-------------------------------------------- Age of Empires: the Age of Kings Nintendo DS Skills guide by Raestloz e-maail:tidus150191@yahoo.com copyright 2008 Raestloz. All rights reserved -------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1. Introductions a. About this guide b. Version History 2. Unit Skills a. About unit skills b. Explanations I. Build II. Hero Powers III. Anti-Cavalry IV. Plains Charge V. Desert Charge VI. Skirmish VII. First Strike VIII. Volley IX. Woodsman X. Scares Horses XI. Seasoned Veteran XII. Zeal XIV. Buildings Only XV. Units Only XVI. Cause Fear XVII. Convert/Improved Convert XVIII. Heal/Improved Heal XIX. Rapid Fire XX. Frenzy XXI. Min. Range 2 XXII. Scout c. Notes -Battlefield Skills 3. Special Thanks 4. Copyright __________________ |1. Introductions| | | ------------------ a. About this guide This is my first guide, if you have any suggestions or information regarding this guide, e-mail me at tidus150191@yahoo.com b. Version History v0.83 Completed almost all skills, excluding Frenzy and Heal numbers v0.90 Completed Frenzy, Heal/Improved Heal numbers, and Scout v0.91 Correction about Volley (thanks to Daniel Tang) ________________ |2. Unit Skills| | | ---------------- a. About Unit Skills Age of Empires: Age of Kings for Nintendo DS has a different gameplay from its twin in PC platform. Age of Empires for Nintendo DS utilizes Turn-Based System, as opposed to Real-Time System Age of Empires use in PC platform, thus some systems have been added, one of which is the unit skills system. In Age of Empires for Nintendo DS almost all units has special skills that affects their performance in battle. Some determines what they can do. You can see a unit's skill at the bottom of info screen of the respective unit. b. Explanations The explanation format is like this: (order number). (Skill name) Which unit has it: (name of units that possess the particular skill) What does it mean? (explanation of the skill) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Build Which unit has it: Villagers What does it mean? Like the name says, this skill lets Villagers to construct buildings, and nothing more ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- II. Hero Powers Which unit has it: Heroes What does it mean? The name talks itself, this skill lets a unit to possess 4 additional skills, each with different uses ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- III.Anti-Cavalry Which unit has it: Spearmen, Pikemen, Elite Pikemen, Minamoto Yoshitsune, Swiss Pikemen What does it mean? Your best friend when a horde of cavalries are rampaging near your city. Anti-Cavalry provides bonus Attack and Defense Strength to the user and provides them with First Strike ability when they are facing cavalries, so it is as if you're the one initiating attack, thus reducing the enemies's Strength beforehand. But this skill doesn't cancel out Plains Charge or Desert Charge ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- IV.Plains Charge Which unit has it: Light Cavalry, Knights, Knights of the Round, Knights Templar, Elite Knights Templar, Cavaliers, Paladin, Richard the Lionhearted What does it mean? Plains Charge increases a unit's Attack Strength when it's initiating an attack with Plains or Plains Road as the background, and it only works with Units. This skill is not cancelled out by Anti-Cavalry, Skirmish, or First Strike ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- V.Desert Charge Which unit has it: Camel, Heavy Camel, Mameluke, Elite Mameluke, Saladin What does it mean? Desert charge is basically Plains Charge, but works when the background is Desert or Desert Road. This skill is not cancelled out by Anti-Cavalry, Skirmish, or First Strike ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- VI.Skirmish Which unit has it: Skirmishers, Elite Skirmishers, Expert Skirmishers, Throwing Axemen, Elite Throwing Axemen What does it mean? Skirmish is a useful skill indeed. Skirmish provides you with First Strike ability, so it is as if you're the one initiating attack. This skill works only in melee battle. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- VII.First Strike Which unit has it: Mangudai, Elite Mangudai, Genghis Khan What does it mean? Of all defending skills, this is the best. As the title says, first strike makes you strike first. And it works both in melee and ranged battle! Note that First Strike activates only if the attacker is within attack range of the defender from where it is standing ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII.Volley Which unit has it:Longbowmen, Elite Longbowmen What does it mean? Of all offensive skills, Volley is the only odd one. Volley increases your Attack Strength significantly. This skill activates both in melee and ranged combat. Both in attacking position and defending position. But Volley will activate only if your health is above 50 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- IX.Woodsman Which unit has it:Throwing Axemen, Elite Throwing Axemen What does it mean? This skill increases Attack Strength when the battlefield is forest. Works both in defending and attacking position. Obviously works only in melee combat ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- X.Scares Horses Which unit has it: Camel, Heavy Camel, Mameluke, Elite Mameluke, Saladin What does it mean? Scares Horses is a skill that works only when battling a horse cavalry unit. This skill won't work with War Elephants and Elite War Elephants. This skill reduces Attack Strength of the enemy, thus reducing damage taken from first strikes and counter attacks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.Seasoned Veteran Which unit has it: Samurai, Elite Samurai What does it mean? Seasoned Veteran is a very useful skill. This skill makes your level increase every 2 battles instead of 3, so you'll have a level 3 Samurai in 6 battles rather than 9 battles. