Pikeman

Pikeman
	16
	2
	90
Unlocked at	Civil Service
Upgrades From	Spearman
Upgrades To	Lancer
Abilities	50% combat bonus vs Mounted units

The Pikeman is a Melee unit available in the Medieval Era.

Overview

A pikeman is a better-trained and armored spearman armed with a longer, sharper weapon. Unlike the shorter and lighter spear, a pike is almost always used two-handed. Historically pikemen were most effective against other infantry and cavalry, but as they lacked shields, they were quite vulnerable to archers.

Strategy

The Pikeman is a next-generation Spearman, armed with a much longer and deadlier weapon and breastplates. It receives a bonus when fighting against mounted units, which makes it pretty much the only unit that can hope to stand up against a rampaging Knight. A Pikeman fortified in defensive terrain is a Knight's worst nightmare. Pikemen are, however, weak versus other melee units and tend to be severely damaged by siege weapons used to defend cities.

Pikemen are useful as melee units when you don't have access to Iron resources (or the technology) for the more powerful Longswordsman.

Unique Unit Replacements

Historical

Icon	Unit	Civilization	Abilities
	Argyraspidai	Seleucids (Seleucus I Nicator)	Unlocked at Mathematics instead of Civil Service Lower Combat Strength (15 vs. 16) +25% Strength against melee and mounted units; an additional +25% Strength while defending
	Ashigaru	Japan (Toyotomi Hideyoshi) (Senshi)	-10% Production Cost (80 vs 90). No Combat Bonus against Mounted Units. +1 Combat Strength for each adjacent Ashigaru. Upgrades to Musketman. Instantly upgrades to Musketman upon capturing a City.
	Ayyar	The Zunbils (Rutbil)	+30% Combat Strength while fighting on or near Roads. If beginning a turn on or adjacent to Hills or Mountains, gains +1 Movement.
	Bastnik	Serbia (Stefan Dusan)	Trained +33% faster in conquered cities and begins with +15 XP. When garrisoned, the city acquires tiles 25% faster.
	Bath Reth	Shilluk (Tugo wad Dhokoth)	Yields Faith and Great General points from plundering Trade Routes. When garrisoned in a city, extends WLTKD length scaling with local Happiness.
	Breseler	Brittany (Nominoe)	Weaker but cheaper. Can use enemy roads. Begins with bonus Moves based on the Movement of the city's garrisoned unit.
	Chalkaspides	Pontus (Mithridates VI)	Unlocked at Currency +15% Production Cost, decreased from the total of your merchant specialists. May convert enemy and allied city-state workers (Peasants with JFDLC) to Chalkaspides - who have -1 moves, but all units trained in a city adjacent to them gain an extra level and Drill I.
	Eagle Warrior	The Aztec (Tlacaelel)	+20% Combat Strength when beginning its turn within two tiles of an enemy unit that has under half of its health remaining
	Écorcheur	France (Louis XI)	+20% Combat Strength when within 3 tiles of a friendly Spy Yields a burst of Gold when capturing a city you're spying on
	Goedendag	Flanders (Robrecht III)	+25% Combat Strength vs. Melee Units. Can be instantly recruited from any city at the cost of 1 Population. The citizen removed can be returned to any city that the Goedendag is garrisoned in.
	Goedendag	Flanders (Robert III) (LastSword)	-28.5% Production Cost (70 v. 90) When garrisoned, gains Combat Strength equal to half of the City Strength granted by defensive Buildings Upgrades to Musketman
	Gost Convoy	Kievan Rus' (Olga)	Gains XP from Luxury Resources traded away by Kievan Rus' in diplomatic deals. While a Great Merchant is nearby, promoting a Gost Convoy yields Gold.
	Guastatore	Tuscany (Matilda)	Has lower base Combat Strength. May move after pillaging, and will claim pillaged Improvements for your civilization if the tile is next to your borders.
	Gusar	Serbia (Dusan) (DJSHenninger)	+2 Movement Receives Mounted unit promotions Combat bonus vs units when next to a damaged friendly unit Adjacent Mounted Units gain +20% Combat Strength
	Hajeob	Donghak (Jeon Bongjun)	While training a Hajeob, Faith is added to Production. Does not obsolete until Great War Infantry.
	Impi	The Zulu (Shaka)	Free ranged attack with each melee attack +25% Combat bonus vs Gunpowder units Upgrades to Rifleman
	Ingubo Regiment	The Ndebele (Lobengula)	+10% Combat Bonus against other melee units. +1 Movement, which it also provides to stacked iNduna. Upgrades to Rifleman.
	Isienmwenro	Benin (Ewuare)	Ignores enemy Zone of Control +25% Flank Attack Bonus +1 Movement if it begins its turn adjacent to an enemy Unit
	Khadga Cavarly	Gupta (Kumaragupta)	Unlocked at Iron Working. Mounted Unit that does not require horses and may attack enemies twice. Gains +10% Strength each time after discovering Chivalry, Steel and Metallurgy.
	Khwarezmiyya	Khwarezmia (Jalal al-Din)	Any civilization following your Religion or currently in a research or trade agreement with you may purchase the Khwarezmiyya. Occupying citadels with a Khwarezmiyya rewards Gold to Khwarezm and removes one follower from the nearest enemy city.
	Kumb Tapi	The Wahgi (Bol'im)	Gains +2 Movement and additional Experience from combat when in Rough Terrain. Provides a lump sum of Great Artist Points upon if killed. Upgrades into Rifleman.
	Kuruc	Hungary (György Dózsa)	Upon entering war, one always spawns in the Capital. Begins with +1 Movement while in enemy borders.
