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Age of Empires: the Age of Kings
Nintendo DS

Skills guide by Raestloz e-maail:[email protected]
copyright 2008 Raestloz. All rights reserved
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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|
|                |
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a. About this guide

This is my first guide, if you have any suggestions or information regarding
this guide, e-mail me at [email protected]

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)


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|2. Unit Skills|
|              |
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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)
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       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
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       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
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       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
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       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
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       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
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       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.
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       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
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       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
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       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
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       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.
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       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
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       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
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       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
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       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
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       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
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       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!
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       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
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       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
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       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.
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       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
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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|
|            |
--------------
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