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XII.Zeal Which unit has it: Knights Templar, Elite Knights Templar What does it mean? Zeal is yet another useful skill. This skill replenishes a small amount of health after every battle. This skill can help your unit stay longer until it dies. And if you attack a weak unit you can even heal yourself without help from Monks. This skill works in both attacking and defending position, works only with non-siege unit. Fighting Siege units and Buildings won't replenish your health ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XIII.No Move & Attack Which unit has it:Turkish Janissaries, Elite Janissaries, Trebuchet, War Wolf, Bombard Cannon, Mons Meg, Hand Cannoneer, Onager, Scorpion, Heavy Scorpion, Crossbowmen, Arbalests, Chinese Chu Ko Nu, Elite Chu Ko Nu, Genoese Crossbowmen What does it mean? An annoying skill, with this skill attached, your unit can move or attack in a turn, but not both ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XIV.Buildings Only Which unit has it:Battering Ram, Siege Ram, Dark Ram What does it mean? This skill makes your unit's battle capabilities limited to buildings only, it cannot initiate attack to units ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XV.Units Only Which unit has it:Scorpion, Heavy Scorpion What does it mean? This skill makes your unit's battle capabilities limited to units only, it cannot initiate attack to buildings ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XVI. Cause Fear Which unit has it: Celtic Woad Raiders, Elite Woad Raiders, Persian War Elephants, Elite War Elephants What does it mean? This skill reduces your opponents Attack Strength, whoever, wherever, and whenever it is. It also lowers Defense Strength when in Attacking position ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XVII.Convert/Improved Convert Which unit has it: Monks, Elite Monks What does it mean? This skill allows Monks and Elite Monks to Convert units, excluding civilization-special and heroes (obviously). You can convert unit 2 tiles around you, but is more effective when you're doing it to adjacent unit. Conversion is always a gamble. Even with Fervor and Block Printing Researched, and you're commanding Elite Monks, you can't have 100% conversion rate. I have experienced having to use 4 Elite Monks to convert a mere villager. Don't get your hopes high! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XVIII.Heal/Improved Heal Which unit has it: Monks, Elite Monks What does it mean? This skill allows Monks and Elite Monks to heal your wounded units adjacent to it. Heal with no Redemption researched yet yields 20 Hp each Heal, 23 Hp after Redemption is researched. Improved Heal without Redemption heals 30 Hp, 34 with Redemption/Atonement researched (but not both yet). With Redemption and Atonement researched Improved Heal heals 39 Hp for each attempt ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XIX. Rapid Fire WHich unit has it: Chinese Chu Ko Nu, Elite Chu Ko Nu What does it mean? Many may wonder what good a Chu Ko Nu do, since its base attack power is 150. As a unit with No Move & Attack ability attached, many will prefer Crossbowmen or a basic Archer. But Rapid Fire changes it all. Rapid Fire is a support ability which doubles your Attack Strength, and activates both in attacking and defending position. Meaning Chu Ko Nu's Attack Strength is not 150, but 300! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XX.Frenzy Which unit has it: Viking Berserker, Elite Berserker What does it mean? Frenzy is an odd skill. You should have noticed that your unit's Attack Strength is reduced as its Health decreases. Frenzy keeps the Attack Strength as if the user is at full health. Whether will it keep Defense Strength I don't know yet ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XXI. Min. Range 2 Which unit has it: Trebuchet, War Wolf What does it mean? You can't attack any units adjacent to you. And that's it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XXII. Scout Which unit has it: Scout Cavalry What does it mean? Scout enables Scout Cavalries to move farther than usual when they are moving to Black Area ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- c. Notes -Battlefield Skills Battlefield Skills (Plains Charge, Desert Charge and Woodsman) still triggers although target is under protection of buildings, as long as the building was built on plains/desert/forest, depending on the skill ___________________ |3. Special Thanks| | | ------------------- To Daniel Tang for Volley information to my parents, for buying me a PC so I can write this guide ______________ |4. Copyright| | | -------------- This entire document is (C) 2008 Raestloz. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. No section of this guide can be used without my permission. This includes, but is not limited to posting on your website, making links to my guide, including parts of my guide in your own, or making reference to any material contained within. This document should only be hosted in: www.gamefaqs.com www.neoseeker.com www.supercheats.com Should you find a site with my guide other than those mentioned above, please e-mail me at tidus150191@yahoo.com