This article is about the Chinese variant of the unit in Age of Empires III. For other uses of the term, see Pikeman. |
Template:Infobox UnitThe Qiang Pikeman is anti-cavalry infantry unit unique to the Chinese in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. It is the equivalent of the European Pikeman and the Aztec Puma Spearman.
Recruitment
The Qiang Pikeman can be recruited at the War Academy in the Old Han Army or the Ming Army. It is recruited in blocks of three but with one other type of unit. In the Old Han Army, it is recruited with three other Chu Ko Nu, and in the Ming Army it is recruited with two Keshiks.
Upgrades
The overall stats for Qiang Pikeman can be improved by sending improvement-based shipments.
Disciplined Qiang Pikeman
Disciplined Qiang Pikeman is the first upgrade for the Qiang Pikeman. It is available for 50 coin and 100 wood once Fortress Age is reached.
- Hit Points: +20% (126)
- Hand Attack: +20% (8)
- Siege Attack: +20% (36)
Honored Qiang Pikeman
Honored Qiang Pikeman is the second upgrade for the Qiang Pikeman. It is available for 300 coin and 300 wood once Industrial Age is reached.
- Hit Points: +30% (157)
- Hand Attack: +30% (10)
- Siege Attack: +30% (45)
Exalted Qiang Pikeman
Exalted Qiang Pikeman is the third upgrade for the Qiang Pikeman. It is available for 750 coin and 750 wood once Imperial Age is reached.
- Hit Points: +50% (210)
- Hand Attack: +50% (14)
- Siege Attack: +50% (60)
Tactics & Home City Cards
The Qiang Pikeman is the primary anti-cavalry unit in the Chinese army starting from the Colonial Age. It can be shipped in a group of nine in the Colonial Age. As a unit in the Old Han Army, it can operate as a cheap infantry force meant to protect the Chu Ko Nu, mainly to shield it from enemy hand cavalry, when combined with Emperor and Beiyang armies+Flying crow it will provide a cheap yet well rounded army for the Chinese. The Ming Army is basically used as an all-rounded anti-cavalry force but if the enemy creates a pure skirmisher, archer, or musketeer force they will be defeated for it. Use with Territorial Army, Hand Mortars, Forbidden Armies this army shall be devastating against the enemy. As it starts off weak, it is advised to be used with the three upgrade shipments available in the Industrial Age, listed as follows.
- Western Reforms Card, which increases the attack and hit points of all units by 8%
- Old Han Reforms card, which improves the Old Han Army units, increasing attack by 100%, hit points by 100%, and cost by 50%.
- Manchu Combat card, which increases the attack, hit points of the Qiang Pikeman, Changdao Swordsman, Keshik and the Meteor Hammer by 15%.
Combat bonuses
- Cavalry- 5x attack bonus
- Light Infantry- 2.25x attack bonus
History
โ | The qiang spear is often called the โKing of Weaponsโ because of its ubiquitous role as one of the longest used and most reliable Chinese weapons. Its flexible wax wood shaft varied from 7 feet long (for infantry) to nearly 13 feet (for cavalry). The qiang spear was popularized during the Shang Dynasty (seventeenth century-eleventh century BCE) and was used up until the end of the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911 CE). In that time, it changed very little. The qiang spear featured a leaf-shaped blade atop a horse-hair tassel. When a spearman made a slashing motion, the tassel created a blur effect that kept the enemy from being able to effectively target and seize the weapon from its wielder. The hair tassel is said to have also served a secondary purpose, to stop the blood on the blade from flowing down onto the wooden shaft, which would leave the wood slippery or sticky and thus make it more difficult to handle. | โ |
Trivia
- "Qiang" (ๆง) means "spear" in Chinese, referring primarily to the flexible-pole variant. Later, it gradually came to refer to personnel-based light firearms, such as arquebuses, muskets, and handguns; i.e., the way the word "gun" is used in English (excluding the meaning of "light cannon").