Elite Skirmisher

Spearman: 3

Cavalry Archer:2

Standard building: 0

Ram: 0

Archer: 0

Anti-leitis: 0

The **Elite Skirmisher** is an anti-archer ranged unit in *Age of Empires II* that can be trained at the Archery Range once the Castle Age is reached. They have an attack bonus against archers and, as opposed to its predecessor, an extra attack bonus against Cavalry Archers. They also have increased hit points, attack power, and pierce armor. This makes Elite Skirmishers more useful against other ranged units even beyond the Castle Age.

The upgrade to the Imperial Skirmisher is unique to the Vietnamese and their allies.

## Tactics

Most of the time, Skirmishers are very weak to everything except Archers, Hand Cannoneers, and Pikemen (to a degree). With a weak and slow attack, as well as a minimum range, they deal almost no damage to infantry and cavalry. Nevertheless, their attack bonus against archers can make them valuable against any archer-using opponent, especially if the player's civilization bonuses benefit infantry or heavy cavalry. Unless created to retaliate against enemy archers, each individual unit does poor damage and in most games, training Elite Skirmishers is avoided unless opponents are going heavy on archer units. Elite Skirmishers also have a +3 attack bonus against Pikemen, allowing groups of them to quickly take out approaching Pikemen, but their minimum range still makes them vulnerable.

While Elite Skirmishers make poor ranged support in small numbers, they are extremely cheap. As they cost no gold, they are considered trash units and can be easily massed in significant numbers enough to kill units with a single volley. The size of the mob of units should also prevent enemy units from coming close enough to all of the units, allowing them to continue to fire. Therefore the Elite Skirmisher becomes especially important in the late game when gold becomes scarce and players have to rely on a wood and food economy. In the trash wars situation their bonus against the Spearman line also becomes more useful.

The Elite Skirmisher and its predecessor, the Skirmisher, were the only ranged trash units until the release of *The African Kingdoms*, where the Berber Genitour was introduced.

## Civilization bonuses

* Aztecs: Elite Skirmishers are created 11.1% faster.
* Burmese: Researching Faith is 50% cheaper.
* Bulgarians: Researching archer armor and attack upgrades at the Blacksmith costs 50% less food.
* Byzantines: Elite Skirmishers are 25% cheaper.
* Celts: Elite Skirmishers can convert herdables even if enemy units are next to them.
* Chinese: Technologies that benefit Elite Skirmishers are 15%/20% cheaper in the Castle/Imperial Age.
* Koreans: Elite Skirmishers cost 20% less wood. Armor upgrades are free.
* Lithuanians: Elite Skirmishers move 10% faster.
* Portuguese: Elite Skirmishers are upgraded 30% faster. All relevant upgrades are researched 30% faster.
* Spanish: Blacksmith upgrades that benefit Elite Skirmishers don't cost gold.
* Tatars: Elite Skirmishers deal 50% bonus damage from cliffs and elevations. Thumb Ring is free.
* Vietnamese: Elite Skirmishers have +20% hit points. Conscription is free.

## Team bonuses

* A team containing Berbers: With Kasbah researched, researching Conscription is 25% faster.
* A team containing Britons: Elite Skirmishers are created and upgraded 20% faster. Researching Thumb Ring is 20% faster.
* A team containing Malians: Researching Chemistry and Ballistics is 80% faster.
* A team containing Saracens: Elite Skirmishers have +1 attack against standard buildings.
* A team containing Teutons: Elite Skirmishers are more resistant to conversion.
* A team containing Vietnamese: Elite Skirmishers can be upgraded to Imperial Skirmishers.
* A team containing Lithuanians: Researching Heresy and Faith is 20% faster.
* A team containing Bulgarians: Researching archer armor and attack upgrades at the Blacksmith is 80% faster.

## Changelog

### *The Conquerors*

* Elite Skirmishers receive an attack bonus of +2 against cavalry archers and +3 against Spearmen.
* Heresy introduced.
* Thumb Ring introduced.
* Britons: Yeomen introduced. It is only available in the Imperial Age.

### *The Forgotten*

* Britons: Yeomen moved to the Castle Age.

### *The African Kingdoms*

* Ethiopians: Initially, Elite Skirmishers fire 15% faster. With patch 4.8, that bonus was taken away and Elite Skirmishers no longer have an increased Rate of Fire.
* Italians: Before patch 4.8, Pavise affects Elite Skirmishers. With patch 4.8, Pavise does not affect Elite Skirmishers anymore.

### *Rise of the Rajas*

* Vietnamese: Initially, Elite Skirmishers have +15%/+20% HP in the Castle/Imperial Age. With patch 5.8, they now have +20% HP.

### *Definitive Edition*

* Koreans: Initially, Archers cost 15% less wood. With update 39284, they cost 20% less wood.
* Koreans: With update 42848, Archer Armor upgrades are free.
* Lithuanians: With update 36906, Tower Shields grants +2 pierce armor instead of +1.
* Bulgarians: With update 42848, researching archer armor and attack upgrades at the Blacksmith costs 50% less food. As team bonus, Blacksmiths now work 80% faster (up from 50% faster).
* Portuguese: With update 42848, all technologies are researched 30% faster.