Swordsmen (Unit)

Swordsman

Type				Unknown
Age				Classical
Resources to train		16
		0
		0
		16
Training time				0:00:12
Upkeep costs		3
		2
Army value				13.6
Speed				30
Attack
	4		2		0
Defence
	3		2		1
Building requirements				Barracks (Classical) 1

Swordsmen are the Classical-age frontline combatant, replacing Spearmen in role, and are vastly more upkeep-efficient and effective than the latter for the job.

Role and Effectiveness

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Generally, this will mean armies rapidly upgrade to swordsmen, completely replacing their role by the Feudal Age. This is hastened by their relative cheapness (stone and wood being utilised for building) during the heavy construction in the new age. They provide double the attack power for the same gold upkeep and food cost

They are fast units and go well supporting Archers and artillery, allowing the ranged units to exchange fire with enemy without melee counterattack (although the enemy ranged units will still return volley fire simultaneously).

Infantrry Scuta

They can be improved Infantry Scuta research to improve their ranged-infantry and artillery defenses, vastly improving their ability to counterattack after ranged volleys. This is available for research at the Library once a Classical-2 Blacksmith (Building) is constructed.

Variants

There are two specialist variants, but both are very situational upgrades, only more effective on a per unit basis and cheaper training, making them useful in mass raids. Both have double the upkeep cost, but have similar training cost.

When looked at from a long term, upkeep-efficiency basis without upgrades, there are few situations where two swordsmen couldn't do the job just as well: both units are mostly for mercenary/burst massing raids.

The variants are:

• Raider variant - faster and extremely cheap to train (mostly food), the Gladius makes an ideal raider.
• Guardian variant - slower, armoured variant, Phalanxes. They have more defense per unit, but are costly to maintain.
• Barbarians use a variant of swordsman called Cutthroats.

They become obsolete in the Renaissance Age, being largely replaced by Pikemen (Unit) and later the Crossbowmen (Unit).

Trivia

In the Original/First Beta release, players had to research the Blacksmith (and build it) to use Swordsmen. In the current revision of the game, only a Classical Barracks is required to train them. They could be improved with Hardened Swords, and their variants required research to be unlocked.