Slinger (Age of Empires)

The Slinger is a light ranged unit featured in Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome that can be trained at the Barracks once the Tool Age is reached. It hurls stones at its enemies, and can be used to fight and defend a civilization against early archer and Watch Tower attacks.

Tactics Edit

Slingers have an attack bonus of 2 against archers and also have 2 armor when dealing with enemy archers and siege artillery. Since the Definitive Edition, they also have a higher attack bonus of +4 against mounted archers. They also have an increased attack against walls and towers. But ships, infantry (assuming the Slingers don't run for it), and cavalry can all take them out very easily. They are easily overpowered by Bronze Age units and are often obsolete by that time. The Hittites and Assyrians don't have Slingers.

Upgrades Edit

•  Bronze Shield increases pierce armor by 1.
•  Iron Shield increases pierce armor by 1.
•  Tower Shield increases pierce armor by 1.
•  Alchemy increases attack by 1.
•  Stone Mining increases attack and range by 1.
•  Siegecraft further increases attack and range by 1.

Note: Slingers do not benefit from armor upgrades.

Changelog Edit

Rise of Rome Edit

• Slingers are introduced.
• Slingers take 24 seconds to train.

Definitive Edition Edit

• Slingers have higher bonus attack (+4) against mounted archers (bonus against foot archers unchanged).
• After CU9, Slingers take 28 seconds to train. With update 38862, they take 35 seconds to train.
• Slinger damage dealt to walls and towers reduced by ~50%.

History Edit

"Slingers were light troops who threw stones at the enemy, causing casualties and disrupting formations. A barrage of heavy stones could cause wounds and bone fractures. The stone was held in a cloth sling and swung in a vertical loop to build centrifugal force. One end of the sling was released, launching the stone. Slingers were an alternative to archers and javelin men. They threw stones of different weights, depending on the range to the target. Roman art shows slingers throwing rocks the size of grapefruit, probably at short range. Specially shaped stones could be thrown accurately to a respectable distance. The best known slinger of antiquity was David, who slew the Philistine champion Goliath in single combat with a shot to the head. A contingent of Rhodesian slingers were part of the 10,000-man mercenary force whose march home from Persia is described by Xenophon in his book Anabasis."

—The Rise of Rome manual

Trivia Edit

• The Slinger is the only unit at the Barracks that doesn't have an upgrade.
• The Slinger is the only unit in the entire Age of Empires series that costs stone.

Units in Age of Empires
Age of Empires
Priest · Villager · Trade Boat · Merchant Ship · Fishing Boat · Fishing Ship · Light Transport · Heavy Transport
Infantry	Clubman · Axeman · Short Swordsman · Broad Swordsman · Long Swordsmen · Legion · Hoplite · Phalanx · Centurion
Archer	Bowman · Improved Bowman · Composite Bowman · Chariot Archer · Elephant Archer · Horse Archer · Heavy Horse Archer
Cavalry	Scout · Cavalry · Heavy Cavalry · Cataphract · Chariot · War Elephant
Siege	Stone Thrower · Catapult · Heavy Catapult · Ballista · Helepolis
Ship	Scout Ship · War Galley · Trireme · Catapult Trireme · Juggernaught
The Rise of Rome
Armored Elephant · Camel Rider · Fire Galley · Scythe Chariot · Slinger
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