knights, Eagle Runner Knights, Jaguar Prowl Knights, and Skull Knights get +15% hit points 10 Knight Attack Arrow Knights, Eagle Runner Knights, Jaguar Prowl Knights, and Skull Knights get +15% attack 10 Knight Combat Arrow Knights, Eagle Runner Knights, Jaguar Prowl Knights, and Skull Knights get +15% hit points and attack 25 3 Skull Knights Ships 3 Skull Knights 1 5 Skull Knights Ships 5 Skull Knights 10 4 Skull Knights Ships 4 Skull Knights 10 7 Skull Knights Ships 7 Skull Knights 25 Great Temple of Huiztilopochtli Support Ships 11 Skull Knights and Skull Knights get +1 melee attack AOE; costs 2,000 coin 25 Dutch Card Description Age HC level TEAM Infantry Hitpoints Infantry get +15% hit points 10 Indians Card Description Age HC level TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack 25 Iroquois Card Description Age HC level TEAM Scout Infantry Infantry get +8 LOS 10 Spanish Card Description Age HC level TEAM Hand Infantry Attack Melee infantry get +15% attack 10 TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 LOS 10

Changelog

The WarChiefs

• Skull Knights have 300 hit points.
• Skull Knights have a x2.0 multiplier vs light infantry.

Definitive Edition

• Skull Knights now have 320 hit points.
• With update 23511, Skull Knights now have a x2.2 multiplier vs shock infantry, have an Obsidian Storm charged attack and can regenerate hit points.

Trivia

• Despide the in-game history information, Tzitzimitl was the name of minor female deities depicted as skeletal female figures wearing skirts (often with skull and crossbone designs).
• The Skull Knight is based on Tlacochcalcatl, Aztec warriors whose role is similar to a general in modern times; the Tlatoani (Aztec emperor) was the only rank to supersede them.
  • Their weapon was known as Huitzauhqui.
  • As a side note, the Tlacateccatl (similar in appearance to a Champion/Legendary Puma Spearman but with a shield in addition) was second-in-command to the Tlacochcalcatl and the Tlatoani.
• The Skull Knight's outfit appears to be based on the Osprey published book "Aztec Warrior".

History

“

In Aztec society, membership in the calpulli established each individual's religious and secular schooling, as well as how they would be trained in warfare. The men of a calpulli served together in battle and on the numerous public works projects. Their soldiers wielded weapons of wood and stone, and they often sought prisoners to be sacrificed in religious ceremonies. The most-feared and powerful division in the Aztec army was made up of skull knights. Their name, Tzitzimitl, translates as "frightful specters," the skull knight dressed as a kind of undead horror, and the enemy often fled at their advance.

”

Gallery

An in-game Skull Knight

The Skull Knight from the in-game history section

Skull Knight image from the Definitive Edition Compendium section

In other languages

• Spanish: Caballero Cráneo
• French: Chevalier Crâne
• German: Totenkopfritter
• Italian: Cavaliere del Teschio
• Japanese: 髑髏の騎士 (Dokuro no Kishi)
• Korean: 해골 용사 (Haegol Yongsa)
• Portuguese: Cavaleiro Caveira
• Russian: Рыцарь черепа (Rytsar' cherepa)