Units - Rise of Nations
Arquebusier - Naturally, there are no Gunpowder Infantry in the game for the first four ages. In the Gunpowder (fourth) Age, the Arquebus sees first battle deployment. Though the Chinese invented gunpowder and are the first to enjoy its use in the game, the first broadly introduced Gunpowder unit is the Arquebus, a European invention. Europeans perfected the military application of gunpowder before anyone else, so the first gunpoder weapon -- nominatively -- is theirs.
Archers - Outstanding when marched into battle behind Heavy Cavalry. Available in the Classical Age, Archers are essentially improved Bowmen, and fight effectively on the offensive or the defensive. While Cavalry close the gap in the early going, Archers soften the enemy front line, weakening the opposition for their Cavalry to ride in and demolish when the battle is joined.
Frigate - On sea as it was on land, everything changed in wartime with the rise of the Gunpowder Age. The Frigate sailed with advantages in speed, armor, and firepower combined in a single vessel for the first time. Even against larger, better-armed ships, the Frigate can mount a substantial attack.
Cataphract - The first Heavy Cavalryman, available in the Classical Age. Ordered into battle by the Byzantines, the Cataphract proved deadly against almost all foes on the battlefield. Heavily armored and skilled with the lance (and sometimes the bow), only the Hoplite can consistently overcome the Cataphract in the early game.
Destroyer - The Industrial Age brings with it mechanized death on the waves. Destroyers launch heavier ranged salvos than any Light Naval Units before them, bringing the game’s first “splash damage” – damage to multiple units with a single round of fire. Destroyers also serve the crucial function of anti-Submarine warfare. Battleships and Aircraft Carriers depend on the lighter (and much less expensive) Destroyer to clear the waters of undersea boats. To gain an early advantage in building Destroyers and the Fireships that come after them, start stockpiling Metal and Timber before the dawning of the Industrial Age. With industry come more expensive warships.
Bomber - Visually resembling the B-25 Liberator flown by American forces in WW2, the Bomber increases the range and attack power first deployed in-game with the Zeppelin. Every Bomber requires Oil to stay in service, so putting Oil Wells to work before the dawn of the Industrial Age gives the advantage to the prudent tactician.
Strategic Bomber - Like all Bombers, the Strategic Bomber is the most effective weapon of its day against Buildings. The Strategic Bomber in the game resembles the B-52, flown by American forces for over 50 years – to this day.
Phalanx - Perhaps the best known infantry formation in the history of warfare, the Phalanx makes Heavy Infantry stronger and more resilient in the Classical Age. The real-world domination of the Phalanx on the battlefield lasted 200 years; you may find your Phalanxes similarly effective in-game in their time.
Horse Archer - The Horse Archer first appears in the Classical Age (the second age in the game.) These mounted soldiers offer the unique advantage of firing ranged weapons while moving – no other combatant in the game can fire across distance without stopping. Perhaps no other element of your battle array will benefit as much from micro-management.
Musketeer - The Crossbow and the Arquebus merge to form the Musketeer in the Enlightenment Age. Historically, the Musket could effectively propel a shot at least 400 yards. Units rarely opened fire until close quarters were joined, however, and for three reasons: Ammunition was scarce, accuracy was unreliable, and gunsmoke quickly destroyed visibility. The fog of war will affect your armies in-game, but few victories are won without good infantry. And few infantries are effective without firearms.
Crossbows - Archers do greater damage than do Bowmen; Crossbows inflict still greater destruction. British, Nubian, and Korean armies feature the strongest Bowmen in the game. Among army regulars, however, all nations reach their apogee with the advent of the Crossbow. After the Crossbow the arrival of the Gunpowder Age brings ranged weaponry to still greater peaks.
Trireme - Powered by three levels of trained oarsmen, the Trireme was first launched by the Greeks. In the game, the Trireme is available in the Ancient Age. Contrary to the widely held belief, Trireme rowers were well paid – not the slaves of popular perception. In the real world, the Trireme carried no ranged weapons, able only to ram foes, back away, and watch them sink. In-game, they boast Bowmen and other ballistic weaponry.
Main Battle Tank - The Information Age brings the most powerful of the world’s armored cavalry units to the game – the Main Battle Tank. With design cues from an American unit (The Abrams, so devastatingly effective in the field in 1991), the MBT features the pinnacle of armament, firepower and speed in the history of cavalry.
Sloop - Launched first in the Enlightenment Age, the Sloop discharges the duties common to all Light Naval Units – scouting enemy coastlines, interrupting trade routes, and, most importantly, tracking and attacking enemy troop ships. The Sloop, like the Dromon and Caravel before it, costs only Food and Wood to produce.
Pikemen - First deployed by the Swiss in the 15th century, Pikemen come to the game in the Medieval Age. The Swiss Pikes ended the dominance of the mounted horsemen, standing sometimes as many as 150 men deep on the battlefield, brandishing lengthy staffs to abate the ride of the cavalry.
Carabineer - The Enlightenment Age brings the Carabineer into the fold. Fiercer on the attack and stouter in defense than his predecessors, the Carabineer is the last in the line of Horse Archers. The Carabineer's replacements in the game scarcely resemble it. In the Industrial Age, the Armored Car usurps the Horse Archer and joins the Light Cavalry unit line. Historically (and in the game) Light Cavalry moved faster than Horse Archers. Their speed made for vicious and deadly pursuits, and in the game, the nemesis becomes the master in time..