	Lanzknecht	Holy Roman Empire (Elected Emperor) (LastSword)	A possible medieaval UU of HRE through election can pillage without movement loss gain gold from attacking cities
	Luojuzi	Dali (Duan Siping)	Unlocked at Theology. +4 Strength, -1 Movement. If stationed on a Luxury Resource, friendly adjacent tiles decrease enemy movement by 1 and have a small chance to convert Religious units into Luojuzi, increased per Faith or Belief building in the nearest City.
	Maharlika	Tagalogs (Kalangitan)	Trained 25% faster while a DoF partner is at war. Begins with +1 Movement point per 2 Local Happiness in its home city.
	Man-at-Arms	England (Richard I)	Specializes in defeating Mounted Units. Only as many can be active as you have cities.
	Metsikhovne	Georgia (David IV)	Accumulates "Zeal" - which must be depleted by taking damage before HP can be lost - by killing enemy units.
	Missoca	Rozvi (Changamire Dombo)	More expensive. Can pillage tiles for no movement cost. +1 Movement if not adjacent to another Missoca. +5 HP per turn if adjacent to at least one Missoca.
	O-don Warband	Osage (Pawhuska)	Enemy units within 2 tiles of a O-Don' War-Band receive a combat penalty, increasing per War Band (max -24%).
	Phalangitai	Macedon (Alexander)	Unlocks at Philosophy. Stronger against other spear units. May force other units to withdraw when adjacent to other spear units.
	Planton	Katanga (Moïse Tshombe)	May be used to build Mines and Farms, as well as clearing Forest or Jungle. When used to clear a Forest or Jungle, has a chance to reveal a mine-based resource on the tile.
	Pniese	The Wampanoag (Massasoit)	Heals at double rate Recovers 25% of maximum HP upon killing an enemy unit
	Pombo	Kongo (Nzinga)	Begins its turn with the same number of movement points as an adjacent Mounted Unit. +33% Defense vs Ranged Attacks (Cover I) -5% Production Cost No bonus versus Mounted Units
	Pushun-Dar	Qoyunlu (Uzun Hasan)	When starting its turn stacked with a civilian unit, both units receive +1 Movement. Automatically converts a city upon conquering it.
	Racowie Infantry	Poland (Jadwiga)	33% cheaper to train with at least one Declaration of Friendship. Gains up to +5 Combat Strength based on Poland's Faith output. May push back enemies upon reaching level 5 (not lost upon upgrade).
	Reisläufer	Switzerland (Henri Dufour) (LastSword)	+3 Combat Strength Earns Gold in friendly foreign territory Upgrades to Rifleman
	Reisläufer	Switzerland (Wilhelm Tell)	Gains significantly more experience from defending
	Reisläufer	The Swiss (Wilhelm Tell)	+15% Combat Strength when fighting in Rough Terrain. Defeating enemy units generates Gold equal to their Combat Strength.
	Rozvi	Zimbabwe (Nyatsimba Mutota)	Ignores Terrain Cost +5% Combat Strength per Trade Route (max. +25%) Upgrades to Musketman
	Samballang	Darfur (Ali Dinar)	Producing or upgrading a Samballang offsets the maintenance cost of any unit stationed in your cities.
	Shimingun	Takayama (Justo Takayama)	Has lower base Combat Strength. May be purchased with Faith, even without the required Belief. May attack twice while garrisoned.
	Sohei	The Ikko-ikki (Kennyo)	+50% Combat Strength and ignore terrain costs when starting on a friendly Tile Improvement May enter the territory of rival Civilizations that follow your Religion
	Sthirabhuta Kataka	Rashtrakuta (Amoghavarsha I)	+5% Combat Strength (max. +20%) for each Great Work in the city where it was trained Generates Golden Age Points from kills
	Sto:Mex	The Coast Salish (Seattle)	Can upgrade into a Longswordsman. After Level 3, produces 1 Gold per level.
	Swiss Guard	Papal States (Gregory XIII)	Stronger at defending near the Capital Upon obsoleting, may be expended to become a Pontifical Swiss Guard, a building that yields 2 Culture per turn and +1 City Defense
	Taiaha Warrior	The Maori (Te Rauparaha)	Stronger and generates XP faster Upgrades to Musketman Gives nearby units +5% Combat Strength
	Tie Ren	Zheng (Koxinga)	Starts with the Amphibious promotion. +10% Combat Strength against Cities, and pillages Gold equal to half the damage dealt. While near a Great General, receives a +20% Combat Strength and a further +25% Bonus vs. Mounted Units.
	Tinglid	The Anglo-Norse (Canute)	Generates Great General Points when garrisoned in a conquered city. Generates Great Admiral Points when garrisoned in a settled city. Constructing a Courthouse grants a free Tinglid.
	Uqaylid Outrider	The Qarmatians (Abu Tahir Al-Jannabi)	-4 Combat Strength (12 vs. 16). -25 Production Cost (65 vs. 90). Deals double damage when under 50% health. Upon being killed, damages adjacent enemy units.
	Voi	The Slavs (Niklot)	-2 Combat Strength +15% Combat Strength against Cities Gains Gold from attacking Cities (=100% of damage)
	Voromahery	Madagascar (Ranavalona I)	Slightly weaker and cheaper than the Pikeman Siphons Experience from and gains the Promotions of enemy Units upon attacking them.
	Yamani	Umayyads (Abd al-Malik)	Stronger for each other Yamani that is garrisoned Costs 1 additional maintenance
	Zimba Marauder	Maravi (Kalonga Mazula)	Defeating units will heal the Zimba and provide food to a random city. Pillaging in enemy territory permanently increases combat strength. Cannot pillage roads.
Fictional
	Royal Guard	Radiant Garden (Ansem)	+25% combat bonus when stationed on a Great Tile Improvement.