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This article is about the unit in Age of Empires. For the similar unit in Age of Empires II, see Long Swordsman (Age of Empires II).

Upgrade of Broad Swordsman. The Long Swordsman has more hit points, attack strength, and armor.
—In-game description in the Definitive Edition

The Long Swordsman is a melee infantry unit featured in Age of Empires. It becomes available at the Barracks in the Iron Age once Long Sword is researched. In order to research this technology, 240 food, 100 gold is required.

The mask from their upgrade to the Broad Swordsman is the game's icon.

Civilizations[]

Aoede long swordsman available Available Aoede long swordsman unavailable Unavailable

Gameplay[]

The Long Swordsman is simply a better version of the Broad Swordsman. It has more hit points, attack, and armor, though by the time they can be trained there are better infantry unit choices at the Academy. They are good for massed attacks due to their cheap cost. The Long Swordsman can be upgraded to the Legionary (before Return of Rome, only when Fanaticism is researched).

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Villagers, cavalry
Weak vs. Phalangites, archers
Upgrades
Attack Toolworking Toolworking (+2)
Metalworkingicon Metalworking (+2)
Metallurgyicon Metallurgy (+3)
Armor Leatherarmorinfantryicon Leather Armor Infantry (+2/+0)
Scalearmorinfantryicon Scale Armor Infantry (+2/+0)
Chainmailinfantryicon Chain Mail Infantry (+2/+0)
Bronzeshieldicon Bronze Shield (+0/+1)
Ironshieldicon Iron Shield (+0/+1)
Towershieldicon Tower Shield (+0/+1)
Cost Logistics Logistics (-0.5 population usage)
Upgrades Legion upgrade Legionary

Civilization bonuses[]

  • Choson AOE DE ROR icon Choson: Long Swordsmen have +60 hit points.
  • Lac Viet AOE DE ROR icon Lac Viet: Long Swordsmen are trained 25% faster.
  • Roman AOE DE ROR icon Romans: Long Swordsmen attack 50% faster.

Team bonuses[]

  • Palmyran AOE DE ROR icon Palmyrans: Upgrading Long Swordsmen to Legionaries and researching technologies that benefit Long Swordsmen are 30% faster.

Changelog[]

ReturnRome-AoEIcon Age of Empires[]

  • Long Swordsmen have 80 hit points.
  • Choson: Long Swordsmen get +80 hit points.
  • Long Swordsmen can be upgraded to Legionaries only if Fanaticism is researched.

Age of Empires Definitive Edition icon Definitive Edition[]

  • Long Swordsmen have 100 hit points.
  • Choson: Long Swordsmen get +60 hit points.

AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome[]

  • Upon release, Long Swordsmen have 80 hit points, and their idle pose is modified to look more distinct from Legionaries. With hotfix 85208, they have 100 hit points again.
  • Team bonuses added, Palmyrans: Technologies benefiting Long Swordsmen researched 30% faster.
  • Researching Fanaticism is no longer required to upgrade Long Swordsmen to Legionaries.

History[]

The long sword represents the culmination of infantry weapon development in antiquity. It was designed for both piercing and slashing, combining the best of both the short and broad swords. The long sword was made possible first by advances in bronzeworking and improved by the discovery of iron. Some historians believe that the development of long swords by barbarian cultures was a key factor in the catastrophe of 1200 BC, when most of the civilized cultures of the Mediterranean and Middle East were overrun. The long sword in various forms remained an important military weapon until the advent of gunpowder.
—The Age of Empires manual

Gallery[]

Tech tree[]

Barracks
Stone Age Icon (DE)
Tool Age Icon (DE)
Bronze Age Icon (DE)
Iron Age Icon (DE)
Aoede clubman available Axeman
Slinger
Aoede short swordsman available Aoede broad swordsman available Long Swordsman Legionary


Units in Age of Empires
CivilianReturnofrome female villager icon Villager · Returnofrome trade cart icon Trade Cart
OtherAoE2 DE priest icon Priest · Slinger-0 Slinger · Returnofrome artifact icon Artifact
Civilian ship1 Fishing Boat Fishing Boat · 2 Fishing Ship Fishing Ship
3 Trade Boat Trade Boat · 4 Merchant Ship Merchant Ship
5 Light Transport Light Transport · 6 Heavy Transport Heavy Transport
InfantryClubman Clubman · AxemanAoEDE Axeman
Short Swordsman Short Swordsman · Broad Swordsman Broad Swordsman · AoE nuRoR Long Swordsman icon Long Swordsmen · Returnofrome legionary icon Legionary
HopliteDE Hoplite · AoE nuRoR Phalangite icon Phalangite · Returnofrome centurion icon Centurion
ArcherBowman aoe1de Bowman
Improved Bowman22 Improved Bowman · Composite Bowman Composite Bowman
Chariot Archer111 Chariot Archer
Horse Archer Horse Archer · Returnofrome heavy horse archer icon Heavy Horse Archer
EAICON DE Elephant Archer
CavalryScout-0 Scout
ChariotDE Chariot · ScytheDE Scythe Chariot
Cavalry111 Cavalry · Returnofrome heavy cavalry icon Heavy Cavalry · Returnofrome cataphract icon Cataphract
War ElephantDE War Elephant · Returnofrome armored elephant icon Armored Elephant
Camel RiderDE Camel Rider
SiegeStone ThrowerDE Stone Thrower · CatapultDE Catapult · Returnofrome heavy catapult icon Heavy Catapult
BallistaDE Ballista · Returnofrome helepolis icon Helepolis
War Ship7 Scout Ship Scout Ship · 8 War Galley War Galley · 9 Trireme Trireme
Catapult Trireme Catapult Trireme · Returnofrome juggernaut icon Juggernaut
10 Fire Galley Fire Galley
Scenario Editor-only units
Short Swordsman Chieftain · Donkey caravan aoe2DE Donkey · Clubman Explorer · Returnofrome heavy cavalry icon General · AoE2 DE priest icon High Priest · Returnofrome horse icon Horse · HeavyCavalryDE Mercenary (removed) · Penguin aoe2DE Penguin · AoE2 DE priest icon Pharaoh · 5 Light Transport Raft · Returnofrome artifact icon War Chest
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